The lovely Madalyn tagged me in the Finally Fall Book Tag and I was excited to partake! I love fall, as you probably know, and am looking for any excuse to celebrate it. You can read about my other autumn antics in a few posts here and here, if you’re curious.
In fall, the air is crisp and clear:
Name a book with a vivid setting
The Thousandth Floor and The Dazzling Heights have a really interesting, unique setting. The books take place 100+ years from now and all of Manhattan, NYC is located in a thousand floor building. There are so many cool technological advances (and creepy ones that I hope don’t exist then!). The setting is a little hard to picture because HOW would all of Manhattan fit into one building?! Once you can somewhat figure that part out, the setting is extremely well thought-out and interesting to read.
Nature is beautiful, but also dying:
Name a book that is beautifully written but deals with a heavy topic
This was a tough one for me! I haven’t read a lot of heavier books recently because I have favored the fluffy ones. I read All the Bright Places a few years ago and it definitely broke my heart. I think this book is extremely quotable because the writing is so damn good. Books with this topic are somewhat problematic, so I don’t know what to make of it in hindsight, but still fits the prompt here.
Fall is back to school season:
Share a non-fiction book that taught you something new
I don’t read a lot of nonfiction and usually prefer celebrity memoirs when I do. However, these two books definitely gave me some insight into “new” topics. Full Frontal Feminism is one of my favorite books on feminism because I love Jessica Valenti’s perspective. She makes it accessible and OBVIOUS about why people should be feminists. I also wanted to highlight Beyond Belief because this was my intro into scientology, which has since become my favorite documentary topic to watch.
In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend time with people we love:
Name a fictional family / household / friend group you’d like to be a part of
This is always a tough one because I have SO many answers. I have to go with my gut here and highlight the Song/Covey family in the TATBILB trilogy. I’m obsessed with all of them (maybe not Margot sometimes but whatever). I want all of Lara Jean’s cookies, Kitty’s antics, their dad’s sweetness, and just the straight-up coziness of this family.
The colorful leaves are piling up on the ground:
Show us a pile of fall-colored spines
Okay so because I moved, most of my physical copies are back in CT. My options for pretty spine pictures are incredibly limited. So, as a result of that, I’m going to share fall-inspired book pictures from my bookstagram.
Fall is the perfect time for some
storytelling by the fireside:
Share a book wherein
somebody is telling a story
I was reallllly excited for Sometimes We Tell The Truth because it’s a retelling of one of my favorite classics – The Canterbury Tales. The book takes place on a school bus heading to Washington DC. Each person on the bus tells a tale, just like in the original, for everyone to vote on for extra credit (or something like that… I don’t remember). The book is based around the main character telling THIS story of their experience on the bus, but there are also stories mixed in from the students.
The nights are getting darker:
Share a dark, creepy read
Sooo to be fair, I don’t read a lot of creepy books. Especially not DARK and creepy. The Mara Dyer trilogy is the closest I can come for an answer here. I also think the mystery/thriller/creepy vibes are perfect to read in the fall. I read these a lot at nighttime and stayed up way too late thinking about them afterwards. Some scenes were definitely chilling for me, a Big Baby.
The days are getting colder:
Name a short, heartwarming
read to warm up someone’s
cold, rainy day
I love me a heartwarming read! I also love a short book that you can blaze through in a few hours or less. It took a little time to narrow this down, since I have so many potential answers to this question, but I decided on a longer book that you can still read quickly and will make you smile. I definitely laughed out loud multiple times while reading The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. This book is SO funny and so shippy. It has the ultimate enemies-to-lovers trope, which is one of my favorites to read. I can’t handle it. I miss these characters!
Fall returns every year:
Name an old favorite you’d like to return to soon
I am going to lazily use this graphic every time because why not? It’s already there. I loved the three books in the Anna and the French Kiss companion series. I can’t believe I read them back in 2014 when I first started blogging! It feels like forever ago. I’ve been wanting a reread for a while, so I hope to get back into them at some point. They’re such quick reads too.
Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights:
Share your favorite cozy reading accessories
My favorite place to read in the fall and winter is my bed! It’s always so cozy, with multiple blankets, a candle going, and my lights. The picture on the right pretty correctly captures the coziness of my bed/reading spot. You can also see my coffee mug and fleece sheets, which are must-haves. You can understand why I don’t enjoy leaving my bed ever! On the left, you’ll see my go-to fall outfit (leggings with a cozy sweater) and favorite activity (pumpkin picking).
great picks! I totally agree with ATBP, it’s so beautiful yet it also hurt to read. And yeah, Mara Dyer series is definitely creepy!
How fun! Fall is by far my favorite season. I love being able to layer clothes and just be comfortable. I feel like it’s been forever since I read the Anna trilogy, so re-reading those at some point would be fun.
For the book where someone tells a story, I’d put Feral Youth. So good!
-Lauren
This is another fun tag!! Agree with ATBP and The Hating Game. I started ot reread the Anna series an need to get back to it.
I totally would pick All the Bright Places for that option too! Have you listened to the audiobook? It’s so great, but I cried more listening to it then I did reading it to be honest.
Awesome choices all around!