Wondering what books to read this fall? We have some recommendations! Whether you want an award winning book or a hidden gem, there is something for you in every genre.
CONTENT WARNING: Some of these books have mentions of alcohol, drugs, abuse, open-door scenes, closed-door scenes, violence and suicide. To find specific warnings, find the book on Common Sense Media.
Fantasy
Fourth Wing
Goodreads Rating: 4.65 Stars
Author: Rebecca Yarros
A fantasy involving dragons, “Fourth Wing” is the perfect book to read this fall. Not only is there a side plot of romance, but also dangerous tasks and dragons! If just dragons and the temptation of a promising love triangle doesn’t convince you enough, just read this quote:
“There’s nowhere in existence you could go that I wouldn’t find you, Violence.”
Storm and Fury
Goodreads Rating: 4.08
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghost and spirits. This secret makes her so dangerous that she lives in a secret town filled with wardens and gargoyles to protect her. When three people from another warden town come to visit, she realizes everything isn’t as black and white as it seems.
To Kill a Kingdom
Goodreads Rating: 3.75
Author: Alexandra Christo
A retelling of the little mermaid in which a deadly siren princess and a siren-killing man come head to head to protect their kingdoms: Princess Lira has 17 princes’ hearts, and is aiming to get her next victim.
Mystery/Thriller
The Changeling
Goodreads Rating: 3.8
Author: Victor Lavalle
Apollo Kagwa’s father disappeared, leaving his son with recurring dreams that make him question a box called Improbabilia.
As Apollo grows up and becomes a husband and a father himself, he and his wife Emma become exhausted and anxiety ridden.
The Only One Left
Goodreads Rating: 4.18
Author: Riley Sager
At seventeen, Lenora Hope
hung her sister with a rope,
stabbed her father with a knife
and took her mother’s happy life.
“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said.
But she’s the only one not dead!
“The Only One Left” is a gothic whodunit following home-health aide Kit Mcdeere as she is hired to take care of Lenora Hope, a girl who murdered her whole family. Lenora, who suffered many strokes, can no longer speak or move and the only way Kit can communicate with her is through hand taps. One night, Lenora gives Kit an offer: “I want to tell you everything.” As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading up to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the story than people know. As Kit envelops herself more and more into the story, she realizes that Lenora might not be as harmless as she thought.
Hallowe’en Party
Goodreads Rating: 3.64
Author: Agatha Christie
At a Halloween party, Joyce, a hostile 13-year-old, boasts that she once witnessed a murder. When no one believes her, she storms off home. Within hours, her body is found, still in the house, drowned in an apple-bobbing tub.
Dystopian
Dry
Goodreads Rating: 4.0
Authors: Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman
What if California ran out of water? Taps running dry, nothing to drink? What would happen if the entire state turned against each other, everyone just trying to survive? Four teens are brought together as they try to live in this fateful future depicted in Dry.
Warcross
Goodreads Rating: 4.14
Author: Marie Lu
The story takes place about ten years in the future where a virtual reality game called Warcross, created by teenage billionaire Hideo Tanaka, has taken the world by storm. Players simply put on a pair of glasses to enter the virtual arena where they gain superhuman abilities, collect power-ups and fight each other.
Clockwork Angel
Goodreads Rating: 4.31
Author: Cassandra Claire
After Tessa Gray arrives in England to find her missing brother, she is kidnapped by the Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club. Tessa soon discovers that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform into another person. However, the Magister who runs the Pandemonium Club will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own. Lonely and lost, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. A mesmerizing magical system, a heartbreaking love triangle and terrifying magical creatures: this fantasy has the perfect fall vibes and is sure to make you want more after every page!
Romance
The Sun is Also a Star
Goodreads Rating: 3.98
Author: Nicola Yoon
Jamaican-American Natasha Kingsley and Korean-American Daniel Bae meet and spend 12 fateful hours together in New York City before Natasha’s family is deported to their native Jamaica. The teens begin to wonder if falling in love can save all. A goodreads choice award nominee for best young adult fiction, this book is a perfect read for those who enjoy heartbreaking romances. If you’ve enjoyed “Five Feet Apart,” “All the Bright Places,” or “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” then this book is a perfect read for you!
If He Had Been With Me
Goodreads Rating: 3.87
Author: Laura Nowlin
Autumn and Finn used to be close, but now they ignore each other. Autumn has a boyfriend and friends and Finn is popular. However, Autumn feels something when they cross paths and starts to wonder if they should be together. She confronts how life would have been different if the two hadn’t separated. Set in the fall, this heart-breaking romance is a great option if you are looking for a sad book.
The Bodyguard
Goodreads Rating: 4.01
Author: Katherine Center
Hannah Brooks, an Executive Protection Agent (bodyguard), is hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his corgi-breeding stalker. Jack Stapleton, a famous actor, dropped from the public eye after a family tragedy and went off the grid. When Jack’s mom gets sick, he goes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. Hannah, against her will and better judgment, pretends to be Jack’s girlfriend as a cover. As Hannah spends more time with Jack, their fake relationship begins to feel real and protecting her own heart becomes the hardest thing she’s ever done. If you love a good fake-dating book, then this is the fall book for you!
