Our Top Fall Book Recommendations for 2025
Happy Fall, Bookworms! 🍂
As the days get shorter and the air gets crisper, there's nothing better than curling up with a new book and a warm drink. We at Starlit Prose believe that every season is book season, but there's something truly special about autumn. To help you find your next great read, we've put together a list of some of the most anticipated books for the fall, based on what readers are buzzing about.
Contemporary & Historical Fiction
This season offers a rich tapestry of stories, from deeply moving contemporary novels to historical tales that transport you to another time.
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy
The wilderness cited in this new novel from author Angela Flournoy (The Turner House) refers to that fraught and consequential period between young adulthood and midlife plateau. The book follows five American Black women as they navigate this tricky terrain—and fight to preserve their friendship—in the first wobbly years of the new millennium.
Release date: September 16
Heart the Lover by Lily King
Author Lily King has earned a loyal readership with her novels rooted in the complexity of the human heart. King’s latest story evokes the salad days of youth with a literary love triangle among ambitious young English majors. Many years later, the past comes barging in with secrets, regrets, and a few consequences in tow. Stupid past.
Release date: September 30
Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite
So far as her family is concerned, young Eniiyi is the reincarnation of her dead Auntie Mo, doomed to repeat her tragic life thanks to an ancient family curse. But Eniiyi is a modern Nigerian woman, with her own life to live. As with her breakthrough 2018 novel, My Sister, the Serial Killer, author Oyinkan Braithwaite blends romance and wicked humor into warm family drama.
Release date: November 4
Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards
Set in 13th-century Belgium, this debut novel from Janet Rich Edwards introduces teenage Aleys, who flees an arranged marriage to join a sisterhood of rogue mystics in the streets of Bruges. By way of vivid historical fiction, author Edwards is digging for deeper truths about women and the world at large. Bonus trivia: Edwards is also a professor of epidemiology at Harvard.
Release date: December 2
Mysteries & Thrillers
If you love a good puzzle, these books are perfect for a cozy night in. Be prepared for plot twists that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham
The latest from Southern thriller specialist Stacy Willingham (A Flicker in the Dark) follows Claire Campbell, an investigative journalist who takes a summer job at a vineyard in coastal South Carolina. Claire’s subsequent discovery of an old diary leads to disturbing revelations about a very grim, very personal, 20-year-old cold case.
Release date: August 26
The Impossible Fortune (Thursday Murder Club, #5) by Richard Osman
Richard Osman’s wildly popular Thursday Murder Club series continues with this latest mystery, in which our septuagenarian sleuths crack the case of an upcoming wedding and a missing Best Man. Did you know that the Netflix film adaptation of the first book is slated to debut August 28? It’s true. Helen Mirren! Pierce Brosnan! Sir Ben Kingsley!
Release date: September 30
The Intruder by Freida McFadden
f you like your psychological thrillers mixed with a bit of heavy weather survival drama, consider this latest story from industrious genre ace Freida McFadden. Specific details are scarce on this one, but the book evidently features a remote wilderness cabin in the path of a titanic incoming hurricane. Also, a young girl with a dubious story. And a big knife.
Release date: October 7
Boom Town by Nic Stone
When a new dancer disappears from Atlanta’s most notorious Black strip club, former headliner Michah “Lyriq” Johanssen must delve back into her past to uncover a devastating truth. Several, actually. Early readers are seriously digging this harrowing mystery-thriller and its willingness to ask uncomfortable questions about sex, race, and power.
Release date: October 14
The Widow by John Grisham
The godfather of the legal thriller returns with what is being described as a traditional whodunit-style murder mystery. There’s a widow involved, as alert readers will have already deduced. Plus a small-town lawyer, a big-time inheritance, and a growing pile of very convenient circumstantial evidence. Early readers are also reporting a twist or two, so be careful with spoilers.
Release date: October 21
Fantasy Novels
Step into worlds filled with magic, adventure, and unforgettable characters. These fantasy reads are the perfect escape from the everyday.
Alchemised by SenLinYu
Dark fantasy readers will want to poke around the writings of the author known as SenLinYu, who has been quietly assembling an online army of devoted fans with her dark-side fan fiction. The author’s new novel introduces a world of necromancers and alchemists that may feel eerily familiar—think of it as an extended riff on the alchemy of applied storytelling.
Release date: September 23
Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
Evidently, alchemy is a thing this year: Beloved YA author Stephanie Garber makes her adult debut with this intriguing variation on paranormal romance, dark academia, and old-school urban fantasy. The gist: A mythology and folklore class leads a young woman into a shadow world of magic just beneath the glossy surface of Los Angeles.
