creating an autumn & dark academia reading list ⊹˙⋆ (and how i plan my books)

looking for books to read during the fall? book to read for spooky season and october? me too! let's plan together and organise my reading :)
00:00 going through the books i own
12:06 creating a wishlist
19:04 organising!!
🌻 w a n n a s e e m o r e?
• Easy non-fiction recommendations: • EASY non-fiction book ...
• How to read critically: • How To Read Critically...
• Reading vlogs: • Reading Vlogs☕
🌸 m y e t s y s h o p
I sell bookmarks, bookplates and art prints!
www.etsy.com/nl/shop/thebookl...
🌼 s o c i a l m e d i a
• goodreads: / leonie-dams
• twitter: @thebookleo
• instagram: @thebookleo
• business enquiries: [e-mail]
🌺 a b o u t m e
Hi! My name is Leonie and I am a 23 year old girl who loves talking about books! From YA to non-fiction to classics, I read it all (although fantasy will always be my fave). I live in the Netherlands and go to university, but make booktube videos in my spare time :)
🌹 m u s i c
🎵 Music : Last Kingdom - vio.dio
✔️ KZbin Link : • Video
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[@erinsbooks]

Thanks Leonie for calling out gate keeping when it comes to reading. People should be able to read whatever they want, whenever they want to. And if they don't feel like reading sometimes, they shouldn't have to.

[@rares-andreidinu2279]

I find it so bizarre how people are gatekeeping this in a world with so few readers. Reading is tragically rare in this day and age. Do we really wanna gatekeep it? :)))

[@stephaniecrossman2864]

@@rares-andreidinu2279 girl wym reading is literally a TikTok trend now 😭

[@rares-andreidinu2279]

@@stephaniecrossman2864 might come as a surprise, but TikTok trends don't reflect that much of society

[@alive4ever865]

So glad you mentioned how when you‘re studying or working on something mentally challenging it can be difficult to start reading more „complicated“ books. I often buy non-fiction books that I think sound super interesting, but never actually read them. Or I start them, but then they‘re lying around for months on end. I always feel a little guilty about it, but you’re right that there’s nothing wrong with that

[@TheBookLeo]

[@EmilyWaddington]

Yes this!! I get so much work that non-fiction books (that i would love to read) become so uninspiring and i always feel like im “trying to be intelligent” but im not actually yknow? But leonie makes such a good and comforting point!!

[@alive4ever865]

@@EmilyWaddington oh yeah I get that feeling! Like I‘m just pretending to be interested and intelligent when I buy those books and then „my true colours show“ when I never read them or take ages. But life is pretty demanding, so time to shut your brain off/engage with something completely different is not just understandable, but also super important. Just gotta remind ourselves of that XD

[@EmilyWaddington]

@@alive4ever865 yesss!! I 100% agree

[@Zivilin]

I still haven't read the philosophy books i bought fifteen years ago because they looked like an interesting subject at the time (and i was doing a lot of research for a roleplaying character). 😔

[@felicityyoon2612]

`Every publishing and production agency knows that we gonna sit inside all day" 😅😅 absolutely

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

yep.

[@hayleyemma7953]

Totally respect and love your opinion on the " easy books" thing. I study engineering... its so difficult. It stopped me from reading for YEARS but I find during study, I'm drawing to " easy books" and during breaks is when I'll read classics, non-fiction etc. Responding to and respecting our brains capacity is healthy, and it's not "lazy". We're just caring for ourselves :')

[@ayeshahabib9626]

Hi! kzbin.info/door/8agRIoB7iWuWT4NJlMV66A

[@raurvish]

Oh she is feeding us and I'm here for it 😌

[@ChemicalPenguinn]

The autumn/fall season is not finishing without me reading The Secret History! 🍂This comment is going to hold me accountable!

