Finding that perfect book to embrace the start of this most wonderful of seasons.
Normally, during the long, hot summer, I will find myself picking up books with snow, rain, and all the hallmarks of a cold and wintry atmosphere. This is a wonderful escape when the temperatures are at or above the century mark, and I feel like a houseplant stuck inside. This is my favorite time to read a book and watch a movie that evokes all the elements of cold weather.
So when Autumn finally does circle around, I am ecstatic. On September 1st, the autumn wreaths make an appearance on the doors. It matters not one bit if it is blistering hot outside; it is time. The rest of the season I want to savor, to have it slow down and enjoy every minute of it. Living on the West Coast, we sometimes have warm weather into October, but thankfully not like the height of summer. I relish the first turning of the leaves, the slanting light that hits the hillside and the first bit of chill in the mornings and evenings.
Autumn also brings a deviation from my diet. In fact, I am usually not a coffee creamer person, but when September arrives, I am there buying the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice creamer. It is only used in my second cup of coffee, but it has become a little tradition. Now I know it's not healthy, too much sugar and all that. But you know what? I am alright with that for this brief season. All things in moderation, I have heard said.
However, when it comes to my reading, it is not necessarily autumnal during this time. As a self-professed and unapologetic mood reader, I embrace what books speak to me during this season. This, however, did not stop me from compiling a small group of books that might be enjoyable if you are on a quest for some book recommendations or suggestions. I am including a couple that I read and a few that I plan to read in the next month or so. Caveat: this list is subject to change if the mood strikes me.
So let's start:
Daphne Du Maurier - Rebecca and Jamaica Inn.
Well, you can hardly have an autumnal reading list and not recommend a Daphne Du Maurier book. Rebecca is, of course, the quintessential favorite. When I finally got around to reading Rebecca in my forties, I was enthralled. All of those dark, gothic, and emotional images were evoked. Why had it taken me so long to read?
A friend is moving and gave me some books that she did not want to pack and move. Could there be a better friend than that?? Jamaica Inn was included in this lovely assortment of books, which also had many wonderful gardening books. I have not read a lot of synopses of Jamaica Inn other than the description and snippets I have heard on Book Tube. There is something adventurous about choosing a book that you do not know everything about from many detailed reviews. A little mystery and adventure is always a good thing, and then the story the author is sharing can be revealed.
Currently, I am devouring Jamaica Inn and can visualize the dark and atmospheric moors. Mary Yellan has recently arrived at the Jamaica Inn and is thrust into an environment that is rife with tension, evil, darkness, smuggling, and death. The character of Mary's uncle, Joss Merlyn, is well drawn for his darkness and threatening manner. As I am only about a third of the way into the book, all I can say is that I am really enjoying reading it. After I am done, I plan to watch the movie.
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
This was recommended as an Autumn read on a channel, and I was intrigued. After reading the back cover, I thought this was a bit of a genre departure for me, but I decided to give it a go. At our library, this is shelved in Science Fiction, but I think it may be more fantasy, neither of which is my usual genre.
The premise appears to be a circus that shows up only at night. It is suddenly there and full of amazing mysteries and experiences. There are dueling magicians, Celia and Marco, who are enemies, but end up falling in love.
So, I plan to give this a go as I want to stretch myself as a reader, and it seems like a worthy fit as an autumn read. If you have read it, please let me know.
The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories- Chosen by Michael Cox and R.A. Gilbert
I am not entirely certain what drew me to a compilation of ghost stories this year, as it is not my normal selection. Also, I have been drawn to lighter fare in the past several months (Jamaica Inn excepted). Perhaps it felt like a throwback to childhood; to Girl Scout campouts, where wildly crazy ghost stories were bandied about the campfire, all the while licking sticky marshmallows from your fingers after eating s'mores.
This compilation of English Ghost Stories is an interesting blend of stories a wide variety of authors. It also is a perfect sit and dip book. - sit down and dip into the book for a tidge.
Authors of the ghost stories include some of the following:
HG Wells
Henry James
Bram Stoker (author of Dracula - now that screams dark and gothic)
E. Nesbit (author of The Railway Children)
John Buchan (author of The 39 Steps - a wonderful suspense novel)
Edith Wharton
If you are looking for a ghostly compilation to read during this season without the commitment of a full book, consider checking this out.
Emily's Ghost - Denise Giardina
This book has been out for about 15 years, and I read it quite some time ago. My copy disappeared, so I picked it up again at a library book sale. There are not many books that I reread, but I have pulled this from the shelf and anticipate rereading it again soon.
We are treated to a fictionalized account of Emily Brontë and her relationship with William Weightman, who was the curate at the Haworth parish. It seems like a great deal of focus is made about Charlotte, but Emily deserves her time in the sun as well. As you read, images of the parsonage, the wind-swept moors, the gothic environment of Haworth, and the attraction between these two people come to life.
M.M. Kaye-
So this same friend who gave me Jamaica Inn also provided me with a stash of M.M. Kaye books. She is the author of the seminal Far Pavilions (that is on my winter TBR list), which is set in India during the Raj. This included the series of mysteries that M.M. Kaye wrote during the years as a British military wife, and all were published in the mid to late 1950’s and into 1960. I have included these as reading the back covers, these seem to have an adventurous, mysterious, potentially dark atmosphere and intrigue.
The books listed below are in order of publication. In fact, I am saving Death in Kashmir as my next travel book to take on the plane. As it turns out, I am only missing the final installment of the Death series, and I will be on the lookout for a copy. Please let me know if you have read any of the M.M. Kaye books and your thoughts.
Death in Kashmir – (1953)
Death in Berlin – (1955)
Death in Cyprus- (1956)
Death in Kenya – (1958)
Death in Zanzibar – (1959)
Death in Andamans – (1960)
Hopefully, this provides a little different mix of some books to contemplate for reading during the Autumnal season.
Happy Reading!
Sharon
