As promised, this week I give you my top autumn reads – books to curl up on the sofa with as the sky darkens and the weather grows ever more gloomy. Just as the ideal summer reads get you in the mood for blue skies and foreign climes, these five mysterious books are sure to make the British weather seem less wet, and more reminiscent of a Gothic romance…

1. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Without a doubt my top mysterious read. The forbidding house of Manderley, the lingering presence of a dead wife, a very creepy housekeeper…what more could you want on a rainy October evening?

2. Collected Poems by T.S. Eliot
Okay, so no one really understands The Waste Land, but T.S. Eliot’s darkly contemplative style just puts me in mind of autumn landscapes. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is, in my opinion, one of the best poems in the world, and must be read on a gloomy autumn evening.

3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Rebecca owes a lot to this original ‘mystery woman’ classic – and if you’re more in the mood for a film, there are so many good adaptations to see.

4. Fairy Stories by the Brothers Grimm
Not just for kids. There are some seriously gruesome aspects to this collection of fairy stories – take for example Snow White, which ends with the Queen being forced to dance to death in red hot iron shoes. Perhaps these should be saved for Halloween…

5. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Finally, the classic forbidden romance on the Yorkshire moors…perfect to get lost in on a dark and stormy night.

Sara Magness, Editorial Administrator