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Let’s make Autumn Reading a thing.

Summer reading lists abound, but one doesn’t encounter many reading lists for fall.

We’re changing that today.

I love summer reading, but I’m itching for a change of season. This fall reading list is the perfect antidote to the breezy reads of summer.

If summer is for fun and romance, fall is for coming-of-age and back-to-school. Summer is for optimism; fall is for melancholy and nostalgia. And if summer is for the hot new bestsellers, fall is for the classics with staying power.

Grab a cup of tea, a good book from this autumn reading list, and get ready to cozy up with a good book.

COMING OF AGE NOVELS

I Capture the Castle

I Capture the Castle

Author:
An eccentric English family struggles to make ends meet in a tumbledown castle during the 1930s. We hear the story through 17-year-old Cassandra’s diary: she’s a remarkable narrator, open and witty and wise for her years. Replete with love, magic, writer’s block, and bear costumes. More info →
A Prayer for Owen Meany

A Prayer for Owen Meany

Author:
Irving is a masterful storyteller, and has a knack for drawing compelling characters. This novel, which gently addresses heavy themes of fate and faith, is widely believed to be his finest. Read it and see why it’s on so many readers' desert island lists. (My own copy is on my nightstand right now, poised for a re-reading.) More info →
The Age of Miracles: A Novel

The Age of Miracles: A Novel

This YA novel is a little bit science fiction, a little bit coming-of-age. After years of watching the earth for signs of distress, the danger comes in a form no one expects: the rotation of the earth begins to slow, wreaking havoc. 11-year-old Julia is forced to deal with the Slowing plus typical adolescent drama in this haunting novel. More info →
Emily of New Moon

Emily of New Moon

Author:
The Anne books feel like spring to me, but Montgomery’s 3-book series about young Emily Starr belongs to autumn. Montgomery wrote this series a bit later in while. While still sweet and whimsical, they are decidedly darker than the Anne novels. Read them in order. More info →

CAMPUS NOVELS

The Secret Place

The Secret Place

Author:
French’s 5th and latest installment in her Dublin Murder Squad series is set at a girls’ boarding school, where a boy had been found murdered, a year ago. The case had gone cold, but when a new clue emerges, two detectives are sent in to investigate. The Likeness, my favorite book in the series, also takes place on campus. Not for the faint of heart, for language and content. More info →
Gaudy Night: A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery with Harriet Vane

Gaudy Night: A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery with Harriet Vane

This is Sayers’ tenth Lord Peter novel, her third featuring Harriet Vane, and undoubtedly one of her finest. (They needn’t be read in order.) When Ms. Vane returns to Oxford for her college's reunion (the “gaudy” of the title), the festive mood on campus is threatened by an alarming outbreak of murderous threats. If you love this, go back and read all the Lord Peter mysteries, beginning with Whose Body? More info →
Crossing to Safety

Crossing to Safety

Author:
Stegner forges a compelling story out of the lives of four ordinary people, who first come together at the University of Wisconsin Madison. There’s no way to describe this gorgeous novel that doesn’t make it sound dead boring. Don't read about it; just read it. Superb writing, gentle pacing, and an adroit examination of friendship, love, and marriage. This is one to read again and again. More info →

CLASSICS

Persuasion

Persuasion

Author:
Pride and Prejudice should be read in the spring; Emma in the summer. But Persuasion is for fall. This the last novel Austen completed before her death, and it’s darker and more serious in tone than her earlier works. With its themes of love, regret, and fidelity, this is my favorite Austen novel—at least some of the time. But always in autumn. More info →
Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

Gothic romance, mystery, and psychological thriller all rolled into one. If you never read it in high school, fall is the perfect time to pick up this creepy classic. If you were forced to read it back then, give it another try: you’ll enjoy it much more the second time around. One of literature’s greatest heroines. More info →
Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights

