Autumn has officially set in, bringing (for those of us with seasons) chilly weather, stunning foliage, and the core-deep desire to cozy up and sink into our favorite worlds, whether they exist on the screen or the page. For many of us, watching our favorite fall movies while curled up with a cider (or mulled wine!) and a fuzzy blanket tops the fall bucket list! And if you’re a reader, it means the search for the best fall books to celebrate the season.
Luckily for us, many of our traditional fall film favorites have vibes easily found in all sorts of genres, from fantasy to horror to a slew of cozy fall books. So grab a blanket and get ready, because we’re bringing ALL the autumn vibes with this list of fall books inspired by some of those fall film favorites!
If You Love You’ve Got Mail…
Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks falling in love via email in the quintessential book lovers’ fall romance? We get it…this one makes our watch list every year, too. You've Got Mail is cozy and heartfelt and has ALL the fall romance magic, and the fall books we’ve picked do, too!
Read these fall books…
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen (Hart and Mercy #1)
What do you get if you take the epistolary romance of You’ve Got Mail and mix it with the magic of Howl’s Moving Castle and then add a…mortuary? Well, The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, apparently. Add a dash of whimsy, a touch of the macabre, and a whole lot of heart, and this is one adult fantasy romance you won’t want to miss reading this season!
The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers
These two might not be emailing, but falling in love through notes in the margins of classic books may be even more romantic! Follow along with Erin and her Mystery Man in The Book Swap, a second chance romance that’ll give you hope for new beginnings and happy endings!
The Book Swap is one of our book picks for our quarterly To Bee Read Book Box! Want to know how to grab awesome special edition books like this one? Check it out!
If You Love Beetlejuice…
Whether Beetlejuice is regularly on your fall movie list or you just returned to the fun and freaky fave in time to see the sequel, everyone seems to be saying, “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!” this season! If Michael Keaton’s kooky calamity and ghostly hijinks are your vibe, we’ve definitely got some recs for your fall books reading list.
Read these fall books…
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
Take all the well-orchestrated mayhem of Beetlejuice and toss it in with the nostalgic “whodunnit” of Scooby Doo, and you’ll get the delirious, demon-infested, pop-culture delight that is Meddling Kids! Once you pick up this dazzling romp of an adventure, you won’t want to put it back down again until you find out what really happened at Sleepy Lake all those years ago…
Horrid by Katrine Leno
Sink into an atmospheric horror while digging up family history in a haunted house. Horrid by Katrine Leno is a contemporary YA horror novel that shares a lot of elements with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but done a whole lot darker. Follow Jane as she and her mother move into North Manor, and try to figure out if all that comes after is due to grief, mental illness, or something more…horrid.
If You Love Practical Magic…
Always throw spilled salt over your shoulder? Us too. This magical, mildly creepy, multigenerational tale of witchcraft, sisterhood, and love has become nearly synonymous with fall. Luckily for us, there are a whole slew of witchy fall books with Practical Magic vibes (plus, of course, the book itself)! Put the lime in the coconut and pour yourself a midnight margarita while you take a look at a few of our faves…
Read these fall books…
In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker
Sink into the tale of three empathic witches from the Haywood family, known for their shadow garden, and their ability to help others with their heavy emotions. In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker has all the heartfelt multigenerational magic we love, with a whole new spin. A must read for lovers of witchy wonder!
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Welcome to Nowhere House, where three little witches are longing for connection, and Mika Moon has just taken on the job of teaching them. The problem? Magic is supposed to be secret, witches aren’t ever supposed to stay together, and the hot grumpy librarian isn’t sure about the new hire. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a contemporary fantasy full of heart, found family, romance, and pure magic. If you love cozy books, you want to read this.
Love this cozy fantasy as much as we do? Check out our officially licensed The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Collection!
