A seasonal reading guide

And my top must-reads this autumn

Hello, I’m Molly and I write about my slow and simple life in the Scottish Highlands. Please subscribe to support my work and to read more of my stories. You can also find me on YouTube and shop my Etsy Store and sustainable Teemill Clothing.

Love reading? Love nature? Then seasonal reading might just be for you.

When I first stumbled across the concept of seasonal reading, I was instantly intrigued. I’ve been practising this for over a year now and I’ve not looked back. Its so much fun!

Essentially, this practise involves reading books that align with the current season.

Why read seasonally?

There are so many upsides to this.

For me, its meant that I’ve felt more immersed in the stories I read. I love to read outside and really notice the seasonal shifts around me. Allowing the magic of books and nature to transport me somewhere else entirely.

Changing the kinds of books I read through the year also adds a lovely sense of variety to my reading. It gives me something to look forward to and I’ve also found that I’m more open to different genres and authors by reading this way.

What books should I read each season?

This is a very personal decision. We will all be drawn to different stories through the seasons. And, of course, it depends on where you live! But I’ve shared my thoughts below as a rough guide.

In the spring and summer months, I love to enjoy lighter reads. Think holiday poolside books and heart warming romances.

I’m especially drawn to stories that are set in the countryside or by the sea. Its also the time of year where I read the most children’s books - with Enid Blyton being a particular favourite.

When the colder months arrive, I love to indulge in gothic tales. The autumn in particular makes me want to embrace all things dark academia. Mysteries are a must and I always read at least one Agatha Christie.

I also set aside these cosy months to delve into the more heavyweight classics, with Dicken’s and Bronte’s books being ideal.

How to plan your seasonal reading

If you are anything like me, your TBR (to be read) list is ridiculously long!

I’ve found that planning my reading not only means I’m more intentional, but reduces this sense of overwhelm, so I can really enjoy devouring these books.

As with all things in my life, I do all this planning in Notion. I sell Notion templates on my Etsy store, that are specifically designed for readers and perfect for Notion novices.

You can get my Ultimate Bookworm Planner, where you can plan and track your reading, digitise your bookshelf, set intentions and save favourite quotes (amongst other things!).

I also sell a Reading Planner separately, which is taken from this Ultimate Bookworm Planner, and is perfect if you just want to dip your toe into Notion.

These planners give the option to sort your TBR list by status, priority, genre, author, or, my preferred method, by season.

Sorting your TBR this way if the perfect place to start delving into seasonal reading.

If you want more seasonal book recommendations, I highly recommend watching Darling Desi’s videos as she shares her own seasonal booklists and I’ve got some wonderful recommendations this way!

My autumn book recommendations

To end this post, I thought I’d share some of my top autumn books. Note - these may not all be set in autumn, but they certainly give all the cosy/spooky feels of this season.

• Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) - perhaps my all time favourite book, the gloomy Yorkshire moors are the perfect setting for autumn.

• The secret history (Donna Tartt) - I’ve not actually read this yet, but its on my autumn list and I’ve heard that its a perfect book if you enjoy all things dark academia

• The picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde) - the perfect spooky scandalous read!

• Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) - to be honest any Dickens will do as he captures gloomy perfectly

• Rebecca (Daphne Du Maurier)- the perfect gothic novel set on the wild Cornish coast

• The house between tides (Sarah Maine) - this is actually set in summer, but it has all the gothic feels and really reminded me of Rebecca, but set in Scotland

• Verity (Colleen Hoover) - for those who love a thriller! All her books are brilliant, but this one nails the dark academia/spooky house setting perfectly

• The witch of willow hall (Hester Fox)- ideal to read around Halloween!

• The Binding (Bridget Collins) - another of my all time favourite books, this story combines books and magic for a more grown up, and slightly darker, Harry Potter. The romance left me sobbing!

• The Nature of Autumn (Jim Crumley) - a lovely nature read and my favourite of his books

Please do share your favourite autumn reads in the comments!

Until next week,

Molly xx

Note - this post contains affiliate links