Fall in love these books recommended by Beaufort librarians
Fall is just around the corner in the Hilton Head area, but it’ll be a while before autumn lovers will get to enjoy warm sweaters and falling leaves.
If you’re missing the cozy vibes, you can still leaf through these recommended reads from staff members at the Beaufort library.
Best Cozy Mystery: A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari
“The combination of the gloomy London setting with the suspenseful nature of the plot definitely has me ready for all things Fall and Halloween!” — Sydney Whiteside, Library Assistant at Beaufort District Collection
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Romance
Summary: The Lost Apothecary meets Dead Dead Girls in this fast-paced, STEMinist adventure. Debut author Kate Khavari deftly entwines a pulse-pounding mystery with the struggles of a woman in a male-dominated field in 1923 London.
Best Humor: Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris
“David Sedaris is very funny, totally irreverent, just like Mark Twain was … It’s really needed right now. We need some humor.” — Ellen Kelley, Library Assistant
Genre: Human, Memoir, Nonfiction
Summary: The chronicler of dysfunctional families and oddball enthusiasms returns with a new essay collection, “Happy-Go-Lucky.” (The New York Times)
Best Biography: Mark Twain by Ron Chernow
“Mark Twain is a humorist. I mean, he’s one of the greatest humorists ever, right? And I love humor.” — Ellen Kelley, Library Assistant
Genre: Biography
Summary: Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Ron Chernow illuminates the full, fascinating, and complex life of the writer long celebrated as the father of American literature, Mark Twain.
Best for Space Lovers: Atmospheres by Taylor Jenkins
“It’s about female astronauts for NASA in the 80s. It’s sad but it’s a good read … I didn’t know much about female astronauts in the time period. I like the author in general.” — Stacey Inman, Branch Manager
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ
Summary: An epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.
Best Fantasy Series: The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
“Anything by Bernard Cornwell is good. He has two 20-book series I’ve read this year… I liked the TV show, but the books … it’s like, slowing down, getting into the details … instead of it happening in a flash like on TV… I’ve been looking for longer historical fiction series that have more than like, two books because it’ll take the most of my time and give me something to latch on to.” — Grace Farish, Library Assistant
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Medieval
Summary: This is the story of the making of England in the 9th and 10th centuries, the years in which King Alfred the Great, his son and grandson defeated the Danish Vikings who had invaded and occupied three of England’s four kingdoms. The series has been adapted into a television show on BBC and was later acquired by Netflix.
Best Children’s Fantasy: The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury
“I was not expecting [to enjoy it]. I just saw it, and I was like, that looks cute. And so I just picked it up and I started reading it. And I was like, this is a children’s book, but I really enjoy it.” — Mackenzie Goodman, Children’s Section
Genre: Fantasy, Middle-Grade
Summary: Humor and heart shine in this middle grade fantasy about a girl who attends a boarding school to learn how to use music to create magic, perfect for fans of Nevermoor and The School for Good and Evil series.
Best Young Adult: The Falconer by Elizabeth May
“It’s a fantasy book, but it has a little sprinkle of romance in it. That’s usually my forte… a lot of the Fae is based off of Scottish folklore, so they’re more than just like being pretty elves.” — Mackenzie Goodman, Children’s Section
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Summary: In Edinburgh, a secret war rages between humans and fae, and the magic in Aileana Kameron’s blood is all that keeps the most lethal monsters imprisoned beneath the city. But when the creatures she once pursued now hunt her, Aileana has no choice but to ally with Kiaran MacKay - the beautiful fae assassin with his own agenda.
Best Thriller: Watchers by Dean Koontz
“I genuinely liked how the author made me believe the two protagonists were real and how they actually met and how they got along … Even though they both had their traumas, the dog somehow was [their] main bond.” — Mackenzie Goodman, Children’s Section
Genre: Horror, Fiction, Mystery
Summary: They escape from a secret government: two mutant creatures, both changed utterly from the animals they once were. And no one who encounters them will ever be the same again.
A lonely widower; a ruthless assassin; a beautiful woman; a government agent.
Drawn together in a deadly hunt, all four are inexorably propelled towards a confrontation with an evil beyond human imagining.
Li’s Pick: The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
“I found this book in a Little Free Library box on my walk back from the grocery store when I was living in Berkeley. I read it all the way home. It’s a vivid emotional portrait of an immigrant family, rapidly switching perspectives and weaving between flashbacks as each family member copes with the death of a patriarch.”
Genre: Literary Fiction, Fiction
Summary: A sprawling and epic family saga helmed by patriarch Big Angel. The novel gathers together the entire De La Cruz clan, as they meet for the final birthday party Big Angel is throwing for himself, at home in San Diego, as he nears the end of his struggle with cancer and reflects on his long and full life.
This story was originally published August 31, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