Release date: October 7
Fallen City (Fallen City Duology, #1) by Adrienne Young
North Carolina author Adrienne Young has been nominated for numerous Goodreads Choice awards over the years, thanks to her inventive takes on SFF themes—pirates, Vikings, temporal loops—for both YA and adult readers. Her latest adult novel promises fantasy and romance in a sprawling ancient city with dual POVs, Greco-Roman vibes, and some timeline jumps.
Release date: November 4
The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy, #2) by James Islington (My personal most awaited!)
Recommended for fans of Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss, the Hierarchy series from Australian author James Islington has been embraced by readers who like their epic fantasy gritty and grim and packed with big ideas. This follow-up to 2023’s The Will of the Many continues the story of one young man’s ferocious resistance against imperial might. Only now, he’s three young men. Crazy story.
Release date: November 11
I, Medusa by Ayana Gray
Rethinking Greek mythology from the ground up, this ambitious novel from author Ayana Gray (the Beasts of Prey series) reimagines Medusa as a resourceful young woman in the bustling markets and austere temples of ancient Athens. When the gods try to play their cruel games, Meddy opts to skip the victim thing entirely and go straight to vigilante. The hair—that’s just a bonus.
Release date: November 18
Romance & Romantasy
For those who love a good love story, whether it's grounded in reality or soaring with magic, these are the books for you.
Wild Card (Rose Hill, #4) by Elsie Silver
Elsie Silver’s popular Rose Hill series concludes with one final tale of small-town contemporary Western romance. This time around, Silver tackles a trope she’s never wrestled with before when Gwen falls hard for fire pilot Sebastian “Bash” Rousseau. The complicating factor? Bash is Gwen’s ex-boyfriend’s dad. Hoo, boy. Returning fans will note that this installment’s winning cover art color: purple.
Release date: September 9
Good Spirits (Ghosted, #1) by B.K. Borison
Meanwhile, contemporary cozy author B.K. Borison is getting into the paranormal side of the holiday romance. Good Spirits introduces Nolan Callahan, whose spectral existence as the Ghost of Christmas Past is necessarily lonesome. But things start looking up when Nolan agrees to help antiques dealer Harriet York sort out her own past. Advance readers are praising the clever and happy ending.
Release date: October 21
The Defender (Gods of the Game, #2) by Ana Huang
Vincent DuBois, captain of the Blackcastle Football Club—that’s soccer, you Yanks—is in a real predicament. He’s temporarily sharing a flat with sports nutritionist Brooklyn Armstrong, who also happens to be his coach’s daughter. There’s probably a joke in here about scoring, but we’re trying to run a classy operation. Ana Huang has the details in this new installment of her Gods of the Game sports romance series.
Release date: October 28
Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross
With her much-admired 2023 novel, Divine Rivals, author Rebecca Ross introduced her Letters of Enchantment duology and staked out new imaginative territories in the romantasy realms. Her new book is a kind of prequel standalone story, set in the same world, featuring mortal and immortal love. Returning readers, rest assured: Written correspondence is still central to the proceedings.
Release date: September 2
Bonds of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #2) by Jasmine Mas
Book number two in Jasmine Mas’ Villains of Lore series centers on the adventures—martial, carnal, and otherwise—of a female Hercules in a kind of alternate Greek mythology. Our heroine Alexis has a whole new set of problems this time around, what with the Olympians, the Titans, and Alexis’ own husbands. Plural. Bonus trivia: Author Mas has a degree in Greco-Roman classical studies from Georgetown.
Release date: October 28
Brimstone (Fae & Alchemy, #2) by Callie Hart
In her follow-up to last year’s epic romantasy, Quicksilver, author Callie Hart continues the story of thief-turned-queen Saeris Fane and the handsome fae warrior known as Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. (Just call him Fisher.) Readers of the first book continue to say nice things about Hart’s overall worldbuilding and her creative variations on both romance and fantasy tropes.
Release date: November 18
Other Genres to Explore
From chilling horror to mind-bending sci-fi and compelling young adult tales, there's something for every reader this fall.
Sci-Fi
Step into the future with these imaginative tales, where new worlds, advanced technology, and thought-provoking concepts await. These books are perfect for readers who love a good escape to a reality far different from our own.
The Once and Future Me by Melissa Pace
Dorothy Frasier is a paranoid schizophrenic, recently admitted to the Hanover State Psychiatric Hospital in Virginia, 1964. That’s what the doctors are telling her, anyway. But Dorothy knows they’re wrong. She’s actually a time traveler from the bleak future, on a mission to save humankind. Well, she’s pretty sure. Is Melissa Pace’s buzzy debut dystopian sci-fi or psychological thriller? Let’s find out!
