Quick Take: Discover the essence of autumn with my It’s Finally Fall Book Tag! Dive into a curated list of 8 cozy books I wholeheartedly recommend for your fall reading.
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It’s that time of year again to post my It’s Finally Fall Book Tag! There are many content creators that do this tag, but I was able to trace its origin to the Tall Tales YouTube channel. Unfortunately, from what I could find, their account is now inactive.
The It’s Finally Fall Book Tag includes ten prompts where I’ll dish on some of my favourite autumnal reads, some books I’m hoping to read before the end of 2023, and my reading accessory must-haves! All the books mentioned are books I’ve read unless otherwise stated.
In fall, the air is crisp and clear.
Name a book with a vivid setting!
To kick off the It’s Finally Fall Book Tag, I have to pick an autumnal staple! Babel by R.F. Kuang is a dark academia historical fantasy set in Oxford at the tower of Babel. The setting plays a crucial role, with Oxford being a prominent location and the Babel serving as a place where the protagonist, Robin, and his friends learn the magic of translation at the University of Oxford. The story also includes scenes in China that are integral to the plot, touching on themes of imperialism and colonialization. The author skillfully creates an atmospheric and immersive experience, drawing from her own time in Oxford to make the setting feel authentic.
Side note: R.F. Kuang wrote this book as a thematic response to The Secret History by Donna Tartt, and I just realized the byline of Babel is “an arcane history,” which is synonymous with “a secret history” 👀.
Nature is beautiful… but also dying.
Name a book that is beautifully written but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief.
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton is a beautifully written novel that delves into the theme of grief against the backdrop of an apocalyptic event. The story follows two perspectives: an elderly scientist in the Arctic who becomes responsible for a young girl left behind during the evacuation and an astronaut on a mission to Jupiter who loses contact with Earth.
The book explores how the end of the world puts into perspective the sacrifices made to pursue dreams, touching on issues like male privilege and the ambitions of a young woman. The author chooses not to reveal the cause of the apocalyptic event, focusing instead on how the characters come to terms with what it means to experience the end of the world, for the world to end, and how the end of the world puts into perspective everything they’ve sacrificed to pursue their dreams. Despite its exploration of grief, the book offers a sense of hope, making it a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant read.
Fall is the back-to-school season.
Share a non-fiction that taught you something new.
The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein presents a compelling argument that segregation in the US was not merely a result of individual racism but deliberate government policy. This book should be mandatory reading for everyone in North America. Through an extensive exploration of redlining, urban planning decisions, mortgage lending practices, and residential development grants, the author demonstrates how government-created laws actively discriminated against Black people. These discriminatory practices have led to the enduring deprivation of generational wealth, shedding light on the systemic roots of segregation.
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 would love to be a part of the household in The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna. The protagonist is a witch who pretends to be a witch on her YouTube channel; this is where the very human staff of the mysterious Nowhere House reach out to her as they’re seeking a witch tutor for the owner’s three young witch charges. This book is a delight! It has the magical atmosphere that I love, including the kitchen witch vibes reminiscent of the cottage core that’s so popular. I love that the book emphasizes the importance of family and that “family” isn’t defined by blood. The romance is also Grumpy x Sunshine, which is always a blast!
The colourful leaves are piling up on the ground. Show us a pile of fall-colour spines!
Show us a pile of fall-colour spines!
I love including this photo in each It’s Finally Fall Book Tag and seeing how the stacks have evolved (i.e., if I’ve read the books I’ve mentioned or not 😅). My stack of books includes six fall-coloured books I would love to read before 2024! All but two are new purchases:
- Bright Young Woman by Jessica Knoll
- Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter
- Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
- House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
- Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley*
- Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz*
*from my Backlist (purchased pre-2023)
Fall is the perfect time for some storytelling by the fireside.
Share a book wherein somebody is telling a story.
The book I’m currently reading, Penance by Eliza Clark, is perfect for this prompt! It revolves around the “book within a book” premise. Clark’s fictional story is a non-fiction true crime book written by journalist Alec Z. Carelli, which explores the horrific murder of a girl in 2016 on the eve of the Brexit vote, where she was set on fire by three teenage girls who knew her in a small seaside town. Carelli’s “book” explores how the Brexit movement, xenophobia and sexism built up toward this murder. However, through Carelli’s research, interviews and correspondence with the killers, Clark challenges the reader to assess the credibility of his narrative, the ethics of sensationalizing someone’s murder, and reflect upon media that claims to be “unbiased.”
The nights are getting darker.
Share a dark, creepy read.
I recently read What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall and thought it perfectly encapsulated this prompt. The protagonist’s small town’s dark, suffocating atmosphere and the woods where she almost died created a perfect backdrop to this haunting mystery/thriller. Twenty-two years ago, Naomi survived a brutal attack, allowing her and her friends’ testimonies to put away a serial killer. But, when this serial killer dies in prison in the present day, long-buried secrets start bubbling to the service, leading to a series of events that have Naomi questioning what exactly happened to her in those woods.
The days are getting colder.
Name a short, heartwarming read that could warm up somebody’s cold and rainy day.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree is perhaps the most quintessential heartwarming and cozy read I’ve read this year – plus, it’s short! This cozy fantasy follows Viv as she retires from her mercenary career to open her dream coffee shop. I love that the focus of this book is the protagonist’s appreciation for the quieter things in life, her learning to integrate into a new community, making friends and reinvesting in her community. The book’s charm comes from the friendships Viv makes and the community she builds. There’s also a sweet sapphic romance, but it takes a backseat to Viv’s journey.
Fall returns every year.
Name an old favourite that you’d like to return to soon.
When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain is a literary historical mystery/thriller (I know, a mouthful) set in 1993 that follows the protagonist, Anna, as she returns to her hometown after suffering a tragedy. Serendipitously, Anna is a missing persons detective, and a teenage girl has just gone missing, reminding Anna of an unsolved missing persons case from her youth.
This book has been on my mind these past few months because of its exposition of trauma theory and victimology, especially in the context of the 90s when much of forensics wasn’t grounded in technology. Also, the fact I want to re-read a mystery thriller says a lot about the quality of the storytelling beyond its plot twists.
Fall is the perfect time for cozy reading nights.
Share your favourite cozy reading “accessories”!
For the last prompt in the It’s Finally Fall Book Tag, I don’t really use any accessories when reading besides a bookmark. However, I have a lot of accessories that are related to my reading habit! The three below are ones that are new for this year:
- my TBR cart to hold some of my unread books
- my book sleeve to protect my books when I’m on the go
- my reading journal to capture my thoughts after each read
I hope you enjoyed my responses to the It’s Finally Fall Book Tag. If you want to do the tag yourself, consider yourself tagged!
See how my answers compare to last year’s It’s Finally Fall Book Tag!
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