If October arrives and you’re not really feeling in the Halloween spirit — riding the spooky struggle bus, so to speak — just know I’ve been there. Maybe it’s global warming consistently keeping the weather at a humid 75 degrees in the Northeast, or just the general drudgery of living day-to-day in a (somewhat) post-pandemic world overtaken by fascism (🫠), but over the last few years my capacity for caring about pumpkins, candy corn, and non-sparkly vampires has occasionally dipped to frighteningly low levels by the time the ‘-ber’ months roll around.
Fortunately I have a tried-and-true method of reinvigorating my Oversized Sweaters gene in times of Halloween need: reading a book with major fall vibes. Here I’m sharing some of my favorite books that do just that with you all — particularly ones with beautiful prose evocative of the autumn season, or atmospheric novels that have sent copious amounts of chills up and down my spine (or both).
From a 1959 gothic horror classic and its contemporary sequel, to a young adult murder-mystery trilogy that hooks you from page one, these novels are (hopefully) the literary equivalent of chugging five pumpkin spice lattes in a row (if this was a world where PSLs actually tasted good). Light a fire, crunch some leaves, and keep scrolling to see all of my fall-themed book recommendations.