If You Love Scream…
“What’s your favorite scary movie?” We couldn’t go through our favorite fall movies without naming Scream, the quintessential classic slasher! Ghostface has a place in our lineup every year, because we never get enough of watching our favorite final girl Sidney as she takes on a killer that just keeps coming back.
Read these fall books…
You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
This slasher summer camp romp feels meta in the way the later Scream movies do, with the main character, Charity, working a summer job as the “final girl” at Camp Mirror Lake, acting out scenes from a popular slasher movie for the delight and terror of guests. But the pretend becomes all too real in You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight, and people start actually dying, leaving us hoping that Charity can make it to “final girl” status in real life.
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
This one is fast-paced, frightening…and funny, much like Scream itself! Purposely subverting the slasher horror genre while also sneaking in nods to many classic slashers, The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix follows the main character, Lynette, and a group of five other “final girls” who have all lived through horrors. Someone finds out about their group and comes after them, but this villain has no idea who they’re dealing with.
If You Love The Dead Poets Society…
If “O Captain! My Captain!” never fails to give you chills, you are not alone. Led by the stunningly brilliant Robin Williams as John Keating, this movie holds a place of honor on our watch lists each fall, and it’s a story we look forward to returning to every year. Not ready to let go? Dive into these gothic and dark academia books that feel familiar to The Dead Poets Society, but in very different ways.
Read these fall books…
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
For fans of dark academia books, The Secret History by Donna Tartt delves into the darker side of what happens when a charismatic professor leads college students into starting a secret society. This story feels like the darker counterpart to The Dead Poets Society, where idealism sinks into something much less beautiful…and far more evil.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar WIlde
Delve into the mind of Dorian Gray, a young scholar who becomes enthralled by an aristocrat obsessed with beauty and sensuality. In a Faustian bargain, he sells his soul so that his portrait ages instead of himself, leading him into a hedonistic lifestyle. What follows is one of the most celebrated gothic horrors of our time. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde presents a chilling twist on the idealized beauty and life depicted in The Dead Poets Society, showcasing how unchecked desire can lead to tragic consequences.
Our sought-after LitJoy Classics edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray is still available! Grab this beloved gothic horror, or snag all 5 books in our collection for less! Want to dive deeper into the story? Check out some of our favorite The Picture of Dorian Gray quotes!
If You Love Twilight…
If your favorite fall sound is “hoa hoa hoa” (#IYKYK), we completely understand. We’re not sure why, exactly, Twilight feels so very much like a fall movie—it takes place over the course of a whole school year. But it starts in the fall, and it has sparkly vampires, soooo…we’re just not going to question it. Of course, you could always dive into Stephenie Meyer’s books themselves, but here are two more fall books giving Twilight vibes.
Read these fall books…
Halfway to the Grave by Jeanine Frost (Night Huntress #1)
Girl meets vampire. Vampire deeply considers killing girl. Girl…actually tries to kill vampire? Okay, so it definitely diverges there. And there are certainly no sparkles. But it’s a vampire romance, so it works, right? Halfway to the Grave by Jeanine Frost is the first book in a (very) adult paranormal romance series that takes the vibes of Twilight, tosses in a smattering of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and adds a heavy pinch of spice. If you were around to experience Twilight when it first released, something like this might be more your speed these days!
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy #1)
What if Bella started out as a kickass female lead who could take down a vamp, and spent her days protecting her best friend? Vampire Academy, the first book in what would become something so much bigger, was released in the heyday of Twilight when we were all clamoring for more vampire romance, and all those young adult paranormal romance vibes we love are there! But the fantasy world-building is deeper, the stakes feel higher, and Rose and her friends go on a journey that feels far more epic in scale. We highly recommend!
Want to add the Vampire Academy series to your fall books TBR? Our stunning special edition box set is still available for preorder! We don’t expect it to last much longer before selling out, so snag it while you still can!
How’s your fall books TBR list looking? We hope you’ve found some new favorites based on the fall movies you love. Did we miss any books or movies you think should’ve made the list? Let us know in the comments below!
