From romance to fantasy, historical fiction and everything in between, there’s a fall book on the way for every kind of reader
Credit: HarperCollins; Harper; Crown
It’s almost time to put on our comfiest sweaters, grab a steaming hot cup of your favorite autumnal beverage and cozy up with a great fall read. And this year, there’s a bumper crop of fabulous new books from old favorites and debut authors alike.
We asked two handfuls of authors like Ann Patchett, Abby Jimenez, Rebecca Makkai and more to share the books they’re most excited to read — and share — this season. Whatever genre you like best, there’s sure to be some great options to stock your TBR this season.
01 of 13
Brisa Carleton recommends ‘The Survivors Guild’ by Gabriella Saab
Credit: Harper Muse
I thought I knew the story of the Titanic, but Gabriella Saab’s beautiful new book proves there’s still more to discover. Through the lives of two unforgettable women, she reminds us that surviving a tragedy is only the beginning, and that the lives we build afterward can be even more extraordinary than the ones we lost. Richly researched, emotionally resonant and impossible to put down, this is historical fiction at its best.” —Brisa Carleton, author of Last Call at the Savoy and Just Her Holiday Type (out Nov. 5)
Related: On the 110th Anniversary of Titanic's Sinking, Revisit Chilling Tales of Life and Death from the PEOPLE Archives
02 of 13
Rachel Gillig recommends ‘Reliquary’ by Hannah Whitten
Credit: Run for It
Visceral and grotesque and utterly fascinating, Reliquary is a horror novel that explores grief’s haunting hollowness and the horrifying things that try to fill it. In it, a young woman mourns the sudden death of her fiancé surrounded by his estranged, wealthy family at their decadent seaside mansion. Eldritch horrors, rich people behaving badly and gorgeous writing: Hannah Whitten was born to write horror. —Rachel Gillig, author of The Knave and the Moon
Related: 5 Seriously Scary Horror Books for Welcoming Autumn — And Spooky Season (Exclusive)
03 of 13
V. E. Schwab recommends ‘Blacktail’ by Scott Hawkins
Credit: Crown
My pick has to be Blacktail by Scott Hawkins, the long-awaited second novel from the author of cult hit, The Library at Mount Char. It’s a novel as gruesome as it is glorious, a fable about the death — and rebirth — of the wild, through the eyes of a single half-bred wolf on a quest to find its god. —V. E. Schwab, author of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil and Victorious (out Oct. 6)
Related: Why Is Horror Having a Moment? Authors Alma Katsu and Becky Spratford Break It Down (Exclusive)
04 of 13
Holly Gramazio recommends ‘Word Salad’ by Susan Coll (out Sept. 15)
Credit: Harper Muse
I always think fall is the perfect time to read a workplace comedy, and nobody does workplace comedy like Susan Coll. Her latest, Word Salad, plunges us into the world of Matilda, who runs the events program at an increasingly chaotic bookshop. It’s a really charming book, funny and full of dogs and difficult writers and petty crime, and Matilda’s precise, observant view of the world is such a pleasure to spend time with.” —Holly Gramazio, author of The Husbands
Related: How Designing Games Led to The Husbands: 'A Bunch of Drafts and a Dozen Different Endings'
05 of 13
Kristin Harmel recommends ‘Falling for Peachtree Bluff’ by Kristy Woodson Harvey (out Sept. 15)
Credit: Gallery Books
“I love a good series, so I’m thrilled that this autumn brings us a fifth installment in New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey’s world of the fictional Peachtree Bluff. In Falling for Peachtree Bluff, get ready for some serious fall vibes as pumpkin spice, fall football and autumn leaves reign. It works perfectly as a seasonal stand-alone, but even better, it’s a continuation of a popular family saga (beginning with 2017’s Slightly South of Simple), so in a way, this is a recommendation for one book — that I hope will inspire you to also read the previous four. And what’s better than discovering your next bingeable stack of reads?” —Kristin Harmel, author of Meet Me in Paris
Related: Amazon Options Kristy Woodson Harvey's A Happier Life for Film Adaptation (Exclusive)
06 of 13
Ann Patchett recommends ‘Sophie, Standing There’ by Meg Mason (out Sept. 29)
Credit: Harper
Sophie, Standing There is a brilliant examination of what it means to be alone in the world, and what it means to find connection. It is, by turns, heartbreaking, hilarious and deeply hopeful. Meg Mason is a dazzling talent. —Ann Patchett, author of Whistler
Related: Bonnie Garmus and Ann Patchett Already Love Sophie, Standing There — See the Cover! (Exclusive)
07 of 13
