Wake up early enough and the misty mornings will confirm one thing, Autumn is beginning to seep into the air. The perfect book to mark this turn is The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier.

This collection was originally written and published in 1952. The opening story “The Birds” would go on to inspire what would become one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous films. There’s a total of six stories within this collection, which take on eerie undertones.

“Monte Verita” in my opinion was the best and most original of the works within the collection. The unexplored and mystic mountain of Verita eminantes an aura that draws women in, never to be seen again. The lore and fantasy surrounding Monte Verita makes it feel as though it were real and the secrets within it are unearthly.

Other stories include “The Apple Tree” which follows a widower who in the process of attempting to remove a haggard apple tree from his garden quickly becomes haunted by its presence. “The Little Photographer” inspects the life of a rich Marquise who seems dissatisfied with her life through the lens of a local photographer. “Kiss Me Again, Stranger” follows a young mechanic walking a movie usher home from work, finding that their path leads them into the cemetery. And lastly “The Old Man” which investigates the family history of a man who is suspected of murdering one of his children.

With collection that’s sure to make your hair stand on end, The Birds and Other Stories is the perfect way to start off this coming spooky season.