I believe fall is an overrated season, but I do love the warm, cozy vibe it brings. This is the best time of year to pick up a good book, grab a comfy blanket, and cozy up on the couch before a fireplace (or a video of a fireplace, for us Floridians).
My favorite book genres are mystery and thrillers, and as the sun sets earlier, I love reading a spooky book late into the night. Here is a list of my three favorite books to read during autumn, from least to most favorite.
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
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This book was very popular on Booktok, but in case you haven’t heard of it, Alex Michaelides’ The Silent Patient follows Alicia and Gabriel Berenson, who seemed to be a happily married couple up until Alicia shot her husband in the face five times. As if the mystery behind why she killed her husband wasn’t enough, Alicia then becomes entirely mute, never speaking another word. Seven years later, criminal psychotherapist Theo becomes interested in Alicia’s case and is determined to find the truth behind the night of her husband’s death.
This story is a psychological mystery thriller that had me speed-reading to figure out what happened that night. Although the twist in the end was predictable, it was still very shocking when the details were revealed.
The book is packed full of references and allusions to Greek myths and stories that add another layer to the main story. The writing style is beautiful and easy to read, explaining the tragedy of Theo and Alicia’s story.
- Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
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Stalking Jack the Ripper, by Kerri Maniscalco, follows Audrey Rose Wadsworth, a young woman wanting to learn the science of life and death under her uncle in an 1800s society bent on reminding her of her place as a woman. When women begin being brutally murdered, Audrey Rose gets caught up in trying to find the killer, who goes by Jack the Ripper.
I absolutely devoured this book when I first read it. It’s historical fiction based on true stories about the murders of the actual Jack the Ripper.
Trying to figure out the killer was challenging because of the well-crafted red herrings throughout the book. The academic rivals-to-lovers subplot was done so well that Thomas Cresswell, the love interest, is one of my favorite book boyfriends. I’m also obsessed with Audrey Rose, the ultimate girl boss.
Audrey Rose would not remain quiet and stay in the kitchen like most women were expected to do at this time. Instead, like myself, she was a woman of science willing to do whatever it took to save other women from dying.
Stalking Jack the Ripper is part of a four-part series with a novella, so if you love the first book as much as I did, you’ll have more of Audrey Rose and Thomas Cresswell to look forward to.
- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz ZafĂłn
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Carlos Ruiz ZafĂłn’s The Shadow of the Wind follows Daniel Sempere in the 1950s in Barcelona, Spain, after the Spanish Civil War. Daniel goes to a secret library called The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, which stores books meant to be burned, banned, or destroyed by the church or government. While in the library, he finds a book titled “The Shadow of the Wind” by Julián Carax. He finds that someone mysteriously burned all of Carax’s books, and he now has the last one remaining. Additionally, Carax himself has been missing since his books were burned. Daniel is determined to discover what happened to Carax, but he soon finds himself stalked by someone resembling the villain in Carax’s book.
I read The Shadow of the Wind after my high school English teacher recommended it, but neither of us expected that this book would become my all-time favorite (at least, I didn’t). The book is criminally underrated, and I don’t hear enough people talking about it. It has everything you could ever want in a book, from gothic mystery and true crime to suspense and romance. Not only are all the main characters amazing, but the side characters are also incredibly well-developed and meaningful to the main storyline. In other words, they’re not just there as filler.
If you are looking for a dark academia book, this is it. I’ve yet to find another book that matches The Shadow of the Wind‘s layered stories, complexities, and plot twists. It’s also one of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books book series, with four books and one novella. The series can be read out of order, and depending on how you read them, they will change how you view what’s true in this world.
The whole series is five out of five stars.
I hope you’ll consider these book recommendations when choosing your next book to read this fall. So, curl up with your new read and embrace the fall season!