Books to Read in the Autumn

I've lit the fire, made the tea and gathered a huge stack of wonderful books to read this autumn. From spooky ghost stories, to Victorian classics, Gothic horrors and cosy mysteries, I've rounded up a selection of some of my very favourite autumnal reads. Are you a seasonal reader? Which books do you love to read in the autumn, and do you like the sound of any of my suggestions?
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If you enjoy this video, please consider subscribing to my youtube channel. I'd be thrilled!
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My blog is: mirandasnotebook.com/
You can find me on instagram at: @mirandasnotebook and @mirandasbookcase
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BOOKS MENTIONED IN VIDEO:
The Fortnight in September by R C Sherriff: tinyurl.com/y3hkpsnk
The Shooting Party by Isabel Colegate: tinyurl.com/y4uu75df
September by Rosamunde Pilcher: tinyurl.com/y3grn3p7
Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym: tinyurl.com/y3lmh28v
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L Sayers: tinyurl.com/y4rnpmx3
Persuasion by Jane Austen: tinyurl.com/yyg6v9lk
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald: tinyurl.com/y4ygjr6v
The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson: tinyurl.com/y4z9whpv
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson: tinyurl.com/y2czfbxe
The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz: tinyurl.com/yxegcakw
The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell: tinyurl.com/y3pnuaol
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë: tinyurl.com/y4ab8w52
The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton: tinyurl.com/y3bamyts
The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins: tinyurl.com/sq2c424
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: tinyurl.com/yxogd2gy
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield: tinyurl.com/sxgnsd2
Autumn edited by Melissa Harrison: tinyurl.com/y63gpm8o
A Poem for Every Autumn Day: tinyurl.com/yyc2tghr
The Nature of Autumn by Jim Crumley: tinyurl.com/y6etzd4k
The Mindfulness in Knitting by Rachel Matthews: tinyurl.com/y35ncde2
The Ghost: A Cultural History by Susan Owens: tinyurl.com/y56et7pz
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ABOUT ME: I'm Miranda Mills, a freelance writer and photographer who recently moved from London to Yorkshire.

[@tess1433]

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall should be MASSIVELY more recognised than it is, ground breaking work in its time. I loved the Silent Companions too.

[@MirandaMills]

I so agree - definitely ground breaking!

[@GinaStanyerBooks]

I love "September" - one of my all time favorite cozy reads.

[@MirandaMills]

It is such a good read! I love R P :)

[@jess2424ica]

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is my favourite Brontë book. So underrated!

[@MirandaMills]

Completely agree!

[@yorkshirerose6334]

I agree. I think Anne would have been far better known than Charlotte if she had lived.

[@julieg_quebec-julesselivre8641]

I read Rosamunde Pilcher about 10 years ago and loved her! I’ll read September for sure! 🙂

[@MirandaMills]

Oh super! It's definitely the month for it 😀 🍂

[@muhlenstedt]

It is absolutly fantastic to have this video of you now, at the beginning of the wonderful Autumm.Thank you for the suggestions those will make this time still better.

[@MirandaMills]

So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! ☺️

[@teresaparkins1255]

Well that's quite the co-incidence! When I was visiting my son, Toby, last weekend we were talking about Autumnal reads and he gave me his copy of the Haunting of Hill House with a warning that it was an extremely frightening read but definitely worth trying as Shirley Jackson is such a brilliant writer. So I shall be quaking in my boots, like you, and will not be reading it in bed at night!! I can't wait to hear how you get on too. I also just bought A Poem for Every Autumn Day which I am thoroughly enjoying. I loved this collection, Miranda, and loved the fire crackling cosily in the background. Teresa 🔥🍂📚👻💕

[@MirandaMills]

Oh isn't that funny, Teresa!! We shall have to give each other moral support to get through it 😂 Not reading it at night is a good idea!! So glad you enjoyed the video; it was lovely to get cosy on such a wet day. Enjoy the autumn poems! xxx

[@helencheckley7536]

Beautiful fire surround and hearing the fire and beautiful autumn colours and lovely jumper you are wearing. Enjoy your reading x

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you! You too!

[@BeckaBella1]

Rebecca such a great pick especially with the new adaptation coming out at the end of October 😉 also excited to see! Especially Mrs.Danvers portrayal will be fun to see 👀

[@MirandaMills]

Yes, I love Kristin Scott Thomas and think she'll be an amazing Mrs Danvers!! Can't wait to see!

[@tammiep9628]

Thank you for all the book recommendations! I have read some of them and my favorite author is Barbara Pym. I absolutely love her, I like reading about people and every day life.

