Spooky Reads for Your Fall Reading List

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

As someone who looks forward to fall every year, the summer-like weather that has been ruining the fall spirit. However, I’m still looking forward to my fall favorites: Halloween, pumpkin spice everything, the leaves changing color. One activity that I particularly enjoy, even year-round, is reading. I’m a huuuuuge reader and I try to make time to do so as much as possible, even with midterms coming up. For my bookworms that are struggling to find a nice book to read as the days (hopefully) get chillier, you can take a look at my reading list for inspiration.

My most recent purchase at Barnes and Noble was Tara French’s In the Woods, which is the first book in her series Dublin Murder Squad. It’s about two Irish detectives who decide to reopen a cold case after a 12-year-old girl was murdered in the same area as their investigation. I think it fits the horror narrative of fall and as an avid mystery lover, a mystery book with twists and turns is always something I am going to dive into. If you’re not someone who enjoys long series, be warned: this is a six-book series. 

Original photo by Ananya Nair

Another murder mystery: The Enigma of Room 622 by Joël Dicker. It takes place in a hotel where the main character is attempting to rest after his publisher dies when he discovers there is a murder in room 622. A few of my friends recommended this book to me and as someone who struggles to find new books to read, I was eager to add this to my fall reading list. 

I’m also a huge fan of reading books before watching the movie, so I want to add Atonement by Ian McEwan to the list. I’ve already watched the movie and I really liked it, so I feel safe in recommending this for your reading list. If you’re not familiar with Atonement, it’s about a 13-year-old girl who falsely accuses her sister’s husband of a crime, and the rest of the book unravels with the truth starting to come out. I will say this one is more of a heavier read and there are some sensitive topics discussed, so if you’re looking for less of a serious book, this might not be for you.

To switch up the fall-themed reads, I have been dying to read We Should All Be Feminists, a book-length essay by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I saw a TedTalk she gave when I was 13, and it stuck with me for years. She discusses how men need to be engaged in conversations with women on topics that they are typically left out of, such as the workplace and gender roles. I believe that Adichie is very well-spoken and finds ways to incorporate both humor and strong opinions into her work, so this is a book that I am very excited to read and will always encourage others to do the same.

Hopefully you’ve found some new additions to add to your list as cooler weather approaches. And most important of all: happy reading!