[@fayeroscoe9044]

Have you started it yet?🙊

[@gabriellebelcourt5487]

I agree with you 10000% on the topic of "easy books." I type court transcripts for my day job, so I listen to a lot of horrendous things, and when I sit down to read a book for pleasure, I never ever want to read non fiction or "harder" books with sad or disturbing content, because my day job is literally just listening and typing sad and disturbing content.

[@carlawisch]

"We Have Always Lived in the Castle" by Shirley Jackson was one of my favorite books since my youth. It is a well-crafted read, although I have to admit the reason I checked it out of the library originally was because there was a cat on the cover.

[@jessieballpk]

This is the level of planning and organisation that I like to see. Very relatable. Except I plan everything down to the last detail and then don't follow through with the plan...

[@TheBookLeo]

im also not great at the following through part haha

[@FIlfaKhadija]

honestly the whole thing about not being able to read 'serious' books is so real!! i used to be in STEM and i could barely read anything back then, now im doing a degree in literature and my coursework does prescribe a lot of heavier, dense works yk?? i hardly found time to read things i liked and it made me feel worse because 'its literally your degree' but then i was like ykw fuck that. your videos on the foxhole court made me wanna read it and i did and honestly it was so fun, really did change my whole mind on how i approach reading

[@pendragon2012]

It's a joke in the history community where we post a photo of a DK Ancient Egypt book and say, "Admit it, this started your Egyptology phase." For me I never came out of it. I still devour books about Egyptian mythology whenever I find them! As for the ups and downs of reading, totally get it. When I start teaching again, my reading for fun goes down quite a bit so when I set myself challenges I have to make strides during the summer and breaks! Have a good week, Leonie!

[@bookofdust]

I come from a generation of people who ended up in Art History because we all went to see The Treasures of King Tut touring the US in the 1970s when we were children.

[@pendragon2012]

@@bookofdust Nice!

[@Zivilin]

For me i got interested in ancient civilizations from watching documentaries on Discovery channel and history channel back before reality tv/ww2 history/aliens took over. 🤣 Also got interested from comics like Nofret and Valhalla as a kid.

[@pendragon2012]

@@Zivilin Ah, the good old days!

[@WeCreateMore]

I love that you mentioned that no one should judge someone based on them reading "easy" books. I have autoimmune diseases that give me horrible brain fog and sometimes I just don't have the ability to read super challenging books, sometimes I do. But there are tons of reasons people might only read "easy" books, and I believe it's better that people are even reading at all! :)

[@ayeshahabib9626]

Hi! kzbin.info/door/8agRIoB7iWuWT4NJlMV66A

[@irenegrijalvotarres]

If you think you overplan, know that I have already added books to my 2023 TBR Notion board. Also for dark cottagecore, I recommend "The Girl from the Other Side", it's a manga series that was finished last year, so the 11 volumes are out and they're a quick read!

[@vikis6807]

Oh "the girl from the other side" looks amazing! Thank you for the recommendation !

[@niamhl6964]

A Dowry of Blood is actually being traditionally published and release in October! So maybe you can get your hands on it easier

[@TheBookLeo]

thanks! i hope!

[@eliza.the.earthling]

✨ So weird: it’s a very autumnal feeling day and I just finished reading The Book Thief and I was like “maybe I should watch a BookLeo video” (I’m in Australia and it’s currently spring but today has been so cloudy and colddd) and here is a new upload?! Lately I feel like I’ve been watching more BookTube than actually reading which I guess is ok but my TBR keeps growing continuously! 🍂 ✨

[@eliza.the.earthling]

Re: mythologies, I was the biggest nerd for both Ancient Egyptian and Greek mythology when I was around 10 and it never really went away 😂 I’m 27 now and appreciating that retellings like Circe are having a moment because I lap them up.

[@nicky_bee]

Lovely video! I got stuck in my ancient Egypt phase and became an Egyptologist 😅

[@TheBookLeo]

love that for you tbh

[@sweetestaphrodite]

a wonderful outcome haha

[@nidoss]

i am looooving these autumn videos you have been posting 😩😩😍😍😍

[@elysec8726]

I’ve been drawn to “We have always lived in the castle” and mistakenly started reading “I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith. Not a mystery, but highly recommend.