[@MirandaMills]

You're welcome! Great to hear from another Barbara Pym fan :)

[@marionbuck4244]

Oh, this was a wonderful video Miranda! . „September“ by Rosamunde Pilcher is one of my favourite autumn reads and I should reread „The Shooting Party“

[@MirandaMills]

Thanks so much Marion! I'm quite tempted to reread The Shooting Party too. I should check whether it's on audible!

[@marionbuck4244]

Oops, I maybe had a glass of Lillet too many!!! I should finish my message before sending it off. Anyway, of course I want to read all of your suggestions, but I was particularly drawn to Barbara Pym and „Quartet in Autumn“. And luckily I still have a few pages left of „The Fortnight in September“. It‘s such a heartwarming book!

[@MirandaMills]

@@marionbuck4244 hehe you can't go wrong with Lillet 😉 I think you'd like Quartet in Autumn, Marion, and I'm so glad you've enjoyed The Fortnight in September! xxx

[@helencheckley7536]

I live in the uk and it’s been raining here in rugby. I love this time of year. Dark early a cozy book . Cup of tea or coffee . Lovely books you have xx

[@MirandaMills]

I love autumn too! And it was lovely to light a fire on such a wet day :)

[@lucybalt7312]

Some really interesting and diverse recommendations. I’ve downloaded a sample of The Shooting Party. I liked Gosford Park so think I will enjoy this. Rebecca is my favourite Daphne du Maurier. Looking forward to seeing the Netflix film - hoping they can do it justice!

[@MirandaMills]

I'm really hoping they do it justice too! I'm excited to see! Hope you enjoy trying out The Shooting Party; it's so atmospheric xx

[@georgiam4576]

This was the perfect video at the end of a properly autumnal, wet, cold and dark day - thank you! And thank you also for highlighting Pym's Quartet in Autumn, it's one of my most favourite books ever and it deserves to be better known. I agree with you on the House of Silk; personally I enjoyed Horowitz's Moriarty much more. 📚🔥☕🍁🍂

[@MirandaMills]

Thanks so much Georgia! My Mum enjoyed Moriarty a lot more too! Hope you have a cosy evening on this wet autumnal day xxx

[@georgiam4576]

@@MirandaMills thank you, yes, properly cosy over here in York. I actually love autumn and seasonal reads so no complaints, especially after your lovely video - busy digging out many of the old favourites you highlighted!

[@MyLocsareREAL]

iranda your Cozy Vlogs are really relaxing to watch, I discovered Rosamunde Pilcher on Your Channel this year and I read “The Shell Seekers” first, I absolutely loved it..and then “Coming Home” which took me 3 weeks to finish..loved it too....since then I’ve purchased “Winter Solstice” and “September” wow!!! Listen to me brag🤦🏾‍♀️😂...and I’m glad there’s a book where Noel can redeem himself a little even though one his terrible lines in “The Shell Seekers” had me laughing out loud when he said “One simple hopes Ma will have time to fling herself from some window before she’s incinerated” 😂😂😂 when he was snooping In Penelope’s attic..🥰🥰 So I said all that to say I think I will read “September”

[@MirandaMills]

hehehe, Noel is terrible, but he certainly gets a lot better in September! I'm so happy that my videos introduced you to Rosamunde Pilcher! I love her books, and September is such a good read. You're in for a treat with Winter Solstice too. If I have time, then I love to try to read it in 'real time,' as part of the book follows the run up to Christmas day by day. It adds to the magic of the season! xxx

[@janebain8532]

Great suggestions Miranda. You have really put me in the mood for a mild, spooky story, but I am a wuss too!

[@MirandaMills]

Haha glad it's not just me 😃

[@lindseystockstill6902]

If you were able to read The Silent Companions, you shouldn’t have any problem with the Haunting of Hill House being too scary! I read both two Octobers ago and the Silent Companions was definitely scarier to me. This year I want to read Confessions of Frannie Langton and Laura Purcell’s Bone China! Loved this video.

[@MirandaMills]

Oh that's great to hear, thank you! I did find the Silent Companions pretty spooky, but definitely not too scary, so glad to hear The Haunting of Hill House is no worse. Bone China is very good too, and the opening is so reminiscent of 'Jamaica Inn,' which I really enjoyed xxx

[@valentinajacome]

I just love this video so much. I’ll be definitely be reading the books about Autumn you recommended towards the end. This is going to be my first time intentionally reading seasonal books, and nothing better than doing it during my favourite season.

