A Dozen Must-Read Books to Add to Your Fall Reading List
Posted October 27, 2025 by Prairie Wife -
Fall is the perfect season to slow down, reflect, and get lost in a good story. This perfectly curated list of a dozen must-read books will help you make the most of your autumn reading time!
As always, I have links for each book so you can purchase them! If you’re like me and love listening to books, make sure you use Libro.fm whenever you can. It works just like Audible, but some of each purchase goes to a local Indie Bookstore of your choice.
All the Other Mother’s Hate Me by Sara Harman
I began reading this book, and not being a fan of its main character, Florence Grimes. Florence is a thirty-one-year-old party girl who ALWAYS takes the easy way out. There is no doubt that she loves her son Alfie, but that doesn’t mean she takes care of him in the way that he needs. When Alfie’s bully, Dylan, goes missing, Florence realizes she must step up and solve the case before the police do. If she doesn’t, the repercussions could be disastrous for Alfie. There are some great comedic details in this novel, and the plot twists will keep you guessing. While this crime novel has all the thrills you’d expect, it also has a softer heart and a redemption story in it that I really enjoyed.
Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang
Julie Chan is living a life she hates as a supermarket cashier, barely scraping by, while her twin sister Chloe VanHuusen is living a life of utter glam as a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the twins had an almost nonexistent relationship. An unexpected twist of fate allows Julie to step into her sister’s life without anyone knowing. The result is the money and fun-fueled life of her dreams…until she begins to see that Chloe’s life may have been influenced more by dark secrets and manipulation rather than her talents. Part thriller, and part social commentary on today’s social media-fueled lifestyles, this book was one I absolutely could not stop reading!
I loved Sangu Mandanna’s book “The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches” (read my review in this post), and I was not disappointed at all in her most recent novel. Just as in her first novel, Mandanna takes us to a world where witches and magic exist, but are tightly controlled by rules and a hierarchy that no one dares question. Sera Swan was one of the most powerful witches in the world, until fate took away almost all of her powers and sent her back to the inn of her childhood. She lives there with a mismatch of quirky characters and the ghosts of who she used to be. When the same fate that stole everything from her brings the chance to gain it all back, Sera must decide if she can do what it takes to change things not only for herself, but for the future of those like her.
I am a MASSIVE Trisha Ashley fan, and I have been writing reviews of her books since the very beginning of this blog 12 years ago! This reprint of her novel “Lord Rayven’s Revenge” is a bit of a departure from what Ashley normally writes, because it takes place both in modern-day England and in a gothic past. Cleo Finch has dedicated years to researching and writing her thesis on the works of a Gothic novelist named Orlando Browne. She knows that Browne was the pen name of a female author, Alys Weston, but she hasn’t been able to prove it. Until her uncle gives her Alys Weston’s diary, and she becomes absorbed in the story within. Ashley fans will find everything they love about her books in this novel…Strong female leads, beautiful English settings, brooding men, and a quirky, fast-paced plot that will keep you happily reading for hours.
The Letter Carrier by Francesca Giannone
This book was a bit of a surprise. I thought it would be a typical WWII-era novel set in a small village in Italy. I thought it would be the standard hero-and-villain story… but it wasn’t. The main character of the story is Anna, a well-read woman who returns to the village of her husband’s youth and stirs things up with her strange behavior. Not only does she read anything and everything, but she decides one day to become the town’s first-ever female letter carrier. In my opinion, this book is more about family and the push-and-pull of relationships between people brought together by marriage. It’s about doing what you think is right and learning that even the best of intentions can result in unforeseen harm to those you love. It’s about living a life that is true to who you are, and it’s a gripping novel full of emotion and fascinating stories.
The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Gray by Kathleen Kaufman
Spiritualism has reached a fever pitch in the late 20th century, and Nairna Liath travels all over the Scottish countryside with her charlatan father, Tavish, putting on shows at fairs and doing card readings for the elite. It’s all a scam… except when Nairna reads the cards, she knows what she sees is the truth. Nairna and her father are rescued from homelessness by a well-connected stranger, and Nairna is enjoying a new, secure life among Edinburgh’s elite Spiritualist circle. In a parallel plot line that takes place 40 years earlier, Lottie is fighting for the rights of her and the other women married to miners killed in a terrible collapse. Her activism lands her in an asylum, and what happens next, while not surprising to those of us who are familiar with the true nature of such institutions, is horrific. After Narina and Lottie’s timelines collide during an evening of psychic performance, Narina moves to America to avoid prosecution and changes her name to Nora Grey. As her seances get increasingly chaotic and powerful, it’s clear that Nairna must discover who Lottie is to save them both. This gothic thriller is perfect for reading while curled up under a cozy blanket on a wet, windy, cloudy day!
You Belong Here by Megan Miranda
Beckett has done her best to stay away from the small college town where she grew up. The mysterious death of two men that occurred in her freshman year on the campus, and her roommate’s disappearance shortly after, led to confusion and fear she hasn’t ever been able to let go of. But when her daughter, Delilah, secretly applies to Wyatt College and earns a full scholarship, Beckett is drawn back into the darkness she’s tried so hard to avoid.
