If you’re looking for some amazing books to read during the fall season, you’ve come to the right place. These five books are perfect to crawl under the blankets with and sip on a PSL as you enjoy both the drink and the book.
- Bunny- Mona Awad
I’m just going to get it out of the way, ‘Bunny’ is a weird book. If you like surrealist fiction, this will be perfect for you. It follows the protagonist, Sam, as she goes through her last semester of her college career where she is studying creative writing. We see her interactions with the “Bunnies”, the other girls in her cohort. When she is invited to hang out with them, things get out of hand very quickly. This book is perfect for fall because it is creepy and takes place in an academic setting, which I just automatically associate with fall. This book will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end and would be a great way to spend a cozy fall evening.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bunny-mona-awad/1129817772?ean=9780525559757
- We Have Always Lived in the Castle- Shirley Jackson
‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ is a book that isn’t scary in the normal jump scare-y way, but more in the isolating, alienating lonely way. We follow a family of three that have been outcasted by society and live alone in a huge mansion. This book takes a close look at love and familial bonds in the wake of being outcasted by everyone else. It’s a perfect read for fall if you’re ready to get to know an unfortunate family with an unsettling amount of independence.
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- Frankenstein- Mary Shelley
If you managed to avoid reading this book, first off congrats on being so slippery, and secondly, read it. ‘Frankenstein’ is a classic, but if you haven’t picked it up yet and the idea of a mad scientist and an academic atmosphere sounds good to you, fall is the perfect opportunity to. Along with the mad scientist and academia, Frankenstein’s monster has ingrained itself into pop culture and Halloween imagery, so reading the source material is a great way to familiarize yourself with such an iconic character and get ready for Halloween with this spooky book.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frankenstein-shelley-mary/1126911566?ean=9781435159624
- Tender is the Flesh- Agustina Bazterrica (translated by Sarah Moses)
Speaking of spooky books, may I present to you ‘Tender is the Flesh’. Fair warning, don’t pick up this book if you don’t like gore, are squeamish, and/ or don’t want to explore the question “what if we were all cannibals”. This book looks at a world where all animals are off limits for consumption, so the human race turned to raising humans (although they aren’t called that) for food. This book is creepier and gore-y and all around more uncomfortable to read than any of the others on the list, but if you are up for the challenge, definitely pick this one up this fall.
- The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue- V.E Schwab
A complete 180 from ‘Tender is the Flesh’, ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’ is a low-stakes fantasy about a girl named Addie LeRue who is cursed. She makes a deal with a demon-God so that no one will remember her, but she can live forever. The readers follow her life throughout the ages as she copes with being invisible to the world. In the present day, she meets someone who finally does remember her, and we get a look into their lives together. This book is perfect when you want to read something that you don’t necessarily want to think too hard about, just to vibe with the characters.
All these books are great for fall; I know some of these are for particular tastes so hopefully you found one that you’re interested in. If you did, grab a blanket, an autumnal drink of your choice, your best pair of fuzzy socks, and dive into a whole new world while the leaves outside turn orange and the air is crisp.