[@MirandaMills]

I'm so happy to read that, Valentina! I love reading in tune with the seasons, and I agree autumn is the perfect month for starting :)

[@lunarcabinet6024]

So many of these are also my favourite reads! I adored The Shooting Party, but haven't read it for many years. Same with Quartet in Autumn, so I might now re read those. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is on my list, as I've never read it. I'm also planning on reading The Professor by Charlotte Brontë (last autumn I read Villette), and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Phew! Thank you for another lovely video. I adore that fire! It reminds me of cosy autumn days at my grandparents house 💕

[@MirandaMills]

Your autumn book lineup sounds fab!! I'm so excited you've got The Tenant of Wildfell Hall ahead of you; I hope you love it as much as I do :)

[@lunarcabinet6024]

@@MirandaMills thank you, I'm sure I will! I've been very slowly re reading the Brontë novels over the past year or so. I absolutely loved Agnes Grey. As you say, Anne's writing is so underrated from what I've read so far. I'm also in the middle of a big Thomas Hardy reading project, and I just started Under the Greenwood Tree, whivh has an autumn section. Looking forward to more videos from you! They have really brightened up my week 😊

[@MirandaMills]

@@lunarcabinet6024 oh those are both such fun projects! I'm rereading Hardy too, and now you want me to get to Under the Greenwood tree in the autumn! Thanks so much for the lovely words and enjoy your evening :)

[@lunarcabinet6024]

@@MirandaMills have a cosy evening by your fire! I'm in Yorkshire, too, and boy has it been a wet autumnal day today.

[@MirandaMills]

@@lunarcabinet6024 make me want to* get to Under the Greenwood Tree 😂

[@susannesindevski9295]

You have such a great collection of books Miranda, so many of them are sitting and waiting on my to read shelf, you've helped me get excited to read each and every one of them again so thank you! I did read a few of the books you mentioned during our winter this year as well and 'The Thirteenth Tale' is a stand out, I loved it! Just heading into Spring time here in Australia, but it won't stop me getting cosy with some atmospheric reads ☺️

[@MirandaMills]

I'm so glad! Thank you! 'The Thirteenth Tale' is just such an atmospheric tale, isn't it?! I'd like to reread it this November. Enjoy the start to spring in Australia; I hope you have a lovely few months ahead of you and can enjoy some cosy reading time :)

[@gayledaniel5901]

Thankyou so much for listing them, such a big help! 📚💛🧡❤️

[@elizabethbrink3761]

Autumn is my favorite season, so this was such a good way to celebrate the turning of the seasons! You highlighted some books I have in my upcoming-reads pile, the Barbara Pym, Dorothy Sayers, and September by RP. I have read at least two other books by all three authors and love them all. I get freaked out with scary stories too, but I may get the courage to pick up Rebecca. I know so many people love it. I am participating in Victober this year with Far From the Madding Crowd, Shirley, Phineas Redux, and The Woman in White, all new reads for me.

[@MirandaMills]

Rebecca is honestly not really scary at all, Elizabeth!! The trailer makes it look much more frightening than it is. I do hope you'll read it is as it's such an engrossing book, and so many modern authors have been heavily inspired by du Maurier. What lovely Victorian reads you have lined up for October! I'm hoping to reread Far From the Madding Crowd this coming month. Enjoy the start of Autumn :) xxx

[@elizabethbrink3761]

@@MirandaMills That gives me courage to pick up Rebecca! I've got it on hold at the library now. I'm so excited for Victober! I hope you love rereading Far From the Madding Crowd. It's only my second dip into Thomas Hardy.

[@MirandaMills]

Oh good! Rebecca is so brilliant!

[@kamicastillo1451]

Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym is going on my TBR. Thanks for sharing such wonderful recommendations 😊

[@kuhelide6488]

I love the Miss Read series and while looking it up on KZbin during the lockdown, I came across your video. I love your selection of books and the way you present them.

[@MirandaMills]

Oh thank you! I'm so glad to hear that. And yay for Miss Read fans :)

[@angelam5943]

What a lovely, cozy video and so many great book recommendations! The Shooting Party and The Confessions of Frannie Langton sound just perfect for autumn! Also, I too think that The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is sadly underrated- it is my favourite Bronte novel too and I may just be persuaded to give it a reread this year! Thank you for sharing such wonderful reads.

[@MirandaMills]

thank you so much for the lovely comment! I'm really glad you enjoyed my recommendations. It's always super to find another fan of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall too! xxx

[@HannahsBooks]

I feel cozy just seeing your video. While it is started to cool off a bit here in the Washington DC area, we are still mostly wearing shirt sleeves. The Tenant of WIldfell Hall is on my reading list for Victober. I've read AB's Agnes Grey but not Tenant yet. Glad to hear your recomendation.

