Autumn TBR: What I am Planning to Read this Season

I think Autumn is the best season to enjoy a good book. Is it a sunny day? Take your book and go for a walk in the park, to read the pages under the pale sun, while copper leaves dance around you. Is it a cold, rainy day? Light up a scented candle, take your duvet, possibly your cat napping next to you, and submerge yourself in the world your book drags you in.

Autumn is the season making me want to read novels, tales of magic, but also mysteries. I like reading spooky books, especially when Halloween is coming, but my list also includes some poetry and non fiction, another genre I enjoy reading a lot. But stop blabbering now, let's proceed with the list of books I am planning to read this season.

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An Enchantment of Ravens, by Margaret Rogerson

This is a YA one of my dearest friends suggested me to read. I am not too fond of YA to be honest, I often find them quite silly and predictable. She insisted for me to give it a chance though, so I did it. So far, I've read half of it, and pretty quickly as well, sign that the story is nice, well written, making the reader willing to know more and more about the adventures of the two main character.

Female protagonist of the story is Isobel, a girl who also is a Master of Craft in painting. In the world the story is set into, the inhabitants of the four fairy court (Winter, Autumn, Spring and Summer) are very fond of the Crafts, which is to say the objects that human being can create (let it be food, weapons, portraits or clothes). Despite her young Age Isobel is an extremely good painter, and her portraits are requested by many powerful fairies. One day, the Prince of the Autumn court himself shows up after hundred years of silence, requesting a portrait from Isobel. The Prince of the Autumn court, Rook, is handsome, with his black hair with reddish lights, his amethyst eyes and beautiful smile. Too handsome and too dangerous to resist, as Isobel knows far too well.

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Caraval, by Stephanie Garber

Another book I've been recommended by a friend, because some time (years) ago I read The Night Circus and really liked it. Caraval should be a book on the same line. Main character is Scarlett, who has always dreamt of participating to the Caraval, a faraway performance where the audience can participate to the show. That year, Scarlett receives an invitation to the show, and she is over the moon. As soon as she arrives though she is kidnapped by the Caraval leader, Legend. The main theme of that year in fact is Scarlett's sister Tella, and the game involves finding her first. Scarlett has always been told that the Caraval is fiction, nothing of what happens is real, but she is afraid she might not see her sister ever again, and so falls in a vortex of love, magic and mystery, hoping to find her sister first and save them both.

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The Raven, E A Poe

One of my favourite poems ever, and it will not be the first time I am reading it. I did order on Amazon a collection of Poe's poetry and fiction, so I might decide to read something else from his as well this season. For now though, I will definitely read this beautiful, enchanting and sad poem, which is such a perfect reading for October, the month of Halloween.

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Dune, by Frank Herbert

Science Fiction is not my favourite genre to read, but every single person who has read this book cannot stop singing its praise, so at the end I gave up and decided to read it as well. The story seems very interesting: set in a far away future, the story tells the adventures of Paul Atreides, whose family accepted to take control of the desert planet Arrakis. Arrakis is the only planet where the legendary “spice” melange can be found, a powerful substance that can give control over the universe to the person who possess it.

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The Clockmaker's Daughter, by Kate Morton

This is the latest entry on my bookshelf, and its the last book by Kate Morton, one of my favourite writers of all times. I read all of her books, and was over the moon when I saw this “little” (over 500 pages) one on the shop's shelf. Elodie Winslow is an archivist, and one day she discovers a satchel containing two things: a sketchbook containing the sketch of an old Manor, and an old photo of a beautiful Victorian lady. What surprises Elodie is that that manor feels so familiar to her, in a way she really can't explain. Her research of the mystery involving the young woman starts, in a novel narrated, as Morton's usual style, from different point of views, by different characters who lived in different times. Possibly the reading I am looking forward the most.

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The Beauty Myth, by Naomi Wolf

One of the most important feminist essays of our times, with this book Wolf analyses the relationship between beauty and the female identity. In a world where women are as powerful as never before, they still seem to be under the beauty myth spell, constantly looking for perfection, social recognition. Is beauty a weapon used against women, in the past as in present day?

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Dracula, by Bram Stoker

How could I not include a classic Gothic story in my list? I wasn't sure if to include this one or The Castle of Otranto in my list, and at the end I opted for the king and father of all vampire stories ever written. One to read under the duvet, during a stormy night.

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Good Omen, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Autumn to me is always a synonym for Neil Gaiman. Maybe because I've been reading his books mostly during autumn season, or maybe because most of them are spooky enough to be enjoyed during this time. Whatever the reason, I love enjoying one of his novels during fall, and this year I am planning to read a book which has been sitting in my TBR for far too long. Good Omen is about a witch, who made a premonition during the 15^th century: the end of the world is close. Its next Saturday! An angel and a demon have the difficult task of stopping the Armageddon... will they manage?

And so, that is my autumn TBR! I don't think I will only stick to this list, I reckon I will also be picking other titles during the way, but will let you know about them in my What I Read this Month post at the end of October.

Please let me know if you're planning to read one of these as well, or if you read them and if you loved (or hated) them, I am always looking for suggestions. Sending you lots of spooky hugs, talk to you very soon

M.