Author:
This groundbreaking classic was downright scandalous in its day—and it hasn’t lost much of its shock value in the intervening 160+ years. Heathcliff is every bit as much the abominable scoundrel now as he was then, and the English moors are every bit as creepy. Read it once, and decide whether you love it or hate it. (And if you do both, you’re in good company.) More info →
Brideshead Revisited

Brideshead Revisited

Author:
This sweeping novel set in Britain between the world wars chronicles the Flyte family’s unraveling—along with the rest of Britain’s aristocracy—as viewed through the wistful eyes of lieutenant Charles Ryder. Drenched in themes of love, loss, and grace. Recommended reading for Downton Abbey fans. More info →

WISTFUL

Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way

Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way

Author:
“Bittersweet is the idea that in all things there is both something broken and something beautiful, that there is a moment of lightness on even the darkest of nights, a shadow of hope in every heartbreak, and that rejoicing is no less rich even when it contains a splinter of sadness.” Niequist’s poignant second essay collection has “autumn” written all over it. More info →
All Is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir

All Is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir

Author:
The heartbreaking and beautiful memoir from a recovering alcoholic, a Franciscan priest, and a beloved author of The Ragamuffin Gospel. Heartbreaking and beautiful. Honest, humble, and moving. Such a good read, but grab your tissues. More info →
The Cartographer of No Man’s Land: A Novel

The Cartographer of No Man’s Land: A Novel

Author:
When his wife’s beloved brother goes missing in World War I, a Nova Scotian artist seizes the opportunity to join the Canadian forces as a cartographer, serving safely behind the lines in London. But when he gets to Europe, he’s instead sent directly into battle—and that’s just the beginning of his dangerous and confusing circumstances. A thought-provoking debut. More info →
All the Light We Cannot See

All the Light We Cannot See

Author:
The characters Doerr focuses on in this war novel are fascinating and altogether unexpected. The book’s setting couldn’t be lovelier: much of the action takes place in Saint-Malo, France, a unique walled port city on the English Channel. Haunting story, beautiful prose, and destined for many best-of-the-year lists. More info →

NEW RELEASES FOR FALL

Transcription

Transcription

Author:
Kate Atkinson's new historical sticks to the WWII setting of Life After Life and A God in Ruins but stands on its own. It's 1940, and an eighteen-year-old girl named Juliet, in search of a job, is surprised to find herself plunged into the world of espionage. Atkinson has become one of my must-read authors. Confession: I read this at the beach this summer and loved its droll British voice (though it took me more than a few chapters to get oriented). More info →
Virgil Wander

Virgil Wander

Author:
I loved Enger's first novel Peace Like a River, which was published almost ten years ago. Our title character is a Midwestern movie theater owner who drives his car into icy Lake Superior, and isn't the same after the experience (and ensuing concussion). The accident affected his language and memory, and he cannot navigate the world as before. This may not be a bad thing. Knowing that Enger loves his symbolism, I'm particularly intrigued by the title, and expecting a novel about seeking. But what his characters will find remains to be seen. (Or rather, read.) More info →
Unsheltered

Unsheltered

Barbara Kingsolver is another must-read author for me. I love her work, especially The Poisonwood Bible. At 466 pages, this is a long book, but I inhaled it. Kingsolver writes that she is explicitly addressing the events of her time, but she does that in part by looking back: her double narrative follows the life-changing decisions and uncertain times experienced by two separate families, one hundred years apart, who both live in the same home in Vineland, New Jersey. Kingsolver found one heck of a subject for the historical element, an American scientist I'd previously never heard of named Mary Treat. I loved the clever linking of the chapter titles—pick up the book and you'll see what I mean. Publication date October 16. More info →
Marilla of Green Gables

Marilla of Green Gables

Author:
When the news first dropped about the subject of McCoy's next book, the common refrain from readers went like this: "I'm so excited! And I'm so scared!" But if there's anyone I can entrust my beloved characters to, it's Sarah McCoy. This is Marilla's story, beginning at age 13—long before Anne came to Green Gables—and continuing till she and Matthew decide to adopt Anne. I'm with the readers on this: scared, but excited to read. Publication date October 23. More info →

What are YOU reading this autumn?

