FALL READING LIST | 2021
Fall might very well be my favorite reading season, especially because I love spooky thrillers. If you are looking for a list of cozy happy reads, this probably isn’t it, but there are a few! Will I read ALL of these? No, but a gal can dream right? Here’s what I’d love to read this fall….
Books are linked to Bookshop.org, an online book shopping source that supports independent booksellers. Links are affiliate meaning, I earn a small % of commission should you purchase through them but what I really care about is that if you are inspired to purchase a book from my recommendations please choose to do so through an independent bookseller instead of, well, you know… a non-independent bookseller. :)
Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper: When I saw Emily Henry raving about this earlier this year it was an automatic pre-order, I cannot wait to read this one plus, how gorgeous is that cover?!
Ghosts by Dolly Alderton: This book has been on my TBR list for a while & while it’s not about spooky ghosts but rather ghosting ghosts it’s still at the top of my must-read list.
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager: A spooky house set in the woods of Vermont by one of the most popular thriller authors? That’s an automatic YES!
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson: Described as The Haunting of Hill House meets Get Out, this chilling YA is at the very top of my list for fall & my birthday wish list.
Small Favors by Erin A. Craig: A chilling fairy-talesque novel about a young woman in a small town with monsters lurking in the trees and dark desires hidden in the shadows, sign me up.
A PHO Love Story by Loan Le: Fall is all about good cozy food so this romantic comedy about two Vietnamese American teens & their family restaurants feels like the right vibe for my list.
The Invited by Jennifer McMahon: After I read The Winter People by McMahon in January I knew I needed to read more of her work, next up another haunted house story.
The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman: I’ve been wanting to read the Practical Magic series for far too long, here’s hoping this is the year I do.
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo: This one is a campus-based thriller & I’ve been binging the dark academia genre lately & this one fits the bill.
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling: When a book comes with the warning “don’t read this at night” that’s pretty much exactly what I’m gonna do.
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney: I picked this domestic thriller last month as my Book of the Month (check it out here & get your first book for $5!) & my pal Darcy said to read this in October so I shall.
Watch Over Me by Nina Lacour: I’m not gonna lie, this cover was the first thing to catch my attention but then I read “a modern ghost story about trauma and survival'“, I was sold.
Lobizona by Romina Garber: This one was selected for me from my Page 1 Books subscription & I’m excited to read a bit more magical realism.
Bunny by Mona Awad: Another book from the depths of my TBR pile that I’m hoping to read this fall AND another dark acadamia, yep yep.
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson: I hear this YA thriller is highly suspenseful aaaand it takes place at a prep school in Vermont so, I remain consistent….
The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin: Witches, seasons, love, saving the earth & dubbed “perfect for fans of Shea Ernshaw and Taylor Swift's Folklore”.
Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian: A suspenseful murder situation set at a college campus… at this point do I need to explain further?
Still Life: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny: A cozy murder mystery series I’m setting off to indulge in via audio, here. we go!
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig: “A family returns to their hometown--and to the dark past that haunts them still--in this masterpiece of literary horror” was all I needed to hear.
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling: A rom-com sounds like a grownup version of Halloweentown, I am so here for it & have put this one on my birthday wishlist.
Falling by T. J. Newman: What we have here is an intensely suspenseful thriller on a plane that I’ve been eager to read, so it’s making the list.
Zone One by Colson Whitehead: Zombie thriller set in New York City by Colson Whitehead, that’s a done deal for me.
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert: According to Buzz Feed this is “A can't-miss, dark, and creepy new take on fairy tales that will have you glued to the page until the very end."
Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey: To lighten things up a bit, a charming rom-com that’s been compared to You’ve Got Mail, I’ll push pause on the spookies for that.
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner: Another book I’ve been eager to read, I only hear praise for this memoir, I want to curl up & read this right now.
The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller: Since fall technically extends through late December this one seems like the perfect cozy read for the season.
Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian: Historical fiction that reads like a page-turning thriller is the exact kind of historical fiction I am looking for this season.
A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss: Another rom-com set in a cozy seaside town with holiday vibes sounds like the perfect post-spooky season palette cleanser.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: I haven’t read it yet but I keep hearing it’s a fave & perfect for fall, so it’s going on the list.
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain: A teen girl disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, where magic festers beneath the surface of the swamp-like water rot, oh yes!