Sonia M. Rompoti, MSc, Bsc

Because apparently the temperature drops three degrees and suddenly we require witches, yearning and a suspicious amount of cinnamon.

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Hey bestie, let me tell you what I discovered while building my autumn reading pile: I don’t actually want books that are set in autumn.

I want books that feel like autumn.

There’s a difference.

Give me forests. Old houses. Tiny towns where everybody knows something they aren’t telling me. Witches with questionable boundaries. Romance that begins as an obviously terrible idea. Maybe a murder, provided it is sufficiently atmospheric.

Basically, if I can mentally add a blanket and a hot drink to the story, we’re getting somewhere.

So rather than giving you another generic list of whatever books happen to have orange covers, let’s build an autumn TBR by vibe.

For the “Please Don’t Emotionally Destroy Me” Autumn Reader

Sometimes you want autumn without devastation.

This is where cozy fantasy earns its ridiculous number of blankets.

Try Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree if you want fantasy, found family and the deeply relatable dream of abandoning your previous career and opening a coffee shop.

For something wonderfully bookish, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna gives us isolated witches, found family, romance and a magical house.

This category is for evenings when reality has already provided enough plot.

You don’t need another war.

You need tea and fictional people gradually becoming a family.

For the Witchy Autumn Reader

Now we’re entering my natural habitat.

If your September brain starts whispering witches witches witches the second you see the first brown leaf, embrace it.

Try The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling for witchy romance with an ex-boyfriend problem that escalates considerably beyond drunk-texting.

If you want something darker and more atmospheric, The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow brings together sisterhood, history, feminism and magic.

And if autumn makes you want to practise rather than merely read about witchcraft, this is also when I pull out seasonal books.

My Mabon books explore the autumn equinox from slightly different angles, including Mabon When You’re Out of Spoons for witches who would very much like some seasonal magic but whose energy reserves have submitted their resignation.

Autumn witchcraft does not require becoming Pinterest’s Employee of the Month.

For the “Give Me Romance and Poor Judgement” Reader

Welcome. I’ve been expecting you.

Autumn romance doesn’t necessarily need pumpkins and a small-town bakery. Sometimes what we actually want is tension.

For romantasy readers, this is the season for magical worlds, dangerous relationships, forbidden attraction and people who could solve approximately 70 percent of their problems by communicating but absolutely refuse.

If ACOTAR has been occupying an unreasonable percentage of your brain lately, don’t look exclusively for an ACOTAR replacement. Look for the pieces you love.

Magic? Found family? Supernatural politics? Dangerous attraction? Powerful women? Men you would absolutely advise your best friend not to date while quietly continuing to read?

That’s your reading recipe.

And if witches + supernatural danger + romance + terrible romantic judgement sounds particularly delicious, start my Untamed Hearts of Rowan Grove series with Witch, Unleashed.

Rowan Grove has magic, danger and relationships that would make a sensible person say, “Perhaps we should discuss this.”

Fortunately, sensible people are terrible for romance novels.

For the Dark Academia Autumn Reader

There is something deeply suspicious about September that makes otherwise reasonable adults want to read about universities where everyone wears expensive coats and somebody is probably committing a felony.

Enter dark academia.

If you haven’t read The Secret History by Donna Tartt, autumn is practically its natural ecosystem.

For fantasy, A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik gives you a magical school where surviving your education is rather more literal than most universities intend.

Dark academia works beautifully in autumn because it’s less about pumpkins and more about atmosphere: old buildings, intellectual obsession, secrets, ambition and the growing certainty that perhaps this friend group should not be left unsupervised.

Delicious.

For the Reader Who Wants to Disappear Into a Forest

Sometimes your autumn craving isn’t really about genre at all.

You want atmosphere.

Try Uprooted by Naomi Novik for dangerous forests, magic and fairy-tale darkness, or The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden for folklore, winter creeping closer and a world where old magic refuses to disappear quietly.

These are books for reading when you want the outside world to stop existing for several hundred pages.

Which, frankly, is an extremely reasonable recreational objective.

Build an Autumn TBR You Actually Want to Read

Here’s my one rule: don’t choose books because they look appropriately autumnal beside a decorative pumpkin.

Pick the feeling you want.

Comfort.

Magic.

Romance.

Darkness.

Mystery.

Complete emotional devastation at the hands of fictional supernatural people.

Then choose accordingly.

Your autumn TBR doesn’t need to impress anyone. It needs to make you glance at the book beside your bed and think, I genuinely want to read that tonight.

Everything else is stationery.

FAQ: Autumn Reading

What books are best to read in autumn?

Cozy fantasy, witchy fiction, gothic novels, dark academia, mysteries and fantasy romance are particularly popular autumn choices because they offer strong atmosphere and seasonal themes.

What is a cozy autumn read?

Usually a book with comforting atmosphere, lower stakes, intimate settings or strong found-family elements. It doesn’t necessarily need to take place during autumn.

What should I read if I like ACOTAR?

Identify what you loved most first. If it was magical worlds and supernatural romance, explore romantasy and paranormal romance. If witches appeal to you too, my Untamed Hearts of Rowan Grove series begins with Witch, Unleashed.

What can I read for Mabon?

If you want your autumn reading to become part of your witchcraft practice, Mabon When You’re Out of Spoons offers an accessible approach to celebrating the season without turning it into another exhausting obligation.

Where can I find Sonia Rompoti’s books?

You can explore my romance, witchcraft and mental-health books at SoniaMRompoti.com.

Now go build your autumn TBR, bestie.

Just don’t blame me when the sensible four-book pile somehow becomes fourteen.

We both knew how this was going to end.

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Love my writing? You can grab my books directly from my website or through my Amazon author page. When you purchase from my website, a larger portion of the sale goes directly to supporting my writing, allowing me to create more stories, mental health resources, and magical guides without relying on algorithms or advertising. You’ll also find exclusive bonuses, free reader gifts, and occasional special offers that aren’t always available elsewhere. If Amazon is your preferred bookstore, that’s perfectly fine too. Either way, thank you for supporting an independent author who spends an unreasonable amount of time talking to fictional people and turning it into books.

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