Hello!
Happy first day of Fall, Autumn, which ever you prefer or go by! Autumn is my favorite season ever. Everything gets cozy and sweet and chilly. It’s like the world’s starting to get ready to go for a bit of a nap before the New Year and everything just feels extra bit magical. It’s a metamorphosis that I can get behind.
Living close to the equator, I don’t really get a chance to explore seasons. The way I know Fall’s come around is when the nights come earlier and the mornings start later. It’s when there’s more cloudy and rainy days then there are bright and scorching days. It’s when it dips to the 70’s and people in Florida start complaining that it’s “too damn cold”.
Mainly, for me, it’s the darker days. The earlier it gets darker, the earlier I can sit down with a big fluffy throw and a warm candle and read.
Like with every season, I like to set myself some reading goals so I thought I’d take some time today to write out a list of all the books I’m hoping to read in the months of Autumn. I’m sure I’ll be adding to this list but for now, here’s what’s on my seasonal TBR:
Autumn. Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Two old friends—Daniel, a centenarian, and Elisabeth, born in 1984—look to both the future and the past as the United Kingdom stands divided by a historic, once-in-a-generation summer. Love is won, love is lost. Hope is hand-in-hand with hopelessness. The seasons roll round, as ever.
This has been on my radar for a very long time. I was always intrigued by this series and the way the titles come into play with the plot. “Autumn” is the first book in a series of four books, each named after a season. First comes “Autumn”, then “Winter”, “Spring”, and “Summer”. If you couldn’t tell already, I’m pretty seasonally oriented. Each season has its own significant meaning in my life and its own individual aesthetic. I’m curious to see how this author interprets “Autumn” and how the story lines up with my favorite season.
Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and to devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Moderna and Regio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father just as quick to accept on her behalf.
I have not read this author’s previous book, “Hamnet”, but I know that “Hament” is a book that I’m going to love. I’ve heard great things about this author’s writing and I love how her latest two releases are historical fiction. “Hament” follows the son of Shakespeare in the late 1500’s and so does “The Marriage Portrait”. One takes place in England, the other in Italy. I’m curious to see the historical, cultural, and social differences between these two different regions in a time period I don’t know much about. I also am a sucker for any story about a woman trying to survive in an environment and world that’s set against her so I have a feeling that I’m going to pick this one up relatively soon.
1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation — also known as Babel.
I don’t think that there’s anyone left who doesn’t know what this book’s about. First of all, the cover of this book is gorgeous and from what I hear, the writing is as well. I’m not going to lie, I have not ready “The Poppy War” series yet but I’m just getting back into fantasy so it’s pretty high on the fantasy. books I need to get to, so don’t worry, I’ll check it off my list soon. I am a huge history nerd and late October and especially November is when I tend to get the itch to lose myself in a heavy, almost textbook like material. This book meets all the criteria for a late Autumn read and I can’t wait to pick it up. I also think that it’s pretty apt to read now because our world’s going through a pretty huge change with the passing of the Queen of England. While people are mourning, people are also asking questions that I know that this book’s going to explore.
England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness —a man made of smoke.
I’ve started to get back into fantasy books and this is veryyyy high on my to be read list. First of all, we keep circling back to this but I love history. I especially love fantasy stories that take place in historical settings. “The Infernal Devices” series is one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. Everything from the historical London to the unforgettable characters made that book memorable. It’s literally withstood the test of time because I read the first book in that series almost ten years ago. Ew, now I feel old. Anyway, this book is also set in Victorian London and from what the summary of this book is indicating, I think that there’s going to be a found family with some misunderstood kids/people, all of which are tropes that I absolutely love.
In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world.
I’ve got two classics on my Fall reading list with the first book being the “Picture of Dorian Gray”. I absolutely love “Frankenstein” and it was the first classic that had me sucked into the plot and crying over fictional characters I didn’t think I’d be able to understand. Mary Shelley’s writing was so entrancing and easy to read. I’m hoping that I get the same out of “Picture of Doran Gray”. I’ve heard great things about this book from fellow classics reader and the plot itself feels very intriguing and mysterious, the perfect combo to make a perfect autumn classic. I’m not sure why but I have high hopes for this book because it seems to have a memorable plot summary just as Frankenstein does.
Ancient, beautiful Manderley, between the rose garden and the sea, is the county’s showpiece. Rebecca made it so – even a year after her death, Rebecca’s influence still rules there. How can Maxim de Winter’s shy new bride ever fill her place or escape her vital shadow?
I really want to read this book but honestly, I’m more inclined to pick up “The Picture of Dorian Gray” than this one. I don’t know why but this book gives off “Jane Eyre” vibe sand I’m not going to lie, I didn’t really vibe with that book. I do want to give this a chance though because I heard great things about it. The main reason why this is on my list is because I want to read “The Hacienda” and I heard that it’s based on “Rebecca”.
I’m buddy reading Babel in October and I’m so excited l!
I hope you enjoy it!