Nothing says fall like pumpkin spice lattes, crunchy leaves, and an abundance of new reads to look forward to. Thankfully, despite everything else in the world feeling a little upside down, fall is bringing a bevy of must-read books [1] just begging to join your TBR. Publishers seemed to have saved the best for last this year, with the next few months bringing new releases from the likes of Philippa Gregory, Ruth Ware, and Christina Lauren. There are also plenty of highly anticipated debuts [2] in nearly every genre, from nonfiction to romance — and the requisite spooky reads to get you in the mood for Halloween [3], of course.
No matter what kind of book you're looking for, this list of the best books of the fall has you covered.
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie
Beginning in 1948 Kyoto, Japan, Fifty Words for Rain [4] by Asha Lemmie is a sprawling coming of age story about a young woman fighting for her freedom. At the age of 8, Noriko "Nori" Kamiz, the daughter of a Japanese mother and an African American father, is left by her mother to live with her grandparents on their imperial estate. While her grandparents try to hide her away to preserve their status in society, Nori is determined to fight for a better life.
Out Sep. 1
His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie
His Only Wife [5] by Peace Adzo Medie is a witty and dynamic debut novel about a woman forced into an unconventional marriage. Afi Tekple marries a wealthy man who doesn't bother to show up for his own wedding in order to secure a better life for her mother. After moving to the capital of Ghana to be with her new husband, Afi soon discovers that he's no happier about their marriage than she is, because he's already in love with someone his family will never approve of.
Out Sep. 1
Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency by Bea Koch
Bea Koch, one of the owners of the famed romance-only bookstore The Ripped Bodice, is ready to prove there's more to the Regency era than Jane Austen and the all-white high society that tends to populate books set during the time period. Koch's Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency [6] delves into the forgotten stories of women like Dido Elizabeth Belle, whose mother was a slave, but who was raised by her white father's family in England, and early LGBTQ+ trailblazer Anne Lister, who lived with her common law wife and ran her own estate.
Out Sep. 1
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
A sixth year PHD student is caught between science and faith in Yaa Gyasi's deeply moving Transcendent Kingdom [7]. After losing her brother to addiction and watching her mother struggle with depression, Gifty looks to science for an answer to her family's suffering, but as her search intensifies, she still feels a yearning for the faith she had as a child.
Out Sep. 1
When No One Is Watching Alyssa Cole
Prepare to be completely unnerved by Alyssa Cole's When No One Is Watching [8]. Brooklyn native Sydney Green is appalled by the gentrification of her neighbourhood, so she starts a walking tour in hopes of preserving the community's story. Sydney is joined by one of her new neighbours, and as they excavate the past, they begin to wonder if her neighbours truly moved or if something more sinister is going on.
Out Sep. 1
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Fredrik Backman, the author of A Man Called Ove, is back with another deeply human story of self-realisation. A hostage situation at an apartment open house kicks off Anxious People [9], which features a cast of characters harboring enough fears and secrets to make the man with the gun the least dangerous thing about their unfortunate predicament.
Out Sep. 8
Before She Was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney
Perhaps best known for her classic YA thrillers like The Face on the Milk Carton, Caroline B. Cooney remains a master at weaving a compelling mystery. Before She Was Helen [10] is an adult thriller that focuses on Clemmie, an woman in her 70s who discovers a wondrous piece of art in her crotchety neighbour's home. Unfortunately, the police later find his body, leaving Clemmie's carefully hidden secrets in danger of being exposed.
Out Sep. 8
One by One by Ruth Ware
One by One [11] is Ruth Ware's latest must-read thriller, and fans of locked-door mysteries won't be disappointed. This time around, Ware strands a group of coworkers from a tech startup in a ski chalet in France. Once the group is snowed in together, their grievances bubble to the surface ensuring they won't all make it out of their team-building excursion alive.
Out Sep. 8
Sanctuary by V.V. James
The death of a small town's star quarterback leads to a literal witch hunt in V.V. James's Sanctuary [12]. Despite the death being an apparent accident, the town quickly turns on the boy's ex-girlfriend, who happens to be the daughter of a witch. Soon the town of Sanctuary becomes overrun by fear and accusations, rendering its name a terrible bit of irony.
Out Sep. 8
What Can I Do? by Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda not only shares her story as an activist in What Can I Do? [13], the actor outlines steps that readers can take to help reverse climate change. From her Fire Drill Fridays protesting in Washington D.C., to a meaningful discussion on how other critical issues like racism and colonialism intersect with climate change, Fonda's new book is essential. (And she will be donating 100 percent of her net proceeds from the book to Greenpeace.)