P.S. 31 spooky (but not too scary) books for your fall reading list and 10 excellent fall nonfiction reads

Fall Reading List

96 comments

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  1. I started Virgil Wander yesterday, but then got distracted by Waiting for Eden. I do plan to go back to Virgil Wander, though!

    And, one of my blog readers recommended I Capture the Castle and I’ve been meaning to read it ever since! Hopefully, I can make time for it at the end of this year when I always try to focus on backlist books!

  2. Emma says:

    Love this list! This might be the final push I need to pick up Emily of New Moon – I just keep reading the Anne series over and over every time I need some LMM in my life, but this time it’ll be Emily.
    I’ll also be picking up Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic this month… although not wistful or a campus novel (or a classic), I think it’s so fitting for October!

    • Valerie Pratt says:

      I guarantee that you will LOVE the Emily books! I read Emily of New Moon last year, and couldn’t wait to read the rest. I wish there were more of Emily!

    • gina says:

      I adore the Emily books. I haven’t read the Anne series so I don’t have a point of comparison, but I can’t imagine any character that I could love more than Emily!

  3. Lisa says:

    I wasn’t sure what an autumn read was but as I read through your book list on this cloudy, rainy morning, I realized that I want to read every single title! 🙂 Looks like I’m heading to the library today. Thanks for the great recommendations.

  4. Jennifer says:

    Autumn reading is absolutely my favorite! I’m currently retreading “Something Wicked this Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury and “The Thirteenth Tale” by Dianne Setterfield. I don’t enjoy horror novels, but these books are the perfect amount of dark and slightly cold—the kind I want to wrap up in a blanket with a hot drink to read.

    • Christine says:

      I absolutely love The Thirteenth Tale! It is a perfect autumn read to me and also just the right amount of dark for me! And I picked up Something Wicked This Way Comes at the library last week and am looking forward to it. I’ve never read it before, but love Fahrenheit 451 and several of his short stories so I’m hoping this will be just right for a spooky read for me this month.

  5. Lizabeth Snell says:

    Gaudy Night is on my all time top 10, and I frequently re read it in the fall. I also confess to re reading Outlander in the fall. Just something about all that Scotland. I’m on a Steinbeck kick since reading his Working Days: Journals of Grapes of Wrath (Highly recommend to anyone who’s ever wanted to be a writer!) and savored Cannery Row & Sweet Thursday. Next up is East of Eden, which I somehow missed back then.

  6. Jen says:

    It’s always good to see someone mention Owen Meany- it’s so unknown to a lot of readers.

    I think that I’ll take a pass on the Marilla book- additions to already finished series (especially classics) strike me as fan fiction. I do hope (for the sake of people reading who might not know her from the Anne books) that the author doesn’t retcon Marilla’s character to make her more palatable to today’s reading audience.

  7. Ellen says:

    Wow! We must be on the same page this fall! I also have “A Prayer for Owen Meany” on my nightstand and just started to listen to “Virgil Wander” yesterday (having LOVED “Peace Like a River”)!

    I recently read (in audiobook format) one of my newest all-time favorites…”The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell” by Robert Dugoni. Booklist describes it as “a novel that, if it doesn’t cross entirely over into John Irving terriroty, certainly nestles in close to the border”. It is a total departure from Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite Detective series (which I’ve loved as well…should be read in order…they keep getting better and better). Sam Hell is about family and friendship and has wonderful characters. I thought frequently, as I listened, that the narrator really made the characters come to life! I didn’t realize how true that was until the end…the narrator is the author!! It’s a very worthwhile and enjoyable read.

  8. Jill says:

    So happy to See A Prayer for Owen Meany on your list. I listened to the audio version this year and loved it. The narrator used a endearingly irritating voice when quoting Meany that I can still hear to this day. Even though events in the book date it somewhat it is a timeless story that I hope will never be forgotten.

