Autumn brings together two different yet inseparable themes: cozy and spooky. Once the leaves start falling and the cool days begin, some Guilford College students feel the urge to curl up with a good book, but finding the perfect fall read is not as easy as grabbing one off a random shelf.

A Guilford College senior and three juniors from the Early College here on campus have some literary recommendations for their fellow classmates this season.

ECG junior Maya Mather describes a mystery book, “Greenglass House” by Kate Milford, with “cozy winter vibes” that she loves. The mystery begins with the arrival of a lone visitor at the inn, an unusual occurrence for the winter months when the place typically lies dormant and empty. The mystery unfolds as the main character runs with his, according to Mather, “bright imagination.”

This book is a perfect example of the intertwined autumn themes. Mather said it is a “really sweet book,” but it “also has a really good mystery flowing through.”

Her favorite place to read this book is wrapped in a blanket in her room — a comfortable position with a delicious pretzel snack.

Unlike Mather, junior Emily Zhang prefers her spooky book with cinnamon or chamomile tea. Though her favorite autumn book lacks the cozy story of Mather’s, she still wants a comfortable place to read.

“Little armchairs … and bookshelves” are needed in her ideal reading room, Zhang said. She describes her recommended book, “Babel” by R.F. Kuang, as a dark academia novel with a spooky magical twist, a combination that creates an aesthetic that Zhang loves.

The book takes place in Oxford, England, in the 1830s during the Opium Wars, and delves into the consequences of academics justifying war, and the characters’ use of magic throughout the turmoil, according to Zhang.

She also said, “The world-building is really good,” and the morally gray characters make the story “especially interesting.”

“Babel’s” dark twists and ancient premises fit into the haunted side of the fall season.

Another book based in history is recommended by Heather Wong, another Early College junior. “The Book Thief” is set during World War II, characterizing Death as he tells the story of a young girl, Liesel Meminger, and the tragedies that affected her during the war.

Wong said the book is “really sad and really powerful,” and unlike anything she had ever read. She also talked about the unlikely friendships made between people with drastically different backgrounds and lives.

She said the novel, by Markus Zusak, has “this spooky feel,” since it is told from Death’s perspective, which makes it ideal for the dimming world of autumn. Wong, too, prefers to read on a couch.

“Do you believe in magic?” Madison Bravo-Silva, a senior at Guilford College, asks. Though many people have read them, Bravo-Silva recommends the “Harry Potter” series to anyone looking for, as she believes, “very special” books.

She portrays a heartwarming but at times dark series that possesses many magical themes. As the series gets darker, she says, “it’s just nice to see the character development.”

Since the later books in the series become serious, she considers the genre to be fiction, specifically young adult, and this age group fits right in with the young adults at Guilford.

Bravo-Silva is similar to Zhang because both like to read their favorite autumn books while sipping chamomile tea, though Bravo-Silva also enjoys lavender. She prefers both types because they are “sleepy time tea,” or good to drink while relaxing and reading.

Cozy mysteries, magical histories, budding friendships, dreaded pasts or sometimes-spooky classics, students at Guilford College recommend a variety of books and ways to enjoy them during the cooling autumn months.