My shortlist of spooky fall books to read this year
We’re a few weeks into fall and I am going ALL in this year – can you blame me? It’s been so darn hot in Atlanta (luckily it’s cooling down now), but it feels like it’s been summer for…years.
So! Now that it’s the *best* season of the year, I’m celebrating appropriately with all things pumpkin – like with this pumpkin chocolate chip banana bread, for starters.
I’m also switching up my reading to enjoy the best spooky, eerie, and totally creepy reads. I’ve made a good dent in this list already, and cannot wait to get to the rest of them.
Let’s jump right in and get to the good stuff – the books!
Spooky Fall Books to Read This Year
A Spell for Trouble, Esme Addison
This was my first cozy mystery this year, and maybe – ever? It’s got witchy happenings and a small town and a much-too-nosy neighbor, basically the makings for a spooky Hallmark movie in book edition.
The Glass Hotel, Emily St. John Mandel
I read this one with my book club, Literary League, earlier this year, and oh gosh it is so atmospheric. The writing is incredible and it felt like I was there in that glass hotel and again on that….ship.
Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts, Kate Racculia
An epic citywide treasure hunt designed by a late Boston eccentric billionaire? I am so there!
The Devil and the Dark Water, Stuart Turton
Think murder on the high seas and a demon that may or may not exist. I’ve heard such wonderful things about Turton’s The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (I just started it and need to finish it up!); I can only imagine this one’s going to be a crowd favorite, too.
We Ride Upon Sticks, Quan Barry
Read this one for stellar 80s vibes and to jump into the dark impulses of a Danvers, Massachusetts field hockey team (if you’re unfamiliar, check out Danvers’ connection to the Salem Witch Trials!).
Turn of the Key, Ruth Ware
I’m still a semi-new Ruth Ware fan (only two books in by her, so far!), and after reading her latest, One by One, I knew I had to go back and read Turn of the Key, which starts with a live-in nannying ad and ends with a child dead and said nanny in jail, awaiting trial. Eek!
Don’t Look For Me, Wendy Walker
I blew through this one in 2 sittings – I had to. Don’t Look For Me tells the story of a mom who goes missing and the on-and-off-again search to find her. I love the dual storylines – the missing mom and her daughter who attempts to find her.
The Guest List, Lucy Foley
This one’s another perfectly atmospheric read – Foley creates a rainy, dark wedding weekend on an island off the coast of Ireland and you’ll both be drawn in immediately and also itching to leave. Get ready, the twist in this one is GOOD.
When No One is Watching, Alyssa Cole
Goodreads writes, “The gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning…” about Alyssa Cole’s latest work. When No One is Watching follows Sydney and Theo as they try to uncover the truth about the neighbors that have been pushed out and into the suburbs – and whether that’s where they ended up at all.
SO many good books to read this fall! I hope you’re able to make some time to enjoy a few fall books of your own. Speaking of which, what’s at the top of your list?
If you’re looking for additional book recommendations, be sure to join me on Book Language!