[@nicky_bee]

I have both of these on my tbr

[@kathy4873]

everyone should pick up we have always lived in the castle, perfect for strange eerie fall vibes and it’s just incredible

[@limeparticle]

I’m super glad I read The Secret History before it became big - the first time I read it, I legit read it three times back to back, I loved it that much 😅 I’d be a little intimidated by all the hype if I was facing it for the first time ngl. As it is though, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s been a while since I last read it, I may be due for a reread this autumn ❤

[@AnneleenRoesems]

Your taste in books is so different from mine, but I love hearing what kind of books you decide to read

[@beba2070]

Shiver is my fave Junji Ito short story collection, a must read for sure

[@TheBookLeo]

thank youu!

[@morganrogers2471]

For the Wolf and For The Throne by Hannah Whitten have great dark cottage-core vibes!

[@Sh3rrr]

With classics it can also help to read the sparknotes after each chapter and/ or listen to the audiobook while you read.

[@kharox937]

Every time I see your videos lately, I wanna lock away my phone and pc, wrap myself in a warm and cozy blanket, pour me some tea and read books from my evergrowing book pile of shame in the light of some flickering candles while it's pouring outside.

[@TheBookLeo]

that's perfect

[@liamwhalen]

Getting my thoughts onto notes, so I do not have to think about them until necessary is such a relief. Once I'm there, I take the top three each morning and make a daily list. Get through one, cross it out and add another until the original list is finished, or find out I've run out of time and create another master list.

[@ShaniFox]

I’ve read every single Junji Ito story (including the untranslated ones) and I would recommend Uzumaki and Shiver as great starting points :) Lovesickness would be my next rec if you liked the previous two. Tomie also has some gems but because the collection that was published in English is a collection of stories that came out over several years in Japan, they can get quite repetitive if you read them all at once. So I would recommend reading that one in small doses! A personal favourite that seems to be more of a hit or miss with people is Remina, but I think you might like it because of the themes (a scientist discovers a new planet and names it after his daughter, garnering praise and fame. However when it becomes apparent this planet will crash into Earth, superstition takes over and people start blaming the daughter for it. Chaos ensues, it gets really weird :’)) I would also recommend his take on Frankenstein since you read that recently and the art is fantastic ❤️

[@michlalala]

The content and frequency of Leonie videos lately 🤩🥹

[@ayeshahabib9626]

Hi! kzbin.info/door/8agRIoB7iWuWT4NJlMV66A

[@appcraze]

I totally understand the sentiment of wanting more challenging readings when you aren’t occupied with school. Finishing up my bachelors in engineering this year and after constantly coding or doing hardcore math problems all day sometimes i just want to escape into a fast paced young adult fantasy book and forget about everything else but still be entertained. Also i recently found your content and i love it

[@BeatingBat]

If you haven't read The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher I would place it in the category of "dark cottagecore". I have been looking for a word to describe it forever! A fast and exciting read!

[@brancimarie735]

Thank you for the comfy videos ❤️ I really needed this today

[@kiarakiaraaa2010]

Yaaaay! Another dark academia video from you! I think you are OG of this topic! 🎉

[@TheBookLeo]

i already have plans for even more aaaa

[@kiarakiaraaa2010]

@@TheBookLeo yaaaaaaayyyy! Keep going! I swear! I swear! I come on yt only to check whether you have uploaded a dark academia content. I AM IN LOVE WITH DARK ACADEMIA. I WANT TO CONSUME THEM ALL. Tell us everything the books, movies, playlists, aesthetic, clothes, bags, makeup, behaviour, language, body language. Teach us! I always was attracted to reading and now i wanna know how to. So i can fake it till i make it. Also, i had the pdf of secret history but I bought a physical copy because why not and i have since months found none but you who does it so well. Again, YOU ARE OG OF DARK ACADEMIA. I REALLY WONT MIND (guess all of us!) IF YOU COMPLETELY TURN YOUR CHANNEL INTO DARK ACADEMIA CHANNEL, cuz it will be LEGIT!!!

