10 Books I’m *Dying* To Read This Fall
My favorite season is upon us! I love fall so much that as soon as August is over, I declare it to be officially autumn in my house. That pesky second half of August gets on my nerves every year and I’m always so excited for it to be September. Since I live in Texas, fall does have to be a state of mind for a while. But that’s okay because as long as I have decorations, pumpkin coffee, and books, I’m happy.
So, happy September, pumpkin season, and fall reading season to me!
Here are the eight books I want to read this autumn. A few are brand new, and a few are ones that have been on my list for a while. I’m not sure I’ll get to all of them before the Christmas season, but it’s always fun to make a list of hopefuls!
1. When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman
Since Alice Hoffman is one of my all-time favorite authors, her new release is perhaps my most anticipated book of the season! Its pub day was September 17 and I’m sure I’ll read it before the month is over. When We Flew Away is a fictionalized story of Anne Frank’s life before she was forced to hide in the attic. Hoffman researched for and wrote this book in cooperation with the Anne Frank House. From what I’ve read, it sounds like they are extremely happy with how it represents and honors Anne. I’ve always admired Anne Frank and I can’t wait to get to know her more through this book!
2. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
This one wasn’t on my radar until I discovered it at a book event I went to in Denver this summer. I’ve heard good things about The House in the Cerulean Sea, also by this author. But this will be my first TJ Klune read! The main character is crossing over from life to death and grapples with whether he lived his life to the fullest or not. This seems like an interesting magical realism read!
3. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
If you like the Dark Academia genre of contemporary fiction, you’ve no doubt heard of The Secret History. This is the quintessential Dark Academia book. It follows an elite group of students at a Vermont university who are led by a quite unique professor. I believe it’s somewhat of a psychological thriller, too. I just know that if the writing is anything like in The Goldfinch, I’ll love it. Also, what could be more autumnal than the start of the school year at a New England university?
4. Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood
This is another new release that came out on September 17! I adore this cover and the witchy premise. The main character is a witch who works at a bookstore and something happens that threatens the loss of her powers forever. There’s also a slow burn romance in this story, too. Overall, it seems like a nice cozy read for this fall! I happened to spot something about this book on social media and just had to add it to my fall reading list!
5. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
This one is a middle grade book I’ve heard a lot of great things about! It’s a perfect story for fall and Halloween, since it’s about a boy who is raised in a graveyard by the ghosts who “live” there. I don’t think I’ve read a middle grade book as an adult, but this story sounds so fun! I will say, I’m currently a few chapters in and really enjoying it so far. I bought the 10th anniversary edition which has a stunning cover, a foreword written by Margaret Atwood, Gaiman’s acceptance speech from when the book won the Newbery Medal, and extra illustrations of some of the scenes and characters!
6. The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
Earlier this year I read The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner and really enjoyed it. When I saw she had another book that screams fall, I knew I wanted to read it! It’s set in 1873 and centers around the mystery of the main character’s sister’s death. She involves an acclaimed spiritualist to find out what really happened to her sister and things really kick off from there. So this story is historical fiction and mystery in one. The cover is also one of my favorites on this list!
7. Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid
Honestly, this one isn’t the kind of book I would normally go for, but I received an ARC of it while at the Denver Publishing Institute. While I don’t think I would have picked it up at the bookstore, I’m glad I was introduced to it. This is a reimagining of Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare’s well-known tragedy Macbeth. I remember reading this in school, so it will be interesting to read a different perspective of this story. Ava Reid is known for writing atmospheric gothic stories, so of course I’m going to read it this fall.
8. Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman
By now you probably know I’m a huge fan of Alice Hoffman. I have this routine when I go into bookstores, specifically Half Price Books. I go straight to her section and see what they have. She’s written over 30 books, and finding one I haven’t seen before is so exciting. Well, I discovered Blackbird House a few weeks ago and had to get it. The red boots on the cover (that witches usually wear in her stories) stood out to me, and I was intrigued by the premise. This book is made up of twelve stories, all centered around this one house. It seems that we follow different generations of people who live in the house. I love the way Alice Hoffman writes families, so I’m so excited to read this.
9. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie has long been known as the “queen of mystery” and I’m sad to admit I still haven’t read any of her books. I bought this a few years ago to read in the fall and never got around to it (that was the year my obsession with the Practical Magic series began). But I really do want to dive into her mysteries, starting with this one! I believe it’s one of her most iconic ones. All I know is that a group of people meet on this millionaire’s island and murders begin to occur. It’s a classic “whodunit” and surprisingly the ending has never been spoiled for me. So I’m looking forward to uncovering this mystery!
10. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Rebecca is another classic I’ve yet to read. I found an amazingly cool edition from the 1980s and it’s been sitting on my shelf for months. This story has an eerie aspect, since it follows a woman who feels the spirit of her husband’s late wife in their house. I’m not sure if she just feels haunted by Rebecca, or if there is some actual haunting that takes place. But this seems like a good story for the autumn time since it has a spooky edge to it.
I’m so happy with my fall selections this year! I’ll see how many of them I can actually read before December. Until further notice, I’ll be reading and sipping on some kind of pumpkin concoction at my local coffee shop. :) Happy reading!