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Need some book ideas for your fall TBR list? Check out everything I’m planning to read this fall!
I’m a little late writing my seasonal TBR for fall 2025, but here we go! I love fall most of all, so I always overanalyze my TBR for this season.
I tend to reach for more thriller and horror books in fall, but I also find myself in the mood for fantasy books too. The days get shorter and life just feels cozier in the fall. It really makes me want to get lost in a good book!
I don’t have any rules to follow for my seasonal TBRs other than picking books from my own collection. I am still trying to prioritize my owned books, whether that is a physical book on my shelves or ebooks on my Kindle.
I have a mix of all genres on my TBR this fall, so there’s something for every one if you are still looking for book recommendations.
Thriller Books I Want To Read In Fall 2025
Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox
This is a debut locked room thriller about a Sweet Sixteen party gone wrong. I am expecting an unreliable narrator, unlikeable characters, and rich people drama!
I picked this from Aardvark Book Club in July 2025, so I don’t need to let too much time pass before I get to this one. It is still available on their app, so go join with my code ALLISON and grab your first book for $4.
Related: Is An Aardvark Book Club Subscription Box Worth It?
You Belong Here by Megan Miranda
Megan Miranda writes bingeable mystery/thriller books. They aren’t always a win for me, but this one features a college campus setting and I’m a sucker for that in thrillers!
I picked You Belong Here from Book of the Month in August 2025, so I won’t be too late reading it if I get to it this fall! It is still available on the app if you want to grab it in your next box! Join with my link and get your first book for $5!
Related: Is a Book of the Month Subscription Box Worth It?
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books I Want To Read In Fall 2025
Katabasis by R. F. Kuang
A dark academia where two students travel to Hell to bring back their professor and there’s a side of romance? Sign me up!
Katabasis will be my first book from R. F. Kuang! I have already started this but had to put it to the side after the first 100 pages. I’m enjoying it but it required more concentration than I could give it last month!
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
I’ve been waiting on this cozy fantasy book for over a year. The release date kept getting pushed back for some reason!
I really don’t know much about it, but I enjoyed the companion novel The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this too!
Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
This dark academia/romantasy novel is about a local legend that turns out to be real. If you find the Watch Man, he will tell you when you’re going to die, and the main character finds out she will die the next day at midnight unless she finds the Alchemical Heart.
This is Garber’s adult debut. I enjoyed Once Upon a Broken Heart, so I’m looking forward to reading this magical adventure set in Los Angeles!
Starter Villain by John Scalzi
It’s been so long since I grabbed this book from Aardvark Book Club that I’ve already forgotten exactly what it is about! But I bought the audiobook from Audible during a sale so I really want to get to it this fall. Wil Wheaton is the narrator!
Romance Books I Want To Read In Fall 2025
Mate by Ali Hazelwood
This is the sequel/companion novel to Hazelwood’s romantasy debut, Mate. I was super surprised by how much I loved that book, so I’ve been anticipating this follow up since last year!
Do I know what it’s about? Not really. But Hazelwood is an autobuy author for me, so I’m excited to get to this one this fall.
Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson
Lana Ferguson is another autobuy author for me! She wrote The Fake Mate in 2023 and continued her journey in paranormal romance books with Under Loch and Key in 2024. I sadly haven’t prioritized it, but I hope to read it this fall.
Ferguson has another fantasy romance book releasing in 2025 (The Mating Game), and it will be on my next seasonal TBR list!
The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover
I think this is going to be a more hard-hitting romance book about a bed and breakfast for the brokenhearted. I’m expecting a small town vibe with a side of unexpected romance.
Honorable Mentions
My TBR is already getting out of control, but I have some other magical realism/witchy romances I would love to read this fall if I have time.
Horror Books I Want To Read In Fall 2025
Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
I was super shocked to see Book of the Month had this in September and I had to get it because I love a haunted house story. This one reminds me of Home Before Dark by Riley Sager because it’s about a woman who is fixing up her childhood home after inheriting it. I have a feeling there will be some twists along the way and hopefully a lot of scares!
The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong
Another shocking pick from Book of the Month, but I’m here for it! This is another paranormal story about a haunted lake house that a woman inherits. I’m expecting some hard hitting trauma and scares from this story.
The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi
A final girl living in a retirement home? Sign me up! I hope this is not too gory for me, but I love a good slasher movie, so I thought I would try this slasher horror pick from Aardvark Book Club.
More On The Blog
- How to Reset Your Reading Habit This Fall (with a 7-Day Challenge)
- Best New Fantasy Books of 2025
- Book Review: Overruled by Lana Ferguson
What’s on your autumn reading list this year? Share your favorite fall 2025 book releases or cozy backlist picks in the comments. And if you’re building your own seasonal TBR, don’t forget to pin this post or bookmark it for inspiration all season long!
Happy fall reading and here’s to a TBR pile as colorful as the autumn leaves! 🍁
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