Picture the perfect fall activities—pumpkin carving, watching scary movies, cozy reading. Reading in the fall has a special kind of charm to it. Not everyone loves to read, which is okay. But you might be missing out this fall. There are books for every type of reader. All it takes is to find one that suits you.
If reading isn’t easy for you, it might be because the perfect atmosphere matters. You’re going to need to start with the perfect reading spot, whether that’s the back corner of a library, a coffee shop, in the park, or in a cozy spot in your room. The place you choose to sit down and read will impact how much reading you do.
When fall comes, so does Halloween. Stories with spooky or suspenseful aspects can get you into the Halloween spirit. As long as the story feels like fall, you’ve got a fall book. After some digging around on Goodreads and Booktok, I found 6 books that might be worth trying this spooky season.
1. Bunny by Mona Awad
I’ve heard of Bunny by Mona Awad a few times now. It’s been on my tbr (to-be-read list) and I think it’s the perfect time of year to read it. Bunny follows Samantha Heather Mackey in the Master of Fine Arts program at Warren University. There, she finds herself in a Heathers-like situation. Bunny is classified on Goodreads as a Horror, Thriller, and Fantasy story.
In a five-star review, Melissa perfectly encapsulates the story, saying:
“Bunny is one of the most fucked up books I’ve ever read. I don’t even know how to explain it, because it’s a book that’s best picked up with zero hints as to what you’re about to encounter within its pages”.
Bunny has a Goodreads review of 3.50 stars with a total of over 50k reviews.
2. The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
At some point in your life, you’ve read or heard an Edgar Allen Poe poem. Notorious for poems like “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee,” Poe’s stories have the perfect spooky, gothic feel to them. The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe might just be the perfect collection of short stories to bring in the chilly weather.
S. Penkevich starts out a wonderful five-star review by saying, “I simply cannot let the Halloween season pass without at least once pulling down the tales of Edgar Allan Poe to cozy myself into the unsettling words of the gothic master.” If that doesn’t get you excited to read it this fall, I don’t know what else will.
On Goodreads, The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe has a total of 4.40 stars with a total of 3.3k reviews.
3. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Author of Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows, Leigh Bardugo brings you Ninth House. After being on her deathbed at the hospital, Galaxy “Alex” Stern is given a full-ride scholarship to Yale. Her mysterious benefactors task her with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies.
In simple terms, Sabaa Tahir gave the book a five-star review saying:
“This book is just fabulous. It has excellent worldbuilding; deep, dark mystery; fascinating characters that you root for even when you don’t like their choices; a twisty, original and unexpected plot that had me guessing all the way until the end. Highly, highly recommend.”
The Ninth House has a 4.02 star rating with over 48k reviews.
4. The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
Sink your teeth into a haunting romance with The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston. If you’re more into romantic stories rather than thrilling frights, then The Dead Romantics may be for you. The story follows ghostwriter Florence Day, who lost her belief in love.
In a five-star review, Nilufer Ozmekik says:
“This is the kind of book that beckons you to return to its pages when you’re feeling down, lost, or overwhelmed, seeking a glimmer of hope and the promise that things will indeed get better. It has captivated my heart in every possible way, from the author’s sharp and sarcastic tone to the endearing and quirky family members and the beautifully executed paranormal love story. Every aspect of this book is simply extraordinary.”
The Dead Romantics has a 3.93 star review on Goodreads, along with 30k reviews.
5. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Although My Dark Vanessa might not be suitable for most readers, it’s an amazing dark contemporary book. At fifteen, Vanessa gets into an affair with her forty-two-year-old English teacher. Seventeen years later, he is accused of sexual abuse by another student. That other student reaches out to Vanessa, leading to her questioning what her past really was.
This book deals with very heavy topics. Chloe put in her five-star review:
“This was so hard to read but so so important. I highly recommend it if you’re in the right head space/the content won’t be triggering to you.”
Topics like sexual assault, grooming, and victim blaming are explored in the book. You uncover Vanessas’ traumas with her bouncing back and forth between her fifteen-year-old perspective and her thirty-two-year-old perspective.
With 4.10 stars on Goodreads and over 49k reviews, Kate Elizabeth Russell’s debut book may be the perfect dark read.
6. These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
Completely disconnected from the outside world, in These Silent Woods, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, are in complete isolation at a cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. Finch is starting to itch to get out, and Cooper is hiding from a dark past. Only two people know of their existence, one being Cooper’s old friend, Jake, who brings them supplies once a year. one year, Jake doesn’t show up. Thereafter, a chain of events threatens their way of living, and Cooper must decide if he will continue hiding or face his past.
In a beautifully descriptive review, Susan says:
“I’m searching for adequate words to describe this incredibly beautiful, moving, suspenseful drama about the fierce love of a father for his daughter. No sacrifice was too great for his little girl, and, unfortunately, Cooper would be called upon to prove this.”
With over 10k reviews, These Silent Woods has an average of 4.06 stars on Goodreads.
In the End
What better way to kick off fall than to find yourself deep into a book? If you loved the experience, there are so many other books to look into. The possibilities are endless, and you never know what kind of story you’re diving into.
