Best Books to Read in Autumn

Last updated on 13 February 2023

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It doesn’t have to be autumn to read some cozy fall books, but it does help! I don’t know about you, but when the season starts to turn, I find myself wanting to wrap up in a duvet, cup of tea or hot chocolate in hand and snuggle up with a pile of books to read. And it helps if the books are a little cosy too.

While everyone is going to have different opinions about whether or not a book is cosy or not, in this blog post we’re going to take a look at 12 of the best books to read in autumn, in my humble opinion. And these might change over the years, but this is what we’re starting with.

Check out the list below and then pop into the comments because I would love to know what your favourite books to read in fall are!

12 of the best books to read in autumn

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

One of my favourite genres of books is YA mystery. And I don’t know about you but there’s something wonderful about curling up with a hot drink (or like … 5) and being all snuggly warm while you absolutely devour a YA mystery in one sitting.

That’s what I did with both The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and it’s the sequel The Hawthorne Legacy. The third in the series, The Final Gambit, took me a lot longer, but I blame the season! If it had been autumn when I read it I would have really settled in for the day and read it all in one sitting.

If you’re looking for a cosy autumn read that you can block the whole world out for … this is it! The mystery, the intrigue, the getting sucked up into another story … that’s the stuff, right there.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

I think Eleanor & Park was the first Rainbow Rowell book I ever read. Of course, after reading it I immediately all the others I could get my hands on. I think I’ve read them all now, and I not-so-patiently await her next book. But Eleanor & Park is both poignant and wholesome at the same time.

And it’s not, especially fall/autumn themed, I definitely think of it as a cosy read. Perhaps it’s the characters or the sweet storyline … I’m not sure. But it’s cosy.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling

When I think of autumn, I do think of Harry Potter. And I think re-reads of childhood classics and favourites. Philosopher’s Stone is one of those books. I re-read this again (for the hundredth time) in 2021 on audiobook, and the version I listened to was the Stephen Fry narration, and it’s just as magical as reading it for myself.

If Harry Potter doesn’t seem that cosy to you, try another childhood classic or re-read a book that you especially loved as a child. I think reminding through reading is always a very snuggly sort of feeling.

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Kick off a few witchy books in a row is Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (and you could also add The Book of Magic to this too). Autumn and Halloween in the Northern Hemisphere go hand in hand, and even though here in New Zealand they two do not coincide … they still kinda do in my head.

Practical Magic is one of those classic witchy tales, and somehow they give me the fall vibes. I don’t know if you agree, but let me know in the comments!

A Discovery Witches by Deborah Harkness

Speaking of witches … A Discovery of Witches is not only a wonderful book that gives me cozy fall reads vibes, but after reading this one, you can read the second and third – Shadow of Night and The Book of Life, respectively – and then you can binge watch the TV show!

Could autumn get any better? So much witchy content to consume!

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

So I have to confess: I haven’t actually read Northanger Abbey. Gasp! I know. BUT! I’ve seen the movie, and while I’ll be the first to tell you that that’s not the same, I got enough of the gist to feel okay recommending it in the list of best books to read in autumn. And if I’m completely off base, again, pop it in the comments and let me know.

But I think the spookiness of Northanger Abbey is the thing that does it for me here. Also something about dark halls and candlelit rooms with raging fireplaces and vases of dead flowers … that’s the vibe, right?

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

If a circus rolls into town and it’s called It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night … you can’t tell me that’s not Halloweeny or magical and therefore fall-esque. Right?

The Night Circus is a richly written book that sweeps you away into a nighttime tale of love and magic, of circus pageantry and of fates, ready to be lived out, or ripped apart. And it gives big autumn feels.

Gallant by VE Schwab

More Halloween than fall, perhaps, but what better time to read Gallant by VE Schwab than in September and October? Told in Schwab’s almost whimsical prose, Gallant is an eerie read, taking place in large homes with secrets and lies and buried truths.

And honestly, it’s such a beautifully dark story that it’s best read in one sitting. Or at least as few sittings as you can manage.

The Binding by Bridget Collins

What’s more autumn than more books?

Not a lot. And The Binding by Bridget Collins is a book about books. It’s about Emmett, a young man who becomes a bookbinder … but the books in this story don’t hold stories like you and I know them. They hold memories.

A lot of the book is spent in a cottage, with bookbinder Seredith, and there’s an apple orhard and other cottage-core things. And even though the story is a bit slow to begin with, it really does pick up. It would make for a beautiful fall read, for sure.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

This is probably my favourite graphic novel of all time. And okay okay, I haven’t actually read that many. But I love Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks so much that I re-read it every year in October now. It’s not even autumn/fall here in New Zealand, but somehow I know have to read this book in October. I just have to.

I don’t know if you’ve books that are like that – must re-read at a certain time of the year – but this is the one for me!

It’s cosy, it’s autumnal, it’s dripping in fall and pumpkins and it’s everything magical … without the actual magic. But there is a lot of succotash and a rampant goat. So … there’s that.

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

This may not seem that cosy to you but to me, it’s a cozy fall read simply because it’s a retelling of a fairytale. And as soon as you say fairytale I just immediately get cosy vibes.

I really enjoyed Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly, despite some fairytale retellings definitely not being my jam. There have been some atrocious ones in the past … but not this one!

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

I recently read the second in this series, The Ballad of Never After and it was just as good as the first one. Much like my comment about Step Sister being all fairytale-esque, so is anything by Stephanie Garber. I find myself swept away into a magical land that somehow throws you around with every page but also wraps you up like a cinnamon roll in a duvet and refuses to let you be any but squishily comfortable.

And that’s why I had to include it in this list. It’s a magical wonder, this bo2ok, and if that’s not enough to draw you in and make you pick it up, then I have three words to entice you in: chipmunk-sized dragons. You’re welcome.

Bonus: Other books I haven’t read but I’ve heard are cosy

The Bookshop Around the Corner by Jenny Colgan
The Midnight Library by Matt Heig
PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
The Ex Hex by Erin Stirling

There are SO many cosy autumn books that you could be diving into this fall, but here are just some of the ones that I recommend. If you’re looking for more fall reads, then check out this great list over on Goodreads and add a few more to your always-growing TBR pile.

What books would you add to this list? Comment below and let me know!