15 Books for Great Fall Reading

 The first half of autumn is a busy time around our little country home. But as the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler, I find myself thinking about curling up with a good book.

As I started looking into creating my fall reading list, I decided it would be fun to share my "short" list with my readers.

Some of the books I've read before and some are new to me. But a good book is always worth reading again, especially if you discover one of your new choices doesn't meet your expectations.

There's a variety of the familiar, the classics, really creepy, murder mysteries, and romances with an autumn theme.

I'm sure you will find something to your liking.

Getting a Little Witchy -

• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

This cozy novel centers on Mika, a young witch in Britain who knows she has to hide her powers but decides to post videos online pretending to be a witch. The results are surprising.

•  Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot

A witchy romance, featuring a headstrong witch named Jessica Gold who is told she is the one chosen to save her small town.

• The Witches of New York by Ami McKay

Set in the Gilded Age, a trio of witches run a tea shop where they tell fortunes and give secret cures to the women who find them.

• The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike

Three women whose coven in Eastwick, Rhode Island is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious man. It’s the perfect spooky fall read. Just note: the book is very different from the movie.

• Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Two orphaned girls go to live with their aunts and learn they are descendants of witches. One of the few books that is just as magical as the movie.

Classics with an Autumn Feel -

• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre begins on a dreary November day, setting the tone for this gothic novel. There have been various movies based on this classic story, but nothing beats the book.

• Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Published in 1938, this book remains a classic. A young woman marries a wealthy widower and returns to his estate which holds tragic secret. A perfect page-turner these colder/shorter days.

• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Much of this famous novel is set during fall, including the book's final chapters. So many lesson to be learned from this classic story. And the movie is a great watch as well.

• Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie

This makes for a good fall read just based on its theme, a murder mystery set during a Halloween party. Bonus: It was just adapted for the big screen as A Haunting in Venice.

Some Like It Scary -

• The October Country by Ray Bradbury

If you're looking for a spooky read, these nineteen stories are full of weird gothic horror—and just scary enough with a sci-fi twist.

• Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

A 1962 dark fantasy novel about two 13-year-old boys who have a terrible experience one October when a traveling carnival comes to town. It is very spooky and scary!

• The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

This book is regarded as one of the best ghost stories ever written. Despite its age, it's definitely more scary than cozy. A great read for for Halloween season.

More Recently Published and On My List -

• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Set in the 1950s, this story follows Noemi as she travels to the Mexican countryside to help her cousin. When Noemi arrives at the mansion, she learns nothing is as it seems.

• Still Life by Louise Penny

Inspector Armand Gamache travels to investigate a suspicious death in a rural village outside Montreal. One novel in a series based on Inspector Armand Gamache.

• What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon

Set in Ireland, this is a captivating story of one woman’s journey through time where she discovers a love that changes her whole world.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to an Autumn reading list. But some times it's nice to have a short list when you want to spend more time reading than trying to decide on your next book.

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If you do a lot of reading, you might like my latest printable,  A Book Lover's Diary. It's a great way to keep track of what you have read, are currently reading, and what you hope to read in the future.

Some of the "diary" is fill-in the blank and some of the pages are more like a journal. I love having a way to keep track of my favorite books and authors, as well as quick reminder of which books just didn't do it for me!