I began following Jen Hatmaker and her blog well over a decade ago, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Her book “Of Mess and Moxie” was a favorite of mine when I was a mom with a house full of young Cowkids. Her social media posts and podcast continue to pop up in my regular feed, and I still enjoy her message of being authentically yourself as much now as I did then. Her latest memoir, “Awake,” has been highly anticipated by her fans. Not only does she finally address her divorce (something that was a HUGE deal in the blogger/influencer sphere), but she also shares so much of what she’s learned along the way as she creates a new life for herself and her family. While I am sure reading this book will be valuable, I encourage you to listen to it. Hatmaker reads the entire thing, and her voice and emotion add a fantastic layer to this memoir that I think you’d miss if you read it. She also has a few extra comments and clips that you won’t have access to in the book.
Colette Marceau has been stealing jewels her entire life. She is following the centuries-old code of honor instilled in her by her mother, Annabel: take only from the cruel and unkind, and give to those in need. During the Second World War, the two worked side by side in Paris to help fund the French Resistance. But one night in 1942, Annabel is arrested by the Germans, and Colette’s four-year-old sister, Liliane, disappears during the raid. With the loss of her sister, a precious set of bracelets is forever separated. Until 70 years later, when Colette sees the bracelet in a museum! What follows is a twisted tale of deception, lies, the fight to survive, and the constant battle between what is truly right and good… and how humans can find ways to justify any action. Fans of WWII historical fiction will love this novel.
Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores
This thriller had me on the edge of my seat…and while I think it is technically a “beach read” it’s going to be the right choice no matter what time of year it is. Nora Davis is a newcomer to Winter Park, Florida. She’s the second (and much younger) wife of Will Somerset, a prominent and very wealthy lawyer. When Will suddenly goes missing, Nora is the prime suspect. While trying to prove her innocence, we’re allowed a look into the dirty underbelly of the rich and elite…and it’s fantastic.
Ann Stilwell is in NYC, where her dreams are beginning to come true as she works as a curatorial associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In an unexpected twist, she finds herself assigned to The Cloisters, a Gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval art collection. Along with her esteemed coworkers, she dedicates her time to studying the history of divination. As her boss becomes increasingly obsessed with a set of ancient Tarot Cards, Ann finds herself drawn into a twisted tale of the occult and an age-old search for power and control. Will she be able to unravel the truth, or will she instead find herself giving in to the dark influence of those around her?
In San Francisco in 1866, a nun gave birth to a daughter named Emilia del Valle. She is the love child of an affair with a Chilean aristocrat. Her mother keeps her, and Emilia is lovingly raised by her stepfather. Thanks to his influence, she is independent and willful — a strong-willed woman ahead of her time. At the age of seventeen, she began publishing short stories under a man’s pen name. Emilia eventually turns to journalism and convinces an editor at The Daily Examiner to hire her. She is paired with another talented reporter, Eric Whelan, and the two travel to Chile to cover the rapidly escalating Civil War. This epic novel showcases the strength and resilience of the human spirit, beautifully capturing both the joys and horrors of life. It’s a story of discovery and love, a tale that left me sitting in thoughtful silence for a long time afterward.
The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner
Fans of “The Lost Apothecary” won’t be disappointed with this novel. Just like that book “The Amalfi Curse” bounces back and forth between modern times and the past. Haven Ambrose is a nautical archaeologist still struggling with her father’s death. She arrives in Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast, with a secret true purpose. Haven is hoping to find priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive in the same location. As Haven searches for her father’s treasure, she begins to unearth a centuries-old tale of ancient sorcery and one woman’s quest to save her lover and her village by using the legendary art of stregheria, a magical ability to harness the ocean. Haven must learn the truth of the Amalfi Curse and solve a tragic mystery from the past before it’s too late.
Bonus Mentions (aka Other Entertaining Things I Love That Aren’t Books)
Minister of Loneliness by Matt Boren is a short, poignant Audible Original that had me absolutely captivated.
Mistletoe Murders (3-part series with part 4 being released in November 2025). This is an easy-to-listen-to crime podcast that follows Emily Lane (owner of a Christmas Store in a small town). She can’t seem to get away from her mysterious past, and murder and mayhem seem to follow her no matter how hard she tries. This is now being turned into a Hallmark Series!
Netflix Documentary: Unknown Number. This documentary is eerily similar to my own daughter’s stalking case. I recommend watching it, then our video series on the similarities and differences between our case and the movie, and what we can learn from them.
Unicorn Girl Podcast True Crime podcast lovers will be captivated by this podcast about a Utah influencer and the insane things she got away with while hiding behind her online (and real-world) fake persona.
Categories: Book Reviews, Reviews
Tags: , 2025 reading list, A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping, All the Other Mothers Hate Me, autumn reading list, Awake, best fall books, cozy reads, fall book recommendations, fall reading list, Francesca Giannone, Happy Wife, Isabel Allende, jen hatmaker, Julie Chan Is Dead, Kathleen Kaufman, Katy Hays, Kendall Shores, Kristin Harmel, Liann Zhang, Megan Miranda, Meredith Lavender, must-read books, My Name Is Emilia del Valle, Sangu Mandanna, Sara Harman, Sarah Penner, The Amalfi Curse, The Book of Lost Stories, The Cloisters, The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Gray, The Letter Carrier, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, trisha ashley, You Belong Here
