10 books to add to your autumn reading list

s summer fades and the crisp cozy autumnal evenings begin, there is no better time to curl up with a good book and embrace the slower pace of the season.

There are endless books that fit into the ever-popular ‘autumnal’ category, with addicting thrillers to daunting dark academia to wholesome or romantic page turners. These are just a shortlist of some of the most enticing and, sometimes haunting, books to make the dark nights just that little bit brighter.

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Helene Hanff’s 84, Charing Cross Road, is a stunning epistolary memoir that was published in 1970. It tells the endearing story of American writer, Hanff herself, and British bookseller Frank Doel through twenty years of letter correspondence between London and New York City. The memoir is a perfect depiction of human connection and almost a love letter to reading through Hanff and Doel’s long-distance interactions due to their love of literature.

We Have Always Lived in This Castle by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson is an essential author to pay attention to throughout autumn, with every one of her gothic horror publications being nothing short of a masterclass in psychological terror. Her 1962 novel We Have Always Lived in This Castle is a perfect unsettling read for the darker months. It follows Mary Katherine “Merricat” Blackwood who lives in a secluded estate alongside her agoraphobic sister Constance and their Uncle Julian. Six years prior to the novel, the rest of the Blackwood family were poisoned with arsenic, leaving locals to completely alienate and detest the three remaining family members.

Stoner by John Williams

Melancholic and introspective, John Williams’ Stoner is an essential modern classic to delve into during autumn. The 1965 novel tells the story of lecturer William Stoner’s ordinary life, focusing on his distant marriage and conflicts with his co-workers and students throughout his long career. The campus setting and reflective pace of the novel makes for a perfect transition into the later seasons, encouraging readers to reminisce on Stoner’s ordinary yet realistic existence.

Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë

On the theme of classics, Anne Brontë’s 1847 debut novel Agnes Grey is an underrated semi-autobiographical masterpiece. Reflective of Williams’ novel, it is a slow-paced insight into Agnes’ life as a governess which she began to support her impoverished family. The novel’s bleak realism and setting amongst the autumn months makes for a perfect read reflective of the traditional academic transitions during the season. It is a novel unafraid to address the harsh realities for women working in the 19th century and the unfair and socially isolating class system.

The Ladie Upstairs by Jessie Elland

For lovers of literary horror and so called ‘femgore’, rising new author Jessie Elland’s The Ladie Upstairs is an essential autumn read. With the North-East English setting of eerie Ropner Hall, it follows Ann becoming a lady’s maid for Lady Charlotte. As the novel progresses, Elland cleverly portrays Ann’s psychological decay as her obsession with Lady Charlotte intensifies. Comparable to classics like Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, Elland’s debut is a somewhat disturbing read.

Intimations: Six Essays by Zadie Smith

Whilst not specifically related to the season, Zadie Smith’s Intimations: Six Essays is an introspective and deeply personal non-fiction read for the autumn months. It is an essay collection which was published in the height of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, heavily focused on the social isolation and also systematic racism following the murder of George Floyd. It is a short yet impactful read, allowing readers to now look back and reflect on life since such unexpected changes in society.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

One of the season’s most commonly mentioned essential reads throughout the autumn period is Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. From its dark academia aesthetic to its inverted murder mystery structure, it's no wonder why. Tartt’s 1992 novel follows a prestigious and morally-compromised group of college students who get caught up in a murder. With the novel immediately revealing, in the open line, both who was killed and who was responsible, the novel itself explores the psychological fallout of the scenario.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Becky Chambers’ solarpunk and science fiction novella released in 2021 is a unique autumn read, exploring human purpose and relationships with the natural world. A Psalm for the Wild-Built is the first of The Monk & Robot series, followed in 2022 by A Prayer for the Crown-Shy. The novella follows a non-binary tea monk named Sibling Dex suffering from existential burnout. They embarks on a journey to the forbidden Panga where he comes across robot Splendid Speckled Mosscap, where they form an unlikely friendship and understanding of one another.

The Colour Purple by Alice Walker

On the theme of introspective reads for the season, Alice Walker’s sensational and heartbreaking The Colour Purple perfectly mirrors the emotionality of the season. It is an epistolary novel which follows the life of Celie, an African American woman living in rural Georgia in the early 20th century. With sensitive themes including her experiences of domestic and sexual abuse alongside racism, it is a heavy yet important read. Despite being released in 1982, it places womanhood and empowerment from female relationships at the forefront of the novel.

The Lamb by Lucy Rose

Published in 2025, new Northern English author Lucy Rose’s The Lamb is an essential folk-horror read this season. It follows a cannibalistic mother and daughter living in a remote cottage who survive by taking in lost hikers or stranded drivers who they label “strays”. The abusive mother is only encouraged with the arrival of “stray” Eden, causing daughter Margot to finally realise that she is a victim of her upbringing. With its claustrophobic atmosphere and focus on suppressed female rage, the novel is a perfect newer release to explore throughout autumn.

Whether readers gain comfort in familiar pages of a classic, enjoy the unsettling sensation of gothic horror or prefer an introspective exploration of the human psyche, this shortlist of autumn recommendations offers something for every reader.