Kylie Tusing | Assistant Site Director
With the exception of winter there is not another season designed and meant for book lovers as much as fall. With the falling leaves, cable-knit sweaters, a hot chocolate, colder weather and cozy bookshops, what more could you ask for when spending a day reading a book? Perhaps a list of fall-inspired books perfect for this season. From mystery to horror to romance, this list is for every book lover!
Romance
To All the Boys I’ve Ever Loved Before by Jenny Han
Peter Kavinsky is charismatic and easy to fall in love with in the movie but it gives no justice to the book. When Laura Jean’s love letters are accidentally sent to all the boys she has ever written, the time comes to confront her feelings, specifically for her childhood friend and sister’s boyfriend, Josh. But before he can catch her, first kiss Peter Kavinsky catches her first, and, before him and Laura Jean know it, they’re in a tangle of lies, drama and getting over your first love.
The Bakeshop at Pumpkin and Spice by Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell & Allyson Charles
This is a series of three stories told by different authors but set in the season of autumn in Moonbright, Maine, in which three Moonbright residents find love (regardless if they were looking for it). From Halloween celebrations, pumpkin lattes and changing leaves these books give you the utmost of fall vibes.
**not available as on Amazon Link**
Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
Set in England of 1879, the brilliant and determined Annabelle Archer is one of the first female students to step into Oxford University. Though when her scholarship demands for her to recruit influential men to support the rising women’s suffrage movement Annabelle has to pick her target carefully. She eventually chooses the cold, calculating and undoubtedly charismatic Duke of Montgomery and Commander of Britain’s politics. Though, who would Montgomery be if he didn’t try and flip the tables on Annabelle?
Mystery
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The perfect marriage. A beautiful perfectionist woman who has it all together. The golden boy and loving husband. Staged in the season of summer in the heat of North Carolina, Nick and Amy Dunne are preparing to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. But when Amy suddenly goes missing moments before their celebration and there is no trace to her whereabouts, who’s to blame? The husband? The parents? The friends? The list may be endless but one thing is true that the beautiful perfectionist had quite a bit of beautifully woven secrets.
Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
It would not be fair of me to compose a fall reading list if I did not mention the Queen of Mystery. This story marks the debut of the infamous female detective Jane Marple. When Colonel Protheroe was found dead and everyone in the town has a motive, what is Detective Marple to do? In a classic “who did it” narrative this book will leave you on your toes while wanting to reach for the next one that comes after.
The Other People by C.J. Tudor
After the disappearance of his young daughter, Gabe sees her one night while in the rearview mirror mouthing ‘daddy’ then never sees her again. Three years later, Gabe travels that road each night for his little girl. When a body is found and Gabe has to confront his worst fear he realizes this has much more to do with the past then he thought. Fran and her daughter also have been traveling this road, but not in search for Gabe’s daughter. They are running because they know what happened. When Gabe is led to the ‘The Other People’ they want to help but their help comes at an awful high cost.
Horror
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
What would the fall season be without reading at least one horror book? One of the most famously known horror books would be this one and available for one of the first times in print this book has not changed. Following the story of a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane, they find out quickly that something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. And while it might not sound scary now, it’s all about who lives within the walls themselves.
Salem Lot by Stephen King
One of Stephen King most well-known books of horror. Ben Mears makes a return to Jerusalem’s Lot to find the inspiration needed to write his next book and find an escape. But when two young boys go into the woods and only one comes out alive the plot thickens and priorities shift. Something evil is coming and it’s up to Mears and his friends to contain it and put it back into its place.
The Outsider by Stephen King
Did I mention he is the King of Horror? When an 11-year-old’s dead boy shows up in a park, all evidence suggests it’s the community loved Little League coach Terry Maitland. An arrest, then an alibi, a devastated community. This book gives twists, turns and the horror that every lover of this genre looks for.
Fantasy/Science Fiction
The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, an astronaut missing, a ship assumed to be lost and time travel. Detective Shannon Moss is assigned a case to solve the murder of a Navy SEAL’s family and to locate the vanished teenage daughter. A connection from her own past, determination to solve the case and with all the possible versions of the future. This book will take you on an adventure.
1984 by George Orwell
Written in 1949 but staged years later in a Dystopian world this famous book predicts a portrayal of the future that there are many strings too. To find individuality in a world of totalitarian and bureaucratic control.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
A popular Netflix series but also an equally popular book. Taken place in a time that women were at a loss for everything from their rights to humanity. This book follows the story of Offred a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead who serves the Commander and his wife. Stripped of her rights and placed into a world of imprisonment, this story captivates readers with this chilling tale from page one.
The Classics
Emma by Jane Austen
A tale of a matchmaker finding a match herself without some trial and error of course, this classic Jane Austen novel can put anyone in a fall seasoned mood.
A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Would this really be a fall reading list if I did not include the mysterious and charming life of Sherlock Holmes? In this first novel you’re introduced to Sherlock Holmes and his partner-in-crime-solving Dr. John Watson. How did they come to meet? What case brought them together? The start of this classic series is not one to miss!
Terrifying Tales by Edgar Allan Poe
Nobody does horror quite like one of the most famous authors of all time. A series of terrifying tales that are sure to give you the spook you need this fall and Halloween season.
While the list is long there is something in here for everyone! Hopefully you find time this fall in love with a book (or maybe two or three) this fall season.
Kylie Tusing is a first year Graduate student studying the field of Public Administration. She is a blogger for her own website and reporter for the BG News. In her spare time you can find her at local bookstores or coffee shops but mostly she loves traveling to various cities. Kylie loves reading biographies, mysteries and romances and she is always looking for new suggestions. The best form of contact is ktusing@bgsu.edu.
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