If I were to imagine the perfect fall day it would definitely include curling up with a good book, preferably by a fire while I’m wearing a cozy sweater and sipping on a chai latte. Maybe there’s a fall treat baking in the oven too- you get the picture.
There’s just something about the coziness of fall that makes it the perfect season for reading. So, with that in mind, I’ve compiled 24 reading challenge ideas to inspire you (and myself) to read more this fall. I’ve also included over a dozen fall book recommendations to fit some of the challenges outlined below. Without further ado, let’s get into the list and build a fun Fall TBR!
24 Fall Reading Challenge Ideas
1. “Fall” in the title
2. Orange cover
3. Black cover
4. Mystery or thriller
5. Dark academia vibes
6. New Fall 2024 release
7. Set in a small town
8. Involves a harvest or other fall festival
9. An “end of summer” read
10. Part of a series
11. Over 400 pages
12. Takes place during Halloween
13. Nonfiction
14. Leftover from your summer TBR
15. The main character has a “cozy” occupation (think baker, innkeeper, etc.)
16. Off your physical TBR
17. On Kindle Unlimited
18. Involves football
19. Set in a magical world
20. Classic
21. Historical fiction
22. Involves Thanksgiving
23. Fall romance
24. By a new (to you) author
My Fall Book Recommendations
For Dark Academia Vibes:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
I think this is the dark academia book of all dark academia books. Set at a small liberal arts school, this story revolves around an elite and eccentric group of college students studying classics. Under the influence of their charismatic professor, the group’s studies and experiments take a deadly turn.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Secret History |
$18.00
$9.08 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 23:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
A Fall-ish Classic:
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
If you want cozy fall vibes without any kind of spookiness, then this book set in the cozy and quaint town of Avonlea is just right for you. Plus, if for no other reason, this book deserves to be read during the fall because of that one time Anne Shirley said, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” Me too, Anne, me too.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Anne of Green Gables (Wordsworth Collector's Editions) |
$14.99
$12.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 23:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Nonfiction:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
With over 20 million copies sold, this is a must-read any time of the year. However, back-to-school season is a great time to set up healthy habits for yourself.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones |
$27.00
$13.79 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 23:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Mysteries:
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
This book is like The Breakfast Club if it were a murder mystery. Four students from very different high school cliques enter detention, but only three come out alive. The student who died also happened to run the school’s gossip app that regularly published students’ dirty secrets. So, who did it? Who’s lying? And what secrets were the other three students hiding? You’ll have to read it to find out.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
One of Us Is Lying |
$12.99
$8.84 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 23:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
This one is on my physical TBR for fall, and I’m really looking forward to reading the thriller/mystery. Here’s the gist of it- Casey Fletcher is staying at her family’s lake house, where she begins to watch the couple across the lake out of boredom and curiosity. When the wife vanishes, Casey automatically suspects the husband of foul play.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The House Across the Lake: A Novel |
$27.00
$8.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 23:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Hannah has been happily married to Owen for one year before he suddenly disappears, leaving her with only a note saying she needs to protect his 16-year-old daughter. As her attempts to contact Owen go unanswered, Hannah quickly realizes that her husband isn’t who she thought he was.
I read this book a few years ago and loved it! Since then, it has been made into a series on Apple TV+ starring Jennifer Garner, which I really want to watch.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Last Thing He Told Me: A Novel |
$17.99
$9.48 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 23:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
An "End of Summer" Read:
28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
Labor Day weekend always feels like summer’s last hoorah before fall arrives. In 28 Summers, Mallory and Jake spend Labor Day weekend together every year for… you guessed it… 28 summers. Through relationships, children, and the rapid political rise of Jake’s wife, they never miss a weekend on Nantucket together. This book is sweet, heartbreaking, and a perfect way to say goodbye to summer.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
28 Summers |
$19.99
$8.72 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-17 at 14:42 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Football Books:
Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger
This nonfiction book is all about the small-town Texas Permian Panthers football team. The very real story, town, team, and people featured in the book inspired both the movie and television series (one of my favorites!) of the same name.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Friday Night Lights (25th Anniversary Edition): A Town, a Team, and a Dream |
$22.99
$12.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 23:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
If you’re looking for a football-themed book but in the cutesy romance department, check out this sweet novel by Sarah Adams. Nathan is a professional football player, Bree is a ballerina, and they’ve been friends for forever. I’m sure you can guess where this is going!
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Cheat Sheet: A Novel |
$17.00
$10.54 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 23:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Books With Black Covers:
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
If you like the show Only Murders in the Building, I have a feeling you’ll like The Westing Game. The plot centers around the death of wealthy businessman Sam Westing, who names all 16 residents of the Sunset Towers apartment building as his heirs. The catch? One of them killed him, and whoever figures out the mystery gets to keep the fortune.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Westing Game (Puffin Modern Classics) |
$9.99
$5.71 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 23:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
This one went extremely viral a couple years ago, but if you haven’t had the chance to read it give it a try this fall. In 18th-century France, Addie LaRue makes a deal with the devil to live forever but is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. However, after nearly 300 years, everything changes when she encounters a man who remembers her name.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue |
$26.99
$10.46 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 23:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Historical Fiction:
Lovely War by Julie Berry
Lovely War tells the stories of 2 young couples as they try to hold on to each other throughout the chaos and uncertainty of World War I. The book is narrated by the Greek gods Aphrodite and Ares, giving a unique look at the couples’ love stories through a divine perspective.
This was a 5-star read for me! I’ve thought about it over and over since I first read it three or four years ago, and I think it’s time for a reread. If you are a historical fiction/romance lover, or a Greek mythology fan- I highly recommend this one!
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lovely War |
$13.99 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 23:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusack
Liesel Meminger is a young girl growing up in Nazi Germany, where she steals books to find some sense of solace as World War II rages all around her. With another unique narrator, Death, this book is sure to reel you in and pull at your heartstrings.
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Book Thief |
$14.99
$7.43 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-09-16 at 23:03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Pin the image below to come back to this post later and to play some fall reading bingo with the challenges listed above!
