Fall Books to Put at the Top of Your Reading List for 2023

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

As much as we love our summer beach reads, we're ready to turn the page, put on a sweater, and get cozy with some fall books. Good news: The batch of new reads for 2023 is incredible, and you're sure to find something to curl up on the couch with. Some of our favorite authors, like Angie Kim, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Ann Patchett are back with new reads. Whether you like a murder mystery or a romance novel, there's something for you on this list (even a new Dolly Parton memoir)! If you're all about the spooky season, look no further than our list of Halloween books, and, when the holiday season rolls around, get ready to read a brand-new batch of holiday romance novels. As someone who reads more than 100 books a year, there's nothing I love more than discovering a new book and then telling my friends about it. Let these recommendations get you started on your fall reading adventures. I'll continue adding to this list throughout the season.

P.S. I'm including a few stand-out August reads that you may have missed.

Happiness Falls: A Novel

Kim, author of Miracle Creek, paints a portrait of a family in a horrible situation: A father heads out on a hike with his son, and only the son returns. The son, Eugene, has autism and Angelman's, and he is unable to tell his family what happened to his father. The story unfolds with Eugene's siblings, twins home from college due to the pandemic, and his mother trying to figure out what happened to the father and what secrets he was hiding. I was captivated from the first sentence of Angie Kim's new novel, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished.

(On sale 8/29)

The Wake-Up Call

Beth O'Leary has become a must-read author, with rom-coms like The Flatshare and The Road Trip at the top of our favorites list. She follows suit with The Wake-Up Call. Arch rivals Izzy and Lucas are forced to work together to save a seriously failing hotel. Along the way, they hatch a plan to reunite lost wedding rings with their owners. Expect some off-the-charts chemistry and banter between the enemies.

(On sale 9/26)

North Woods: A Novel

Pulitzer Prize finalist Daniel Mason returns with a highly anticipated novel, North Woods. The magical novel tells the story of one house in Massachusetts and the people who inhabit it over the course of centuries.

(On sale 9/19)

Family Lore

Elizabeth Acevedo (Clap When You Land, The Poet X) is one of the best voices of our time. In this novel, she delves into a Dominican American family through the eyes of the women, each of whom have a special gift. Flor's gift is to forsee a person's death. And after a particular dream, she decides to hold her own living wake, causing speculation among her family. The generations come together to celebrate her life as each of the women tell their own story and share their gifts.

The Good Part

Sophie Cousens returns with a delightful and thought-provoking new novel. In keeping with This Time Next Year and Just Haven't Met You Yet, she sprinkles some magic throughout the pages of The Good Part. Lucy Young is 26 and struggling, with her apartment, her finances, her love life... After a particularly bad date, she finds a wishing machine and asks it to fast-forward her life to the good part. She wakes up 16 years later with an attractive husband and a dream job, but is it worth skipping what it took to get there?

(On sale 11/7)

Sword Catcher

The author of the popular Shadowhunter Chronicles is back with a brand-new fantasy series for adults. Sword Catcher finds two outcasts (Kel, an orphan who serves as a body double to the royal heir, and Lin, a healer) drawn into a mysterious web. The novel promises magic and forbidden love in a criminal underworld.

(On sale 10/10)

The Long Game

Elena Armas became a Book Tok sensation with The Spanish Love Deception and The American Roommate Experiment. We expect the same for her latest novel, The Long Game. A soccer executive in the midst of a scandal and a retired soccer star pair up to coach a children's team in small-town North Carolina.

(On sale September 5)

Playing the Witch Card

This new novel by KJ Dell'antonia is being billed as "Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic" and honestly, say no more. Flair Hardwicke takes over her grandmother's bakery and unwittingly unleashes magic over the Kansas town when she bakes a batch of Tarot card cookies.

(On sale 9/12)

10 Things That Never Happened

Boyfriend Material is one of the funniest rom-coms I've read, and Alexis Hall's latest promises more of the same. Sam Becker manages a bed and bath store, and when his boss, Jonathan Forest, calls him in for a difficult meeting, Sam falls and fakes amnesia. This not-so-solid plan becomes even more complicated when the two start to develop feelings for each other.

(On Sale 10/17)

Bright Young Women

Something about fall weather begs for a thriller, and Jessica Knoll delivers with her latest. In Bright Young Women, a serial killer on the loose brings together two women in pursuit of justice. Knoll's novel is inspired by the real-life sorority that became the target of Ted Bundy in the 1970s.

(On sale September 19)

The Connellys of County Down

Tracey Lange follows up We Are the Brennans with another compelling family drama. Tara moves back home with her family after serving time on a drug charge and tries to rebuild her life. But she finds that her brother and sister are both struggling in their own ways. She finds hope with an unexpected new job that she loves and then begins an ill-advised romance. This is a novel about resilience and what it means to be a family, especially when times are really hard.

