{"id":302100,"date":"2025-10-14T07:56:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T07:56:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/302100\/"},"modified":"2025-10-14T07:56:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T07:56:13","slug":"5-cozy-reads-to-fall-into-autumn-mtsu-sidelines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/302100\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Cozy reads to fall into autumn \u2013 MTSU Sidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"

The leaves are turning shades of red, yellow and orange, the air is beginning to crisp, and there is no better time to cozy up with a good book. Autumn has a very heartwarming aesthetic that can be depicted in stories, too, allowing readers to have these books come to life around them.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a list of five books that embrace the fall season, whether with romance, mystery, horror or a little witchy magic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Secret History\u201d by Donna Tartt
\n\"\"Book cover of \u201cThe Secret History\u201d by Donna Tartt. (Gracie Benner)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe snow on the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation,\u201d said Richard Papen, a character from Donna Tartt\u2019s \u201cThe Secret History.\u201d<\/p>\n

This dark academia book, published in 1992, has a quality that makes for an eerie fall read. \u201cThe Secret History\u201d is about a group of students who participate in an exclusive Greek class at their college. The reason for being \u201cexclusive\u201d becomes apparent when secrets are spilled and a murder is committed within the clique. Richard, the main character, is considered an unreliable narrator due to his admiration for the group and his mental instability, which creates an unsettling undertone throughout the book. The mystery behind the characters, along with the chilling setting of Vermont through fall and winter, makes for the ideal book to kickstart the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ex Hex\u201d by Erin Sterling
\n\"\"Book cover of \u201cThe Ex Hex\u201d by Erin Sterling. (Gracie Benner)<\/p>\n

\u201cNever mix vodka with witchcraft,\u201dVivienne Jones, a character from Erin Sterling\u2019s \u201cThe Ex Hex,\u201d said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A Rom-com with a touch of spookiness, the \u201cEx Hex\u201d will bring back all the nostalgia from movies like \u201cHocus Pocus\u201d and \u201cHalloweentown\u201d. This second-chance love story, published in 2021, sets up autumn through descriptive settings that are easily envisioned during the spooky season, like hanging bats and skeletons in the windows of a shop, pumpkins everywhere, and rumors of ghosts. The book follows a witch, Vivienne, hidden in a lively small town called Graves Glen. After placing a curse on her ex-boyfriend, Rhys, for breaking her heart, they must work together to lift the spell before Halloween.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTwilight\u201d by Stephenie Meyer
\n\"\"Book cover of \u201cTwilight\u201d by Stephenie Meyer. (Gracie Benner)<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the state of Washington, under a near constant cover of clouds and rain, there is a small town named Forks,\u201d said Bella Swan, a character from Stephanie Meyer\u2019s \u201cTwilight,\u201d said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vampires always fit the fall agenda. The \u201cTwilight\u201d series, the first book published in 2005, remains a timeless staple for creating a chilly fall environment. Taking place in a dark, rainy town, the main character, Bella, falls in love with the vampire Edward. Make a gloomy fall day feel a bit more sublime by reading about the trials and tribulations that come with having a supernatural boyfriend, set against the backdrop of a mysterious town.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPet Sematary\u201d by Stephen King<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes dead is better,\u201d said Jud Crandall, a character from Stephen King\u2019s \u201cPet Sematary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Book cover of \u201cPet Sematary\u201d by Stephen King. (Gracie Benner)<\/p>\n

If fall means wanting to feel the thrill of a good horror book, \u201cPet Sematary\u201d will give the creeps to any reader. Published in 1983, the plot follows the Creed family as they move into a new house. When their family cat, Church, is hit and killed by a car, they bury him in an \u201cinnocent\u201d pet cemetery in the woods. What the family doesn\u2019t expect is Church returning home, alive but uncanny. The novel portrays gothic themes of grief and denial through the father of the family, Louis, when he decides whether he wants to tamper with death once again. With a disturbing atmosphere dripping with tension, \u201cPet Sematary\u201d has all the scares to get in touch with the spooky season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Pumpkin Spice Caf\u00e9\u201d by Laurie Gilmore
\n\"\"Book cover of \u201cThe Pumpkin Spice Caf\u00e9\u201d by Laurie Gilmore.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve loved you since I saw how many tiny pumpkins you could carry in your arms,\u201d said Logan Anders, a character from Laurie Gilmore\u2019s \u201cThe Pumpkin Spice Caf\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n

This book\u2019s title establishes the charming mood that this time of year brings. \u201cThe Pumpkin Spice Caf\u00e9\u201d boasts many autumnal traits, from its festive cover to the fall traditions described within, making it a cozy retreat from the chilly fall weather. Published in 2023, the book takes place in a town called Dream Harbor, where Jeanie, originally from the big city, moves in to take over her aunt\u2019s cafe. Things take a turn when she meets a brooding farmer, Logan Anders, and a tale of conflict and attraction emerges between the two.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To contact the features editor, email\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For more news, visit\u00a0www.mtsusidelines.com<\/a>, and follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines and on X and Instagram at @mtsusidelines. Also, sign up for our weekly newsletter\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The leaves are turning shades of red, yellow and orange, the air is beginning to crisp, and there…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":302101,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[1022,171,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-302100","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115371454811322934","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=302100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302100\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/302101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=302100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}