[@kiarakiaraaa2010]

@@TheBookLeo and i its on my list to watch all the movies you have rec in one of your videos. If you have more , feel free to go ahead❤

[@threeoaks2004]

I am so ready for this!! 🍁

[@mizzbrwneyez89]

I love planning my reading 📚 and I love seeing how you plan yours!

[@jodijodijodi]

i blame house of anubis for my egyptian mythology obsession

[@TheBookLeo]

YES OMG how could i forget

[@rima4070]

love your content so much. can't wait to watch this!!

[@eveve3639]

i live for these autumn and dark academia videos😫🍂♥️

[@DimitrisChrrr]

I love your videos, your vibes and your personality ❤

[@leslettresdereine]

omggg i can’t wait to watch this !

[@howloudcansilenceget8884]

Loving this autumn content☕️📚🍂

[@lenani9143]

We Have Always Lived in the Castle was the last book I read and I would love to hear your thoughts on it! But I recommend going into it without any expectations - there isn't really much mystery there, it's more of a weird and twisted character study :)

[@mayski4287]

i accidentally watched the movie not knowing that it was a book and i curse myself every day because of it

[@sweetestaphrodite]

well, there is a bit of a mystery in the beginning, as it’s hinted that something has happened to the family yet you know not exactly what it is…

[@rares-andreidinu2279]

Read it this week and I adored it, honestly. So beautiful and the prose was so well crafted. Amazing

[@viivi4196]

you just inspired me to make a list of books I want to read in the upcoming months!

[@0lunia.shadow.bearer0]

I absolutely love dark academia. I just feel such a connection with it. 🥀

[@nothingmancer1607]

What a cozy lovely video! Im living for this autumn videos tbh 🍂🍁🫖🍵

[@mycatsbooklife]

your notion is incredible

[@haveyoumetmanvi]

watching your videos feels like talking to a friend after a long day, i love the vibes

[@ShirleySenpei]

This was so relaxing to watch. I love your online journal Ghibli vibes.

[@cosyreadingclub]

I'm loving the dark academia content lately :) I love your channel!

[@AdrianasWonderland]

i loooove the vibe of your autmnal videos

[@rose_roots]

Anatomy: A Love Story is an amazing gothic romance novel. It's by the presenter of Noble Blood podcast! You should check both, I think you might like them!

[@melaniecaprio7797]

Heather Herrman's "The Corpse Queen" would be right up your alley. It's VERY descriptive of the gore tho, fyi.

[@quirkydirkyrnoh]

Yess I was waiting for this keep doing you queen ❤❤❤

[@fujismoke]

Love your tbr planning videos 💙 always reminds me of how you don't need to shop for endless books and be mindful of the ones you already own. I'm a slow reader, that's why it really resonates with me 💙

[@MeMyshelfAndI]

Cottagegore is my favourite genre name mash-up!! (and also absolutely my vibe) woodsy, but make it thorns and teeth 👻🩸 Also Babel might've been my favourite book this year; it was immaculate! Hope you love it. (Possibly tied with The Bone Orchard currently, I'll probably have to re-read both to decide 😝)

[@urmilaha3249]

I love how she runs out of breathe while describing the books out of excitement.😂😘

[@winterwonderbookland3679]

Oh my God I LOVE We Have Always Lived in the Castle! So excited to hear your thoughts on it Leonie, I also think you’d really enjoy it!

