Rain on the window, bright golden leaves, spooky witchy ambience—there’s no better time to snuggle up with a good book than in autumn.

Reading is just as important as writing in improving your storytelling craft. It gives you an opportunity to see what you’ve learnt in practice; to pick up new ideas; and to remind yourself why you love the world of books and writing.

Below are a few of our favourite books to read in autumn. We’d love to hear what you’d recommend for autumn reads so we can grow the list!

Take a trip to The Discworld

Thankfully, there’s a Pratchett for every occasion! For witchy vibes, The Wyrd Sisters has the perfect cosy balance of pointy hats and humour, all mixed up with a good helping of Shakespeare. It’s the first Discworld book to star the witches, introducing the coven of Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick. 

Head to Manchester with The Stranger Times

For anyone who’s never been to Manchester, it’s pretty much the home of autumnal weather—raining mercilessly every season of the year. The Stranger Times by C.K. McDonnell follows a fictional newspaper based in Manchester, dedicated to reporting paranormal news. Think werewolves, vampires and ghosts set against a rainy cityscape, and written with delightful dark humour.

Explore autumnal English woodland in Duncton Wood

There’s something so magical about old English woodland and the quiet creatures who live there. In William Horwood’s Duncton Wood we follow a group of moles as they face family, political and religious challenges in their magical world beneath the trees. True escapism for busy lives.

Get cosy with a classic like Northanger Abbey

Jane Austen is always cosy reading and Northanger Abbey has subtly spooky vibes, following the coming of age story of a young woman with an overactive imagination. For more intense gothic vibes delve into classics like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstien or Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.

Embrace your inner cottagecore with The Spellshop

If you’ve never heard of cottagecore, it’s essentially about embracing simplicity, nature and cosiness. Imagine arranging wildflowers in a vase next to the roaring fire of your thatched cottage. Or collecting windfall apples to bake into a crumble. In other words, it’s perfect for autumn. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst embodies all the cosiness of cottagecore, following a librarian who opens a jam shop as a front for selling illegal spells. It’s cute, cosy, and everything you’d want for a rainy autumn day.

So that’s our list. Let us know what else you’d recommend—and happy reading!