So excited for this Book Review: Round 5 because it’s our Fall Edition! If you’re wanting to get into the spooky season, then check out these books to set the mood! Honestly, there’s nothing better than curling up by the fire and reading a book — especially during fall!

Book Review: Round 5

Vest: Cupcakes and Cashmere Chrissie Vest | Top: Turtleneck Bodysuit | Jeans: AGOLDE High Rise Slim Jeans | Boots: Steve Madden Knoxi Bootie

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

This book was one of my favorites during fall! It’s actually a part of a trilogy and although the second book isn’t the best, the first and third ones are amazing. Diana Bishop is an American academic studying alchemical history in Oxford.  She is a witch but doesn’t acknowledge her powers, and the world she lives in also includes vampires and demons.  One day at the library, she stumbles upon an old manuscript covered in magic.  She senses the magic and returns it to the library archives, but by touching the book, witches, vampires, and demons are now aware that it exists and begin to hunt it (and thus, her).  However, an ancient vampire named Matthew provides her protection and they eventually fall in love. It’s kind of like an adult version of Twilight, except with better writing!

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

All of Alice Hoffman’s books are great, but if you’ve never read Practical Magic, you definitely should…even if you’ve already seen the movie! It follows the lives of two sisters, Sally and Gillian, who are orphaned and turn to their two aunts. Their world is rocked when the girls arrive to their aunts’ home and they discover the truth of who..or what… they really are. The sisters are complete opposites, which provides an enchanting dynamic (Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock play them in the movie).  They learn about their family curse, which brings everyone closer together and shows the importance of sister bonds.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I read this book in the summer and honestly wished I had waited for the fall, because it was truly *magical*.  I’m not sure if it was from the character development or the visual imagery of the circus, but the atmosphere of the book was something to behold.  The plot involves two magicians, Celia and Marco, who are bound to each other through a magical ‘competition’ — without knowing who the other is.  The novel grows with them over the course of years (10-20 years!) and the book alternates between characters, time periods, and view points, providing an intricately woven tale of The Night Circus.  It’s a story about love, loss, and magic, and I couldn’t recommend it enough!

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I actually shared this book in one of my first book reviews! So, I won’t repeat myself here, but wanted to include it, since it’s fitting for this time of year!

A Witch in Time by Constance Sayers

A quick yet entertaining read! A Witch in Time centers around Juliet, the main character and muse of painter Marchant, gets trapped in a curse, where she is reincarnated over and over again, first as a 1930’s as Hollywood actress Nora Wheeler, then in the 1970’s as aspiring musician Sandra Keane, and once more in 2000’s as magazine publisher Helen Lambert. In each reincarnation, Juliet is tethered to Marchant and has to experience their break up cyclically.  She is also protected by her own demon guardian and administrator of the curse, Lucian Varnier, who she ends up falling in love with each time.  The only problem is that the curse doesn’t let her live past her 34th birthday in each life.  Discovering she has magical powers of her own, will Helen learn to break the curse or suffer the same fate as Juliet, Nora, and Sandra?

Photography by Erin Trimble

What have you been reading lately? Drop them in the comments below!