Quick Take: My It’s Finally Fall Book Tag includes eight autumnal books I recommend reading in the fall season and six books I plan to read this fall, including a feminist retelling of The Ramayana.
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I recently watched BookTuber, Emily’s video doing the It’s Finally Fall” book tag and was inspired to participate. Emily’s channel is called BookswithEmilyFox, and you can watch the video here. The tag was originally created by Tall Tales YouTube channel; however, from what I could find, their account is now inactive.
In fall, the air is crisp and clear. Name a book with a vivid setting!
For each prompt, I’m trying to come up with an autumnal recommendation. Fantasy is a great genre to pick up toward the end of autumn as we transition into Winter. We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal certainly has a vivid setting as the very land becomes a character that reflects the status of magic in the Sands of Arawiya duology.
We Hunt the Flame also incorporates beloved fantasy tropes, including an enemies-to-lovers romance, the found family trope and a revolution. You can read my full review of We Hun the Flame here.
“People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.”
We Hunt the Flame by Hafasah Faizal
Nature is beautiful… but also dying. Name a book that is beautifully written but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.
Of course, because this prompt mentions nature, I had to recommend The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin. The book follows Clara as she grapples with her magic and grieves the death of her best friend, who died after her magic went haywire. I loved how the book describes the transition into each season and how each season’s magic manifests.
I loved that the author explored the close relationship between witches and nature through a relatable perspective as we’re currently experiencing the ramifications of the climate crisis. The romance was also really cute, but I particularly enjoyed how The Nature of Witches focused on Clara healing and befriending her magic.
“For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.”
The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
Fall is the back-to-school season. Share a non-fiction book that taught you something new.
I read The Skin We’re In by Desmond Cole in August 2022 and learned about racism and police brutality in Canada, specifically Toronto. Canada has been positioned as better than the US regarding racism for years. While conversations about Canada’s colonialism and racism have challenged its “polite” veneer, I wasn’t as familiar with the cases and events discussed in The Skin We’re In.
Desmond Cole takes the reader through a year (2017) in Canada, exposing and discussing the systemic inequality evident in police collusion, decisions made by the Toronto school board and other governmental structures, and reactions to Cole’s activism and journalism by his employers.
In order to keep warm, it’s good to spend some time with the people we love. Name a fictional family/household/friend group that you’d like to be part of.
I had a difficult time choosing what book to recommend for this prompt. However, I’ve been reading a lot of historical romances recently, and I realized I love how close and quirky the family in Lisa Kleypas’ The Hathaways series are. The series is set during a time when women have no rights, yet I love how the family does everything to protect their own, specifically making sure the women are happy with their life.
Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas is the first book in The Hathaways series and follows the eldest sister, Amelia, of the Hathaway clan. The Hathaways’ have just inherited a Viscount title, and none are prepared for the aristocracy.
The family is also grieving the death of their parents, and the eldest brother, Leo, is grieving the death of his betrothed. Amelia is trying to keep her family from falling apart and finds the unlikeliest of helpmates in Cam, who has no desire to be tied down to anyone or anything.
The colourful leaves are piling up on the ground. Show us a pile of fall-colour spines!
To me, the fall colour is orange, so I’ve included a stack of orange books taken from my Up Next Shelf (literally all the books I’ve purchased but haven’t read).
I’m incredibly excited to read each of these books and hope to read most before the end of 2022. Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel sounds like the perfect feminist fantasy retelling of the Indian epic, The Ramayana.
Fantasy is typically one of my go-to genres in November and December. I’m hoping I finally get back into the genre so I can pick up The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman, a young adult fantasy exploring complicated family dynamics.
The feminist trend continues with NSFW by Isabel Kaplan, which explores workplace complicity in the MeToo era. I’m also hoping to finally read (and finish) Wintering by Katherine May, which compares the changing season (particularly the Winter season) and mental health.
Both Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro and The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Hondree Fanonne Jeffers are 5-star predictions, but I’m definitely intimidated by their content.
Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside. Share a book wherein somebody is telling a story.
In June, I discovered Marie Brennan’s magical series, The Memoirs of Lady Trent. The first book in the series, A Natural History of Dragons, fulfills the prompt because the first book serves as the memoir of the fictional main character Lady Trent, or in this book Isabella.
The series follows Isabella from her childhood when she discovers her love of animals and interest in dragons to becoming the world’s preeminent dragon naturalist. The series is definitely a slower fantasy, as it’s focused on character development. Consequently, I think A Natural History of Dragons would be a perfect book if you want a cozy autumnal read.
“You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon’s presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one’s life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. . . .”
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
The nights are getting darker. Share a dark, creepy read.
I read Sisters by Daisy Johnson back in August 2022, which certainly fits the prompt for a dark and creepy read. The book is short – only 224 pages! – and follows twin sisters July and September after a traumatic event has chased them and their mother out of Oxford to the coast of their childhood.
The book explores individuality, the bond between these Irish twins, and the blurred lines of sisterhood. The book becomes creepier as their abandoned family home reflects the turmoil between the sisters.
The days are getting colder. Name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day.
I decided A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman qualifies as a short read because it’s under 300 pages (294, to be exact). Ove is a curmudgeon old man grieving his wife’s death who is reluctantly befriended by the young family who’s his new neighbour.
The book is so freaking heartwarming, and I loved how Ove becomes such a dear friend – and pseudo-father – for many young people in his neighbourhood after his wife’s death. I definitely recommend looking up the content warnings for this book since Ove’s characterization is very much that of an old white Swedish man, and he’s depressed during the first half of the book.
Fall returns every year. Name an old favourite that you’d like to return to soon.
I actually already re-read Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer, so this book is perfect for this prompt! Every autumn, I feel compelled to either re-read or re-watch the Twilight saga. This series is so nostalgic and just reminds me of the Twi-hard community when the series and movies first came out.
I was so happy that Stephenie Meyer decided to release Midnight Sun – Twilight from Edward’s perspective – after a decade of putting it aside.
The highlight of this book was getting an inside look at the Cullen family dynamics and how Edward and Alice’s gifts function. I wish this book had been published before the movies were released so that the movie screenplay could’ve told the action scenes from Edward’s POV.
Now, I desperately want Eclipse and Breaking Dawn told from Edward’s perspective. However, I wouldn’t mind an Alice and Jasper prequel. You can read my full review of Midnight Sun here.
Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights. Share your favourite cozy reading “accessories”!
I typically like curling up with a cup of tea and a weighted blanket on a cozy reading night.
I specifically love my Fable pink mugs and blanket from Indigo. The blanket is smaller than a twin, making it nice to cozy up on the couch. My favourite tea right now is the vanilla chai from Physical Graffitea, which I purchased during my trip to NYC.
If I’m not too sleepy, I love lighting a candle to create a cozy atmosphere. My favourite candles are from Library Lights Co. My go-to scents this autumn are the Stars Hollow and Sanderson Sisters candles.
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