[@MirandaMills]

I'm so pleased you've got Tenant of Wildfell Hall on your list! I do hope you enjoy it :)

[@ihatefindingapasswor]

I was hoping that you would put up an autumn recommendations and I'm so glad you did. Persuasion is one of my all time favorite books, not just an all time Austen favorite. I wish you would give The Woman in Black another go but I understand if it's too spooky for you. I liked the movie but the book was even better. It is a perfect historical horror story. I loved that you included The Silent Companions on this list. I've heard a few booktubers bemoan the book but I loved it. Thanks to you, I'm adding The Shooting Party, The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, The House of Silk, and The Ghost: A Cultural History to my TBR pile. I can't wait to read them!

[@MirandaMills]

So glad you enjoyed the video and that you're adding those books to your TBR pile. I should give The Woman in Black another go - maybe I've toughened up a bit since I first tried it!! xxx

[@emilyhoner4069]

I don't want to dissuade you from reading The Haunting of Hill House because it is one of my favorite books of all time but it is pretty scary! I'm also a bit of a baby when it comes to horror and there is one scene in particular that scared the absolute bejesus out of me. It is so worth it though!

[@MirandaMills]

I'm definitely determined to give it a go! Some people are telling me it's very scary, others that it isn't really at all, so I'm curious to find out what my own impression of the book is. Think the film would definitely be too much for me though!

[@emilyhoner4069]

@@MirandaMills I think a lot of people aren't scared by it because it isn't a gory horror story but rather very psychological and that scares me even more! I hope you like it :)

[@books_and_ki]

I'm sort of one a book ban but I think I'll get The Tenant of Wildfell hall and The Haunting of Hill House. P.S. you look super cosy while it is bloody hot in India 😭

[@MirandaMills]

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is such a wonderful book, and I'm excited to read the Jackson myself. Yes, it's freezing in Yorkshire!

[@amandalillie4543]

I can’t wait to read some of these especially Quartet in Autumn.

[@MirandaMills]

that is a lovely choice!

[@MariaMedeiros]

wow what a great selection of Autumn books! Thank you for all the lovely recommendations. Have a lovely weekend.

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you very much! You too!

[@esthergallego4620]

Impressive selection of books, Miranda! I Take note... Love "Rebecca" (the book and the film), it is one I'd like to reread shortly again. Saludos desde Madrid!!

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you Esther! I agree - Rebecca is one of my favourite books! Enjoy your weekend xxx

[@GinaHouse]

Thank you so much for these awesome autumn book suggestions! I can't wait to read them! :D

[@MirandaMills]

You're so welcome! I'm glad you like them :)

[@gigicanoga33]

The movie of the bookshop is so cute

[@MirandaMills]

I'm looking forward to seeing it!

[@pamelapoet9]

Penelope Fitzgerald is one of my favorite writers. And I adore Bill Nighy, so I can't wait to check out the film.Thank you for such a comprehensive list of goodies!

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you Pamela! She is such a fantastic writer. The film looks more heartwarming than perhaps the book is, but that's not exactly a bad thing, and I'm glad they've made more out of the Bill Nighy character (he is fab!) xxx

[@angelacase3123]

Loved the content of this, thanks. Just a shame there were so many youtube placed adverts.

[@MirandaMills]

Hi Angela, if ads bother you, I suggest you try KZbin Premium so you don't have ads. Otherwise, know that ads help me in a very small way to continue to make content you can watch entirely for free, and I don't control the number of ads that are shown to each individual. Happy reading!

[@palomahilesamate1053]

Wonderful recommendations!! Thank you!!

[@MirandaMills]

Thanks so much - glad you enjoyed them :)

[@lisa1922]

Just started watching and I have to say, pure joy! :)

[@MirandaMills]

Yay! Thank you Lisa!

