Great autumn reads

A puritanical fervour is gripping 1643 England. The arrival of Matthew Hopkins in Manningtree with his toxic blend of damning accusations and mistrust threatens the wellbeing of the women who live there. This addictive debut from the poet A. K. Blakemore offers insight into the wild leaps of thought and faith that led to the witch trials, in a novel that has been described as ‘Fleabag meets Wolf Hall’.

Cosy up beside the fire and immerse yourself in this compelling and suspenseful story about a group of eccentric Classics students at an elite New England college. The snowy setting lends itself perfectly to intrigue, danger and questionable morality.

Widely considered Ishiguro’s masterpiece, The Remains of the Day follows the stoic Stevens as he reminisces on his career as the butler of a grand house in the interwar period. Journeying to see an ex-colleague, Stevens’ mind wanders to the opportunities for happiness – and even love – he might have missed along the way. Subtly subversive and steeped in melancholy, it’s the perfect novel to reflect the quiet, reflective mood of autumn.

Wuthering Heights has all the ingredients for a classic autumn read: forbidden love, family drama, wild nature and a smattering of the supernatural. Spanning four decades, the novel follows the obsessive and destructive love between Catherine and Heathcliff, which endures in spite of class differences, separation and even death. The novel’s atmospheric setting – the gloomy moors of West Yorkshire – makes this the ideal book for getting lost in as chilly rain lashes outside.

A perfect pick for autumn, Hedgewitch is steeped in the scent of sap and the crunch of dry leaves underfoot. Skye McKenna’s storytelling is rich and atmospheric, following twelve-year-old Cassie Morgan as she flees a boarding school and finds refuge with her aunt, the Hedgewitch, in a world where green magic pulses just beneath the surface. With talking familiars, enchanted woods, and a supernatural boundary between England and the Faerie realm, this is cosy, embodied magic at its finest. It’s a story that invites you to escape the real world and immerse yourself in autumnal nostalgia.

Ninth House combines the magic of autumn with an edge of horror, making it an excellent seasonal read. Set within secret occult societies at Yale University, it has a rich, dark academia feel. Alex Stern has a unique ability to see ghosts, and after a girl is murdered, Alex becomes fixated on solving the mystery by unravelling the occult magic used by all the houses on campus.

Autumn is a time to slow down, reflect and reconnect with nature, and this delightful book by Edinburgh-based author Rosie Steet is the perfect guide to making the most of the season. It features musings, creative ideas and recipes to use across the full year, but the autumn and winter chapters are especially useful – helping you to lean into the astronomical calendar and enjoy quiet rituals of celebration as the days grow longer and darker.

Many readers will know of Mary Oliver’s work from her famous poem ‘Wild Geese’. In Upstream, we are treated to a collection of essays from the revered poet as she reflects on the beauty and mysteries of both the natural world and the world of literature. Even if you are unfamiliar with Oliver’s poetry, this book empowers the reader to lose oneself in the awe of the unknown and to listen to the creative power within us.

A classic gothic horror often credited as the first true science-fiction novel, Frankenstein is an autumn must-read. Exploring the moral dilemma of the artificial creation of life and society's perception of the monster, what he is and what he becomes, this book is more than a simple horror story – it involves the reader in the plot in a deep, psychological way.

An unlikely romance forms on the 19th-century Essex coastline when widower Cora Seaborne moves there to start a new life with her son. Rumours of an ‘Essex Serpent’ are rife in the community, with the folkloric creature taking the blame for a series of deaths and dark events. Cora’s investigations bring her into contact with clergyman William Ransome, binding them together in ways they couldn’t have anticipated.

The last but by no means least of Jane Austen’s novels beautifully captures the melancholy of autumn. It tells the story of Anne Elliot, who eight years previously had rejected the man she loved because of her family’s prejudices. But now Captain Wentworth is back in her social circle – how will they both react? A celebration of enduring love.