    • Nancy says:

      Agree! The audio version of Owen Meany is outstanding! His voice is so important to the story, and hearing it adds so much dimension. I like your phrase “endearingly irritating”. My initial reaction was similar to seeing Forrest Gump for the first time, thinking I don’t know if I can handle that voice. But then you’re in the story and it just works.

  9. Denise says:

    I have started Persuasion. I have read most of Jane Austin’s novels but have missed this particular book. I am not sure why I hadn’t read it because I love ‘returning’ love stories.

  10. Amy Farajian says:

    Absolutely needed. I feel like Fall moves too quickly and I’m always telling myself to find a way to slow it down- to enjoy each step, each breath. I love Fall and don’t want it to slip through my fingers unnoticed or rushed. Crossing to safety is an absolute favorite of mine. I think I’m going to have to pick that up again. Great list! Thank you ?

  11. Meagan says:

    I am ALL for cozy Fall reading! I can’t wait to read Lethal White, Transcription and I was lucky enough to get ARCs of The Gown and The Huntress at a great event in Toronto a few weeks ago and I can’t wait to read them!

  12. Birgitta Qvarnström Frykner says:

    I am reading the novels by Estelle Ryan about the autistique Genevieve Lenard and her problems with working with s.c. “normal” people. Even if it is Crimes the learning about how to treat and understand others is so important. I have tried to read about this kind of problem and i realise that the way of describing is very genuin. I also have one of Jenny Colgan on my tbr. A couple of the above books i have read and reread recently so they are worth to read for you that have not done it before.

    • Amy says:

      Just started that one! I haven’t fallen into it yet, but everyone seems to love it, so hopefully I will be completely engrossed soon!

  13. Erin S says:

    All of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books are great autumn reads. Especially Little House in the Big Woods. They’re obviously for young children, so you can read the whole thing in a day, but it gives you all the cozy feelings! And of course Harry Potter. You’re right, Jim Dale brings the stories to life! I’ve been recommending the audiobook version to HP newbies for years. It’s wonderful.

    • Anna says:

      The Little House books are my ‘comfort reading’ – I still read the set I got for my 8th birthday. Farmer Boy is my favorite for Fall, I love the descriptions of the harvest & preparing for winter. Little House in the Big Woods is a close second 🙂

  14. LuAnn Braley says:

    I’m going to have to put my thinking cap on for this one. I’ve never thought of reading books specifically having to do with the fall season, except for like Halloween themed books. Thought-provoking…thanks!

  15. Busy says:

    I am SO passionate about seasonal reading; I could not agree more with your recommendation for Harry Potter.

    I also always reread The Night Circus; it is the BEST fall read for me.

  16. Adrienne Hudson says:

    I’m so glad we are transitioning to cooler weather here in TN, and your list of Fall reads looks wonderful. I have several of these on my library holds list, but just added Crossing to Safety onto by list. I read this years ago and it would fun to re-read it this Fall.

  17. Rachel says:

    Yes, yes yes, Anne is for spring and Emily is for fall! What a beautiful way to put it! Except for Anne’s House of Dreams, that one is wistful to me. Anyways, I love love love the Emily books, and will have to pull them back out!

    And there is something about fall that always brings me back to Harry Potter, especially the movies. I just want to cozy up and watch for hours. Harry Potter and Gilmore Girls always scream fall to me, probably because they both start there 🙂

    And Crossing To Safety is one of those sneaky novels that you pick up and then just get hit with. It’s beautiful.

    Really great list!

  18. Shana says:

    I always feel that fall is a time for reading Madeleine L’Engle. I haven’t decided yet which of her books to read this season – maybe I’ll try A Severed Wasp again. I think I was too young to understand it the first time.

