TTT: Matching Fall Themes with Books

Top Ten Tuesday: Matching fall themes with books

I was a high school teacher/librarian for 37 years  Since autumn always meant the start of a school year it is always where my brain goes when I am asked to identify autumn themes. I'll start there.

Back to School. We meet McCourt in the opening scene of Teacher Man by Frank McCourt on his first day as a teacher. The scene is hilarious and one of my favorites in all of literature. 

Pumpkins. We live in an area where quite a few farms have pumpkin patches one can visit in October. Pumpkin spiced drinks are very popular this time of year, too, though I have never had a Pumpkin Spiced Latte, Have you? Country People by Daniel Mason is set in Vermont and though there is not a specific scene involving pumpkins, farm stores abound.

Cozy Bookstores. Bad weather chases people indoors including cozy spaces like bookstores. How to Read a Book by Monica Wood is partially set in such a space, as the cover implies.

Banned Books Week. One of the first tasks I would tackle at the beginning of the school year was to prepare my library for Banned Books Weeks which is an event sponsored by the American Library Association sometime in the early Fall. This year it will be held October 4-10, 2026. I encourage you to read a banned book during that week and slather it all over your blog! For ideas take a look at Banned Books: The World's Most Controversial Books, Past and Present by DK Publishing as a place to start.

Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday in November in the US. In Wreck by Catherine Newman a family spends a lot of time planning for their Thanksgiving meal together.

American Football. Football season is hard upon us with the pros playing games every Sunday (or Monday) and college games on Saturdays and, if you are really into it, high school games on Friday nights. We are season ticket holders to our college's team. We do a lot of football all autumn. In Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock a girl helps her boyfriend, a high school football quarterback, with his skills.

Colored Leaves. We have three trees in our backyard which give us a treat every fall when they turn colors. It is one of the big joys in my life. Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns is also something that brings me great joy. I read it ages ago so I don't remember specifically if is is mainly set in the autumn but I picked it for its cover.

Soups and chilis. When the weather starts to turn cold I run to the cupboard looking for recipe books to make these warm, cozy foods. I don't own a copy of Soups, Stews, & Chilis by Cooking Illustrated but I do own at least four other soup cookbooks which I consult a lot every fall and winter.

Halloween. October 31st. To my mind The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, published in 1820, written by Washington Irving, was the beginning point in time for this fun, but oddly gruesome holiday.

Rain. I live in the Pacific NW. Autumn generally means a forecast of rainy weather for us. I picked Small Rain by Garth Greenwell based on the title. I really liked the book and don't feel like I talk it up enough so I included it here.

What themes do you think of which you associate with autumn? What books also hold an autumn-ish association in your brain?

By Graham Annable

-Anne