book recommendations fall

5 great books that will put you in the mood for fall

September 28, 2018
Fall books

This week was the first official week of fall, and the weather here cooperated beautifully.  Yesterday was cool and cloudy – a perfect reading day! But if the weather isn’t enough to put you in the mood for fall, try one of these great reads!  

September by Rosamunde Pilcher


I am a big Rosamunde Pilcher fan.  She is the definition of hygge. This is an older book, first published in 2005, but the story is charming and and the setting description is perfect.  It takes place in Scotland, where a ball is planned on the Strathcroy manor. One thing I particularly love about Pilcher’s writing is her flair for description.  You will feel that you are in Scotland, along with the characters – and what a comfy place to be in the fall! This is a good story that will give you a little autumnal escape.  Enjoy!

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 

An oldie, but a goodie!  This classic mystery tells the tale of a nameless narrator who is completely overshadowed by her husband’s first wife, Rebecca.  What were the circumstances surrounding Rebecca’s death and what is Maxim keeping from her? The story is set at their home, Manderley, a great English estate by the sea, where its often cool and rainy.  This book will make you want to curl up under a blanket with a cup of Earl Grey and read all afternoon! Side note – this is one of the rare instances where I would give the book AND the movie 5 stars. If you don’t have time to read the book, definitely check out the movie!

What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan

It’s every mother’s nightmare.  You take your son to the park, get distracted for a few minutes, then turn around to find he’s gone.  Rachel is devastated when her son, Ben, disappears while taking a walk in the woods.  The search for him, led by DI Clemo, begins and the case becomes a national story. Public opinion plays a significant role as people share their opinions over social media.  Rachel, just overcoming a devastating divorce, has to pull herself together to find her son, and examine what she’s known all along. This book will keep you hooked on a rainy fall day, so make sure you have plenty of time when you sit down to read it!

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Fall marks the beginning of hockey season and nowhere is this more important than in the small village of Beartown, which has seen hard times in the last few years.  The people of Beartown have pinned all their hopes on their junior hockey team, finally good enough this year to make it to the national semifinals. This is a lot of responsibility and a little too much celebrity, for a group of teenage boys. It all comes crashing down when a young girl comes forward, the victim of a violent act at a high school party.  The community takes sides, and it is up to a few brave boys to stand up and do the right thing.  This book was an interesting look into community – how far people will go to win and what it takes to stand up for what is right.  

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

What is creepier than a glass house in the middle of a dark, dark, wood?  Nora finds out when she is asked to go to the bachelorette party of her friend, Clare, who she hasn’t seen for the last ten years.  Nora is shocked to learn that Clare is engaged to her old boyfriend, James.  Nervous about attending, but decides at the last minute to go.  The party, in the middle of the Northumberland woods, starts off fine, but ends in disaster when an intruder is shot and killed by one of the guests of the party. What really happened that night?  And who is responsible? This book reminded me of And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie. It’s an eerie mystery that will get you in the mood for fall!

Thanks for reading this post!  Until next time, happy fall reading!

Click here to see 5 books you’ll want to reread again and again!

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  • Moms love learning September 30, 2018 at 9:16 am

    Thanks for the list. I had already read Rebecca and liked it very much. I have not read the other books yet but they seem interesting and definitely worth reading.
    I find your description of Beartown very good but I believe a part of the last sentence is missing.

    • admin September 30, 2018 at 7:51 pm

      You are right! Thanks for the heads up. I fixed the Bear Town paragraph. Rebecca is one of my favorite all time books and movies. It is a classic!

  • Christine September 30, 2018 at 6:34 pm

    I know a ton of people who are reading Bear Town this season. I might have to get on board and give it a try.

    What She Knew sounds really good, too.

    If you see 100 follow notifications from me it is because my WP reader is SO buggy lately. It doesn’t even notify me of my own new blog posts like it should lol. Oh dear. Sorry about that! But I look forward to following you.

    • admin September 30, 2018 at 7:50 pm

      Thanks so much for the follow! I appreciate it. I hope you like Bear Town. Let me know if you give it a try!

  • Entertainingly Nerdy October 2, 2018 at 11:14 am

    This is a great list. Haven’t heard of any of them but I will have to check them out!

    • admin October 2, 2018 at 11:34 pm

      Thanks! I hope you like them. Happy fall!

  • Melissia October 4, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    I haven’t read any of these! So many books, so little time…but some that I am going to move to the top of my list! What She Knew might be number one now.

    • admin October 4, 2018 at 10:08 pm

      That was a good one! Hope you like it as much as I did! 🙂