Fall has arrived, and with it, a new stack of books I can’t wait to dive into! Autumn always makes reading extra cozy and nostalgic for me. I still have vivid memories of reading books like Harry Potter during this time of year as a young girl in my childhood home. The house smelled like my mom’s food and there were decorations all around as we were getting ready for Christmas.
Now as an adult, reading remains a core part of my life. And some nights when I’m curled up with a blanket and a hot chocolate (I’ve traded Nestlé for cacao these days), I feel like no time has passed. Somehow I’m still that little girl getting lost in stories and inspired by an author’s imagination, which in turn fuels my own. I’m immensely grateful to have grown up surrounded by the love of my family and books.
With the arrival of cooler evenings and earlier sunsets, I’m excited to dive into my TBR. I love reading seasonally and have books on my shelf I intentionally set aside earlier in the year knowing fall would be ideal to read them.
I’m also excited about buzzy new releases like the much-anticipated new ACOTAR book. There are plenty of new stories to dive into and I wanted to share just a few that are on my radar.
Instead of giving you one giant TBR list, I’ve broken down some of the season’s most anticipated books by genre. So whether you want something cozy, creepy, romantic, or thrilling, consider this your fall reading guide!
Fall 2026 Book Recommendations
Historical & Literary Fiction
The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon
Inspired by the real-life Grace O’Malley, the legendary Irish Pirate Queen, this historical adventure follows a woman determined to control her own destiny in a world that expects her to remain within traditional roles.
As Grace fights to protect her family, land, and freedom, she defies the rules of a society determined to keep her in her place. Fierce, ambitious, and unwilling to back down, Grace builds her own legacy on the sea.
American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee
This book follows the Koh family as they navigate professional setbacks, immigration, financial uncertainty, and the pressures of creating a better life for their children.
Moving from Seoul to Sydney and eventually Southern California, the novel explores education, ambition, family expectations, and what success means across generations.
Hollywood, Ending by John Green
John Green returns with his first novel in nearly a decade, this time following two young actors on the verge of becoming famous.
Kai Laramie and Juniper Castillo meet while working on a major film and quickly find themselves navigating romance, ambition, fame, and the increasingly complicated relationship between their public and private lives.
Partita by Barbara Kingsolver
Livia Cable has built a quiet life in rural Tennessee with her husband, but an unexpected message from a past lover forces her to reconsider the choices that brought her there.
The story moves between past and present as Livia revisits her younger years as a gifted music student and the relationship that changed her life.
Dystopia & Thrillers
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
It’s 2031 and America is at war with itself. But for the first time in weeks there is some hope: the Republic of California has been declared, the curfew in Los Angeles is lifted, and everyone in the city is going to a party.
What starts as a night of celebration becomes something darker, as strangers and old friends come together against the backdrop of a country falling apart. Through the chaos, the party becomes a glimpse into a fractured America and the lives of the people trying to survive it.
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
Twenty-eight years ago, a terrifying attack tore the Quinn family apart, leaving their mother dead and their family consumed by secrets.
Now, Charlie Quinn is a lawyer like her father, but when a shocking tragedy strikes their small town, she finds herself pulled back into the nightmare of her past—and the truth she’s spent years trying to bury.
Fantasy & Dark academia
Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus
By the author of Lessons in Chemistry, this novel is set in the literary world of 1980s New York.
Batter, a recent college graduate, lands a job at an elite poetry journal and quickly discovers that the publishing world is full of eccentric editors, rivalries, ambition, and complicated personalities.
It’s a different kind of dark academia (less ancient library, more literary Manhattan) but with the same appeal of watching ambitious people collide inside an insular world. (Publishing Oct 13)
The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman
Set at Radcliffe College in the 1950s, the story follows Ava and Lauren, two young women who become involved with the Lilith Society, a secret organization of witches with roots stretching back generations.
As McCarthyism during this time creates an atmosphere of fear, and members of the secret society begin disappearing, the women discover that some of the dangers facing them are very real.
A Court of Splintered Harmony by Sarah J. Maas
The sixth book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series is scheduled for release on October 27!
This book follows the new Valkyrie Cycle as an ancient threat begins to stir, bringing new danger to both the magical and human worlds.
Expect familiar characters, evolving relationships, and new challenges in the same Courts we all know and love.
Upcoming Movie & TV Adaptations
Fall 2026 is also packed with book-to-screen adaptations, which means your TBR can double as a movie-and-TV watchlist.
Here are a few to read before—or revisit before—the adaptation:
- Practical Magic 2 by Alice Hoffman — The long-awaited sequel brings Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman back as Sally and Gillian Owens.
- The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood — The bestselling STEM romance gets its big-screen adaptation starring Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman.
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck — Netflix’s new adaptation brings Steinbeck’s sprawling family saga to television.
- Verity by Colleen Hoover — Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway, and Josh Hartnett star in the psychological thriller adaptation.
- Carrie by Stephen King — Mike Flanagan’s new television adaptation revisits King’s iconic horror novel.
- Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen — A new film adaptation brings Elinor and Marianne Dashwood back to the screen.
- Whalefall by Daniel Kraus — The survival thriller follows a young diver swallowed by a sperm whale.
- The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter — Rose Byrne and Meghann Fahy lead the upcoming television adaptation.
- The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins — The newest Hunger Games film returns to Panem for the 50th Hunger Games.
Reading the book first isn’t mandatory, of course. But it does make the inevitable post-movie conversation about what they changed way more fun.
Make Reading Part of Your Fall Routine
You don’t need to finish twenty books this season to have a good reading fall. Instead, make reading something you look forward to.
Try taking an audiobook on your weekend walks, bringing a paperback to your favorite coffee shop (I love doing this!!), or setting aside 30 minutes before bed for a few chapters.
Start a little book club or swap books with a friend. Visit an independent bookstore and choose something completely outside your usual genre. Cozy reading season is officially here! Enjoy!
