Last year, I shared a list of all the books that I wanted to read on my autumn 2024 TBR list. And I have a confession: I didn’t finish that list!
To be fair, at the time, I didn’t think I’d be able to get through every book on the list. There were only 12 on there, but I wasn’t yet using my giant reading spreadsheet that keeps me on track at the moment – this is the only way I can get through my backlist of Netgalley ARCs (find out how to get ARCs here!), books that I own but haven’t read, and new releases that I really want to read.
Read more: Top 10 Book Covers That Give Fall Vibes
Here’s my autumn reading list for 2025:
The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers
There’s nothing like starting your autumn reading list with a bookshop novel. This one feels like a love letter to stories and the people who find themselves between the pages. It’s got the cozy fantasy vibes of secret shops and hidden doors – the perfect “cup of tea and cozy sweater” kind of read. Plus it’s written by someone I know in real life, and her debut novel was a stunner too (read my City of Stardust review here).
This one is publishing on 20th November, so there’s a bit of a wait, but I have an ARC so I’ll let you know soon what I think!
Psst, I’ve also heard that this might be Illumicrate’s December 2025 book – how exciting!
Foretold by L. H. Cosway
Cosway’s books are a mix of clever, unexpected storytelling and romance. This one promises a blend of dark secrets, prophecies, and a love story you can’t look away from. I love picking up something a little bit eerie at this time of year, and Foretold sounds like a good book to curl up with on a stormy evening. It’s giving dark academia vibes from the description!
I’ve had this one sat on my “own but not read” list for too long, it’s time for it to have its chance!
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
This is one of the big new releases everyone is talking about this fall, and the buzz alone makes it a must-read. With its eerie, gothic atmosphere and hints of family secrets in the woods of upstate New York, it feels very much in the vein of The Secret History or Rebecca (see below for more on these!). Perfect for spooky season.
This is also a 99p Amazon Kindle book for September 2025, so get it quick! If you’ve missed this offer, check out more 99p Kindle books here.
Alchemised by SenLinYu
I know SenLinYu originally gained fame through their Harry Potter fanfics online, and this is their debut novel release. The idea of alchemy, forbidden magic, and a tangled romance ticks all my autumn reading boxes – a little bit dark academia, a little bit cozy fantasy, and a whole lot of intrigue. My sister got me the most gorgeous sprayed edge copy for my birthday (today, hooray!) and I can’t wait to read it – although it looks very heavy!!
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
This has been on my radar for AGES, and I feel like the fall season is the exact right time of year to finally read it. Found family, a young girl learning magic, and an enchanted house – what more could you want in a cozy witchy read? This is one I expect to become one of my favorite books of the year after reading her latest book, A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping (review here) earlier this year.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Ali Hazelwood has always been a go-to for me when I want romance with a smart twist, but Bride is a whole new direction – vampires, forbidden love, and paranormal romance elements all wrapped up in her signature witty writing style. I can’t resist it, especially in early autumn when supernatural elements feel like the best fit. It sounds right up my street!
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
Yes, I’m finally getting to this one! Legends & Lattes is probably THE cozy fantasy of the last couple of years – the ultimate “low stakes, high comfort” read. Coffee shops, friendship, and a found family element sound like the ideal antidote to darker campus novels or spooky ghost stories.
Autumn of the Grimoire by J. L. Vampa
The title alone screams fall vibes. This one promises gothic fantasy, witches, and a mystery tied to an old grimoire. It feels like the kind of thing you’d read when you want to fully lean into the spooky season with a touch of dark academia and family secrets. I’ve had this one sat on a list entitled “AUTUMN” for nearly a year now, so I’m glad it’s finally reached that season!
The Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore
Cliche, I know, but after loving The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, I had to add Laurie Gilmore’s new release to my fall TBR. Her books are small-town romance perfection – think cinnamon, pumpkins, and cozy sweaters. The Gingerbread Bakery feels like it’ll be the perfect book to carry me from autumn into winter.
Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
Kristen Ciccarelli writes some of my favorite novels with magical, richly imagined worlds, and this one sounds perfect for the fall season. A young witch finding her place, dark secrets in her bloodline, and of course, a love story woven through it all – I can’t wait. This is a follow up to her Crimson Moth book and I have had it on my list since before it was published, hopefully I can finally get to it!