[@psychicsocial]

Loving all of these ✨ autumnal vibe ✨ vlogs. Your vibes are immaculate as always. (Dark cottagecore 🍄 is my favorite thing, so cool to see more people diving into it) I see Jade City over there and I can't recommend the series enough!! Such incredible political and family dynamics, with complex flawed characters. Also, for the dark spooky books, I read A Dowry of Blood this year and fell in love immediately. It is so gorgeously written. It's in a perspective where the narrator is telling the story after the fact, but the story is written toward her abuser, who just so happens to be Dracula. It's got a gothic medieval setting and a poly relationship between four people, and is truly a story about domestically abused and gaslit people getting away from their abuser. Such a fantastic read, and it's super short. 🍂

[@facundomartinez9247]

Hi Leonie. I discover your channel just yesterday in my search of information about the dark academia literature and i adore the depth of your videos. Cheers.

[@maluferreira151]

"We have always lived in the castle" is a masterpiece!! I read it a few months ago and I still think about the main character. Highly recommend the audiobook!

[@martinelanglois3158]

Planning the TBR list is so much fun! All the books to choose from! Love your videos! 🧡 (even if I'm watching them months late) 🍂❄

[@laral.4768]

Fragments of horror and Uzumaki are a really good start!!

[@bookthoughtswitheilish]

I would highly recommend Vita Nostra! I read it last year and loved it ☺️ definitely has the dark, eerie, dark academia feeling

[@Noaartetc]

This video is the coziest thing I have ever seen. So cute! I know now what is playing in my cat's mind all the times when it's not dreams of murder.

[@pinkcat1847]

First time I hear someone add junji ito to the book list and I've never been happier.

[@ayeshahabib9626]

Hi! kzbin.info/door/8agRIoB7iWuWT4NJlMV66A

[@rukmini4584]

Love your videos!!! ❤️❤️

[@wanderingbeyondpages]

I really love joining you for ‘planning’ your reading. I’m like this myself 🙈

[@alissamaharaj791]

Finally someone else is reading Fortuna Sworn! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts. I really enjoy the series. My advice (if you ever see this, hi I love your videos ❤) is that if you think the first book is just fine stick with it through to the next book because it does get better as is progresses and the character development is done really well. Happy spooky season 🍂✨

[@KitCunningham656]

First time early to a video! Also, love that autumn is coming!

[@bookwormsbooktube]

'We have always lived in the castle' is one of my favorite books - it's so dark and twisted! Shirley Jackson is a genious IMO

[@blueberrymuffin113]

i've just started the secret history today bc i've seen a reading reactions post on a tumblr account i really like so now every couple of chapters i can check the post which has top notch humor :)

[@matild.o]

i've read 4 junji ito books and i love them so much! I would recommend starting with either Smashed or Shiver, they're both short story collections and I feel like it's a good way to get to know his work and get a mix of really good stories. Love your videos btw

[@geertjehoogenboom2533]

I cannot recommend we have always lived in the castle enough! It's one of my favourites. I reread it almost every year.

[@jessandhershelf]

Great video, and love the earrings!

[@annibtj]

aaaa i loved gothikana !!! hope you enjoy it !

[@nikkizgb]

Love the Virgo vibes at the end of this video! Thanks for sharing ;)

[@lys.c]

I knew your channel recently but I'm loving it too much! I think that everything here is beautiful! Thank you for do it with that dedication ♡ ( I'm from Brazil but I can understand and enjoy your content )

[@TheBookLeo]

thanks so much!

[@rosiereviewsbooks72]

I love we have always lived in the castle it's written by one of my favourite authors, great video lots of interesting books :)

[@blueowl07]

We have always lived in the Castle is so good! The film is also amazing

[@vanessawolski4541]

My favourite booktuber 🦋

[@TheBookLeo]

[@Samthe1stbob]

I have a notebook that I add my tbr. I've stopped impulsively getting them and started organising a list. First read what you own and then get more.

[@gabriellaoliveira9833]

I’m excited to hear what you think of Junji Ito! I’ve only read Uzumaki, but it’s delightfully creepy, not only the imagery but this building sense of dread, you know? Great video as always!

