Maybe it’s the earlier sunsets, the rain tapping against the windows, or the fact that curling up with a good book and a warm cup of coffee suddenly feels like the perfect way to spend an entire Saturday afternoon. Whatever the reason, once fall arrives, I always find myself building a new reading list. This year, my cozy fall reading list includes a little bit of everything.
And when I say “cozy,” I don’t necessarily mean that every book on my list is light, sweet, or comforting. Some of my favorite books to read in the fall are mysteries, thrillers, and stories with just enough suspense to make me stay up far later than I planned. What I really want from a fall book is something I can completely lose myself in. The kind of book that makes you forget about the laundry waiting to be folded. Or the grading sitting on the table. Or the fact that you promised yourself you were only going to read one more chapter before bed.
Fall is the perfect season for getting lost in a story, whether that means a quiet, emotional novel, a twisty mystery, a historical adventure, or a book that keeps you guessing until the very last page. So, if you’re looking for some ideas for what to read this fall, here are the books currently sitting on my fall reading list.
Reading List
Falling Like Leaves – When Ellis is forced to leave New York City for the charming small town of Bramble Falls, she finds herself surrounded by fall festivals, old memories, and Cooper, the boy who was once her best friend and first kiss. As autumn unfolds, she has to decide whether the future she carefully planned is still the one she really wants.
The Teacher – High school math teacher Eve seems to have a comfortable life, until Addie, the student at the center of a damaging school scandal, ends up in her classroom. Told through secrets, shifting perspectives, and plenty of suspicion, this psychological thriller asks who is actually telling the truth—and who has the most to hide.
The Influencer – Social media influencer Shae Halston appears to have a glamorous life online, but her world begins unraveling after an affair destroys her marriage. When she befriends her husband’s new lover, obsession and revenge begin to blur the line between the carefully curated life she shows her followers and reality.
A Quiet Life – Three people struggling with different kinds of loss find their lives unexpectedly crossing in a close-knit community during winter. It’s a quiet, emotional story about grief, connection, forgiveness, and finding a way forward when life looks very different from what you expected.
Hollow Bones – Molly Fitzgerald lost her mother on September 11, 2001, when she was just two months old, and that loss continues to shape her life decades later. Picoult’s novel explores family, trauma, love, and the difficult choices people make to protect those they care about.
The Academy Series – Set at Tiffin Academy, an elite New England boarding school, the series follows students and staff whose polished lives begin unraveling when anonymous posts expose secrets, scandals, and relationships across campus. It has all the ingredients for an addictive fall read: a picturesque boarding school, changing friendships, romance, gossip, and plenty of drama.
The Perilous Fight – In this memoir, Colin Kaepernick traces his journey from growing up as a Black adoptee in a white family to becoming an NFL quarterback and one of the most recognizable athlete-activists in the country. He recounts the experiences and ideas that shaped his decision to protest racial injustice during the national anthem and the personal and professional consequences that followed.
Everyone Is Lying to You – Years after their friendship fell apart, struggling writer Lizzie reconnects with Bex, now a wildly successful traditional-lifestyle influencer, when Bex offers her an exclusive interview. But when Bex disappears and her husband is murdered, Lizzie is pulled into the dark, competitive world behind carefully curated social-media lives and discovers that almost everyone has something to hide.
Reading Treats!
Check out these autumn treat recipes for that extra cozy vibe! Fall Chocolate Chip Cookies
