I absolutely love the fall. The weather gets cooler (at least as cool as it can get in Texas), nights get longer, and you get to cuddle up in big comfy blankets!
I love the crisp autumn air and gloomy afternoons because it’s the BEST weather for reading. So today we’re going to get into my fall to be read book list!
I am a huuuuge lover of Halloween so we’re going to have some scary, some spooky, some downright terrifying (at least from what I’ve heard) books in here!
In fact I love Halloween so much that I’m creating a whole separate tbr dedicated to Halloween so we can get into the holiday spirit! It will have more of a classic Halloween feel to it (think of trick or treating and elementary school Halloween sleepover vibes). I’ll update it here as soon as the post is up!
Fantasy is my favorite genre so I have included some enchanting stories full of magical adventure! We also have some cozy, warm, and comforting books in this list for the nights you need a little more of a pick me up. <3
Onto the list we go!
Starting off with my MOST anticipated read of fall 2023:
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Genre: Fantasy
Publishing Date: To Be Released Nov 7th 2023
Iron Flame is the second book in the 5 part Empyrean series. If you have not heard Fourth Wing I urge you to go check it out right now! It took booktok by storm when it was first published earlier this year and for a good reason!
To give you a little back story, Fourth Wing follows Violet Sorrengail. She has trained her entire life to live the cozy, quiet, and safe life of a scribe but after her father’s death, her mother forces her to train for the riders quadrant. Come Conscription day, Violet must fight for her life and the chance of becoming a dragon rider.
AHHHHHHH when I tell you I absolutely LOVED this book, it’s the only book that got me out of my very long reading slump!
It’s such a great read full of fantasy, dragons, romance, and thrills. The hype around this book reminds me of when the Hunger Games first came out and it will not disappoint!
I’m super stoked to read the second book coming out in November and this is at the top of my fall TBR! SO GO READ THE FIRST ONE NOW!! I promise you will NOT regret it!
You can preorder Iron Flame here (It comes as a pretty first print edition if pre-ordered with beautiful sprayed edges)! And pick up Fourth Wing here!
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Published: April 11th 2017
If we were villains has been on my reading list since the start of this year and to be honest the synopsis doesn’t give much away but from the reviews, it’s better that way.
It’s a murder mystery concerning Oliver Marks, a former fourth year actor at the Dellecher Shakespeare Conservatory.
It has all the dark academia vibes I love for the fall time so I just know this will be a great book to cozy up to!
The reviews do say that it has its creepy moments and can leave you with chills during some scenes! Some have mentioned crazy twists as well so I am super intrigued to start reading this one and see if the twists actually get me lol.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Genre: Fantasy
Published: January 10th 2023
I mean the name literally says everything you need to know! This book is about a researcher who travels to a small town to study faeries and write the first ever encyclopedia on them.
HOW CUTE AND COZY IS THAT?
I love enchanting stories about mythical creatures and fairy tale-esque vibes.
This will be the perfect palette cleanser from any of the darker books on this list and I just know I’m going to have the most enchanting and magical time reading it! Not to mention the hardcover is STUNNING.
The Ghost Woods by CJ Cooke
Genre: Horror
Published October 13th 20233
THIS BOOK SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY HAUNTING.
I am definitely going to be reading this in October and the description of the book being a gothic historical novel absolutely gets me in the mood to pull an all-nighter just to read it!
Just take a look at the synopsis: “In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall. This place is shrouded in folklore – old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who is not quite a child. Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed…”.
It sounds so ominous and I’m so excited to start reading it on a cool fall night!
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Genre: Action and Adventure
Published: February 22nd 2022
The title itself sounds so comforting!
This book is about an orc who is opening up her city’s first ever coffee shop – even when no one knows what coffee is in her world. As we read we get to hear all of the tales her visitors bring along with them!
I have heard nothing but good things and many describe this book as a warm hug! This may just be my ultimate comfort read for the fall!
A Court of Thorns and Roses (And Every Book in This Series) by Sarah J Mass.
Genre: Fantasy
Published: May 5th 2015
This has got to be my second most anticipated read for the fall! I’m currently on book #2 (A Court of Mist and Fury) and OH MY GOD. It is so good.