[@skybluetotoro6003]

For dark cottagecore vibes, I recommend The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley! I'm only partway through it, but it definitely fits in this genre!

[@sundayschild111]

aaa ik zou met shiver van junji ito beginnen is mijn favoriete short story collection van hem en je hebt gelijk van alles wat!!!

[@throneofpages]

Jane Eyre is ✨perfect ✨ for autumn, i would highly recommend if you have time for it this season 👀 also HIGHLY annotate-worthy!!

[@carlav.2582]

English is my second language too and I also struggled with Jane Eyre the first time I tried to read it, but I gave it a second chance during lockdown (when I had a little more free mental capacity) and absolutely loved it. Perfect for autumn 🍂Happy reading, xx

[@TheBookLeo]

im gonna go all in and annotate it!

[@panagiotasourla5625]

Jane Eyre is my all time favourite!!!❤️❤️

[@ride-cx1qx]

I live in Russia and it’s so nice to hear mentions of my country. I love your videos very much!!

[@urosmartinovic940]

A huge yes to We have always lived in the castle!!

[@TheBookLeo]

im surprised i never thought of that book sooner

[@alessandraale1950]

When you said "dark cottagecore" I immediately thought about silver in the woods😂 Thank you for giving me a perfect genre descriptor for it! And a happy kick-off for the cozy tea-and-reading season!

[@amfknproblem1358]

A lot of books I want to check out in this video. Gothikana being at the top of that list.

[@Heather406]

I always love watching your videos ☺️ you seem so fun to hang out with and you pick great music and visuals for your videos. I think I would like to read Fortuna Sworn and The Beasts and Briers. I like the same type of books, mainly fiction for me but I’m always interested in cultures, astronomy, science etc

[@helloevon1212]

I read Jane Eyre for the first time last autumn and it instantly became my favorite book

[@kaliontherocks]

English is also my second language, so what I found helps a lot with "classic classics" is listening to the audiobook at the same time. I find it would take me an eternity to read certain books otherwise.

[@FormikFilms]

Currently reading Meditations and Babel, glad to see we're al happily living the autumn dark academia book loving life

[@abouncyfrog]

As someone who is working through everything Junji Ito has officially published in English, my two recommendations are his excellent Uzumaki, which is a series of connecting stories that have an over-arching plot that connects them all. That and Venus in the Blind Spot which has some of his well-known classics like The Amigara Fault. Venus in the Blind Spot is especially good because it is stories that Junji Ito himself has selected as his personal favorites. Hope these help!

[@caseyisbooked6752]

The kindle app on your phone or laptop actually works really well if you don’t want to fully commit an buy an ereader!

[@thewitchyreader6131]

Great video!!

[@lucianaduplancic2951]

I feel like you would like junji itos short story collection called shiver! It's really spooky and a really good way to get into his work before starting any bigger works that he's done. He also has a manga all about his cats and it's so funny and terrifyingly adorable, if you could get your hands on it I feel like you would enjoy it. Love the video as always, thank you for your content!! (ALSO YOU HAVE A MASTERS DEGREE NOW WOOOOW CONGRATULATIONS!!)

[@elysec8726]

Totally get the mix of high brow and low brow. My mental energy for reading challenging reads is sometimes there and sometimes not. Also I’m a big mood reader but have been feeling the need for some structure similar to what you did here. Thanks for showing us!

[@elysec8726]

(I’m also a Virgo, so obviously drawn to your technique 🤩🫣)

[@TheBookLeo]

mood reading + meticulously organising your mood reads = virgo dream

[@amirhosseinakbari2367]

I think uzumaki is definitely a good start into junji ito. And i also recommend the enigma of Amigara fault which is a short story and it HAUNTED me.

[@Kryssstals]

We Have Always Lived in the Castle is my favorite book. You should definitely read it! ❤

[@phereinphonon]

Definitely try Uzumaki! It is one of the spookiest manga I have read and I loved it. Amazing for this season.