Fall Book List 2023
Fall is my favorite time of year. The unbearable heat of summer is subsiding, making way for crisp mornings, leaves tumbling lazily off their branches, a crunch in every step. It just smells good. Pumpkin spice everything. Fall book aesthetic.
It’s always a good day to read a book, but fall kicks off the official season of staying inside and being cozy. If you’re not feeling autumnal yet (most likely due to climate change), here are some great fall books to help get you in the mood.
Legends and Lattes
Genre: Fantasy; Length: 296 pages
The #1 fall book I am most looking forward to reading this year is Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. Not only does it have a brand new prequel coming out this fall, it also just sounds super cute.
Legends and Lattes is a fantasy novel about a battle-hardened orc, Viv, who decides to hang up her sword in favor of a slower life. She’s done with boss-slaying and ready to settle into a new life as a coffeeshop owner. The only problem is that no one in her town has ever heard of coffee.
Viv is achieving all my life goals. I’m ready for a relaxing fantasy novel and everything about this book sounds cozy and comfy.
Update: This did turn out to be one of my favorite fall books (and its great for winter too). I like this book so much, I included it in our Winter Cinnamon Roll Bake Box.
Bookshops and Bonedust
Genre: Fantasy; Length: 352 pages
Bookshops and Bonedust is the prequel to Travis Baldree’s popular novel, Legends and Lattes, and it’s new this fall! Releasing November 7, 2023, this novel gives us some Viv backstory. Bookshops and Bonedust follows the orc warrior through her early days, from her time as a mercenary, to a battle injury, and how she picks up the pieces afterwards.
I’m excited for the dusty bookshop aesthetic and fantasy backdrop. Sound’s like Viv the orc is prioritizing some much-needed self care – good for her!
The Bakeshop at Pumpkin and Spice
Genre: Romance; Length: 368 pages
If you’re looking for a Hallmark movie in book form, this one’s for you. Moonbright, Maine is a picturesque autumnal town, with a side of magic. This small town lights up for Halloween as all the residents dress up for the annual Halloween parade, enjoy warm pumpkin lattes, and enchanting tricks and treats.
The Bakeshop at Pumpkin and Spice by Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell, and Allyson Charles does a great job of making you feel fall. Food imagery is a big part of this novel, so share this one with your baker friends. Read this with a mug of hot apple cider.
I’ll admit, the title drew me in. It wasn’t until after I started reading this that I realized it’s the second book in The Moonbright Maine trilogy.
Each book in the trilogy is a compilation of novellas written by different authors. So far, I don’t think these books need to be read in order, but if you’d like to, here’s a list:
- Book 1: The Cottage on Pumpkin and Vine
- Book 2: The Bakeshop at Pumpkin and Spice
- Book 3: The Cafe between Pumpkin and Pie
Something Wicked this Way Comes
Genre: Fantasy; Length: 304 pages
The CLASSIC fall read! I read this a while ago and it is totally re-readable. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury is quintessential fall/Halloween spookiness in the way you experienced Halloween as a kid.
Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show comes to Green Town, Illinois, shrouded in mystery. The Halloween carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, bringing a shrill calliope that draws in anyone who hears it. Two friends, Will and Jim, can’t stay away from the siren’s call. They follow the call and discover a nightmare in their small town.
Something Wicked This Way Comes captures the imagery of fall so well that you will be able to SMELL it. It has that oldey-timey creepiness and the kind of trouble that only two kids growing up in the 60’s could get into. I love that it’ is so so eerie without being horror, so I can actually read it.
Turns out, this is also part of a series that doesn’t need to be read in order. The Green Town series:
- Book 1: Dandelion Wine
- Book 2: Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Night Circus
Genre: Fantasy; Length: 400 pages
Speaking of creepy carnivals….The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern features a mysterious circus that arrives in the middle of the night without warning. The circus sets the stage for a daring duel between two young magicians – but only one can win. In the process, Celia and Marco fall magically in love. Except, they don’t know that only one of them can survive.
If this is anything like Morgenstern’s other novel, The Starless Sea, the writing will be luscious, sensory, and perfectly strange. This is the type of book that plops you in front of your fireplace for 4 hours before you realize what time it is.
What are Your Favorite Fall Books?
I hope you all enjoy the blessed season of fall! Did I miss anything on this list? Let me know what your favorite fall books are in the comments. I’ll try to read as many as I can!
Happy readying and stay cozy 🙂
2 responses to “5 Cozy Fall Books to Curl Up With”
I’ve read The Night Circus and it was a great read!
I really want to read it. You gotta try the Starless Sea next! It was so good.