Summer may not be officially over yet, but September has begun! Which means we are in the ‘Ber months, a shorthand I first saw on the internet for September, October, November and December. Also known as my very favorite stretch of the year. Fall is my very favorite season, Halloween and Christmas are my very favorite holidays, with Thanksgiving also being high on the list. There’s just so much to love about this time of year. (And just for me personally, my birthday is in November. I’m a fall girl through and through, right from the beginning.)

There’s a feel to all seasons, but I think especially to fall. There’s a vibe, with smells and tastes and scenery, along with a crispness in the air. Not just the look of the leaves changing colour but you can almost sense it in the air as well. And don’t get me started on the food. Pumpkins and apples and pears and soups and stuffing and spice. Seeking out warmth from wool and fluffy blankets and scarves and warm drinks of choice (I’m a pumpkin spice latte fan and will throw down with anyone who says they’re overrated). It’s difficult to describe in words (though I hope I’m doing an OK job here) but once you know it you know it. When the days aren’t so long anymore and the wind starts to get a bite to it, you know winter is coming, but we’ll have a last blast of beauty and frights and coziness to help us get through those long winter nights.

So what does one watch or read to get into the mood for a season like fall? You’d be surprised how many options are out there, or maybe not surprised since fall is such a popular season. While this time of year does tend to bring suggestions of general horror films, shows and books, I’ve been on the hunt for things to watch and read that are actually set during fall and Halloween. If you’ve read my previous blog posts you’ll know I think horror is great anytime of the year, but in September and October you may want your horror to come with a side of orange and jack o’ lanterns and ancient spirits.

Let’s start with some non-horror suggestions. Here’s a weird coincidence for you. To paraphrase Dr. Doofenshmirtz, if I had a nickel for every movie set in the fall that had a guy named Harry in it, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice. I’m referring to the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry met Sally… and the 1955 dark comedy mystery The Trouble with Harry. When Harry met Sally was directed by Rob Reiner and is set over a fall in New York city where the delightful Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan try to decide if they should stay friends or take it to the next level. The Trouble with Harry was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and is set during the fall in Vermont (with gorgeous scenery all around) as the residents of a town try to figure out what to do with their freshly deceased resident Harry while everyone feels responsible for his death, though it’s a mystery about what actually happened to him.

But there are many fall-themed non-horror books and movies to choose from, and I have a list here for you. They run the gamut from romance to comedy to mystery to life changes, etc.

And as I quickly talk about horror set in the fall, I’d like to bring up a long-time sticking point for me: the original Halloween with Jamie Lee Curtis. Fantastic movie, love it, definitely a must watch for the Halloween season or for slasher fans or for horror history buffs. But one part of it has always bugged me. It was filmed in the summer, and you can very much tell when you watch it. Though the filmmakers tried their best with having the characters dressed in fall clothes and putting what looked like dead leaves on the ground in between takes, everything else about the movie is lush and green. It’s harder to tell during the scenes filmed at night, but in the daylight scenes you can really see it. Also, very minimal Halloween decorations throughout. Nothing can be done about it now, but it’s always bugged me. But the legacy sequel, 2018’s Halloween, makes up for that with decorations and fall scenery, so maybe follow up the original with the 2018 version if you’re going for the fall feeling.

I could write an entire post about horror set around Halloween (not this year though, I have another plan for my October post) but in the meantime you can try some books and movies that are set around that most special and scary time of year.

If you REALLY want to see a scary movie that is just soaked in fall and Halloween vibes, I have to recommend Trick R Treat. This movie started as a direct-to-video nothing film and has since gained a cult following for it’s intertwining stories, late-October ambiance and latest horror icon Sam. The premise for this movie is very simple: Halloween is an ancient holiday with rules and practices, and if you don’t follow those rules then you are not going to be around to see another one.

So there we have a few things to get you started in September (which we all know is basically just Halloween eve). Of course, we have fall and Halloween books for all ages, and we’d be happy to help you find some for you or your families this fall.

I’ll leave you with some of Sam’s rules for surviving Halloween.

1. Wear a costume
2. Hand out candy
3. NEVER blow out a jack o’ lantern before midnight
4. Keep your decorations up until Halloween is officially over
5. Always check your candy

Words to live by if you ask me.