Book List: Best Books To Read This Fall

The Secret History by Donna Tartt is probably on just about every “best books to read this Fall” list out there. It’s certainly one that I always include when recommending a great read.

The novel follows a tight-knit group of college students who murder one of their friends. Tartt begins the story with the murder, so it’s not a who-done-it but rather a why. Set in a liberal, New England school and centered around a group of students studying the classics and Greek, it definitely falls into the genre of dark academia. (In fact, it’s often credited as the grandfather of the aesthetic.)

It’s beautifully written, suspenseful, and intelligent.

Laura Hankin’s bestselling novel, A Special Place For Women is about a secret, underground girls club in New York City.

The club, Nevertheless, is exclusively for women, but only the most important and influential women are invited to join. They’re the NYC elite, the taste-makers, the ones with enough power and influence to make things happen. There are plenty of rumors surrounding the club and its members. So, to find out the truth, journalist Jillian Beckley decides to infiltrate the club.

But it’s far more dangerous than she realizes.

The Girls by Emma Cline is loosely inspired by the Manson Family and the infamous murder of actress Sharon Tate.

Set in the late 1960’s, the novel centers around Evie, a California teenager who is drawn to a seemingly free-spirited and alluring group of young women living in a ranch with a man named Russell. Of course, it turns out to be a cult, but Evie doesn’t see the danger or abuse happening.

She joins them and what follows is a thrilling and thoughtful coming-of-age story.

Ashley Audrain’s debut novel, The Push, was hands down the best book I read in 2021. It’s a psychological drama centered around motherhood and family.

When newlyweds Blythe and Fox have a baby, Blythe is determined to be a good mother to Violet. Over time, she becomes convinced that there’s something wrong with her daughter. She doesn’t feel connected to Violet, but Fox says it’s all in her head.

Then, their son, Sam, is born and finally Blythe feels the maternal connection she’s been longing for. But her blissful life is cut short by a tragic event.

Without giving too much away, let’s just say that this is an incredibly beautiful and heartbreaking novel that you won’t be able to put down.

One Of Us Is Lying is a Young Adult thriller by Karen McManus.

The novel begins with five high school students walking into detention. Only one of them never makes it out again. Simon, who created the school’s infamous gossip blog, dies in detention and according to the police, his death wasn’t an accident. Then, it’s discovered that Simon was planning to post juicy secrets about all four of his classmates, making all of them prime suspects.

Despite the high-school setting, this is a book I’d recommend to anyone who loves a good mystery.

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have co-written several fantastic domestic thrillers together. Most recently, I read (and loved!) The Golden Couple.

An Anonymous Girl is one that I haven’t yet read, but the premise sounds incredibly intriguing. Jessica Farris joins a psychological study about ethics and morality to earn money. Her behavior is monitored and manipulated. As the study continues, the line between what is real and what is one of Dr. Shield’s experiments starts to blur.

Again, I haven’t had a chance to delve into this one just yet, but it’s on my TBR list of best books to read this Fall for sure!

The Last Thing He Told Me, the best-selling domestic thriller by Laura Dave, is set to become a miniseries starring Jennifer Garner.

I recently read this one and I have to say, I can see it making a good on-screen adaptation.

Hannah and Owen have been married for one year when Owen suddenly disappears. The company he works for is being investigated for embezzlement and, when news of the scandal breaks, he goes on the run. Before he leaves, he manages to get a note to Hannah which reads, Protect Her. He is, of course, referring to his 16-year-old daughter, Bailey. As Hannah comes to realize that her husband isn’t who he says he is, she starts to put the pieces of his past together.

Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my favorite authors. She wrote several fantastic books including The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and (my personal favorite) Daisy Jones and the Six.

This year, she’s got another novel. Carrie Soto is Back (released August 30) is one that will absolutely be on my reading this this season. I’ve read every one of her past books and I’m sure I’ll devour this one as well.

The novel centers around Carrie Soto, a tennis champion who decides to come out of retirement when an up-and-coming player is set to break her record. I’m not much of a sports person, but anything by Ms. Reid will hold my attention.

I’ve read several of Alice Feeney’s books before, so this is another new August release I’m excited to read.

Daisy Darker is thriller about a family reunion that ends in murder. According to the synopsis, Daisy and her family are gathering on a tiny tidal island to celebrate her grandmother’s birthday. But, when midnight strikes, Nana is found dead. An hour later, another family member dies.

The Darker family has been avoiding each other for years and each of them hold secrets of their own. I think it’s safe to say this sounds like a delicious mystery filled with scandal and thrills.

Jennette McCurdy’s recently published memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, has gotten a lot of attention lately. But not just because of the attention-grabbing title. The book is being highly praised and it’s one that I’m especially eager to read.

If you aren’t aware of who she is, Jennette McCurdy is a former Nickelodeon child star. She was in iCarly and Sam and Cat alongside Ariana Grande. She’s been plenty open in the past about her negative experiences as a child actor and this is another candid, behind the scenes look.

Here, she details her life in the entertainment industry, her struggles with an eating disorder, and her complicated relationship with an abusive mother.