Call me basic, but fall is my favorite season. If you’re in the mood for some autumnal reads this season, you’re in the right place. Here are my top fall book recommendations that I’ve read in years past!

Autumn Eternal by Kyle Bagsby

The premise of this fun middle grade read is that the small town of Arno experiences Autumn all year long, and only our main character, Kip, realizes it. Other strange things happen in Arno, such as birds mooing like cows, so this makes for a quirky yet entertaining read. At 130 pages, it’s easy to fly through. I’ve read it twice now and have enjoyed it both times. It also includes beautiful illustrations.

Content Warning: This book contains a witch who uses magic, and there is a dark shadow that turns others into shadows, so please be aware of that going in if you’re not a fan of supernatural elements.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

If you’re craving a gothic classic with romantic drama and a dark and dreary atmosphere, Wuthering Heights is the perfect read for you this fall. While it’s been around a decade since I read it, I remember eating up the drama with the love triangle between the main character, Catherine Earnshaw, and her two love interests. I can’t remember if there’s any content or language that calls for a warning in this or not, so please do your research before picking this up.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

If you’re more in the mood for mysteries, this classic collection of short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes has you covered! I read this last fall and thoroughly enjoyed the spooky and mysterious descriptions in this. There may be some sporadic, strong language in this, as well as mentions of drinking and smoking.

The Howling Twenties trilogy by Jes Drew

For fantasy stories with a historical twist, I recommend checking out The Howling Twenties trilogy by Jes Drew. This series involves werewolves, a 1920s setting, Christian values, and a dash of romance. Though it’s been a few years since I read this trilogy, I enjoyed my time with it.

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

Daisy Darker is my current favorite mystery/thriller of all-time. Set on Halloween night, it makes for the perfect spooky read! Similar to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (which I haven’t read, but I plan to someday!), this book is set in the early 2000s and follows Daisy Darker, a woman who served as her Grandma’s inspiration to pen her famous children’s book. As the family is gathered at Grandma’s house for her 80th birthday party on a remote island, things go amiss when family members are picked off one by one. Who’s the culprit, and what do they have against the family? I promise you’ll be entertained, y’all.

Content Warning: This is a secular mystery/thriller, but this is one of the cleaner ones I’ve come across. The book includes sparse language (1 H word, 1 S word, British cuss words, 1 bleeped-out F word) and a scene where it’s implied minors are getting physical at a party. I would recommend this to readers ages 16+.

The Crush by Allyson Kennedy (Me!)

While the books in The Ballad of Emery Brooks trilogy can be read any time of year, because each book takes place over the span of a couple years, book one, The Crush offers a cozy fall feel. With scenes that take place during a Trunk or Treat at church, in the kitchen munching on cookies, reminiscing days gone by, and autumnal descriptions, this book is perfect for those gloomy fall days when all you want to do is stay inside and read. Readers must start with The Crush to get a full understanding of Emery’s story before picking up books two or three.

Content Warning: The first edition of The Crush contained the words crap and piss sporadically, but when The Dream released in late 2024, I edited those words out. This book features the death of a pet, deaths of loved ones, and a suicide attempt.

One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury

If you like historical fiction and are looking for something to read in September, I recommend picking up One Tuesday Morning. This book follows fictional characters as they live through the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and its aftermath. I won’t go into more details than that because this book is full of surprises, but I will say that it is written from a Christian perspective and I appreciate Kingsbury’s take on this tough time in America’s history.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This is yet another classic, but it’s one that has always screamed “fall” to me! To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story of Scout, a little girl growing up in the 1930s, as her father takes on the controversial duty of defending a Black man in court in Alabama, where racism was rampant. I’ve read this book two or three times since I was introduced to it during my junior year of high school (it’s actually one of the books that got me back into reading!) and, in my opinion, it’s a classic American novel that everyone should read.

Content Warning: As I mentioned, racism and prejudice play major roles in this book. The book includes foul language and racial slurs throughout. Concerning this and the subject of the court case, I would recommend this to readers ages 15+.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

This may as well be a fall classics post at this point, but I can’t offer fall book recommendations without including Anne of Green Gables. This Canadian classic follows an orphan named Anne who goes to live with her new parents in a farm town called Avonlea. While this book can be read any time of year, a good portion of it takes place in autumn. If you love hyper, imaginative characters who get into crazy situations, I cannot recommend this book enough! This book is widely enjoyed by all ages.

Autumn by the Sea by Melissa Tagg

If you’re in the mood for Christian romantic suspense with a fall feel, RUN to pick this one up! Featuring mysterious family secrets, a cozy blueberry farm, unexpected danger, and an adorable romance, Autumn by the Sea will keep you on your toes until the very end. This book is the first in Tagg’s Muir Harbor series, and though I haven’t read books two or three yet, this is a series I’m heavily anticipating picking back up in the future.

Can’t Help Falling by Courtney Walsh

Last but not least, if you haven’t heard of the Sweater Weather clean romcom series that came out a couple years ago, here’s your sign to check it out! The first book I picked up from this series was Can’t Help Falling, which was also my first Courtney Walsh book, and like many others before me, I fell in love with her writing. Set in the fictional town of Harvest Hollow in western North Carolina, this book follows Emmy as her childhood crush/best friend’s older brother, Owen, returns to town and rescues her from her burning home. Old sparks reignite as past feelings resurface. This book is completely clean from what I remember, and I would recommend it to readers 10+.

Talk to Me, Arrowheads!

Do you have any fall book recommendations that are not on this list? Please drop your recs below (especially if they’re for clean and Christian fiction!).

Aim high, stay strong, and always hit your mark.

-Allyson 😀