It’s cozy-reading season. Once the cooler weather arrives, don’t you feel like pouring yourself a hot cup of matcha, throwing on a pair of reading socks, snuggling under a blanket and enjoying a great book? We do. After summer, when there’s more socializing and more activities, fall is a great time to dive into a book and lose yourself in another world. Below are the 10 books to read for fall that we’ve read, re-read, or are excited to read this season. We hope you’ll find your next great read from this list!

10 Books to Read for Fall

The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson

The Lottery is a short story that was recommended to us years ago, and I couldn’t believe I’d never read this classic. It’s so haunting that I think about it often. This collection by Shirley Jackson has other short stories worth reading too. Add this to your collection. If you’re interested in learning more about this work, there’s a New York Times article that provides further insight into this work, its author, and its controversy (btw, even Jackson’s mother was upset with her for having written and published it!).

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

If you want a novel-length work of mystery, tension, and suspense, then read this book. It’s creepy without being gory. A classic that is haunting and well-written.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Don’t let the myriad of films and popular cultured keep you from diving into this book. It’s beautifully written and you will be drawn into the story in a way that may surprise you. Fun fact: Mary Shelley started writing this book when she was eighteen years old, and it was published when she was twenty. Granted, she was privileged since she was the daughter of a British women’s rights activist and was also married to the famed Percy Shelley, who kept company with other well-known writers, such a Lord Byron. When the men were discussing the inadequacy of female writers in comparison to their male counterparts, Shelley went to prove them wrong. And prove them wrong she did.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Gothic meets a psychological thriller in this 1938 novel. A young woman marries a wealthy widower and soon discovers that she cannot get away from his late wife, Rebecca.

The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee by Paisley Rekdal

This nonfiction book contains elements of memoir, personal essay, and travelogue. Issues of identity and race are woven throughout this work.

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

Olive Kitteridge is back! In this latest work, Pulitzer Prize winner, Elizabeth Strout, has explored the human condition. In this process, she’s left us with important questions. You’ll be left to think about how we interact with one another and how e live our own lives.

We’re Alone: Essays by Edwidge Danticat

We love a good essay collection. Judging by Edwidge Danticat’s previous works of nonfiction, we think this new work will be solid and are excited to read it. In this latest work by Edwidge Danticat, she explores the COVID-19 pandemic, politics, and identity with a focus on the United States and Haiti.

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

A work of fiction, this work offers a unique social commentary on capitalism. Fresh and fast-paced, this book takes you on a wild ride and makes you think about society and the price people pay to keep up.

Bunny by Mona Awad

Mona Awad first came onto Marilyn’s radar with 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl. Awad has a knack for writing the complicated, messy, multi-layered female relationships, and this book promises to deliver just that.

The Folded Clock by Heidi Julavits

Experimental in form, this book explores opposites that everyone faces: passage of time and relation to self, youth and aging, and platonic friendships and romantic relationships. A poetic, meditative work.

Let us know which of these books on your list for the fall!

-Isabel and Marilyn