Required reading in English class has diminished students’ desire to read outside of school; however, “Booktok” and “Bookstagram” have reignited this flame, and reading has resurged in popularity among young adults.
Countless videos have been posted on social media, featuring stacks of books for readers: “Best classics under 200 pages,” “Books I rate ⅘ stars,” and even “Books I read in one sitting!” Not only the act of reading but the deemed “aesthetic” of being a reader has been claimed by these TikTok and Instagram users.
With autumn in full swing and winter around the corner, pumpkin spice is in the air, fireplaces are lit, and “Gilmore Girls” is being watched across the country. While any novel sitting on Rory Gilmore’s bookshelf is recommendable, this comprehensive list is perfect for those rainy fall days or those snowy winter nights:
1. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
20 years before Donna Tartt won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Goldfinch, she debuted her literary career with The Secret History. The novel follows a clique of six students studying classics at an elite college in New England. They soon discover their friend, Edmund “Bunny” Corcoran, has been murdered. The effect of his death is integral and challenges the morality of the (now five) friends throughout the novel. This modern classic’s melodramatic and intellectual nature makes it a dark and sophisticated read. A study of obsession, betrayal, and evil, this novel will keep you on the edge of your seat.
“The snow in the mountains was melting, and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation.”
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Considered Oscar Wilde’s magnum opus, The Picture of Dorian Gray immaculately examines society’s value of beauty. This definitive piece of literature portrays a young fictional socialite, Dorian Gray, painted by Basil Hallward. Dorian soon begins to obsess over his beauty and will do anything to halt his inevitable aging; therefore, he grants the wish to stay young forever and for the portrait to grow old. While he has then escaped old age, his mind can never escape the consuming feelings of regret and hideousness. The novel is full of philosophical discussions and critiques of England’s social life; nevertheless, it holds a gothic aesthetic and is riddled with suspense.
“Beauty is a form of genius — is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation.”
1. Misery by Stephen King
Beyond the blockbuster movie that earned Kathy Bates an Academy Award for Best Actress, Misery is a horrifying novel that can’t be put down. Author Paul Sheldon is kidnapped by an obsessed fan, Annie Wilkes. Annie psychologically and physically tortures Paul, leaving him bedridden and isolated from society. Paul attempts to escape, but this comes with consequences…While Stephen King’s writing is not for the faint of heart, everyone should read this classic claustrophobic and gripping novel.
“dirty birdy”
3. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
There has never been a work of literature as remarkable as The Bell Jar, a semi-autobiographical narrative of Sylvia Plath’s life. Protagonist Esther Greenwood, an intern at a NYC magazine with ambitions to become an author, is slowly, yet surely, losing her sanity. Esther’s monologues are brutal yet sincere, unhinged yet poetic–reflecting Plath’s own psyche. Esther falls into a deep depression when she decides to isolate herself from the world to write her first novel. She is prescribed ECT (electroconvulsive therapy), worsening her mental state and inevitably leading to her downfall. This compelling study of one’s own mental state is vital and a complex yet rewarding read this fall season.
“How did I know that someday—at college, in Europe, somewhere, anywhere—the bell jar, with its stifling distortions, wouldn’t descend again?”
4. Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Eileen is an otherworldly debut novel by Otessa Moshfegh. In a small town in Massachusetts, Eileen Dunlop is a secretary at a small juvenile detention center, a.k.a. “Moorhead,” not gaining much from her life. After a new counselor, Rebecca Saint John, is hired, things go south. Eileen is captivated by Rebecca–a horrible influence with a hypocritical name–and is pulled into a mania of crime. One day, she decides to disappear.
“That is what I imagined life to be—one long sentence of waiting out the clock.”
So, the next time you get a pumpkin spice latte, consider picking up one of these spooky and captivating reads on a cold fall day.