CRUNCHY LEAVES + SWEATER WEATHER READS

Posted on October 14 2022

Autumn is suddenly upon us, a time to get all cosy, play some Animal Crossing, watch the Great British Bake Off and read some brilliant books. We’re very excited to be in the full swing of things with autumn and now our team is growing here at Paper and Word, we thought it would be fun to re-introduce you to everyone by sharing the top two books we’re each most excited to read this month and one thing we love about autumn.

Abby:

I was absolutely made for this time of year. The autumn colours, the chilly weather and darker evenings… it is something I look forward to every year! It’s also the most luxurious time to read, isn’t it? A cosy chair by the fire, a nice blanket and a hot cup of tea? Heaven. This year though, I’m really excited about sharing it with our little boy. He turns 2 in October and is very excited about everything these days! I’m looking forward to wellie walks in the woods, collecting conkers and going to the pumpkin patch!

Cheating slightly but I’m going to choose a series for my first book choice… The Realm of The Elderlings by Robin Hobb (you can check out of reading guide to this epic series here). I know, I know, my love for this series knows no bounds! However, at this time of year, there is nothing better than cwtching up with a brew and a blanket and heading into a rainy Buckkeep Town!
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson. I’ve been saving this for the spooky season! I love reading witchy things this time of year and I’ve heard really good reviews!

Liam:

Autumn is my absolute favourite, although now we have a garden we’ve worked so hard on, Summer has been awesome (ignoring the blistering heat waves that nearly saw the end of me). But it’s finally time for golden sunsets, seeing my breath in the cold air and adding syrupy flava flavs to my coffee and let’s face it, I’ve been ready for it all year.

Babel. I’ll be honest - I had no plans to read this until Abby was literally about to smash the play button on Scribd and I asked “what’s it about again?” Which was followed immediately by “Ok, let’s read it together!” I’ve been up to my knees in podcasts this year and not read a single book until this and it did not disappoint. Kuang is clearly a next-level genius and I was blown away by her deep and intimate knowledge of the various languages used around the world.

Frankenstein + Jekyll and Hyde. I’m shooting my last wedding of the year in October which will (hopefully) give me time to sit down and… wait for it… read a PHYSICAL real-life handheld book with actual pages and everything. Since they’re both short and tis the season to get spooky I’m going to treat myself to a double whammy and read both Frankenstein and Jekyll and Hyde. Can’t wait!

**Nate:**

I am so excited about cute autumn dates. Taking a thermos of coffee and a pack of biscuits into the woods and ambling about nature. When the light through the trees feels like it’s never quite daytime the forest always feels so mystical. If you’re odd, like me, (of course you are don’t lie to yourself), it’s the perfect time to run about pretending to be a woodland pixie, kicking through leaves and up to mischief. Also, it's the season of MARSHMALLOWS (try the vegan ones from M&S you won’t be disappointed). Cook over the fire, with a good stick - a stick can also be used as a pixie wand of course, just FYI.

I’m currently reading He, She and It by Marge Piercy. Nothing beats a bit of dystopian fiction on a dark October night. Dim the lights, light the candles and settle in.

On my non-fiction list, I have Polysecure by Jessica Fern. It’s all about attachment theory in non-monogamous relationships. So, I'm looking forward to having a bit of gentle self-reflection and learning.

Beth:

I’m definitely a summer gal, but I love it when the seasons change and we get the cosy autumnal days, nature always looks so beautiful at this time of year. One of my favourite things about autumn time is going for an early evening walk as the sun is setting. It’s such a beautiful and still time of day to go out, nature is at its finest and everyone’s houses always feel so warm and cosy. I’m living for all the cosy autumnal reads mixed with the spooky horror books, there are so many I’m excited to get to! My top two though for the coming season would be:

Sundial by Catriona Ward. I’ve recently read The Last House on Needless Street by the same author and don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like it. The unique plot combined with a hypnotising writing style made it a 5-star read for me, so naturally, I have very high hopes for Ward’s next book!
Reprieve by James Han Mattson. This one is following a group of people taking part in an escape room when one of them is killed during one of the puzzles. The book then looks back at each other person in the room and how everything led to this moment. It’s a Patreon Book Club pick for me so I’m super excited to get to read and discuss it, plus my copy is the Waterstones special edition with a dripping blood effect down the pages which is pretty perfect for the spooky season!

Which books are on your TBR for the autumn months?

• The Paper and Word Team •

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