The Bookish Mindset

On my bookshelf, autumn is the time for fantasy; it’s stormy nights spent with blankets and hot tea whilst getting lost in a book. Let me introduce to you some perfect books for the season, sorted by themes:

Witches: A great place to start and an accidental pink theme with the covers, we love a witchy narrative. Especially when they include kick ass women breaking the mould. Try Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson and The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste.

Monsters: Magical beings, ghostly demons and just straight up monstrous beasts.. monsters come in all forms in fiction. brilliantly written and equally clever. Try Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron, Spirits Abroad by Zen Cho, Pet by Akaeke Emezi and Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith.

Magical Universes: We’ve got them all here: magic casters, magic users and magic abusers. Whether it’s fairies, dance moves or blood magic, there’s quite the range here. Try That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N Williams, A Tempest of Tea by Hafsa Faizal, The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le and Dancers of the Dawn by Zulekha A Afzal.

Cosy Fantasy: I couldn’t not mention this favourite genre of mine. Perfect for cosying up with for total escapism. I’m excited to find more to add here, but for now, try Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree.

Horror: While it’s absolutely not a genre I normally pick up, here’s two I recommend. Tender is the Flesh by Agustine Batzerrica has disturbed me for years and I enjoyed Never Whistle at Night by Shane Hawk but some stories are very creepy.

Dark Academia: Now here’s a genre I’m a new fan of. I thoroughly enjoyed these and I can’t wait to read more. The first two include magical elements as well: Blood over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang, Babel by R. F. Kuang and Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide.

And in case you’re wondering what I’m reading myself this autumn, I have these three planned for the coming months: Weyward by Emilia Hart, Honey Witch by Sydney J. Sheilds and Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James.

Have you got any plans to read fantasy books over the Autumn? I’d love to know!

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