Most of these were based on how they feel -- a little cold, like good bonfire nights; a little creepy; set primarily in the fall; or a mixture of all of the above. I'm still trying to put into words how books have specific feels to me that can be separate from what the book actually is about.
Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor (my review)
This is probably the most out of place on this list, because technically Night Vale is in a desert, and would otherwise only be related to fall through Halloween. (The WTNV series can get creepy.) I associate the book a lot with fall because I associate the podcasts with Alaska and cold, foggy weather because that's where I listened to them first.
This is about a town in the middle of a desert which has a lot of ... interesting events transpire. The storyline is new to the universe based on where I left off listening to the podcasts (which was .... a while ago OTL) but I'm pretty sure the characters and storylines introduced in the book also make an appearance in more recent podcast episodes.
This is also really cool because it's a multi-media series. The narration is so on-point that I heard Cecil's voice the entire time I was reading, and it was wonderful.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Fangirl takes place over Cath's first semester of college, which means it takes place during the fall. I associate it a lot with the smell of heated air and how cold tends to seep through cinderblock walls. (I'm not sure if those have any relation to anything that happens in the book.)
I identified a lot with Cath when I read it in the spring of my junior year of high school. I've already been through my freshman year of college, so I'd love to go back and re-read this to see how my expectations of college (especially in comparison to the book) hold up against how it really went last year.
This is a standalone, but Cath's fanfiction also lives as its own book, Carry On, which could maybe be added to this list as well.
Jackaby by William Ritter (my review)
This is a supernatural-historical fiction (which in retrospect I'm learning is a good combo for me). Supernatural books tend to be a little creepy, or at least unsettling, and historical fiction has almost a similar aesthetic in its age. Maybe it's just me that finds old things easily creepy in the right lights.
For its creepy / unsettling aesthetic at times, it's actually pretty light-hearted. The aesthetic was perfect for me in that it got the point across but was never enough to deter me from reading.
Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld (my review)
If I remember correctly, Darcy's part of the book takes place as she's writing Afterworlds, which would put it during November. I associate this a lot with cold, rainy weather (maybe because I read this during February). It's also a little creepy with the side of the story that's Darcy's writing since that plot deals a lot with life and death.
I didn't particularly enjoy this book as much as the others in this list, but I think it's a good mention in case anyone else will find it enjoyable.
This is also a standalone, but technically it's got two stories within it, so it's like getting two for one?
Devil and the Bluebird by Jennifer Mason-Black (my review)
I'm not sure whether to classify this one as urban fantasy or magical realism. It definitely doesn't sugar-coat anything, which for whatever reason makes it feel like fall weather to me. I know that at least part of the story takes place during the winter, which may have accounted for a little bit of that.
I had some trouble getting through the middle of the book because it was fairly depressing, but I'm happy with my decision to stick through it and read to the end.
This is a standalone book.
The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Gray (my review)
... I don't remember why I added this to the list, but I feel like it fits. I think it's also that urban fantasy / magical realism thing. This one's also a little depressing, but I don't know that it was as hard for me as Devil and the Bluebird.
In re-reading my review I found my comparison between The Girl at Midnight and the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. I think the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series is a little more winter-ish, or closer to the fall-winter transition in November and December, but that it's also worth noting here.
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black (my review)
This had a very similar feel to the Modern Faerie Tales series of Black's that I read back in elementary school, which was creepy to me back then. (In a good way. I know I tried to read the books more than once.) Just the title alone suggests a cool and isolated location, like wandering so far into a forest that you're hopelessly lost and have no sign of civilization left.
(I'm a city person.)
This also explores various character motivations and human nature, and within the context of the story it's pretty somber. It's almost like kicking up leaves that have been on the ground for a while and have started to decompose (if that makes sense).
This is a standalone book, but if you like the aesthetic I'd point you to Tithe.
So there we go! Hopefully you found some interesting new books to read in the next month or two. Like I mentioned at the top, I'll have another similar post next month about more Halloween-specific books. I'm hoping to make a trend out of themed book recs and right now my plan is to make a new post next year instead of coming back to retroactively update this one.
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