  19. Sarah K says:

    If I had to pick one favorite novel it would be Gaudy Night. I’m curious, though, why you often say that the novels can be read in any order. While this might work for the detective stories featuring Lord Peter alone, I think any reader who read the four Wimsey & Vane novels out of order would be seriously disappointed and confused. Those four novels trace the development of a relationship with great depth and nuance and I can’t imagine reading them out of order.
    I’m currently rereading the Harry Potter series for book club and it feels like the perfect time!

  20. Regis says:

    I’m currently reading The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, which is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s final Sherlock Holmes short story collection. Mystery + the eccentric coziness of 221B Baker Street + lots of grey, drizzly London weather = a perfect fall read in my books!

    After that I’m thinking of digging into Schulz and Peanuts by David Michaelis (Charlie Brown’s melancholy and the iconic football and Great Pumpkin scenes always make me think of fall) and then maybe From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury.

  21. Rhonda says:

    Just finished “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier. Started “Frenchman’s Creek” now (got a sweet vintage 3-books-in-one hardback at my favourite second-hand book shop/cafe – Sam’s Place). Anne, if you ever come to Winnipeg MB Canada, check out Sam’s Place – a non-profit with a unique mission. Also doing The Needlecraft Mysteries on audio by Monica Ferris through Libby. I’m intrigued by The Cartographer in No Man’s Land as I’m interested in World War 1 and it’s Canadian. I often reread Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane in fall since it’s spooky (but not too spooky) and perfect to cozy up with. Also Louise Penny is definitely for fall. And of course the classic ghost and vampire stories from the 1800’s – Poe, Le Fanu, Stoker, etc.

  22. Crystal Kieloch says:

    I’m thrilled with this list. Many of my favorites that I’ve already read but some new (and new to me) and interesting ones. I’m beyond thrilled that you have included Brennan Manning’s book. I highly recommend this one. I’m looking forward to the book by Sarah McCoy and a few others. Happy reading everyone!

  23. Kitty Balay says:

    Middlemarch. I’ve made a commitment to this novel like I never have to any other. It takes concentration so I’m not reading it on the fly like other novels. Life is busy so I’m moving pretty slowly. But it’s WORTH it! I love this story, the characters, and most of all, the writing. Wow! I had no idea it was so funny. My number of books read this year will be greatly diminished, but I’m ok with that. Quality over quantity!

    • Elise says:

      I’m currently in the midst of Middlemarch as well. I totally agree: it requires a more focused reading than even other 19th century novels, and it’s time-consuming, but thoroughly fascinating. I’m glad to be reading it, but it takes commitment.

    • Suzy says:

      Middlemarch has some REALLY memorable lines…..I read it in college, and one line goes something like “Dorothea dwindled into marriage”. I remember being so struck with insight over this book (and I was single) like I oughta really pay attention…

  24. Torrie says:

    I’m currently reading Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier for my book club, which I’m convinced is the PERFECT read for October. It’s a little creepy, a little mysterious, and has a GREAT setting full of mist and the sea and lots of dark woods. I’m enjoying every second of it, which is not something I can say for the majority of books I read!

  25. Amy says:

    I love Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman for Fall reading. Some darker subject matter, but it takes place during this time of year and is very atmospheric. Also reading Rebecca for the first time. My aunt’s favorite book is Owen Meany…I really need to pick that one up. And for those reading The Thirteenth Tale, enjoy! Excellent book. 🙂

    • Cheryl Powers says:

      Is that a re-read for you? I read most of that series in the 70’s and loved it but somehow never finished the last one, maybe it hadn’t been published yet.

      • Karen says:

        A re-read. I have one later in the series to read and thought I would just start at the beginning since it’s been so long.

  26. Jill D says:

    Favorites for fall – I think all of these books have a wistfulness that wrap me in a welcome bit melancholy and reflection.

    11.22.63 by Stephen King (2011)

    The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani (2013) – warning triggers abound in this book so take care if you are susceptible.

    Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (2011)

    The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (2003) – I just read this book for the first time and loved it.

