Friday Finds | September 11, 2026
"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Welcome to Friday Finds | September 11, 2026
September is settling in with the first hints of curl-up season, even if some afternoons still feel more like summer. This week's finds are all about making the transition cozy: an entertaining mystery, a heartfelt middle-grade story, magical reads from Elizabeth Pantley, maple-spiced cider served hot or cold, and a soft autumn throw for your favorite reading spot.
Let's see what we discover this week.
🪑 From My Reading Chair
Every book leaves a bit of itself behind. These are the ones that stayed with me this week.
🌿 On the Blog This Week
Murder by the Stroke by C.S. McDonald
Vashti's paintings are killing it in the art world, and in more ways than one.
Murder by the Stroke by C.S. McDonald brings Fiona Quinn back for a fast-paced Pittsburgh mystery filled with clever clues, red herrings, relatable moments, and plenty of humor. Read my five-star review of this clean and entertaining cozy mystery.
Also This Week
How Jackson Patterson Saved the Band
by Maureen Straka
One drummer. One threatened music program. One chance to be heard.
How Jackson Patterson Saved the Band by Maureen Straka is a heartfelt middle-grade story about courage, friendship, grief, and finding the confidence to speak up for something worth saving.
🌿 Bookish Deals This Week
It's Officially Curl Up Season!
Cooler days call for cozy blankets, a warm drink, and a stack of books within reach. Settle in and discover cozy mysteries, charming small towns, magical escapes, heartwarming stories, and more.
ThriftBooks has gathered an entire Cozy Corner for readers ready to settle into curl-up season. Browse cozy mysteries, gentle fantasy, heartwarming stories, charming bookshops and small-town settings, along with cozy nonfiction and new releases. With both new and used copies available, it's a lovely place to find an affordable addition-or two-to your autumn reading stack.
Explore ThriftBooks' Cozy Corner
Shopping for a Kobo?
Purchase an eligible Kobo eReader by September 24 and save 50% on coordinating accessories-an easy way to add a protective cover while personalizing your new device.
This section contains affiliate links. The Kobo accessory discount requires a qualifying eReader purchase; see Kobo for complete terms.
🌟 Featured Author Spotlight
💭 My Reflections
Elizabeth Pantley's mysteries offer exactly the kind of imaginative escape I enjoy. Her stories balance intriguing mysteries with humor, friendship, magical settings, and wonderfully quirky characters. Whether her amateur sleuths are pulled into a book or transported through an enchanted mirror, each adventure feels warm, creative, and inviting.
New readers can jump into Puzzles and Premieres as a standalone Magical Mystery Book Club adventure. If you prefer to begin a series at the beginning, start with Falling Into Magic and discover Destiny Falls alongside Hayden.
📚 Start Here: My Featured Reviews
- Puzzles and Premieres → Review
A glamorous film festival, a vanished actress, and enchanted puzzles that reveal the clues one piece at a time. - Meditation and Mischief → Review
A peaceful wellness retreat, a ten-year reunion, and a murder that disrupts everyone's search for inner calm. - The Disappearance of Emily → Review
An enchanted town, a mysterious package, and new clues about the mother Hayden has been searching for.
See all my Elizabeth Pantley features →
Website • Amazon • Goodreads • Author Hub
✨ Featured Author Spotlight introduces readers to authors whose work has been featured on the blog, along with my personal reflections and a few recommended places to begin.
🍁 Sip & Savor
🍎 Maple-Spiced Autumn Cider
Whether September feels crisp and cool or still holds onto summer warmth, this maple-spiced apple cider works either way. Serve it steaming in your favorite mug or chill it and pour it over ice for a refreshing taste of fall.
Pair it with an afternoon of cozy reading, serve it at an autumn gathering, or keep a chilled pitcher in the refrigerator for those September days that still feel more like summer.
Maple-Spiced Autumn Cider
Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 cups apple cider
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 apple, thinly sliced
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Ice, if serving chilled
Instructions:
- Add the apple cider, cinnamon sticks, apple slices, orange slices, and cloves to a large saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the maple syrup and vanilla.
- Strain the cider or remove the spices and fruit with a slotted spoon.
- Serve immediately for warm cider. For iced cider, allow it to cool, refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, and then pour it over ice.
Garnish each glass or mug with a fresh apple slice and cinnamon stick.
🍴 Gina's Kitchen Note
Apple cider is already naturally sweet, so taste it before adding the full amount of maple syrup. Refrigerate leftover cider in a covered container for up to four days. For a fizzy chilled version, add a splash of sparkling water to each glass just before serving.
☕ Featured Find
🍂 Cozy Up with an Autumn Plaid Throw
This harvest-orange plaid throw looks made for curling up with a cozy mystery and a mug of warm apple cider. The 50-by-60-inch chenille blanket is soft, lightweight, and breathable, with tasseled edges and warm autumn colors that add a rustic touch to a sofa, bed, or favorite reading chair.
It is also machine washable, making it a practical seasonal accent that can stay within easy reach throughout the cooler months.
This section may contain affiliate links, which help support the blog at no extra cost to you.
🍁 Reader Question
What makes the perfect cozy fall reading day for you-a favorite genre, a warm drink, a soft blanket, crisp autumn weather, or a little of everything?
One of my favorite parts of Friday Finds has been watching the conversations grow in the comments. Let's share.
📜 More Friday Finds
Missed a week? Browse previous editions of Friday Finds for more book reviews, author spotlights, reader favorites, recipes, and discoveries.
Browse the Friday Finds Archive →
Thank you for spending part of your week with me. I hope you have a peaceful, joy-filled weekend filled with good books and little moments to savor.
Until next week's Friday Finds,
Gina
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My answer to reader question is a little bit of everything with one of your stuffed animals
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