[@lisa1922]

@@MirandaMills I so enjoyed this video chat, Miranda - thank you! I've also loved many of these titles and appreciate your recommendations for many more. I've never read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall or The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton so they (among lots of your other picks) are now on my TBR list. I read The Haunting of Hill House as a teenager and enjoyed it then - I don't think it was super scary. I too dislike horror fiction and flicks - won't go there! Two of my favorite Victorian ghost novels are Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone and The Woman in White. I agree -- Persuasion and A Quartet in Autumn are wonderful (as is everything penned by these two). I recently bought on ABE A Poem for Every Autumn Day after watching Allie Esiri's segment at the online Edinburgh Book Festival. Have you seen it? Helena Bonham Carter is brilliant in her recitations! I've linked to it below. Also, the winter edition of Esiri's seasonal poetry anthology will be published on 29 October. Its cover is in blue, white, and rose gold with the same style of illustration that for me is reminiscent of the stunning millefleurs tapestry style. xx www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/allie-esiri-a-poem-for-every-autumn-day/player

[@MirandaMills]

thanks so much for this lovely informative comment, Lisa! I'm excited to think you'll be reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall; I love it so much! I agree that Wilkie Collins is fabulous, and I'm very happy to hear that the Haunting of Hill House isn't too terrifying!! Thanks for the link - I'll check it out - and yay for the winter poetry anthology coming out soon! It sounds stunning. Have a lovely start to autumn :) xxx

[@lisa1922]

@@MirandaMills Thank you, Miranda - you too! xx

[@MargaretPinard]

What perfect recommendations for me! YT knows what it's doing this time 😉 I'm looking for a good name for a Readathon for the post-Victorian, pre-WWII, worldwide-qualifying books. Any suggestions? Persephone will definitely come into play 😊

[@MargaretPinard]

Ooh, I read September long before Shell Seekers (which I recently loved), I suppose I forgot the son character by the time I saw his bad side--ha!

[@michellegleave2550]

I recently saw your bookshelves tour...I’m newly subscribed so I’m yet to catch up on the backlist! I’d love to know more about you Dean St Press books, they are intriguing me!

[@MirandaMills]

I'm planning a video on my favourite independent publishers for sometime soon :)

[@lindenreads]

so many great recommendations 💛🍁

[@MirandaMills]

thanks so much 😊

[@voiceofmybeloved1274]

Hi Miranda, I love your seasonal TBR videos. ❤ Please consider doing one on monsoon. Love, from India.

[@Gillian.Ashcroft.66]

I think there is a film version of The Shooting Party ( I vaguely remember watching it )- also excellent.

[@MirandaMills]

Yes, there is! I've heard lots of good things and must watch it sometime!

[@yorkshirerose6334]

I would like to recommend The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey as a good autumnal read. And Wicked Autumn by G M Malliet

[@MirandaMills]

thank you! I love Josephine Tey, but hadn't remembered that one was an especially good autumn read. I shall have to reread it!

[@yorkshirerose6334]

Miranda Mills It’s not set in autumn, it is in March. But Tey’s description of the weather and Scottish scenery at that time of year with dark nights and blustery winds makes me feel like I do when winter is approaching. Her writing makes it all seem better.

[@MirandaMills]

@@yorkshirerose6334 ah ok. I do love the Scottish setting too! xxx

[@yorkshirerose6334]

Miranda Mills yes. Out of the Tey books this one resonates with me the most. It speaks of family, home, friendship and the importance of all these things. It speaks of past and memories, regrets and taking stock of where one is at in life. I think autumn is the season for turning our minds to these things.

[@MargaretPinard]

The Bookshop IS a strange read, but pleasant. ☺️

[@beckyocole]

Lots of my favourites! Very excited for the Netflix Rebecca too! X

[@MirandaMills]

Yes!!! I do hope it's good! 🤞

[@craftybookworm8280]

I found Shirley Jackson 's The Lottery from The Lottery and other stories quite disturbing. I believe there were calls for it to be banned when it was first published. After that The Haunting of Hill House is a doddle 🤔

[@MirandaMills]

I had to study The Lottery in highschool - it is disturbing!! Glad Hill House is no worse!

[@gailgilchrist5421]

Lovely video. Autumn is my favorite season! Two books I would like to recommend for seasonal reading are The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier and The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters.

[@MirandaMills]

Thank you! I’ve read and enjoyed The House on the Strand. The Little Strangers is on my list to read, although this year I’ve chosen ‘Affinity’ by Sarah Waters as our autumnal book club pick 🧡🍂

[@gailgilchrist5421]

I haven't read all of Sarah Waters' books, but I've really liked the three that I've read (Affinity, Fingersmith, and The Little Stranger). I really must read the rest of them too.

[@Magzie01950]

Thank you for your Fall book recommendations. I was not familiar with several of your book recommendations and checked them out on Goodreads with great interest. I ordered through your website and just love the English covers that are offered in comparison to the USA. I just recently found your channel and have subscribed. Here's to good Autumn reading. Thanks again.

[@MirandaMills]

So glad you enjoyed these recommendations!

[@agathayo7344]

I love your videos and your book recommendations, but the popping fire is annoying. ;)