Out Sep. 8
The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett
Thirty years after the publication of his best-seller The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett has returned with a prequel, The Evening and the Morning [14]. Set at the end of the Dark Ages, the story follows a noblewoman who marries for love, a boat builder whose home is raided by Vikings, and a monk with dreams of building a centre for education. These three character's will each face off with a dangerous bishop whose only goal is increasing his own power.
Sep. 15
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
Grown [15] by Tiffany D. Jackson is a mystery for the #MeToo era. Aspiring singer Enchanted Jones's life changes forever when a renowned musician sees her audition. Even as her career dreams come true, Enchanted is reckoning with her mentor's abusive behaviour, and when he turns up dead, she finds herself with blood on her hands and no recollection of how it got there.
Out Sep. 15
The White Coat Diaries by Madi Sinha
Grey's Anatomy [16] season 17 has been delayed, but readers looking for thrilling medical drama goodness should turn to Madi Sinha's The White Coat Diaries [17]. Norah Kapadia is a medical resident questioning all of her life choices when she falls for her mentor, the charismatic chief resident. However, a fatal mistake may end her career before it properly starts.
Out Sep. 15
The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult's Sliding Doors style novel The Book of Two Ways [18] traces two possible timelines for a woman who survives a plane's crash landing. In what she believes are her last moments, Dawn doesn't think of her husband, she thinks of a man she knew 15 years before. When the airline offers to fly her anywhere she wants after the crash landing, the book splits into two scenarios: in one, Dawn returns home to her family, and in the other, she flies to Egypt to reunite with the man and career she left behind more than a decade before.
Out Sep. 22
Well Played by Jen DeLuca
Jen DeLuca is back with more Renaissance Faire fun in Well Played [19], the companion novel to last year's hit Well Met. This time around, nurse by day, tavern wench by weekend Stacey takes centre stage as she falls for a man she barely knows after a year of exchanging flirty emails.
Out Sep. 22
The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill
Even the poetry-adverse won't be able to resist Nikita Gill's latest collection, The Girl and the Goddess [20]. Through stories and poems grounded in Hindu mythology, Gill chronicles the coming of age of a young woman named Paro as she grows from insecure teen into an adult who understands her power.
Out Sep. 29
The Nesting by C.J. Cooke
The modern and the Gothic collide in The Nesting [21] by C.J. Cooke. Lexi Ellis is elated to land a nanny gig for an environmentally conscious architect. But soon after she arrives at his home nestled in the hills of Norway, she realises that something's not right. Between the muddy footsteps and one of her charge's stories of the frightening Sad Lady, Lexi is certain something is very wrong in this perfect house.
Out Sep. 29
Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo
At the age of 12, Azere makes a promise to her dying father that she will marry a Nigerian man in Ties That Tether [22] by Jane Igharo. It's a promise her mother vows to help her keep, but after a series of disastrous dates, Azere spends the night with Rafael Castellano, a white man. As her feelings for Rafael grow, she becomes torn between the promise she made and the attraction she can't deny.
Out Sep. 29
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
After wowing readers with The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Stuart Turton is back with a story of mystery on the high seas in The Devil and the Dark Water [23]. In 1634, the world's greatest detective is imprisoned on a boat that may be doomed to sink, and his only hope for survival lies with his bodyguard Arent, who is charged with figuring out whether the strange incidents occurring on the boat are the work of a demon or a crafty mortal.
Out Oct. 6
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
Writing team Christina Lauren prove it's never to early to kick off the holiday season with their latest novel, In a Holidaze [24]. Maelyn Jones's life is a bit of mess and knowing she'll never spend another Christmas at her family's favourite cabin isn't helping matters. As she bids farewell to the cabin, Maelyn pleads with the universe to show her what will make her truly happy. Instead, she ends up trapped in a time loop reliving Christmas over and over again.
Out Oct. 6
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Spanning centuries, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue [25] by V.E. Schwab is the story of a woman who makes a bargain that allows her to live forever, but be forgotten by everyone she meets. With no way to leave a lasting impression on anyone, Addie's long life isn't quite what she imagined. However, everything changes when she meets a man who remembers her name.
Oct. 6
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
Prepare to sleep with the lights on after reading Rumaan Alam's Leave the World Behind [26]. A couple and their kids are looking forward to a relaxing country getaway in a fancy house, but they've barely settled in when the owners show up claiming that there has been a blackout in New York City. Are they telling the truth? And if they are, what's truly happening in the world beyond the Long Island enclave?
Oct. 6
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman is finally giving fans of Practical Magic an answer to one of the book's biggest mysteries: how did the Owens family curse begin? Magic Lessons [27] traces the family's lineage back to Maria Owens, who is left in a field as a baby before being taken in by a woman named Hannah, who teaches her the art of magic.