  27. Heather says:

    Oh, this list…you had me at I Capture the Castle (a book my mom passed to me as her all-time favorite and I recently shared with my teenage niece) and A Prayer for Owen Meany (probably my all-time favorite)! Seeing so many of my other old favorites mixed in with new-to-me recommendations makes me think I better make my way through my “unreads” on this list!

  28. Christine Scott says:

    I’m reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie right now, then plan to pick up The House of Sand and Fog. Time to catch up on backlist titles I’ve missed.

  29. Stephanie says:

    I’ve just started The Gender Game by Bella Forrest. Then on to The Stand by Steven King. That will be my fall (possibly winter) read since it’s huge!

  30. Anne says:

    I’m still trying to get through the summer list, but I can always appreciate a good book recommendation! Next time you’re on tour please come to Portland, OR, Anne. Olympia was a bit too far on a Monday night for me, but I’d love to go to one of your live events. As far as fall recommendations go, I just listened to Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, and didn’t want to stop cleaning the kitchen so I could keep listening.

  31. Valerie Pratt says:

    So excited about the Fall reading list! I have several of the books listed and have posted them on Instagram (Vintage_Book_Luv). Ready for Fall myself as it’s been hot through this time in October.
    I have chosen Brideshead Revisted; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; Crossing to Safety, Emily of New Moon and Emily Climbs, and Wuthering Heights!

  32. Aimee says:

    I love the idea of a Fall Reading List! I just reread To Kill A Mockingbird and found it to be the perfect autumn read. Now that I look over your criteria, it has so many of them – a classic, coming of age book with wistfulness and back to school themes 🙂 Must be we are on the same page when it comes to what constitutes the autumn vibe!

  33. Marion says:

    I Capture The Castle seems to be a book I would enjoy. Jane Eyre,Wuthering Heights,Emily Of New Moon are books I have read. Have you read Pat Of Silver Bush by Lucy Maud Montgomery? The series is my favorite of LMM. Thank You for the list.
    Marion

  34. Elise says:

    I often revisit the Lord Of the Rings trilogy in the fall. That Hideous Stength, the final book in C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy, is set in the fall and would be a good choice for a creepy October read. It is a strange blend of science fiction/fairy tale/social satire/theology with a hint of horror. I’ve never read anything quite like it.
    On a very different note, I read Jane Eyre for the first time last November, and I plan to return to it in future Autumns. A perfect cozy fall read!

  35. Pam says:

    Well, we have largely skipped fall in my neck of the woods, and moved directly to winter. Already two snowfalls, sadly.

    Loved “I Capture the Castle” when I read it three or four years ago. It is definitely one I would reread, and I don’t do much rereading…

    I’m still working on my summer reading – my library hold on “A Place For Us” finally came in, haha. But I plan to get back to my longstanding 2018 TBR after that, so really nothing related to the season. Just what I planned to be reading by now:
    -Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank (modern classic)
    -Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig
    -She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen (making an effort to read some plays this year; my local university is staging this production soon, and I decided to read the script before attending)
    -Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell (a rare reread for me; haven’t read it since I was a teenager, many years ago!; modern classic)
    -Days of Infamy by Harry Turtledove
    -The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (classic)
    -Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng – I’m long overdue to read this one…
    When I look at this list, I do see representation of the coming of age and melancholy themes. Interesting.

  36. Georgia says:

    Transcription was great! I loved the wit and the look-over-your-should-someone-might-be-following-you feeling in the last half. Definitely an enjoyable read for fall.

  37. Vikas says:

    Nice list but being in India it’s winter for more fun and summers are just too hot for confort. I have already read “All the Light we cannot see” and loved it. Would try few of the classics may be after all my mantra is Keep on Reading.

  38. Ingrid R. says:

    Love fall reading! So many great books on this list, and several new to me that I will check out. Have to point out that The Secret Place is not the latest in the Dublin Murder Squad, that would be The Trespasser. But you probably knew that already. 🙂
    Thank you for being such a great source for good books!

