Books to Read this October - For All Readers
I’ll admit it - I’m a total mood reader, and October ALWAYS puts me in the mood for stories that match the season. Some days I’m reaching for a spooky thriller to give me goosebumps, and other nights I just want a cozy fall read with warm drinks and autumn vibes. If you’re the same way, this October reading list not only has been years in the making, but also includes a little bit of everything - haunting mysteries, cozy fantasies, witchy romances, and much more!
Cozy Fantasy
I’m so excited to put this book at the top of this list! I had the pleasure of reading this one early, and it was the coziest book I’ve read in a long time. Emily’s debut novel is filled with quirky townspeople, an evil warlock, a grumpy alchemist, a sentient houseplant, and a bubbly florist who is most definitely not a villain…anymore. With themes like second chances, redemption, found family, and emotional healing this is a perfect pick for your fall TBR. Available November 18, 2025!
Any good cozy fantasy book list will include Legends & Lattes! This novel follows Viv, a retired orc, attempting to start her own business - a coffee shop in a town where no one has heard of coffee. Aside from the challenges of opening a new business, Viv also faces threats from the past in this low stakes, found family, comforting fantasy story. Note - There is a prequel (Bookshops & Bonedust), and another installment (Brigands & Breadknives) releasing on November 11, 2025.
Did I manage to include two sentient plants in this list? Yes, yes I did. This one follows Kiela, a librarian who after fleeing a burning library with her sentient spider plant, Caz, escapes to her childhood home and opens an illegal spellshop much to the dismay of her nosy neighbor, Larran. Themes include the importance of community, the hoarding of knowledge, and starting over. Another installment of this series just released this year, The Enchanted Greenhouse, with another one planned for next year.
2. Witchy Romance
I just read this one recently and it’s exactly what you would expect from a witchy, fall romance. This novel follows Vivienne (Vivi) Jones who accidentally casts a curse on her ex-boyfriend, Rhys Penhallow. What started off as a joke has actually caused Rhys a great deal of stress over the last 10 years. When he returns to Vivi’s hometown the magic becomes even more chaotic, and threatens to destroy the town. Of course they must work together to fix it. Be sure to check out book two - The Kiss Curse - as well.
This one is one of the more straightforward fall books on this list. It is filled with witches, Halloween festivities, and demons trapped in the bodies of cats. It is over-the top-charming and cute, and although it’s a standalone there is a sequel, and two more books included in this series. Note - it is an open-door romance and one should check the spice ratings before reading to make sure this book is for you.
I just finished this one a few days ago and I really enjoyed it. This story follows a young witch named Mika Moon who receives a suspicious invitation to teach younger witches. The invitation is suspicious because everyone knows witches don’t spend time together…ever. What Mika finds is nothing less than a home full of charming characters, young witches in need of a tutor, and a grumpy librarian who would love for Mika to leave. This one is definitely for fans of TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea!
3. Mystery/Thrillers
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young was perhaps my favorite read from fall 2024! It is a contemporary fiction meets mystery meets magical realism. The story follows August Salt as he returns to his hometown to bury his mother, only to find the town still hasn’t moved past the murder of his high school friend Lily Morgan which happened 14 years prior. This one is packed with small-town secrets, complex relationships, generational secrets, second chance romances, and maybe even a little magic.
Pippa Fitz-Amobi is a high school senior who decides to investigate her town’s most recent cold case as her final school project. However, the case involves the deaths of two fellow classmates, and her decision isn’t a popular one. The town just wants to move on. Pippa isn’t convinced that the killer was ever caught and she is determined to solve the case once and for all.
Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train, did it again with this psychological thriller. Told from the perspective of several points of view, this novel explores the mysterious deaths of two town citizens, both found at the bottom of the river. This one will have readers pointing their fingers at every character in an attempt to find out who is behind these crimes.
4. YA (Young Adult) Fantasy
I am absolutely obsessed with this trilogy so I knew I would have to include it on this list. The Cruel Prince is the first in a completed trilogy by Holly Black, and follows twins Jude and Taryn Duarte through the harshness of growing up in Elfhame, the High Court of Faerie. Elfhame is filled with powerful, wicked fae, murderous creatures, and a particularly wicked prince who hates humans.
Fable almost didn’t make the list - not because it isn’t amazing, but because it’s about pirates which feels more like summer to me. However, it’s such a great story about a brave, resilient young woman who must face abandonment, family trauma, pirates, gem thieves, and greed in order to make a life for herself. It’s sequel Namesake makes it a complete duology and if you enjoyed Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo then you’ll likely love this one as well!
Divine Rivals made the list due to it’s absolutely beautiful writing style and setting. It follows rival journalists Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt through wars between gods, magical letters, and epic mythology. This one is packed with love, loss, beautiful words, conflict, and courage, making it (and it’s completed sequel) one of the best reads for fall.
5. Dark Academia
This one is one of my top favorites on this list! It’s a dark academia meets historical fiction meets paranormal fantasy and it absolutely delivers! Effy Sayre is an architecture student who gets assigned to redesign the estate of her favorite author, but what she encounters is nothing like what she expected. This one has academic rivals, a creepy manor, and a mythical fairy king. It’s sequel just released this year as well!
Legendborn made it into the dark academia category because of it’s college setting, and also because of the demons… This one follows Bree Matthews who enrolls in college only to discover a hidden world of magic and secret societies. Bree must navigate her connection to the history of the society, her own magic, and a supernatural war. This series is a completed trilogy, with talks of maybe a fourth book being in the works! Books two and three are Bloodmarked, and Oathbound.
The Atlas Six is another book about secret societies! This completed trilogy follows six magicians who have been invited to join the ancient Alexandrian Society. Led by Atlas Blakely, these six recruits must spend a year proving themselves in order to earn one of only five places in the society. The magical university setting, academic rival fueds, and the vast magical library make this one perfect for lovers of dark academia.
It is my hope that you found your next great read from this list! However, I hope you also check out the next part of this series as well because there are more book recommendations on the way. Part 2 will feature dark fantasy, psychological thrillers, historical fantasy, paranormal romance, classic novels, and more!
Until then, I’d love to hear from you - what book is one of your must-reads for October? Let me know below.
Happy Reading!
-Amanda