Fall Book Recs Based on My 2019 Reads

I’ve been wanting to do a fall book recommendations post, but I think I held off for a while because it is just finally starting to feel like fall where I live! While I’ve been drinking pumpkin spice coffee since the end of August – I’m proud of myself for making it at home and only having 3 Dunkin’ pumpkin spice iced coffees so far-, it hasn’t really felt like fall until this week. The leaves are changing, Halloween decorations are popping up on lawns, and all I’ve been wanting to do at night is light a good candle and read a good book. I’m still debating if I should order some fall Bath and Body works candles or just wait for the winter holiday scents.

These fall book recommendations are based on books that I read in 2019. Maybe I’m just nostalgic for fall 2019, but I thought it would be fun to consider what books I read last year align well with the season. I read most of the books below between September and November, although there are a few that just screamed fall vibes even if I read them during a different season.

Intercepted by Alexa Martin – Football season is one of the hallmarks of the fall … although I honestly spend more time watching football-inspired shows like Friday Night Lights or documentaries like Last Chance U than a NFL game. This contemporary romance series following women who date professional football players on the fictional Denver Mustangs is one of my all-time favorites. I have much love for book #3, Blitzed, but I definitely recommend reading the first book in the series, Intercepted, first to set the stage (and you’ll seriously want to read every bit of this series).

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw- Winterwood is the perfect book for post-Halloween fall, as November brings night-time sooner & darker colors while also slowly transitioning into winter. Winterwood was such an atmospheric read, following a girl who comes from a family of witches and finds a lost boy in the woods on a snowy night.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks – Pumpkinheads is the quintessential fall read in graphic novel form. If you pick this one up and haven’t yet been pumpkin picking, you’ll want to go ASAP (or at least pick some up from the store and decorate them, given our currently socially distant world).

Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks – Some you might know that Faith Erin Hicks was key in the books I read last fall, having loved both Pumpkinheads and her YA contemporary, Comics Will Break Your Heart. As fall progresses, I start to move my reading from the patio to my bed, with a bunch of cozy blankets and pillows in tow. Comics Will Break Your Heart screams bookishness and such cute cozy vibes, following two teens’ family rivalry over a beloved comic book series.

The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey – Like Comics Will Break Your Heart, The Library of Lost Things made this list for its cozy, bookish vibes. How much more bookish can you get than a book about a girl who works in a bookstore?? I’m also so excited to dive into Laura Taylor Namey’s upcoming November release, A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea & Tomorrow, ASAP.

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams – I’ll always find a way to get The Bromance Book Club on a book recommendations list. Baseball is another sport that screams fall to me, with this first book in the series following a professional baseball player who’s willing to do anything to save his marriage – even if it means joining a book club where guys read romance books to help them with their relationships.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo – I feel like a ton of readers either love or feel meh about Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House, but I am 110% in the LOVE category. I can’t imagine a better adult fiction book for the fall, between its college setting and its magic & fantasy elements.

The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett – Jenn Bennett’s books also always deserve a spot on my recommendations list. The Lady Rogue definitely differs from her YA contemporaries, as this YA historical fantasy follows Theodora and her ex-best friend’s journey to find her father while also searching for a magical ring rumored to have been owned by Vlad the Impaler. It definitely nails the adventure or escapism vibes we all might be craving right now, while also hitting the spooky or Halloween feels with the Dracula storyline.

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring – The Tenth Girl is one of the most underrated YA thrillers. This psychological thriller is set at a finishing school in South America and follows a young teacher, Mavi, looking for a new start. I hate sharing any big details about this book for the sake of spoilers, but just know its direction and ending completely took me by surprise, to say the least. It’s one of those books readers either love or hate, but don’t let the Goodreads rating deter you from picking it up!