As the air turns crisp, the Jersey Shore slows down to the cozy rhythm of fall. What better way to enjoy the more restful pace of life as the hustle-and-bustle of summer fades away, and we turn the page to autumn, than to snuggle up to a good book?
Babel
By R.F. Kuang
Set at Oxford University, this novel feels right to crack open as young adults head off to school and the leaves begin to fall. The full title of this 2022 novel is “Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution.”
Doesn’t that sound like the title of a student paper, tinged with the tense air of simmering protest? That’s likely the point: to mirror the sort of writing expected of its protagonist as he is swept off to Oxford from Hong Kong in the late 1800s, without explanation or getting to say goodbye.
Robin Swift, who is forced to forsake his Chinese name at the very start of the text, feels intense love for the prestigious university where he studies translation and its arcane magic, but pervading the experience is the question, “Why me?” It’s a question that, once he dares to ask it, leads to dark answers and a grim choice to make.
In this speculative fictional tale, linguistics suffuses magic seamlessly. Many bookstores market this type of tale as “dark academia,” a trope often involving scholars who embark on their studies, only to uncover anything from skeletons in closets, to specters haunting their hallowed academic halls – in other words, a trope uniquely suited for autumn.
A Wrinkle in Time
By Madeleine L’Engle
This familiar title might already be on your children’s back-to-school reading list. This classic can be a gift to young readers or a nostalgic treat for older ones. Like all classics, it’s timeless.
There are so many parts of this story that mark the season other than it being a new-school-year read. The story opens on a stormy October night, then shifts to an autumn-red pine grove where the uncanny and brilliant Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Which are concealed in a dilapidated haunted house.
From there, the characters venture across dimensions and planets in the protagonist’s search for her father and fight against a force blotting out the stars. Whether you’re young or old, this is a delightful book you’ll never tire of rereading.
And if you already read the first one, head on to the next. While the first book is often read as a stand-alone novel in schools, the series ventures further across time and space in the five books that make up “The Time Quintet.” There are some highly underrated novels later on in the quintet worth exploring.
The Fellowship of The Ring
By J.R.R. Tolkien
The tale starts with a double birthday festival at the end of September, with mischievous (and serious) pranks and magical fireworks.
“The Fellowship of the Ring” not only starts around the same day as the autumn solstice, but it’s also rife with cozy hobbitholes and wholesome friendships that are perfect for immersing yourself in by a roaring fire or even out in nature as you savor the last of the summer sun’s warmth. Yet the tale has high stakes as well, to keep your attention rapt.
Of course the movie is amazing, but there are some unexpected gems in the book as well, including that the characters constantly burst into song. It has just the right amount of silliness to balance out the more ominous turns in the narrative.
While dense, “The Lord of the Rings” could be a deeply rewarding challenge for a patient reader (perhaps armed with a dictionary, or dictionary app at the ready).
Grimms’ Fairy Tales
Another classic finds its way on this list, but for good reason. These tales are not the Disney movie versions you probably grew up with; they are far darker and more sinister than what you would readily read to children.
Folktales are the blueprint out of which speculative fiction grew, which then diverged into fantasy and horror. In these stories you’ll find magic and frights in equal measure, along with some certain surprises.
Try reading Grimms’ “Snow White” to find one of the most startling differences from the children’s tale you thought you knew.
Weyward
By Emilia Hart
For those seeking slightly more realistic fiction, try out Emilia Hart’s 2023 debut novel. However, this book also wouldn’t disappoint those looking for a little magic in their stories, too.
This historical novel follows three characters from different points in British history as they all attempt to free themselves from men who abuse them, or accuse them of witchcraft. These witch trials haunt their descendants for generations to come, but this dark history may also be interpreted as a blessing of subtle magic or resilience within a matriarchal line.
Whether contending with intergenerational trauma or immediate peril, the characters learn that nature can heal even the worst wounds. While feminist literature like this can occasionally come across as preaching to the choir, this novel will draw in the most skeptical of readers and hold their attention to the end.
“Weyward” is the perfect read to ease into the spooky season while we still savor basking in the last of the summer sun.