  39. Marilyn says:

    Thank You for this interesting and versatile list of books. I have read many on the list. Looking forward to Marilla and I Capture The Castle.. I just finished a great mystery: A Christmas At Province, by Mary-Jane Deeb. Have a great Fall.
    Marilyn

  40. Suzy says:

    I just finished “To Kill a Mockingbird” for the second time, am almost finished one of the Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley (where she goes to school in Canada) always a delightful read! and plan next to start “The Firm” by Penny Junor, about the Royal Family, which I think is pertinent due to TWO royal weddings this year (one on Friday!).

  41. Naomi says:

    I love this list! I read “Persuasion” a while ago, but I think it’s time for a re-read. I also started “Parnassus on Wheels” by Christopher Morley yesterday and it’s a delightful fall read–the whole thing is set in October!

  42. Fonda says:

    Thank you for the wonderful reading list. I love that there is a mix of back list, classics and new releases. Shauna Niequist’s ‘Bittersweet’ is one of my all time favorites. I really need to read ‘Crossing to Safety’ and the new Leif Enger. So many books!

  43. Joy in Alabama says:

    I love I Capture the Castle!
    And I like to read September by Rosamunde Pilcher in the fall and That Distant Land by Wendell Berry, which is short stories.

    As a side note, I was scrolling through the comments pretty fast and noticing how many of us use exclamation points in our comments! We all just get so excited about books, don’t we? I love it!

  44. Sally says:

    I just discovered that my library’s recommended reads list has grown to include “Pumpkin Spice Latte Reads.”

    Also I have a great public library.

  45. Maria says:

    These are absolutely great titles. I’m starting to see a pattern with my reading, I don’t like summer reading. Ha!

    Also Ann – can you please consider making a list for the kids? I know you have children of a good age range, maybe ask them and suggest 2 – 3 books for each age? I have a 10 year old and a 7 year old; we’ve spent years reading together but now they want out. I need books that will pull them back in.

  46. Val says:

    I just finished The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley. It was a great read, some fictional places and characters, some non-fictional places and characters, a page-turner, and best of all, it’s the first book in a series! So now I am waiting for the second book to arrive and the series will probably carry me through much of winter. Can’t get enough of Brennan Manning – his Ragamuffin Gospel is another all-time favorite.

  47. kirsten donohue says:

    September by Rosamunde Pilcher. Beautifully written & even better on audible. Its great stand alone but reading Shell Seekers first will provide a tiny backdrop to one or two characters but is totally not necessary. Set in Scotland its a beautiful fall read.

  48. Sarah Garcia says:

    I read your awesome blog all the time but I’ve never commented. This post impelled me to! I love the idea of a fall reading list, because autumn is the season for reading and has such a particular tone to it. I especially like that you included Jane Eyre and Persuasion; I love reading these when the weather starts to get crisp! Good job!

  49. Brie says:

    Its not October anymore (I’m late to the party), but I definitely have books that I prefer reading in the fall. Classics fall into that category, including children’s books such as Nancy Drew. Cherry Ames, Trixie Beldon, etc.
    I always save Louise Penny and Kate Morton for Autumn. I’m not sure if that is because I first read them at that time of year or the settings just lend themselves so nicely to the season.
    Thanks for recognizing my “Fall reads” as a thing!

  50. Brittany N. says:

    I’m so grateful I found this list!! You have no idea how long I searched until I finally found it. Now I know what to read this fall on my vacation!

  51. Crossing to Safety was one of the finest books I had read.
    Just finished Louise Penny’s new book..A Better Man.
    Last week went to a book talk by Amor Towles…A Gentleman in Moscow. Highly recommend this book.

  52. Steph says:

    I’ve read September by Rosamunde Pilcher in September for several years. It’s essential fall reading for me! I also love the Discovery of Witches series for the fall – it’s a wonderful series to sink into!

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