I believe the best time to read is Autumn.
There’s just something so special about feeling all cozy, snuggled up reading a book as the leaves start to change and the weather gets colder.
There’s also just sooo many different type of books perfect to read at this time of year. You have cozy romance, spooky horror, and lots and lots of paranormal fun.
Here are 9 book recommendations for you to read this fall.
The Pumpkin Spice Café – Laurie Gilmore
Jeanie, in desperate need of a fresh start, moves to the idyllic small town of Dream Harbor to run her aunt’s beloved Pumpkin Spice Cafe. Here she meets Logan, a local farmer that appears to want nothing to do with Jeanie and does his best to avoid most of the town.
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe is a book that very much gives Gilmore Girls vibes. It has a sweet romance with a grumpy male love interest and it’s set in the cutest small town with lots of interesting and quirky characters.
It’s also the first in a series!
The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore (2024)
The Christmas Tree Farm (2024)
The Strawberry Patch Pancake House (2025)
Hex and the City – Kate Johnson
Hex and the City is about Poppy who is a witch who lives in London next to Highgate cemetary and works at a magical shop in Covent Garden.
One day she accidentally (and drunkenly) curses a pendant at the shop and then sells it a gorgeous celebrity magician. And, then she’s forced to track him down before all hell breaks loose.
This is half-celebrity romance, half-paranormal romance. The main character is an orphan so part of the story is all about her maybe trying to find out who her parents are. It’s also just kind of fun!
Stalking Jack the Ripper – Kerri Maniscalco
Stalking Jack the Ripper is a 4 book historical mystery series that follows a privileged teenade girl with a secret double life. She studies forensic medicine with her uncle and they’ve recently been dragged into the investigation of a savage serial murderer – Jack the Ripper.
This is a 4 book series.
Stalking Jack the Ripper
Hunting Prince Dracular
Escaping from Houdini
Capturing the Devil
The first 2 books are the ones that really give the autumn vibes, but you could probably read the entire series in autumn.
The Name of the Star – Maureen Johnson
Rory Deveaux has just moved from Louisiana to London to start a new life on the same day that someone begins recreating the horrific murders of Jack the Ripper.
The police are left with no leads but one day Rory sees a mysterious man near one of the crime scenes and believes him to be the main suspect. Except that no one else could see him.
Rory soon finds herself the next target of the killer and must figure out what is going on and where the suspect went.
The Name of the Star is super fun autumny, ghosty young adult book. It’s also set in a boarding school and written by the author of Truly Devious, so if you liked that then you’ll probably like this series!
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – Holly Jackson
In the small town of Little Kilton, teenager Andie Bell has disappeared. And, when the body of her boyfriend is found in the woods it becomes clear that he was responsible for her disappearance.
However, 5 years later, 17-year-old Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure that Sal is the one who did it. When she’s given the chance to choose a topic for her final year school project she decides to reinvestigate the Andie Bell case alongside Sal’s younger brother, Ravi.
I think A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is probably the series I’ve recommended the most on the internet, and it’s perfect for autumn!
The book starts in the summer but when the main character finally begins to figure out who the main suspect is it’s around Halloween.
Mooncakes – Suzanne Walker
Nova Huang is a young witch who spends her time working in her grandmother’s bookshop and investigating strange occurances in her town. One evening, she hears reports of a white wolf only to come across her childhood crush, Tam, battling a horse demon in the woods.
Tam is a werewolf who has spent their time wandering around but now dark forces are eager to claim the magic of the wolves… so Tam turns to Nova for help.
Mooncakes is a really cute graphic novel. It has the cosiest, cutest autumny vibes and it has a lot of great representation!
Pumpkinheads – Rainbow Rowell
Deja and Josh are seasonal best friends. Every autumn they work together at a pumpkin patch and say goodbye every Halloween until they see each other next year.
But this is the last year they’ll be working together before heading off to college.
So, on their final shift together they decide to head off through the pumpkin patch to do every activity and taste every snack for one final adventure together.
Pumpkinheads is a super cute standalone graphic novel. It’s kind of like an adventure and it’s the perfect friends to lovers story for Halloween.
People of Abandoned Character – Clare Whitfield
Set in London 1888, after the death of her family Susannah is left alone so rushes into marriage with a young and wealthy surgeon called Thomas.
After a passionate honeymoon, they return to London and then everything begins to change. Thomas becomes increasingly volatile and violent. He begins to stay out all night and when he returns, he’s covered in blood.
Susannah soons hears stories of women being brutally murdered in Whitechapel, and then she begins to suspect that her new husband might actually be Jack the Ripper.
People of Abandoned Character is a standalone historical mystery. The idea of a book that’s told from the perspective of someone that suspects a loved one might be a serial killer was a really interesting one.
The Ex Hex – Erin Sterling
When Vivienne’s boyfriend, Rhys Penhallow, breaks up with her she drunkenly curses him even though she knows she shouldn’t use her magic like this. But fortunately, nothing happens.
Until 9 years later when Rhys returns to town and the cursed is activated.
They’re forced to work together to reverse the curse before all hell breaks loose.
This book is a lot of fun. It’s set in a cool Halloweentown-type town and it’s a romance that’s kind of enemies to lovers and second chance romance.