Tom Lake

This is a new personal favorite. Lara's three grown daughters rejoin her and her husband on their berry farm in Michigan during the pandemic. Lara entertains the daughters (they can't bear to turn on the news) as they work on the farm with stories from her youth, particularly of her career as an actress and her romance with a movie star. I absolutely loved the storytelling and Patchett's writing left me wanting more from this story and its characters. I can't wait to listen to the audiobook, read by Meryl Streep.

Perfectly Nice Neighbors

Salma, a Bangladeshi woman, moves to a new neighborhood with her family, and immediately tensions with their neighbors run high after a woman is caught vandalizing their anti-racist flag. This twisty page-turner promises a jaw-dropping ending.

(On sale 9/12)

Iron Flame (The Empyrean, 2)

The follow-up to Fourth Wing might just be the most anticipated book of the fall. Rebecca Yarros's fantasy series took over Book Tok with its dragons, romance, and shocking ending. Now, Violet is back after surviving her first year at Basgiath War College, but the training is even more grueling and the stakes are even higher. We can't wait.

(On sale 11/7)

Shoot the Moon

If you're looking for a book club pick, this is it. Isa Arsén's debut follows Annie Fisk, an NASA secretary during the Apollo 11 mission. An unexpected discovery has her questioning everything she knows to be true in this novel that is drawing comparisons to Lessons in Chemistry and The Time Traveler’s Wife.

(On sale 10/10)

Recipe for Second Chances

James Beard nominee Ali Rosen makes her fiction debut with Recipe for Second Chances. Stella Park's trip to Italy for her friend's wedding is upended when she discovers that her ex is also in the wedding party. Will the breathtaking scenery and incredible food bring them back together?

(On sale 11/1)

Heirloom Rooms: Soulful Stories of Home

Our favorite HGTV star is back with a new book, this time an ode to real homes and the stories within their walls. Erin Napier tells the stories of her own home in Laurel, Mississippi, and brings in some of her friends to tell their own.

(On Sale 10/3)

Not That Fancy

Reba's new book promises "Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots." Fans will find more than 60 recipes from the country queen, plus stories and photos from her incredible life.

(On sale 10/10)

The Helsinki Affair

This new novel by Anna Pitoniak is a must-read for fans of spy thrillers. CIA agent Amanda Cole must confront her father's past as she tries to thwart an international conspiracy. Will she be forced to choose between loyalty to her family and her allegiance to her country?

(On sale 11/14)

People to Follow

A group of 10 teenage social media influencers head to a remote island to star on a new reality show. Things quickly take a turn when the production crew fails to show up, and one of the teens turns up dead. The group finds themselves truly unplugged as they try to discover who is responsible for the deadly game.

(On sale 10/31)

RELATED: Best Books for Teens

House + Love = Home: Creating Warm, Intentional Spaces for a Beautiful Life

Jenny Marrs of Fixer to Fabulous combines photos of beautiful homes with practical tips and essays about her life in Bentonville, Arkansas. It's the perfect gift for any HGTV fan.

(On sale 11/14)

Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones

A book about Dolly Parton's fashion? Say less. The icon filled the volume with 450 photos of her incredible outfits, plus anecdotes about her life and career.

(On sale 10/17)

RELATED: Photos of Dolly Parton from Early in Her Career

The Vacation

Eight strangers come together in a hostel in Venice Beach, California. Each one has a secret, and will stop at nothing to keep it. This thriller will have you up past your bedtime.

(On sale 12/19)

Holly

Throughout Stephen King's illustrious career, Holly Gibney has remained a fan favorite character. She has made appearances in Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, and The Outsiders. Now she takes center stage in this new novel about Holly's Finders Keepers detective agency.

(On sale 9/5)

Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen

Sarah James takes readers to the glamorous Hollywood in 1943, where members of the show business industry host servicemen at the Hollywood Canteen. A film critic ends up dead in the kitchen, and it's up to murder mystery playwright Annie Laurence to catch the killer.

(On sale 11/7)

The Coworker

This twisty workplace thriller by Freida McFadden (The Housemaid) will have you flying through the pages. Everyone at Vixen, a nutritional supplement company, thinks Dawn is strange. But when she doesn't show up for work one day, her coworker Natalie gets caught up in her disappearance when she receives a mysterious phone call.

(On sale 8/29)

The Burnout

Sasha escapes her corporate job for a resort on the English countryside that she visited as a child. She arrives to find the resort in disrepair and inhabited by one other guest, the grumpy Finn. They're forced to interact when mysterious messages start showing up on the beach.

(On sale 10/10)

The Beginning of Everything

Jess Cavendish leaves a bad relationship behind and takes up residency in an unoccupied house. It turns out that the house is being renovated by Gethin Thomas, and when he finds her squatting in his home, he surprises them both by asking her to stay. Jess insists on helping with the renovation, and the two form an unlikely friendship that leads to deeper feelings.

(On sale 9/26)

You Might Also Like

• 70 Impressive Tiny Houses That Maximize Function and Style

• 30+ Paint Colors That Will Instantly Transform Your Kitchen