Penn Cole recommends ‘The Darkness Bites Back’ by Laura R. Samotin and Ben Alderson (out Sept. 29)
Credit: Angry Robot
The Darkness Bites Back is a delicious MM vampire Romeo and Juliet retelling set against the gorgeous backdrop of modern-day Oxford. I can never get enough of men who yearn, and these star crossed maybe-enemies-maybe-lovers Tobias and Alexander had me in a chokehold. It’s the perfect moody romance to kick off spooky season! —Penn Cole, author of Spark of the Everflame and Burn
Related: 6 Greek Mythology Retellings for Fans of Circe, Hadestown and Kaos (Exclusive)
08 of 13
Karen Dukess recommends ‘Nowhere to Go but Everywhere’ by Jessica Rao (out Sept. 29)
Credit: Ten16 Press
Readers drawn to stories about the bravado and tumult of late adolescent rebellion will savor Jessica Rao’s Nowhere to Go but Everywhere. Rao writes with honesty, wisdom and sharp appreciation of the conflicting allures of independence and home. It’s a winning debut. —Karen Dukess, author of Welcome to Murder Week
09 of 13
Kimberly Belle recommends ‘When You Tell’ by Steena Holmes (out Oct. 6)
Credit: Oceanview Publishing
When You Tell had me hooked and second-guessing every theory right up to the end. Steena doles out the clues so perfectly, revealing just enough to keep the pages turning. I also got such a kick out of spotting my name along with a nod to Readers Coffeehouse, the Facebook group Steena and I run together with four other bestselling authors. Twisty, clever and so much fun! —Kimberly Belle, author of The Expat Affair
Related: 7 Psychological Thrillers to Fill the White Lotus-Shaped Hole in Your Heart
10 of 13
Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé recommends ‘The Sixth Faction’ by Veronica Roth (out Oct. 6)
Credit: HarperCollins
As someone who was a teenager during the initial publication of the Divergent series and was obsessed with all things Tris, Four and Dauntless, I cannot wait for Veronica Roth’s The Sixth Faction which reimagines the choices made in the Divergent books in new and interesting ways. —Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, author of The Heirs
Related: Divergent’s Veronica Roth Returns with The Sixth Faction — Read an Excerpt! (Exclusive)
11 of 13
Kate Quinn Recommends ‘The Undercover Bookshop’ by Katherine Reay (out Oct. 6)
Credit: Harper Muse
I loved Katherine Reay’s The Undercover Bookshop which was a literary bouquet of all my favorite things: books about books, found family, spy drama, post-war setting, London and the Cotswolds, women finding themselves and finding secrets at the same time and lots of baked treats to make the mouth water! It read like a warm, possibly arsenic-laced hug straight from Agatha Christie. —Kate Quinn, author of The Astral Library
Related: Bridgerton Author Julia Quinn Interviews Bookseller Katie Clapham: ‘Books Really Might Be Saving the World’ (Exclusive)
12 of 13
Rebecca Makkai recommends ‘The Daughters of Rosebud’ by Sonny Buttar (out Oct. 1)
Credit: Lake Union Publishing
Three years ago, I judged a “first chapter” contest for Craft literary journal and picked as my winner an amazing novel-in-progress about two Pakistani-American sisters, Salma and Asma. We hear their two voices many years — and, apparently, several tragedies — apart, and I was impatient to read the rest of the book and learn how this family came asunder. Full of intrigue, compassion, humor and acute psychological observation, The Daughters of Rosebud is finally here, and it’s everything I’d hoped for. —Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers and I Have Some Questions For You
Related: Mona Awad, R.F. Kuang, Donna Tartt and More: 10 Dark Academia Books to Read This Fall
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Abby Jimenez recommends ‘Just Her Holiday Type’ by Brisa Carleton (out Nov. 5)
Credit: Literati Ink LLC
Heartbroken and on deadline, holiday screenwriter Plum Hayes escapes to a picture-perfect town, only to discover an antique typewriter that magically conjures her leading man straight from the page. But when reality starts writing a different script, Plum must decide whether to spend Christmas with the perfect man or the right one. Written by an actual Hallmark screenwriter, Just Her Holiday Type has all the wit, holiday magic and cozy charm I want in a Christmas romance, plus a knowing wink for Hallmark fans. I wanted to curl up inside this story and stay there until Christmas. P.S. Don’t miss the audiobook edition, with Julia Whelan leading a cast of Hallmark movie alumni. —Abby Jimenez, author of The Night We Met
Related: Emotional Thank-You Message Goes Viral After Bestselling Author Reaches Out to a Favorite Teacher (Exclusive)
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