Out Oct. 6
The Searcher by Tana French
A small Irish town full of secrets serves as the backdrop for bestselling author Tana French's The Searcher [28]. Retired police officer Cal Hooper is looking forward to leading a quiet life, but his plans are quickly thwarted by a local boy who needs his help locating his missing brother in this intense thriller.
Out Oct. 6
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Set firmly in the world of fandom, Spoiler Alert [29] by Olivia Dade is a joyful read that's perfect for Game of Thrones [30] fans who are still annoyed by the show's ending. Marcus Caster-Rupp is the star of Gods of the Gates, the most popular show on TV, but when he's not filming, he's a fanfiction writer who seeks to do the book version of his character justice. April Whittier is one of the show's biggest fans, but she keeps her fandom life quiet until she decides to post a photo of herself cosplaying as her favourite character. When online trolls mock April's plus size take on the character, Marcus swoops in to take her on a date, a move that will force them both to allow their online and real life lives to converge.
Out Oct. 6
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
Inspired by the people of the Pre-Columbian Americas, Rebecca Roanhorse's Black Sun [31] is the start of an epic trilogy full of magic, prophecies, and unlikely heroes. The story begins with a solar eclipse that could herald the return of a god, and things only get more intriguing from there.
Oct. 13
Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
Lisa Jewell's latest thriller Invisible Girl [32] is full of twists you won't see coming. The story follows a man named Owen, whose life is in shambles. The neighbours across the street already find Owen unsettling, and their feelings only intensify when a young woman they know disappears. However, Owen might not be the villain that everyone seems to think he is.
Out Oct. 13
Cobble Hill by Cecily von Ziegesar
Gossip Girl [33] author Cecily von Ziegesar continues to find inspiration in the lavish lives of New Yorkers in Cobble Hill [34]. Her latest novel focuses on four families living in Brooklyn who are bound together by a tangled web of desire, secrets, and a yearning for community.
Out Oct. 20
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
Emily M. Danforth's Plain Bad Heroines [35] is a delicious horror comedy with enough stories within stories to make even Inception seem straightforward. For starters, there's a cursed girl's boarding school, doomed young lovers, and a big Hollywood production that could be plagued by said curse. Add in some stunning illustrations, and this book becomes the year's must-read horror novel.
Out Oct. 20
Snapped by Alexa Martin
At once timely and romantic, Alexa Martin's Snapped [36] takes on activism in the world of football through the eyes of a player taking a knee to make a difference and the communications manager in charge of keeping him in line. Quinton Howard Jr. is a star quarterback who wants to use his platform for good, while Elliot Reed is trying to honour her father's memory by being the best communications manager the Denver Mustangs have ever had. Their goals put them on opposite sides, but it doesn't take long for sparks to fly between the unlikely duo.
Oct. 20
Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella
Sophia Kinsella's novels are always warm and funny, and Love Your Life [37] is no different. After a dating app catastrophe, Ava meets her perfect match at a writer's retreat — or so she thinks. Away from the seclusion of coastal Italy and back in her day-to-day London life, Ava's new romance begins to look a whole lot more complicated than she imagined.
Out Oct. 27
Memorial by Bryan Washington
Memorial [38] by Bryan Washington is a story about relationships, family, and the bonds that hold people together. Benson and Mike's relationship has become stagnant when Mike discovers his father is dying in Japan. Seizing his chance to say goodbye, he flies across the world to be with his dad. Meanwhile, Mike's mother Mitsuko shows up in Texas, where she and Benson find themselves bonding over her son's absence and so much more. Despite the continents between them, Benson and Mike's time apart may prove to be just what they need to grow closer together.
Out Oct. 27
The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar
Zeyn Joukhadar's The Thirty Names of Night [39] is the story of three generations of Syrian Americans. Nadir is a transgender man haunted by his mother's ghost and unable to create art when he discovers a journal that links to his family's history and the larger untold story of queer and transgender people in his community in this magical realism tinged tale of self-discovery.
Out Nov. 3
The Lady Upstairs by Halley Sutton
The Lady Upstairs [40] is a snappy noir debut about a woman serving up justice for other women by taking down the powerful men who hurt them. When Jo's latest job leaves her wanted by the police and her enigmatic boss, she decides to prove herself by taking down one last target: a rising political star who must be stopped.
Out Nov. 17
Dark Tides by Philippa Gregory
Dark Tides [41] by Philippa Gregory is the second book in the author's The Fairmile Series. The luscious historical novel tracks the rise of the Tidelands family from London to New England as they search for a place to call home.
Out Nov. 24