Now that it is finally October and it’s actually starting to feel like fall, I wanted to talk about seasonal reading. In particular I’d love to know if anyone else collects books to read at particular times of the year.
Before this year I honestly don’t think the season affected my reading habits too much and if they did I don’t think I was terribly aware of it. But this year in particular I found myself collecting and saving books to read to read in the fall. Fall is my favourite time of the year and I often spend most seasons wishing for it’s return, so I think I’m trying to get the most out of the season! The thought of reading a spooky book, under a beautiful fall tree is my dream!
So now that fall is finally here I’m so excited to start reading some spooky and magical books. Specifically, I have a Shirley Jackson book I’ve been so excited to start, and I need to see how the new Hocus Pocus book turns out!
While I think this phenomenon is personally most striking this autumn, in a smaller way I have noticed the seasons do affect the type of books I’m reading. In fall I tend towards the obvious—spooky, witchy magical reads. In the winter I like mysteries and thrillers, and in the spring and summer time I think I read lighter books.
Do any of you do the same thing? Are your book choices consciously seasonally related or do you just have different preferences based on the time of the year? Or do you just read whatever you’d like, regardless of season? I’d love to know!
Also I’d love to hear if any one has particularly autumnal reading recommendations! I always need more fall things in my life!
I hope you all have a wonderful and cozy fall day!
Spellbound Librarian 
In the past I generally just read whatever/whenever I wanted, but I think I would like to read more seasonally! For the fall I would recommend Three Dark Crowns, and upcoming for the winter (but they’ll work for fall too!) I totally recommend the Her Royal Spyness mysteries. They’re cosy and warm and I love them with all my heart ❤
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Oh that you so much for the recommendations I’ll definitely check them out!
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Nope. Read anything, anytime.
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I really enjoy long books in the fall and winter! The genre doesn’t matter as much but as life slows down I don’t have to worry about books that are an “easy read”.
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Oh that’s really interesting! Long reads in cozy weather does sound wonderful!
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I read whatever my mood determines.
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I can understand that method!
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Yes and no.. sometimes I like to read more spooky stuff for October and one Christmas read, but other then that I read whatever whenever.
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Fair enough!
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I don’t read seasonally, but I have read a couple blog posts about this recently. It seems if one does read seasonally, fall is the favorite season to save books for. Thanks for the post.
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Well I’m glad I’m not alone in this!
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Yes! I do this,I keep most of my mystery and spooky ones for October! I read romantic type ones in the summer too!
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I read more in general, in fall. I like reading more romantic & fantastical stuff..also crime mystery novels
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Fair enough, I always want to but school tends to get in the way
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Ikr..this year has been slow for me, but fall is here now 😉
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I didn’t really give it much of a thought until now. I’m not a seasonal reader, I just read whatever gets in my hand when it does. And if I’m already reading something… then it goes on my never-ending reading list! 😀
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I think that’s my normal pattern as well!
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Saving books for a specific period is definitely a thing. I can’t say I belong to this group of people, as I’m very impulsive with my reading choices, but I find that, maybe because I’m a teacher, the change of the season, asks for more reading goals, and it makes me plan my reading a bit. It doesn’t last long though.
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I can see the benefit to impulsivity in reading, so you can fit more in!
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Yes. I’ve learned that if I read a beach book in the winter I give it a lower rating than if I read it in the summer.
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That’s so interesting!
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I find that books set during or in the run in to Christmas have to be read over the Christmas period. Otherwise books can be ready at any time. I find I would read more during the winter months.
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That is also a nice way to get into the Christmas spirit!
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Generally I read anything anytime. Occasionally a particularly seasonally related cover will suck me into the pages if the back blurb is good enough!
Mary
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Oh yeah I can definitely be tempted by a good seasonal cover too!
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I definitely save my wintery/Christmas books to read at that time of year, feels wrong to be reading about snow in the summer! I have never really saved spooky books for autumn before but I’m definitely going to read a couple I’ve been saving in October this year, including The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
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I can understand that, though some days in the summer I do crave the winter! And I’ll have to check it out!
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Mostly I do read whatever I feel like reading at the time. I have no problem picking up summery contemporaries in the middle of winter or fantasy in summer. But I do notice that I definitely lean more towards fantasy in autumn/winter and contemporary in summer. It’s not a conscious decision, just something that I notice when I look over my Goodreads page.
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I think my reading habits are normally quite similar! I didn’t really realize what I tend towards until this fall!
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I don’t set aside anything for particular times but I have requested 2 ARCS solely because they are spooky themed and released in October so sometimes I feel like some books ‘fit’ a certain month better. It would feel strange to read a vampire story in July maybe and it would ‘suit’ October better but sometimes I just can’t wait to read a particular book and I can’t wait! I would like to try and theme at least one book a month though just to see if I liked it more because it suits the time of year…
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I can understand books fitting a certain month better, and for the context of blogging, people might be looking for certain genres more.
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I literally have a “spooky reads” shelf on Goodreads, with 50+ books. 🎃👻 And I’ve already put almost ten on hold at the library for next September/October! I like to be prepared and organized. lol I’ve also scheduled all spooky book reviews for September and October. ALL THE SEASONAL READING
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Oh and I have a summer shelf and a Christmas shelf, but I don’t follow those as religiously. Summer reads are easier; and once I get my TBR list down I’d like to be more committed to Christmas reads!
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Oh my gosh that sounds amazing!
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Summer – The Bridges of Madison County. Perfect read for that time of year!!
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Oh, I’ll have to check it out!
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It’s a magical book! To me at least, it’s the definition of a timeless lit romance. Hope you enjoy!
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I love reading seasonally! It’s something I started doing a few years ago and I found that it just wets my whistle. I do read or listen to non-seasonal books as well, but it’s just like movies… Nothing beats Christmas movies at Christmas!
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It really does get you in a holiday mood!
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Yes! I re-read some each year around the holidays, in the summertime, etc. I want to start reading more seasonal books as opposed to general books I read at a certain season, if that makes sense 🙂
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That makes perfect sense!
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