Book recommendations couple well with fall weather and hot drinks

As temperatures drop and the leaves start to change colors, it’s the perfect time of year to curl up with a good book. Grab a comfy blanket and a hot drink, because these recommendations are sure to be the perfect addition to your cozy fall evenings.

**“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”**

Though technically a young adult novel, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” by Ransom Riggs is the perfect fall novel. Its paranormal elements add just a hint of Halloween spookiness, while the character development and plotline leave you captivated with each turn of the page. A tragic death leads 16-year-old Jacob to a mysterious island where he uncovers secrets of his family’s past while helping others along the way.

**“The Dead Romantics”**

My favorite read of 2022, “The Dead Romantics” by Ashley Poston puts a unique spin on a traditional ghost story. After a sudden death in the family, ghostwriter Florence Day is forced to leave New York City and return to her hometown for the first time in 10 years. Florence is forced to grapple with the ghosts of her past while preparing the family’s funeral home for its most important funeral to date: her father’s. When a man she thought to be dead turns up on the steps of her family home mere days before her father’s funeral, Florence cannot help but ignore the unique gift she was given—the ability to talk to the dead.

**“To Kill a Mockingbird”**

This Harper Lee literary classic is the perfect addition to your fall reading list. The novel follows the lives of siblings Scout and Jem as they navigate adolescence in the racially divided South. With messages about prejudice, justice and the loss of innocence, Lee crafts a gripping and emotional masterpiece that sticks with readers long after they turn the final page. “To Kill a Mockingbird” examines the root of human existence in a manner that is extremely captivating and thought-provoking.

**“Macbeth”**

Though technically a play, “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare contains all the elements of a quintessential Halloween read–witches, ghosts, blood and just the right amount of suspense. If you haven’t read Shakespeare before, “Macbeth” is the perfect place to start. This violent tragedy is filled with murder, madness and paranoia. At the same time, however, moments of comedic relief make this a well-balanced addition to your bookshelf.

**“If He Had Been with Me”**

This coming-of-age novel by Laura Nowlin will rip your heart out and leave you contemplating your existence in the most perfect way possible. It is a story of “what ifs,” following the lives of Autumn and Finn as they navigate the path to adulthood. “If He Had Been with Me” examines the complexities of friendship, love and loss. This novel’s gloomy nature makes it the perfect read for a rainy day—just be sure to have lots of tissues nearby.

**“Layla”**

People either love Colleen Hoover or hate Colleen Hoover, and, if you are the latter, I encourage you to give her novel “Layla” a chance. She strays away from her traditional tropes in this novel, crafting a story that is equally unique and engaging. Leeds meets Layla at a wedding and is convinced that she is the woman he is destined to spend his life with. After a freak accident, he attempts to reconnect with his wife, whisking her away to the bed and breakfast where they met. An encounter with a mysterious woman named Willow leaves Leeds second-guessing all he knows about love and the power of the paranormal.