10 Books I Want to Read This Fall
Time to set aside the beach reads — fall/spooky season is here! Reading is one of my favorite hobbies all year long, but I love, love, love reading in the “ber” months (cooler weather and cozy couch reading, yes please). After a slow couple months of summer reading, I’m looking forward to a new season of heart-racing thrillers, mysteries, witchy fiction and other romances, and maybe even a horror novel or two (gasp — definitely outside my comfort zone but ‘tis the season). Here’s a list of 10 books I’m hoping to read this fall.
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
“Shocking news reaches the Thursday Murder Club. An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing. As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home. With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die?”
One of my most anticipated 2023 reads! Love the Thursday Murder Club series — such a great cozy mystery series with the best characters.
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
“An extraordinary novel inspired by the real-life sorority targeted by America's first celebrity serial killer in his final murderous spree.”
The cover? Amazing. I grabbed a copy in my September Book of the Month box. Really interested in this fictionalized story that’s about Ted Bundy’s murders without spotlighting Ted Bundy himself.
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
“A disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own, has to find her way back home in this sparkling adult debut from national bestselling author Ashley Poston.”
I read half of The Dead Romantics earlier this year, but set it aside as a “not right now” read. Giving it another try with the right seasonal lens this time around.
The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead
“From the author of the acclaimed In My Dreams I Hold a Knife comes a pitch-black thriller about a woman determined to destroy a powerful cult and avenge the deaths of the women taken in by it, no matter the cost.”
The way I loved Ashley Winstead’s debut thriller In My Dreams I Hold a Knife (5 stars). I’ve been meaning to read The Last Housewife for a year now, but for some reason, I’ve never pulled the trigger. I’m ready for something unhinged!
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
“A woman returns to the house made famous by her father’s bestselling horror memoir. Is the place really haunted by evil forces, as her father claimed? Or are there more earthbound—and dangerous—secrets hidden within its walls?”
After reading and enjoying Riley Sager’s latest thriller The Only One Left (4 stars) back in August, I’m already craving another of his books. He seems like the perfect author for spooky season. This one’s at the top of a lot of people’s author ranking, so it feels like the perfect choice.
The Whisper Man by Alex North
“After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank. But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed "The Whisper Man," for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night. Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter's crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man. And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window...”
I always see people recommending this thriller. It sounds so good, though I’m a little terrified reading the synopsis. Guess I won’t be reading it at night!
Happily Haunted Afters by Brittany Kelley
“Nothing is spookier than a second chance at love. Happily Haunted Afters is a spooky, spicy standalone small-town romantic comedy with a happily ever after guaranteed.”
Love a small town, Gilmore Girls vibe. Hoping for something cute with this one. Will it be cheesy? Probably. But I never said I didn’t like cheese.
My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
“Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it’s a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she’s desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch—only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price.”
As far as fall reads are concerned, I think I’m most excited for this book. I found a couple of people talking about it on my book Instagram discover page. The cover drew me in — I’m obsessed. I have low expectations, but I love the premise. A definite October read.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
“Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the '90s about a women's book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend.”
Anything labeled “horror” is not usually my cuppa, but I’m intrigued and have had it on my list to read for awhile. No time like the present, right? I’m in my vampire era this year lol.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
“A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family--and a new love--changes the course of her life.”
I’ve got to throw in at least one witchy romance in ode to Halloween.
So many books, so little time! Here’s hoping I can crush through the majority of, if not all, the books on my fall reading list.
What’s on your fall TBR?
Enjoy!
JBW