Atypical Autumn Reads

‘Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of 1^st September was crisp and golden as an apple’ ~ J.K. Rowling

If you know me, you know I have a wish to invent a machine that will keep it Autumn all year round! The crisp freshness in the morning air, the beautiful fragrance of fallen leaves and the low, slanting, mellow sunlight of late afternoons.

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Autumn arrives and I Fall in love 💛🧡🤎 🍁 Rehashing an old one for my favourite day ✨

A post shared by Rucha • Between Pages (@rchashinde) on Sep 22, 2020 at 8:00am PDT

A cosy armchair and a soothing book to escape into, is what my autumn dreams are made of. I curated a short list of books that would for most be an unlikely pick as a ‘Cosy Autumn Read’.

If, however, you are looking to read something out of the box, with underlying themes of magic, nostalgia, love and longing, give one of these a try, and let me know how you found it?

Burial Rites

Based on a true story, in Iceland of the 1800’s, Hannah Kent paints a beautiful picture of the desolate beauty of the Icelandic wilderness. Agnes is sentenced to death for murdering her lover, and has to live with a local family until her public execution. Treated by disgust by her hosting family and with only a priest as her spiritual guardian, we view the world through Agnes’ eyes, flipping between past and present day, as she tries to come to terms with her predicament.

More than the plot, it was the overall aura of the book that pulled me in and immediately transported me back to the untamed beauty of the Icelandic landscapes. The writing is ethereal and fragile and makes you want to stay with Agnes a little bit longer, savouring Iceland and it’s misty, looming mountains.

Sputnik Sweetheart

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I have long maintained that if you want to start reading Murakami, then Sputnik Sweetheart is the perfect book for you.

Be prepared to venture into the obscure as we get to know Sumire, K and Miu, and read about their desires, longing and unrequited love – all with the classic Murakami touch of magic realism.

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane

One fine morning, a middle-aged man returns to his hometown for a funeral; this little trip brings with it memories of Lettie, a remarkable young girl who swore to protect him forever and a surreal, dreamy childhood full of books, adventures and a trip to the other side of reality.

Dive into this stunning book to explore a marvellous world created by Neil Gaiman, a world inhabited by some truly memorable characters – humans and monsters alike.  

The Little Prince

A pilot stranded in a desert wakes up one morning to find a curious little child standing in front of him, asking him to draw him a sheep. And thus, begins this enchanting little fable that is now a book cherished by millions, young and old alike.

It is a book I have personally revisited several times – each time learning something new; and each time finding in it, a certain kind of peace and solitude that comes with being in the company of a close friend or a loved one ❤

The Room On The Roof

Seventeen year old Rusty lives in the Indian hill town of Dehra with his intimidating guardian, until circumstances force him to rebel and run away, thus beginning Ruskin Bond’s award winning masterpiece of a coming of age story that will fill you up with nostalgia and a yearning for aloo chaat and gully cricket.

Written in a simple moving prose that makes your heart yearn for the simple days, The Room on the Roof is soul food for those dark chilly evenings.