I won’t lie to you and say that it instantly caught my attention, the beginning is just a teeny bit slow but please I am begging you, power through to the second half of the book. IT GETS SO GOOD.
These books have been out since I was a teenager (I’m in my early 20s now) and they make it onto so many people’s favorite list for a good reason!
We follow a main character named Feyre who is a human in a world where faeries and magic exist – one evening while Feyre is out hunting she kills a wolf in the woods. This sparks a chain of events that leads to Feyre being captured and forced to live in the Fae Kingdom.
Ugh, it is so good. (Take a shot every time I’ve said that)
There’s romance, action, mystery, and adventure.
I started reading this series looking to fill the void I had from Fourth Wing and it fully filled it and then some!
It really is the perfect series to read this fall to fill your evenings with some magic, adventure, and maybe even a little heartbreak!
The Serpent and The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
Genre: Fantasy
Published: August 30th 2022
Part of a duology, The Serpent and The Wings of Night was recommended to me by a good friend after I could not stop tweeting about A Court of Mist and Fury on twitter.
Humans and Vampires. Heart-Wrenching Romance and Dark Magic.
LIKE YES PLEASE?
From the reviews, everyone raves about how this is The Hunger Games x Vampires. How epic does that sound?
Not to mention all the love the main characters themselves are getting with many people noting they are some of their favorite MC’s of all time!
PS. You can read it for free if you have Kindle Unlimited!
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Genre: Horror
Published: 1959
You’ve probably heard of The Haunting of Hill House adaptation directed by Mike Flannegan that came out on Netflix in 2018 – it was one of the most talked about shows and made me fall in love with Flannegan’s work! (Literally love him and how he sparked my love for horror once more)
What better spooky read on this list than the book it was based on?
This is a gothic horror novel and deemed as one of the best literary ghost stories of the 20th century.
Many readers say it is one of the scariest horror stories they have read in their lifetime.
I’m excited to see if this classic is as scary as many claim it to be!
Forewarning: The Netflix adaptation and the book are very different so be ready for a new story if you’ve seen the show!
The Year of The Witching by Alexis Henderson
Genre: Horror/Paranormal
Published: July 21st 2020
Another historical fantasy horror here!
This one involves witches and pilgrims as we follow Immanuelle Moore – a girl whose very existence was considered blasphemy by the Church. Because her existence has cast her family into disgrace, Immanuelle tries to live a life of submission and conformity. Until one day, she is drawn to the woods that surround her village and there she is met with the witches spirits who give her a gift– her mother’s journal.
This one sounds so spooky with the themes of religion and witchcraft!
I’m thoroughly intrigued to read this one as many have said it’s similar to The Handmaid’s Tale if there was dark magic involved!
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy
Published: February 24th 2015
V. E. Schwab is one of my favorite authors and A darker Shade of Magic is book #1 of the Shades of Magic trilogy!
In this world there are 4 different Londons in parallel universes – a white, red, gray, and (at one point) a black. We follow Kell who is one of the last Antari – magicians that can travel between each of the four Londons.
Kell was raised as a royal ambassador for red London but is a smuggler on the side, exchanging items between each London to collectors willing to pay for a taste of another London. One day a deal goes bad and Kell needs to stay alive or else it will be the end for all worlds.
I’ve actually read this one already and remember it being one of my favorite reads!
Kell is, personally, one of my favorite main characters and the writing in this was as smooth as butter!
I’m putting this on my fall tbr this year because V. E Schwab is coming out with a new book this October called “The Fragile Threads of Power” which will take place in the same world as The Shades of Magic trilogy!
It’s bringing back the original characters and adding in some new ones and I’m ready for the nostalgia to hit me again!
Okayy so that was my cozy, enchanting, and ghosty fall tbr for this year!
I don’t have too many on this list as of right now and that’s mainly because I have other more niche tbrs coming out as the seasons go by! This is my overall fall list that I am definitely making it a point to read this year as it gets chilly out!
Let me know what books you have on your fall tbr!
If you’re a fellow Fourth Wing lover please don’t hold back – I’m giving you FULL permission to freak out in the comments because I will fangirl with you!
Until next time, stay cozy!
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[…] you’re looking for something that isn’t fully Halloween related you can check out my Top 10 Fall TBR for 2023 here! It has cozy, cute, magical, and a lil bit of spooky thrown in! […]