Tumblr girls walked so Pinterest girls could run this Halloween!
If you can’t get enough of aesthetic mood boards flaunting sepia toned photos of gothic architecture, fallen leaves and cloudy skies, we’re right there with you! We literally live for the gothic vibes here at BookTrib.
Contrary to what you may think, Aestheticism isn’t just one Doc Martins and flannel-wearing millennial’s creation, it’s actually a philosophical lexicon that was introduced in the Eighteenth Century used to designate an experience, attitude, or value in beauty and art. For context, this philosophy came to be during a period when classical artists clashed with modern artists and when the concept of beauty became one big question mark. So next time you’re scrolling Pinterest as an escape from your boring to-do list, you are actually embarking on a historical and philosophical quest for beauty started by your artsy ancestors.
Today, (and back then, honestly) anything goes when it comes to aestheticism, with many aesthetics today almost sounding made-up. All you have to do is add “core” at the end of any word and congratulations, you’ve created a whole new breed of beauty.
Now that I’ve given you the rundown on aestheticism, you are ready to discover your next Fall read. So, grab your infinity scarf and a pumpkin spice latte as you prepare your senses for this not-so-basic roundup of aesthetically pleasing books!
WEIRDCORE
Sara’s pick: This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno
Evoking a deep sense of unease through uncanny technology, blurred reality, and emotional disorientation, This Thing Between Us follows a grieving husband haunted by his wife’s death and a cursed smart speaker as his world unravels into surrealism and paranoia.
EERIE ECLECTASISM
Olivia’s pick: Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou
A haunting and lyrical retelling of Bluebeard that blurs the line between modernity and mythology. Sour Cherry is eclectic in its feminist fable-like nature, spanning multiple time periods, surrealism, horror, and gothic queerness.
DARK NAUTICAL
Cammy’s pick: Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting by Richard and W.H. Chizmar
Since BookTrib’s based in coastal CT (allegedly the most haunted state in all of New England), this spooky aesthetic hits close to home – literally. Set on the Atlantic coast, this horror novel follows two times where people took up unauthorized residence in the Widow’s Point Lighthouse – claimed by some to be cursed and others to be haunted. Uniquely told as the transcription of found footage and multimedia communications, this read is as eerie as a foghorn blast in the night, and just as likely to make your heart skip a beat.
WESTERN GOTHIC
Natalie’s pick: Coffin Moon by Keith Rossen
Dracula meets No Country for Old Men in this blood-pumping novel about a Vietnam Veteran whose life is uprooted after crossing paths with a deadly rogue vampire. Set in 1975 Oregon, the story weaves through the frost-bitten American Northwest, giving a new spin to the Western Gothic aesthetic.
BUBBLEGUM HORROR
Kelsey’s pick: Bunny by Mona Awad
If Mean Girls joined a cult and majored in creative writing.
Samantha just wanted to finish her thesis, not be dragged into the pink-clad, prose-chanting coven that rules her MFA program. Equal parts horror, satire, and fever dream, Bunny is a savage send-up of academia and femininity, where art imitates life… and life doesn’t always make it out alive.
DREADPUNK
Jeriann’s pick: The Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings by Lily Morton
There’s nothing quite like a midnight ghost tour of an ancient English city to get your eldritch on. Author Lily Morton, known for her snarky gay romances, deftly combines witty banter with bone-chilling supernatural events in this love story about a York tour guide who happens to be a psychic, and the totally sensible artist who thinks this blue-haired charmer might hold the key to ridding his dream home of a terrifying spirit.
DARK COTTAGECORE/ FOLK GOTHIC
Monique’s pick: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
This story drapes a quiet countryside manor in shadows, giving us all the cozy, pastoral vibes of cottage life … with a serious side of “something’s not right here.”
