As the leaves start changing and cool mornings turn into crisp afternoons, I'm already planning how I'm going to spend the short autumn months that I wish would stay for longer. Among my favorite activities, which include all of your typical fall outings, reading the perfect autumn-themed book is always at the top of my list. Whether it's a spooky, dark atmospheric read, or a lighter, easy-going romance, curling up with a good book is the perfect way to kick off the fall season.
So go put on your sweaters and grab your pumpkin-spiced lattes! Here are a few books that are perfect for getting you into the fall mood:
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
This book is a dark, magic-filled romance that is absolutely PERFECT for fall. With witches and witch hunters and an unintended marriage of convenience, Shelby Mahurin's debut novel is the enemies to lovers novel that is sure to be a 5-star read.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
"All you children playing with fire, looking surprised when the house burns down"
If you're a lover of the dark-academic aesthetic, this one's for you. This dark thriller is set none other than Yale University, where their infamous secret societies are entwined with the magic of the occult. Combining fantasy with the mystery of an unsolved murder, Ninth House will be sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
"Stories come in so many forms: in charcoal, and in song, in paintings, poems, films. And books."
In a moment of desperation, Addie LaRue made a deal with the devil to live forever but cursed to be forgotten by everyone who meets her. That is until 300 years later, she meets a man in a bookshop who remembers her name.
House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
"We are born of the Salt, we live by the Salt, and to the Salt we return."
If you're a fan of an ornate gothic setting, this is the pick for you. Annaleigh's sisters keep dying, each more tragic than the last, and she's convinced that their deaths were no accident. With beautifully written, yet chilling scenes lurking around every page, this paranormal thriller will be sure to satisfy any that Halloween horror itch you may have. This dark retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princess will be sure to reel you in.
Catherine House by Elizabeth Thomas
Set at a secluded, elite university, this literary gothic debut follows the daring Ines Murillo as she uncovers shocking secrets about an exclusive circle of students that threaten to reveal the dark truth beneath her school's prestigious facade. This pick is the perfect mix of thriller and science fiction that is sure to be a suspenseful page-turner.