If you are an passionate reader like me, or are looking to start reading. I have some amazing book recommendations for you to read this Fall. These books will either help you out of your reading slum or inspire you to start reading more. This list includes a few well-known and deliciously Gothic classics perfect for Fall. Let’s get into 7 Books to Read This Fall.
1. Frankenstein 1818, by Mary Shelley
Let’s start this list off with a classic written by the wonderful and iconic female writer Mary Shelley. Frankenstein is a book that tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a Swiss student of natural science who creates an artificial man from pieces of corpses and brings his creature to life. The story of explores themes of life, death, and man versus nature. A great read for autumn.
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
2. Wuthering Heights 1847, by Emily Brontë
Wuthering Heights was written by Emily Brontë in 1847. The story follows the life of Heathcliff, a mysterious person, from childhood to his late thirties. Heathcliff is raised in an adopted family and then is reduced to the status of a servant, running away when the young woman he loves decides to marry another.
This story is often misleadingly categorised as a romance story. However, upon reading it, most people will tell you otherwise. It’s dark, and twisted story that conveys the deep themes about life.
3. The Theatre of Marvels 2023, by Lianne Dillsworth
Theatre of Marvels written by Lianne Dillsworth, follows a young mixed-race girl Zillah who stars as the Great Amazonia at Crillicks Variety Theatre on Drury Lane. When a fellow stage act goes missing, Zillah is determined to save her – for she knows better than anyone the dangers that hide within the gaslit streets of London.
If you are looking for story that will take you to the streets of Victorian England. This story explores themes of race, things that lurk in the dark, and hidden secrets waiting to be unveiled.
4. The Doll Factory, 2020 by Elizabeth MacNeal
Set in London 1850 on a crowded street. The dollmaker Iris Whittle meets artist Lousis Frost a Pre-Raphaelite painter who yearns to have his work displayed in the Royal Academy and is desperate for Iris to be his model.
As Iris’ world expands, Silas’s obsession grows. It only a matter of time before they meet again. This story is a brilliantly gothic concoction, perfect read for autumn.
5. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, 1891.
But this is one of my favourite classics ever. The picture of Dorian Gray is a deliciously Gothic Novel. It follows Dorian Gray a young, beautiful man who trades his soul for eternal youth, then descends further and further into a moral abyss — until he discovers there is, after all, a price to pay for his actions
This is a wonderful must read book for autumn 🍂.
6. The Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux, 1909.
The phantom of the opera is a gothic novel of romance, honour and tragedy. It follows Christine, a beautiful young singer at Paris Opera. She is watched by the opera’s phantom- a mysterious masked figure who terrorises the Operas management and players.
Christine roses to become the Opera’s star performer, but when the phantom demands her heart in return, she is torn between gratitude and pity for her strange benefactor. Phantom of the opera is must read text, you need to add to your Autumn to be read (tbr).
7. Babel by R.F. Kuang
Babel is a historical fantasy novel that follows a Chinese boy, Robin Swift, who’s taken from the slums of Canton in 1828 by Oxford professor Richard Lovell to prepare for eventual study at the fictional Royal Institute of Translation at Oxford University, otherwise known as Babel.
The scholars at Babel pursue silver-working, creating magic silver bars that rely on translation details to create spells used throughout the British Empire and across the globe to support British colonialism. At Babel, Robin learns more about the true purpose of the Institute and the silver bars, and when the British start to agitate for war against China, he must decide where he stands on Babel and its role in colonisation.
If you love dark academia this is a great book for you to read this fall. My favourite aspect of this book was the in-depth knowledge of different languages. Kuang clearly did her research, as seen through the historical details littered in the story.
O’L Final Thoughts
These are my top 7 Books to Read This Fall. This is the best time to cosy up with a great book that aligns with the season.
