Hello, Pumpkin.

Autumn arrived in Nashville like someone flipped a switch. When I walked out of my house on the first official day of fall, I literally yelped. One day it’s a warm, summer, pool-worthy afternoon, and the next, I am shivering, sprinting to my car because, as usual, I am late and don’t have time to turn around and grab a jacket. 

But while I am sorely lacking in my fall apparel preparedness (really any excuse to online shop will do), my fall reading list has been compiled for months, and I am jittery with excitement to get started. 

In my efforts to quell my desolation at summer ending (you can find my full lament on this subject here), when I can’t deny the changing season any longer... I go hard. I fling myself headfirst into autumn like I won’t live to see another one. Pumpkins, mums, hayrides, candy corn (it is delicious, you can think what you want), maple-pecan waffle candles; excepting Pumpkin Spice Lattes (they are gross, you can still think what you want) if it’s cozy, fright-tastic, or in any way fall shaped it’s got a green light from me. 

As far as fall vibes go, I’ve got a fuzzy-socked foot in both camps. I may be wrapped up in a scarf I could use as a blanket and sipping a hot chocolate, but it’s blood and gore on the telly and haunted houses on the calendar. Spooky AND sweet, am I right? 

Whatever your autumnal style may be, there is a book on this list for you. Whether you want to see someone fall in love or fall behind the group and get taken out in classic slasher fashion, I’ve got you covered. 

WITCHES AND FANTASIES

The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs - Katherine Howe

If you read my review for The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, you might recognize this author. The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs is Katherine Howe’s follow-up to that novel, and I am excited to continue the story. I love the combination of factually accurate historical influences and the mystical aspects that are so expertly woven together in The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. I can’t wait to see how the author revives these characters and their stories in this sequel published ten years after the first book’s release.

House of Hollow - Krystal Sutherland

Even the synopsis for this book is a wild ride; missing sisters, horned men lurking in the shadows, corpses falling out of ceilings. I am painfully curious to get into this one and figure out what the HECK is going on in this dark and mystical misadventure.

A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness 

Witches, vampires, cursed manuscripts, and all it all starts “deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library”? Yeah, I’m in. This book sounds like it’s got all the right spooky season ingredients for one fantastic brew. This is also the first book in a trilogy, so for those of you looking for your next binge series, this may be precisely what you’re looking for.

MYSTERIES AND THRILLERS

The Final Girl Support Group - Grady Hendrix

This has been by far my most anticipated read of the season. The cover is *chef’s kiss* perfection. The premise is phenomenal. 

At the end of the slasher movie, there is one girl left, usually a brunette. She is the Final Girl, the lone survivor. In shock and covered in blood, she sits there, ambulances and police cars arriving in slow motion as she contemplates what to do now. The answer? Join a support group, of course! And what happens when someone goes after a group of battle-hardened final girls? I don’t know! But I’m dying to find out.

Dark Roads - Chevy Stevens

Canadian wilderness, strong female characters, mysterious disappearances, highway killers; Dark Roads brings everything to the table for a perfect fall afternoon read. Let’s meet for cider and unravel this mystery thriller together.

GHOST STORIES

The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson

The Haunting of Hill House is revered as one of the 20th century’s best literary ghost stories. Based on the synopsis, the Netflix series is very different from the book it is based on. I am ecstatic to get to experience the story of Hill House the way it was created.

Horrid - Katrina Leno

Look. At. That. Cover. If that isn’t enough to pique your interest (it was for me), then the psychological deep-dive into grief and haunting mysteries should be enough to entice you. A spiraling mother, a  little girl’s empty (but is it really?) bedroom in an eerie, ancestral east coast mansion; this book seems to have the goods. The frightening, run-and-jump-on-the-bed-so-something-doesn’t-grab-my-foot goods.

ROMANCE

The Love Hypothesis - Ali Hazelwood

I hypothesize (see what I did there?)  that this book will be the perfect break from the reign of terror I will inflict upon myself with my terrifying book selections this season. We’ve got hot, intelligent people. We’ve got a pretend relationship to actual relationship plot. Really what else could we ask for?

The Mismatch - Sara Jafari

Even if we ignore the hot, British rugby player (which, why on earth would we?), this book still seems to have a lot to offer in the way of emotional depth and self-discovery. With our main protagonist, Soraya, navigating her feelings on love and marriage as she discovers more about her parents’ relationship, this book promises a healthy serving of heart and substance with our beloved romantic fluff. 

The Simplicity of Cider - Amy E. Reichert

Described as warm, funny, and charming, The Simplicity of Cider appears to be the quintessential autumn experience, complete with an apple orchard and an unexpected romance. So if it’s a sweet, heart-warming fall confection you’re craving, this is probably it. 

The Ex Hex - Erin Sterling

The Ex Hex is so perfectly tailored for this season that I could not decide whether to categorize it with witches and fantasy or fall romance. This book seems like so much fun. From the synopsis alone, I’m getting some serious “Bewitched” meets “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” vibes. Does it get any better than that?

SCI-FI AND ALIENS

How I Stole Johnny Depp’s Alien Girlfriend - Gary Ghislain

I am not typically a sci-fi/alien kind of gal, but come on. That title? Who wouldn’t be intrigued? Following our main character as he becomes his own action hero to help an irresistible alien girl kidnap Johnny Depp and take him back to her planet is too good of an adventure to pass up. Here’s to hoping Johnny Depp fits in his flying bicycle basket.

We’ve got a little something for everyone this crisp, autumn season. So whatever your vibe is, may your skeletons be spooky, scary and your scarves be infinite. 

Happy fall. Happy reading.