Fall Book Recs for Mood Readers

A Pie Chart of Moods

Photo by Derick McKinney on Unsplash

Hello! Can we all agree that September stretched a little too long and now October is revving up towards the holiday season a little too fast?

I don’t want to talk about illness or hurricanes, not yet. I want to talk about books. That is all I ever want to talk about.

Thinking about what to write for this newsletter, two thoughts came to mind:

1. I haven’t written about book recs in a while even though books and reading are really the only thing I want to talk about.

2. I have never written about mood readers. And it’s about time.

If you aren’t familiar with the term “mood reader,” you aren’t alone. I only learned the term a year or two ago from my favorite podcasts, Anne Bogel’s What Should I Read Next.

What is a mood reader?

Best put by Gia at Book Riot, a mood reader “is a person who reads according to their mood. This means that their feelings and emotions often dictate what they’ll read.”

I honestly didn’t realize that everyone else didn’t read this way, too. Of course, I would choose a book based on what I’m in the mood to read. Is there another option?

This does explain how difficult it can be sometimes to find the next book to read. An example of what this process looks like for me: I finish one book and even though I have two shelves of books I’ve never opened, none of them “feel right.” For now. I pick up a book by an author I love and only get two pages in before I set it aside. I borrow seven books from the library all at once, but only read one of them.

And to be clear, many books that I put aside are ones that I later return to and love. I just need to be in the right head space.

It doesn’t help that I often can’t articulate my mood. Sometimes I know I’m in the mood for horror, or sometimes I am so bogged down that I need something light and funny. But often, it isn’t so clear. After starting and giving up on a half dozen books, sometimes the one I end up choosing just has the right voice or the right “vibe.”

And if you want a current view of my reading moods, according to The StoryGraph, this pie chart says it all. Usually, my reading “moods” (based on the books I read) are all words like dark, intense, and mysterious. But lately, I’ve clearly needed some other options.

Funny? Inspiring? Hopeful? Who am I?!?

Based on 9-10 months of reading so far in 2024, I thought it would be fun to share my book recommendations for a handful of different moods. Since moods overlap, I’ll try to mention when a book could clearly fall into two different categories.

My links here are through Bookshop.org to support independent bookstores, but note that as a Bookshop affiliate, I may earn a small commission if you purchase through my links. Either way, if you aren’t using Bookshop.org, please check them out.

Need something funny?

Here are three books that found me at the exact right moment this year, exactly when I needed to laugh out loud.

Full disclosure: I know “funny” is really subjective. If, like me, your idea of funny includes foul language, weirdness, and blurred realities, you might love these books.

• Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth (also file under “tense”)

• Starter Villain by John Scalzi (even better on audio)

• Kittentits by Holly Wilson

Need something reflective?

I’d define this category as books that didn’t just make me think, but books that changed the way I think. These three books stuck with me long after I stopped reading.

• They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraquib

• Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (also file under “mysterious”)

• Crying in the Bathroom by Erika L. Sanchez (also file under “funny”)

Need something mysterious/tense?

I am always a fan of mysteries. It’s part of my DNA, I think. This year, the books I’ve found the most mysterious are also the ones that are filled with so much tension (and sometimes dread) that I can barely handle it.

These mysterious books are ones I read quickly because I *had* to know what happened next.

• Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett

• Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

• Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson (also file under “funny”)

Need something heart-warming?

You could also file any of these titles under words like “hopeful” or “light-hearted,” though those descriptors feel a little too simplistic for me. The following books are more complex than that. And they all threatened to thaw my cold, cold heart.

• Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones by Dolly Parton

• 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

• Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (also file under “funny”)

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Photo by Fallon Michael on Unsplash

As always, thank you for being here. I started this year with a goal to reach 1,000 subscribers on Mourning Pages before my novel, Doll Parts, comes out next summer. I still have a long way to go.

If you haven’t subscribed, please do! And if you are able to share/restack/tell a friend about this space, it is much appreciated.

Big moody hugs,

Penny