I love mood reading, especially when it comes to reading certain books during specific seasons. Beach Read by Emily Henry in the summer, Beartown by Fredrik Backman in the winter, and Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams in the spring. These are just a few examples of books that make my reading experience better because they match the vibe or season that I’m reading in. If you want a book that fits into the fall aesthetic of crunchy orange leaves and cozy sweaters, here are some recommendations in a few different genres!
Mystery/Horror
One of my favorite genres to read in the fall is mystery, because of its dark academia aesthetic. These usually involve some riddle or murder to match with my favorite horror movies!
Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson
This is the first book in a young adult series where the main character is sent to a private school in the mountains for gifted children. Her special talent is being a crime-junkie with a love for solving cold cases, and the series overall is based on a cold case related to the school’s founder coming back to life. It involves riddles, mysteries, and lots of fall-to-winter imagery. I’ve read up until the third book, The Hand on the Wall, and can’t wait to continue the series this fall!
IT by Stephen King
Any horror by Stephen King can fit into this category, but this book is a classic. It has an incredibly daunting average page count of 1,138 pages, but don’t let that deter you! The book follows a group of seven children from one small town. The plot switches between their past (the summer of 1958) and their present (the spring of 1985). Although this book is not centered around the fall season, it is certainly spooky enough to read during Halloween!
The Teacher by Freida Mcfadden
Any book by Freida McFadden is incredibly chilling and creepy, always the perfect segue into chilly October weather. In this book, which uses dual perspectives, readers switch from Eve, a high school teacher, to Addie, a high school student. The mystery seems to be wrapped up in an affair between teacher and student, but every plot twist kept me on the edge of my seat. The language and content was definitely disturbing in some places, but just wait until you get to the forest and hear what Eve has to say.
Romance
This genre proves to be a struggle every fall. Most of the romance books I find are based in the summer or winter rather than having cozy fall settings. In spite of this, I have found that small-town romances are the closest you can get to the fall aesthetic in the romance genre.
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
I saw this book on TikTok and thought the cover looked absolutely adorable! I mean, come on, the author’s last name is literally Gilmore (an ode to Gilmore Girls that people constantly watch during the fall). It’s a small-town romance between a city girl helping her aunt with her cafĂ© and a farmer who has recently had his heart broken. It follow the grumpy/sunshine trope, which is one of my favorites! A lot of people compare this book to a Hallmark movie, so if that’s your thing, this one is definitely worth a try.
Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc
This is a young adult book that revolves around a small town during the fall time with two rivaling coffee shops. There are plenty of typical fall activities like pumpkin picking, fall festivals, hayrides, and most importantly, a pumpkin spice latte competition between the two shops. This story is less about the romance and more about family, friendship, and growing up; so, if a closed-door romance is more up your alley, this one is perfect for you! Similar to The Pumpkin Spice Café, I’ve heard many people comparing this book to Gilmore Girls. As an avid Gilmore Girls fan, sign me up!
Fantasy
The cozier the fantasy novel, the more likely I am to read it during the fall (I tend to save high fantasy for the winter!). Anything involving witches, ghouls, and pumpkins sounds to me like the perfect way to relax!
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Maehrer
This book is a cozy light fantasy with just a sprinkle of romance and mystery. Main character Evie gets a new job, and her boss is a villain! This one also appears to fall into the grumpy/sunshine trope, and the world-building isn’t too intense. So, if you need a break from your high fantasies, this read will be perfect for you!
The Ex Hex by erin sterling
This book is the perfect example of a fall fantasy with witches, warlocks, magic, and a talking cat. Many people have described this one as Hocus Pocus meets Halloweentown; two iconic movies wrapped into one new book sounds exciting to me! Spooky things are happening in the small town of Graves Glenn, all because the main character Vivienne has put a hex on her ex-boyfriend, Rhys. This is a perfect fantasy romance to read around Halloween.
Whatever genre you choose to read during this fall season, make sure to pick up one of these books or others by these authors. You’re sure to have the perfect spooky (or cozy!) fall ambience headed your way.