So those are my top 10 from my fall reading list in 2025, but before I go, I wanted to share a few more books with fall vibes that I’ve loved in the past – some of these are perfect for the spooky season, others just have the dark academia vibes that we associate with early September, and some are just pure cozy romance – cinnamon, apples and pumpkins. There’s something to fit every fall vibe here!
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
I read Rebecca many years ago as part of a book club with my friends, and it was very interesting as it was a book that all four of us, who read very different things, really enjoyed – so I feel comfortable recommending it to everyone! It’s gothic, mysterious, and full of atmosphere. If you want a classic that balances romance with family secrets, this is the one.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
This book is always recommended as the epitome of dark academia and gothic atmosphere. Campus novels don’t get much more iconic than this, with its mix of friendship, obsession, and betrayal. It’s the perfect long read to sink into during the fall season when you want something intelligent and brooding.
The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman
This one isn’t strictly about fall, in fact, it’s probably more about winter as the lake begins to freeze over. But it ticks every box for the eerie vibes, I promise! It’s one of my favorite books ever (in fact, I think THE long time favourite!). Set in the Adirondacks of upstate New York where a Latin teacher returns to her former school, a series of strange events take place that send her straight back to her own school days, and a secret hidden by the frozen shores of the lake slowly comes to the surface again.
It’s a bit gothic, full of suspense and tension, has a brilliant mystery, and mixes in ancient rites – what’s not to love in the spooky season here?!
Read my review of The Lake of Dead Languages here.
The Naked Light by Bridget Collins
The Naked Light isn’t a fall novel at all, but was such a great atmospheric read coming into early autumn
for me. It’s set in between the wars in Britain, has a gorgeous sapphic love story, and has some really creepy, eerie, slightly supernatural vibes going on. I’m not one for horror novels really, so this kind of background gothic suspense works well for me. It’s slow and thoughtful, and feels like one of those favorite novels that stays with you for a long time.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
Again, not strictly an autumn book, but it’s just so atmospheric at this time of year that I had to include it. Addie makes a deal with the devil to live forever, but she’s cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. It’s haunting, romantic, and beautifully written – the perfect book club pick for early September, when the nights are just starting to draw in.
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore
This list would be a disappointment without BookTok favourite, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore. If you’re into small-town cozy romances, this is the ultimate fall book. It’s got cinnamon rolls, pumpkin patches, best friends who become something more, and all the autumn vibes you could possibly want.
The Cinnamon Spice Inn by Harper Graham
If there’s one book you add to your fall TBR this year, make it The Cinnamon Spice Inn. It’s in the same vein as The Pumpkin Spice Cafe but with its own cozy charm – more small-town romance, a touch of family drama, and plenty of seasonal baking.
Read my full review of The Cinnamon Spice Inn here.
A Cinnamon Falls Mysterby by R. L. Killmore
For a twist on the other twee fall romances, this one adds cozy mysteries into the mix with fall vibes! It feels a bit like an Agatha Christie whodunnit, but in a modern small town full of quirky characters, cinnamon-scented streets, and a detective who just wants her cup of tea but always ends up chasing clues.
Read my full review of A Cinnamon Falls Mystery here.
You Had Me At Pumpkin Patch by Anita Faulkner
This is such a good book, and not just on the autumnal front – it has a gorgeous found family element, wild swimming, and of course, romance in a pumpkin field! It’s the kind of love story that feels like it was written for the fall season, but works just as well at any time of year.
Read my full review of You Had Me At Pumpkin Patch here.
There’s Pumpkin About You by Athena Carstairs
This is the ultimate small town, cozy fall romance. Read this one in early autumn for ALL the pumpkin picking alongside a gorgeous love story. Read my full review of There’s Pumpkin About You here.
Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood
If you’ve been anywhere near a Waterstones or The Works in the past year (is it the same in Barnes & Noble? Someone will have to confirm for me), you’ll have probably spotted the cover of Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood taking centre stage. This is a lovely witchy read for any time of year, but especially the fall season. However I have to confess that I preferred her second book, Uncharmed, over her debut novel. This one is, again, not strictly fall themed but has a lovely love story (that rings more true that Rewitched for me), a whole lot of cozy fantasy, and a big sprinkle of magic – plus an enchanted bakery.
I can’t keep going listing all my cozy witchy faves here, as I already did that in a recent post, so head over here to read that one (there are a lot more like this one there!): Cozy Witchy Books Recommendations for Your Fall TBR.
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