I don’t know about everyone else, but once the leaves start changing, my reading tastes shift to something a bit more on the darker side. Gone are my desires for breezy romantic contemporaries, and in comes the taste for mysteries, thrillers, and more horror themed books. It could be the fact that I generally tend to correlate the fall time with Halloween (which is one of my favorite holidays) and with that holiday comes all things creepy and spooky or it could also just be the change in weather and shorter days/longer nights. Regardless, I love fall, I love Halloween and I love cooler weather (sweaters!!!!). So, I thought I would put together a little list of some books to read this season.
Ten by Gretchen McNeil- A modern retelling of Agatha Christie’s classic thriller And Then There Were None. Fast-paced and scary, this book is a total page turner that will have you reading into the late hours of the night, and then unable to sleep once you’ve finished.
Little Monstersby Kara Thomas- This book is probably one of the better YA psychological thrillers that I have ever read. Our main protagonist, new girl Kacey, is a completely unreliable narrator who finds herself at the center of a murder investigation when her so-called best friend goes missing. Described as being similar to Pretty Little Liars, I would agree, but it is also so much more than that. Each character has their own dark secrets and twist after twist kept me reading, wanting to figure out the mystery. I can easily find myself being able to predict the outcome of thrillers (thanks to many hours spent binge watching Criminal Minds and SVU), but not this book. I was honestly truly shocked with this ending.
How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather- Taking place in Salem, Massachusetts and being centered on the descendants of the important players of the Salem Witch Trials, I could not think of a more perfect book to read in the fall, especially around Halloween. In this book you will find witches, magic, ghosts, a little romance and a lot of drama. Read it soon so that you can snag the sequel, Haunting the Deep, when it comes out on October third! Fun fact about the author: she is an ACTUAL descendant of the Mather family, who had key roles in the Salem Witch Trials.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green- Honestly, I just included this book on this list because it is my most anticipated fall release. It hits shelves on October 10th, but you can pre-order it now with the above link 🙂
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern- This amazing novel tells the story of two dueling magicians, Marco and Celia, who were both raised as mortal enemies of one another, being trained in dark magic in preparation for a duel where only one magician can be left standing. A wrench is thrown into their fate when the two fall in love. What ensues is a story of risk, betrayal, love and magic.
Final Girls by Riley Sager- This book is HANDS DOWN my absolute favorite thriller that I have ever read. It plays off the Hollywood trope of the media playing up the part of the “final girl” who survives in a horror film. This book follows main character Quincy who, ten years prior, was the lone survivor of a massacre in the middle of the woods. After her story breaks on the news, she is comforted by two other “final girls” who had gone through a similar traumatic event. Ten years later, one of the other girls is found murdered. Quincy and Sam, the other “final girl” have to team up to figure out why the three of them are suddenly being targeted again. I realize that is probably a poor description of the book, but honestly I think it is better going into this thing blind. There are so many twists and turns, secretive, shady characters and lots and lots of blood. Everything you think is true is flipped on its head over and over throughout the entire book, until the very last page.
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware- This is yet another psychological thriller that I believe is best to go into not knowing much about the plot. Told in both past and present timelines, the story follows socially awkward writer, Leonora, who attends the bachelorette party of a friend she has not spoken to in years. What starts as a weekend of catching up with old friends and making new ones, ends in an absolute nightmare with Leonora fighting to survive.
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling- This book needs no explanation. But how fun would it be to re-experience this magical world by reading the newer illustrated editions?!
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro- If you are a returning reader of my blog, then you probably already know how obsessed with this book I am. This wonderful novel is a modern retelling of Sherlock Holmes, wherein “Sherlock” is actually a teen girl named Charlotte. Told from the perspective of Jamie Watson, this book is action-packed, charming and explores the depths of Charlotte’s dark and intelligent personality. Any fan of Sherlock will absolutely adore this book.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Keri Maniscalco- As a huge fan of true crime, I have always been intrigued by the story of Jack the Ripper, especially the fact that they have never been able to uncover his true identity. This book is a fictionalized account of investigating the identity of this infamous serial killer. Our main protagonist Audrey Rose is exactly what every girl shouldn’t be, according to societal expectations, in 1888. Instead of attending high teas or searching for a potential husband, Audrey Rose spends all her spare time in her medical examiner Uncle’s lab, studying forensic science. When bodies start turning up that appear to be the work of a serial murderer, Audrey Rose takes it upon herself to figure out who is terrorizing her town. And the closer she gets to the truth, she starts to realize that the killer might be closer to her than she ever realized. The sequel, Hunting Prince Dracula, comes out on 9/19!
Simply Samantha B. 