Release date: August 19
Local Heavens by K.M Fajardo
Billed as a reimagining of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic The Great Gatsby, Local Heavens follows the adventures of Filipino computer hacker Nick Carraway in New York City circa 2075. Debut author K.M. Fajardo introduces all kinds of interesting twists, including transhumanism, queer romance, and several updates to 1980s cyberpunk tropes. Check the Goodreads book page for a note from the author.
Release date: October 14
Horror
For those who enjoy a thrill, these chilling stories are guaranteed to keep you up all night. Explore haunted rooms and terrifying scenarios that will test the limits of your courage and imagination.
Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
Subtitled “A Haunted House Novel,” this new scary story from author Rachel Harrison (Cackle) puts a 21st-century spin on the well-worn horror template. The setup: Influencer Clio Barnes, hoping to generate some house-flipping content, returns to her recently inherited and supposedly haunted childhood home. She soon discovers that her mom was right, all those years ago. They’re heeeeere…
Release date: September 9
The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Canas
The latest story from Isabel Cañas (The Hacienda) invites readers to a remote silver mine in northern Mexico, circa 1765, where a malevolent demonic force has been awakened. Cañas specializes in carefully researched speculative fiction inspired by her work as a historian and linguist. Also look for some Gothic-style romance underneath the historical horror.
Release date: August 19
We love you, Bunny by Mona Awad
Fans of Mona Awad’s 2019 monster hit, Bunny, will want to check in on this new one, designed to function as a prequel, sequel, and standalone story. Having survived her acquaintance with the twisted clique from her MFA program, Samantha returns to campus on a book tour. But the Bunnies don’t like Samantha’s new book. They don’t like it one bit.
Release date: September 23
Bad Things Happened in this Room by Marie Still
Willow Hawthorne hasn’t been well for a long, long time. Wandering her home and garden, Willow is pretty sure that time isn’t moving like it’s supposed to. Her only friend is a little girl who appears in the garden. But now she’s gone, too. Is Willow trapped in her home? Or in her head? Florida author Marie Still (My Darlings) delivers another uneasy descent into psychological horror.
Release date: September 16
Young Adult
Discover coming-of-age stories filled with magic, mystery, and relatable high-stakes drama. These titles are perfect for younger readers and anyone who enjoys a captivating story of self-discovery and adventure.
A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford
This one looks like fun: The new cozy fantasy from Mara Rutherford introduces Willow Stokes, a teenage magic shop owner who is entirely aware—like the rest of the town—that her merchandise is fake. That’s when outlander Brianna Hargrave shows up with her particular knack: Everything she touches turns to magic. Real magic. Events progress, and the two young women embark on a most unusual fetch quest.
Release date: October 21
Fake Skating by Lynn Painter
More Midwest adventures this fall as author Lynn Painter (Better Than the Movies) delivers a new YA romance set in Minnesota. Childhood besties Dani and Alec reunite as teenagers in their hockey-loving small town, only to find that things are so much more confusing in high school. Ain’t that the truth. The fake-dating scheme isn’t helping, either.
Release date: September 30
Hazelthorn by C.G Drews
Australian author C.G. Drews (Don't Let the Forest In) is back in the game this fall with Hazelthorn, a blend of Gothic horror, queer romance, and YA fantasy. The setup: Evander has just inherited the Hazelthorn estate from his late guardian. But when greedy family vultures start circling, Evander must turn to his sworn enemy for help. Also: The haunted garden out back is freaking out.
Release date: October 28
The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer
Mallory Fontaine sees dead people. But it’s not as useful as you might think, so she and her sister also run tours at the haunted Saphir mansion. When a real murder takes place on the estate, Mallory must solve mysteries both spectral and corporeal. Author and retelling specialist Marissa Meyer (Cinder) updates the old Bluebeard folktale with new twists and a slow-burn romance.
Release date: November 4
Nonfiction
Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
Author and activist Arundhati Roy won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1997 for her modern classic novel The God of Small Things. With her first foray into the memoir format, Ray excavates her loving but complex relationship with her late mother. Roy also reflects on how her upbringing continues to fuel her efforts as a tireless advocate for peace, justice, and human rights.
Release date: September 2
All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert
Another intimate memoir from another celebrated writer, All the Way to the River is the latest in candid revelation from author and journalist Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love). The new book centers on Gilbert’s relationship with her partner, Rayya Elias, who died in 2018. From there, the book moves both outward and inward, exploring issues of love, addiction, and that baffling human instinct toward self-destruction.
Release date: September 9
Happy reading, and don't forget to visit our shop for all the Fall Cozy shirts & accessories you'll need for your fall reading marathon! 💖
