With the cold weather outside, fall is the perfect time to curl up with a good book and embrace the changing seasons. Ranging from new releases to the classics, here are 10 books to read this fall:
“Meddling Kids” by Edgar Cantero
What happens when a group of retired teen detectives are forced to come back to their old stomping grounds? Cantero’s New York Times Bestseller is perfect for fans of Scooby-Doo and H. P. Lovecraft. Full of pop-culture references and Americana, this reunion story asks what happens when the monster isn’t a man behind the mask. Oh, and there's a dog.
“Tender Is the Flesh” by Agustina Bazterrica
Originally written in Spanish and translated in 2020, this book is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. This work provides a grim look into the human brutality and morality of a dystopian future. Gruesome, disturbing and weird, this book is meant to be read with the lights on.
“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin
Voted by readers as Goodreads’ Best Fiction Book of 2022, this book is a must-read for fall 2023. Taking place over 30 years, Zevin illustrates the reality and emotions of lifelong friendship, fame and tragedy. “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” is a coming-of-age love story unlike any other.
“Rouge” by Mona Awad
This twist on the classic “Beauty and the Beast” was published in September of 2023, just in time for the Autumn season. Rouge is a critique of the obsession with anti-aging and the cultish nature of the beauty industry. Through the eyes of a grieving daughter, Awad explores the modern nature of beauty, envy and grief.
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan
Fall is the season of nostalgia and going back to school. With the new Percy Jackson series coming out on Disney+ in December, this is the perfect time to re-read the book or pick it up for the first time. Taking place during the school season, this book actually provides a break from academia.
"Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The best horror stories happen in a creepy mansion. “Mexican Gothic” is a paranoid tale of what happens when Mexican folklore meets horror. With an impending sense of dread from the start, this story covers everything from meeting mysterious family members to the unsettling nature of fungi.
“In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote
True crime enthusiasts will be fans of this book. Through the perspective of its witnesses, Capote traces the true story of the 1959 Clutter family murders and subsequent investigation. The first novel of this kind, “In Cold Blood” is a thrilling account that is guaranteed to leave you on the edge of your seat.
“Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver
Winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, Kingsolver’s novel is a modern take on Charles Dickens’s “David Copperfield.” Instead of the Victorian Era, “Demon Copperhead” braves the mountains of Appalachia. An expose on the darkest parts of America, this novel is for lost boys and “those born into beautiful, cursed places they can’t imagine leaving behind.”
“Something Wicked This Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury
When a traveling carnival comes to their midwestern town, two young boys go on an adventure to uncover its mysteries. Written as a love letter to the change of seasons and all that comes with it, “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” molds childlike curiosity into the stuff of nightmares. After reading this book, you will never look at a merry-go-round in the same way.
“Holly” by Stephen King
Published in September 2023, “Holly” is the newest book in King’s extensive portfolio. Taking place in 2021, the book illustrates what it would be like to solve a crime in the midst of COVID-19. Thought to be his “most political novel to date,” “Holly” has all the horror King is known for with a mix of mystery and the supernatural.
