Autumnal Book Recs
10 books for the 10th month (+ 3 bonus recs from teiresian's own creator!)
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The season of the dying is upon us! Back into the earth go the flowers, and the fruit trees are stripping. In roll the bursting clouds and rumbles of thunder. Seamist plumes up the coasts, fat softens our bodies for warmth. It is autumn (or “fall” to some of you) and the season of grief, layering, and lamenting. For the days you might spend cozied up with blankets and hot drinks, here are ten books to suit the sleepy season.
Left to right:
Muckle Flugga by Michael Pedersen, a story of storms both environmental and domestic, the rumbling fallings out between father and son, the electric shock of a new, exciting friendship between artist and curator, and the torrential love that consumes us all, bound by Pedersen’s exquisite prose. Playful, yet heartwrenching.
Cursed Cocktails by S.L. Rowland. This cozy, grounded fantasy is about a retired elven blood mage finding his way in the world, with new struggles of chronic illness and chronic meddling, who meets a mixologist with something to prove. When they come together to erect a tavern, they’ll approach these new challenges together, with themes of community and the value of a quiet, humble life made richer by the ones we love.
A Bone in His Teeth by Kellen Graves centres Alba, a lighthouse keeper in a mysterious town, on the search for his beloved Mother, and Eridanys, the last merrow of Moon Harbor. They form an unlikely and erotic alliance to solve the puzzles that plague them both, find comfort in one another, and delve deeper into the mysteries of this gloomy seaside village. This book boasts one of the most well-written character arcs I’ve had the pleasure of reading.
A Spell for Heartsickness by Alistair Reeves is perfect for lovers of warm cider, knitted sweaters, and a solid plot that rivals traditionally published novels. The author's skill shines through in an array of compelling characters, a tense and intriguing storyline, and a strong and unique voice. Spellbinding, while drawing on realism in discussion around chronic illness and class division.
The Lamb by Lucy Rose, a grotesque, fairytale novel surrounding the complex relationship between mother and daughter, as told from the daughter’s perspective, in their woodland home. When a stranger enters the house and the mother’s adoration shifts from daughter to lover, our young protagonist grapples with feelings of abandonment, love for someone who causes hurt, admiration for an older woman, and, above all else, guilt. Ladybird meets Tender is the Flesh meets Hansel and Gretel. And, I can’t lie, all the descriptions of food (despite the meat being the flesh of their victims) made me crave pot pie every time I read it.
Left to right:
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones is a novel that surrounds four members of the Blackfeet Nation, drawing from the author’s own experiences and identity, expertly utilising the horror genre to discuss racial injustice, which fans of Jordan Peele will appreciate. Guilt, assimilation, representation, and the environment are all prominent themes, with enough depth to satisfy both the horror reader and the lover of literary fiction.
Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong. In this collection of poems, Vuong dissects and displays his own maternal death, his grasping for hope and normalcy in the aftermath of an event that has gutted him so thoroughly. It concedes that time is a constant that we are all helpless against, and will make grievers of us all. Compared with some of his other works, this collection is simpler; it accepts grief in all its inevitability and vastness without trying to beautify it, only what it represents, which is love.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Don’t be intimidated by the way this author throws you into a confusing, psychedelic new world; you are meant to be confused. Piranesi lives in The House, a funhouse mirror of walls, statues, oceans, and skies. Picture, if ever you went, your favourite soft play area from when you were young, all the twists and turns and colours, paint the walls in marbles, greens, and blues, and expand it into a spacious hall, and you’ll have The House. Piranesi is intentionally playful, as told from the perspective of our extravegant yet endearing narrator Piranesi, who doesn’t see all that there is in the world, and who sees only the best in people, including the suspicious man, the Other. It is a fantastical, yet short read, achievable in a sitting or two in a bundle of blankets to ground you in these mazes in the search for the “Great and Secret Knowledge”.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio has been compared to The Secret History for its structure: a group of students immerses themselves too severely in their studies and begins to emulate the ideologies of their respective genre of art. In IWWV, this group of students are thespians studying Shakespeare, which leads to their own Shakespearean tragedy. What I love about this book is the way it mimics scriptwriting, particularly during moments of high tension and excitement, even adopting its structure, and the many parallels between the plays and their own lives.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite is a thriller for those who support women’s rights and women’s wrongs; described as a dark comedy about familial love, this book questions the lengths one should (or perhaps shouldn’t?) go to to protect family.
Recommendations from Teiresian’s creator, Adrian:
The Old Ways by Robert Macfarlane is a fantastic non-fiction work that explores the landscapes of England/Scotland and abroad. It also features some discussion on Palestine when the author visits Ramallah and explores the area with his Palestinian friend, which is an important and beautiful thing to incorporate.
Taproot by Keezy Young is an adorable graphic novel centring a lighthearted queer romance between a gardener and a ghost. Very cozy and generally low stakes, and impossible to put down.
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi is the perfect autumnal book for romantasy lovers with incredible queer characters and Black and brown leads. A great, complex adult fantasy with multifaceted characters and lots of morally grey areas, alongside charming mythological creatures.
Thank you for reading our autumnal book recommendations! What books will you be reading this fall? Comment below!