By: CHARLOTTE JONES/ STAFF REPORTER
The air is getting cooler, the leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter, and activities are moving back inside. Fall is finally upon us!
Fall is the perfect time of the year to cozy up with different genres of books. The thrill of the upcoming holidays, the sweet smell of pumpkin spice, and the warm cozy homes combine to make the perfect atmosphere for exploring new reads!
One can consider Halloween the main event of fall, and everyone knows that witches are on the forefront of Halloween. In our first book, The Ex Hex, written by Erin Sterling, Vivienne Jones is a resident witch of Graves Glen, Georgia. Nine years ago, her heart was broken by Rhys Pennhallow, one of the direct descendants of the town's founding ancestors.
Like any young witch would do, she consoled her heart break with vodka, a bubble bath, and a small curse. Using a silly “orchard hayride” candle to do so, she doesn’t believe the curse will actually cause any harm.
When Rhys returns to town in the present day setting to recharge the town's ley lanes, things start to get a bit out of hand. Vivienne quickly realizes that her “ex hex” may not have been so silly and harmless after all.
Meanhwile, the town is under an onslaught from a very angry ghost, murderous wind-up toys, and a talking cat. Vivienne and Rhys must put their history aside and their magic together to save the town. Filled with tension, excitement, and magic, the Ex Hex, is the perfect Halloween romance.
While Fall is filled with witches, costumes, and candy, it is also flush with scary, thrilling, and adrenaline pumping moments. In our second read, Verity by Colleen Hoover, the pages will turn quickly, and you don't want to miss an unnerving detail.
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer failing to make financial ends meet. One day, she catches the break of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of the renowned author Verity Crawford who was severely injured in a tragic accident, approaches Lowen about signing a well paying deal to finish Verity’s book series. Lowen agrees, as she gets to write for one of the top authors and escape her financial predicament. What could possibly go wrong?
When Lowen moves in, she begins sorting through Verity’s office and notes for the rest of the series. What she doesn't expect to find is a bone-chilling, all consuming manuscript of a biography of Verity’s life, that depicts what truly happened the nights her children passed away. Lowen is shocked and scared; she decides it is best to keep this manuscript from Jeremy, knowing that what it has to say would do nothing but hurt the already grieving man.
As her feelings start to develop for Jeremy, Lowen realizes she has information that could change Jeremy’s perception of his wife. As things continue to get stranger in the house, Lowen has to decide if showing Jeremy the manuscript would hurt him, or potentially save them all. But whatever you think, everything is not as it seems.
Romances and thrillers aren't for everyone, and that's okay! Our final book is fantasy that captures the magic of the season; if you're looking for a momentary escape from your day, then this one's for you!
The Cruel Prince, the first of three in the Folk of Air series, is written by Holly Black. This book is set in a magical realm adjacent to the mortal world. The main character, Jude Duarte, is seven- years-old when her parents are tragically murdered and she is taken, along with her eldest sister Vivienne and twin sister Taryn, to the Faerie lands.
Jude resents the magical world, and despises the man responsible for her new life. However, ten years later at age seventeen Jude wants nothing more than to belong, despite her mortality.
Most of the Faeries despise the humans, including the wicked and cunning Prince Cardan. The prince is the son to the King of the Faerie lands, giving him all the power to make Judes life miserable. He bullies her in every instance possible, and continuously reminds her that she’ll never be one of them.
But when trouble falls upon the realm, it is up to Jude to restore the balance. Battling evil and torment, Jude agrees to a dangerous alliance, but will it be enough to save them all?
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