Staff Picks: Cozy Fall Vibes

Beetle is a goblin and, as such, according to her grandmother, should be proud to learn goblin magic. But Beetle would rather hang out at the mall with her friend Blob Ghost (BG) and daydream about getting to spend more time with her friend Kat, who's back in town for a short while to be mentored by her aunt Hollowbone. Instead, Beetle finds herself trying to save BG from a nefarious plot and breaking it to Kat that maybe her mentor isn't a great person.

The world of Beetle & the Hollowbones is perfect for cozy fall reading, with its slightly Halloween-inspired aesthetics. And while the plot has some danger, the story is approachable enough for slightly younger readers, yet still feels appealing to those reaching the teen years. It's also quietly queer, gently weaving things like they/them pronouns and queer attraction into the world so it feels as natural as it should.

Shannan Prukop

While this pick does not take place in the Fall, it follows main character Eric "Bitty" Bittle through his college career and still fits the definition of cozy with its low stakes, fun and lovable cast of characters, and many illustrations of baked goods. At the beginning of this two-volume comic series, Eric goes from being an amateur baker and high school figure skater to a college freshman and hockey player, though he's still baking when he can and vlogging about it. We follow him as he gets the hang of a new sport-filled jock team mates, and as he navigates his crush on handsome-but-definitely-not-into-boys team captain Jack. But maybe there is more to Jack than what meets the eye.

Lovers of a soft queer romance like Heartstoppers and Bloom will love this series about friendship and being true to who you are.

Tayla Cardillo

Ray has always known what she wants: to pursue a spot on the Council so she can use her gift of seeing the present to help others. Laurie, a budding musician who works at Ray’s favorite coffee shop, has dreams of making it big, only to struggle with his fear of flying. As they pursue their relationship, Ray and Laurie will have to go through life’s twists and turns and the changes to their own hearts.

Crumbs is a lovely, cozy story about love and dreams, all wonderfully brought to life by Dani Stirling’s charming art with its lovely, warm palette. Readers looking for a gentle fantasy romance will want to snuggle under their blankets with Crumbs.

Discussion of parental death

Megan Rupe

Garlic and the other fruit and vegetable folks live a peaceful life helping Witch Agnes with her garden, until they see smoke from the abandoned castle on the hill outside the village. Worried that the vampire who lived in the castle years ago has returned, they send the only person who they think has natural protection from the vampire, Garlic. Will Garlic work up the courage to investigate the castle to protect the village, or will she let her fear get in the way?

Readers who love the equal parts cozy and slightly unsettling vibes of Over the Garden Wall will love this story with richly colored art and fall colors.

Tayla Cardillo

See the DC world from a different perspective by following this group of misfit students at the prestigious Gotham Academy, from tenacious Maps to reticent Olive, as they encounter misadventures with members of Batman's many enemies. Having regular(ish) teens as the main characters means it can be a little silly sometimes, and the school setting means there's built-in atmosphere to work with. It's a bit spooky, a bit melancholy, and perfect for fall reading.

One of the great things about Gotham Academy is that it doesn't require a deep knowledge of the DC universe to enjoy it, so for readers who like comics but are intimidated by diving into DC properties, it's an excellent choice. Also, it was recently announced that a new six-issue series in the same setting will be coming out, so readers will have more Gotham Academy to look forward to soon.

Shannan Prukop

Fairy Razzmatazz and beast Bon run into each other in a forest because they are both trying to claim the same abandoned human child. Neither one of them trusts the other enough to concede, so they do the only logical thing and decide to co-parent together in the human world, complete with magical human disguises and a fake marriage cover story. As they care for this child together, they learn more about each other. Will familiarity lead to contempt or love?

Fans of Heartstopper will love this queer romance with a fairytale twist.

Tayla Cardillo

Deja and Josie are “fall friends” who work together at the local pumpkin patch. As they start their last night of work before college, Josie still has not talked to his crush. Deja’s not about to let Josie back down, and the two go on an adventure in the patch so that Josie can speak to the girl.

With a great, well-articulated friendship and plenty of fall treats and hijinks, Pumpkinheads is a sweet, fun read. Pick this one up if you enjoy fall vibes in your romance.

Megan Rupe

Lora loves spooky things and make-believe, but her friends’ changing interests make her feel like she is being left behind. When she meets a ghost named Alexa, Lora is thrilled to have a friend to help her keep the magic of imagination alive. Despite Lora's desire to never grow up, things begin to change, and soon Lora and Alexa will have to confront their fears.

Readers who long to keep childlike wonder and magic alive

Megan Rupe

This coming-of-age story with a color palette reminiscent of a glowing sunset depicts a beautiful friends-to-lovers romance. Rotem's friends and family think it's weird that she is obsessed with a popular vampire romance novel. Then she meets bookish Ayala, who is willing to give the story a chance and quickly becomes as swept away with the forbidden love story as Rotem. But will she become as obsessed with hanging out with Ayala as she's become with the characters in her book, leaving her old friends behind? And why does she keep feeling drawn to do things like hold Ayala's hand, and maybe even kiss her?

Readers who remember the twilight craze of the late 2000s will relate to Rotem's feverish obsession with a book series. In contrast, younger readers will relate to Rotem's struggles with friends as her priorities change and she journeys to grow into her true self.

Tayla Cardillo

It's Anya's first few months as the village's Moth Keeper, and at first she's excited to prove herself, but the work turns out to be isolating, leading her to question her skills and her own life more and more over time. Anya isolates herself further, pushing herself too hard, until one night the moths are lost, which could spell disaster not just for her job but for the whole village.

The nighttime setting, color palette, and introspective plot make The Moth Keeper a perfect pick for cozy fall reading. It also covers subjects like depression and burnout in ways that are approachable for younger readers, while emphasizing the importance of community and kindness. This comic follows in the vein of O'Neill's other works, which gently discuss more difficult topics while also reinforcing positive lessons, all set to dreamy and soft art.

Shannan Prukop

Nothing says fall like a witch story set in a small town in New England, right? The Okay Witch series (which is only two volumes long) follows Moth Hush, a young girl who has just discovered that she comes from a long line of witches and has the gift of magic herself. But besides learning magic and dealing with an ancient feud between her family and the founding family of the town, she also has to deal with bullies at school and feeling like an outcast for being one of the only black families in her village. Will Moth be able to balance both the magical and mundane parts of her life?

This series is like Sabrina the Teenage Witch for the modern age, with equal parts heart and hijinks, and a talking cat.

Discussions of racism

Tayla Cardillo