Pick Your Autumn Reading Personality

The leaves are turning, the evenings are drawing in and the TBR pile is somehow taller than it was in August. Autumn is the best reading season of the year (we will not be taking questions on this), but it does raise one important question: what are you actually in the mood for?

Some readers want to be swept off to another world entirely. Some want a warm drink, a blanket and a book that feels like a hug. And some of us want to be so unsettled that we check the locks twice before bed.

To help you choose, we've matched five of our favourite autumn reads to five reading personalities. Read through, see which one sounds most like you, and you'll have your next book sorted. Fair warning: it is completely normal to relate to more than one.

The Fantasy Escapist: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

You're after dragons, enemies-to-lovers, impossible odds and a world you can completely disappear into. When the weather turns grey, you don't want to read about real life. You want to leave it behind for a few hundred pages.

Fourth Wing follows Violet Sorrengail, who was meant to spend a quiet life among books as a scribe. Instead, she's forced into Basgiath War College, where cadets either bond with a dragon or die trying. Add a brooding wingleader with every reason to hate her, a brutal training regime and secrets the college would very much like kept, and you have a book that's almost impossible to put down at a sensible hour.

Perfect for: long dark evenings, weekend reading marathons and anyone who has ever wanted to be chosen by a dragon.

Already read it? The story continues in Iron Flame and Onyx Storm. If you need more romantasy in the meantime, try A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas or The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent.

The Cosy Magic Seeker: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

You like your stories sprinkled with found family, cottagecore, a little magic and plenty of comfort. Big battles and world-ending stakes are fine, but what you really want is a rambling old house, a cup of tea and characters you'd happily move in with.

Mika Moon is a witch who has spent her life following the rules: keep your magic hidden and never get too close to other witches. Then she's asked to come to the mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their powers. What she finds is an eccentric household, a prickly librarian and something she's never really had before: a place to belong.

Perfect for: rainy Sunday afternoons, comfort reading after a long week and anyone who has ever wished their house came with a resident witch.

Already read it? Try Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree or The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune for more warm, low-stakes magic.

The Autumnal Romantic: The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore

You want a cosy romance filled with small towns, bookshops, cafés and all the autumnal feels. If a book doesn't make you want to buy a chunky knit and order something cinnamon-flavoured, frankly, what was the point?

Jeanie has just inherited her aunt's café in the small town of Dream Harbor, and she's swapping city life for a fresh start. The locals are lovely (and very invested in her love life), but the café's supplier, Logan, a grumpy farmer with no interest in small-town gossip, is less welcoming. Cue sparks, falling leaves and a town that refuses to mind its own business.

Perfect for: reading with a hot drink in hand, a cosy night in and anyone who loves a grumpy/sunshine pairing.

Already read it? Return to Dream Harbor with the rest of the series, starting with The Cinnamon Bun Book Store.

The Cosy Crime Connoisseur: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

You like your mysteries intriguing, your clues cleverly hidden and your crimes served with a side of comfort. You want to play detective, but you'd also like a cup of tea and a biscuit while you do it.

In a peaceful retirement village in Kent, four unlikely friends (Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron) meet every Thursday to pore over old unsolved cases. Then a local developer is found dead, and suddenly they have a real murder on their hands. It's clever, warm and very funny, and it proves that you should never underestimate a pensioner with time on their hands.

Perfect for: curling up on an autumn evening, readers who like to guess the culprit and anyone who prefers their crime with plenty of heart.

Already read it? The gang return in The Man Who Died Twice, and there are more cases after that. For something similar, try The Maid by Nita Prose.

The Spooky Page-Turner: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

You want a twisty, unsettling story that keeps you guessing and makes putting the book down nearly impossible. Spooky season is your season, and you'd rather be slightly scared than slightly bored.

Mallory Quinn is rebuilding her life when she takes a job as a nanny to Teddy, a sweet five-year-old in a wealthy suburban family. Everything seems perfect, until Teddy's drawings start to change. His innocent sketches of stick figures become dark, detailed scenes that no child should be able to draw. The book includes the illustrations themselves, which makes the whole thing even creepier.

Perfect for: Halloween reading, late nights (if you dare) and anyone who loves a twist they didn't see coming.

Already read it? Try Home Before Dark by Riley Sager for another eerie, can't-stop-reading thriller.

So, which Autumn reading personality are you?

Can't decide? That's the beauty of autumn: it's a long season, and there's room for a dragon, a witch, a café romance, a murder and a creepy drawing or two. Start with the one that matches your mood today and work your way through the rest as the nights get longer.

And if you'd like to talk about what you're reading with other book lovers, come and join us at Chapter 25 Book Club. Find your nearest location, grab a drink and bring your opinions (and your reading personality).

---

Written by: Anita, Host & Freelance C25 Admin Co-Ordinator

Anita will read anything she can get her hands on, with a soft spot for fantasy and Japanese fiction. Joining the Chapter 25 family in 2025 as the host of the Bury St Edmunds Club gave her love of reading a whole new lease of life. You'll find her in the garden with a book or down a BookTok rabbit hole looking for her next read.