Top 5 Tuesday || Fall Reading Recommendations

Fall is here at last (not that it really feels like it yet), and what better way to celebrate than book recs? Thankfully, Shanah @ Bionic Bookworm Blog decided that was a perfect T5T prompt for today, and if you poke through all kinds of posts today, I suspect your fall TBR will be all set for the moment cooler weather arrives!

The House in Poplar Wood by K.E. Ormsbee

The House in Poplar Wood was such a lovely MG book, and even before you get into the story, you can just tell that it’s going to have major fall vibes! That cover is a perfect fit for when the days start to get shorter and the world drifts towards that special autumn dusk, and the story inside is perfect for an afternoon spent with a mug of hot cider!

 

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Listen, I can and will find a way to recommend the Lockwood and Co. books wherever possible, and fall is just another perfect opportunity to read them! Halloween is coming, after all, and this book (not to mention the rest of the series) has ghosts and ghouls and things going bump in the night galore! And I personally think this one is the spookiest and least long-con plot-heavy of the lot, so it’s perfect for getting in the Halloween mood.

 

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken

Like the Lockwood and Co. series, the Prosper Redding duology is also full of ghouls and ghosts and demons that perfectly suit the oncoming Halloween vibe! It’s even set in the fall, giving you that full atmosphere immersion. I wish I hadn’t read it in May only because it would have made a great first-time-around read in October!

 

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Does anything say fall more than “back to school” and “murder”? Well, the answer is probably yes, but SHHH. Read Truly Devious anyway! It captures an oddball beginning to the school year, a deadly mystery, and the sense of foreboding that I think all fall novels would be wise to have.

 

Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire

I beg you not to judge me for including yet another ghost book on this list, but LISTEN. Sparrow Hill Road is a masterpiece, set up as a series of short stories that tie together into a cohesive novel rather than a loosely related collection, and it covers all those supernatural happenings, especially the ones in America’s liminal spaces. If you’re looking for a fall read that’s not MG or YA, start here. Seanan McGuire will not disappoint!

 

Being limited to only five fall reads is tough, but these are the ones I think are most deserving of that cozy, chilly fall spirit! What books are you looking forward to reading in your comfiest sweater this season, though?