Get your fall reading list ready because I have the best books to read this Fall 2023 with all the top choices of great books to read.
Hallelujah, fall is just around the corner!
With back-to-school season and cooler weather come some of the best fall reads I’ve seen in a while. All summer long, I’ve been reading advance copies and perusing the upcoming release lists. I’ve wrestled over which books to include and which to leave out.
Here for your reading pleasure is my list of the best books of Fall 2023. I’ve got book club favorites, historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, and some nonfiction books. Some I’ve read and some I can’t wait to read, but all of them are perfect for my Fall 2023 Reading Guide.
Best Books of Fall 2023
The Connellys of County Down
Tracey Lange
After serving 18 months in prison on a drug conviction, Tara Connelly is trying to rebuild her life. She moves back in with her siblings – a brother who’s a single dad trying to overcome a brain injury and a sister struggling with an intense need for a sense of control. Just as Tara feels like she might find love again, the cop who arrested her begins to hassle her and the family’s secrets threaten to unravel everything she has worked for. A rich story about complicated sibling dynamics, The Connellys of County Down would make an excellent book club book selection.
Iron Flame
Rebecca Yarros
Rebecca Yarros took the bestseller list by storm this summer with her captivating fantasy romance Fourth Wing. In the highly anticipated sequel, Violet Sorrengail returns for her second year at Basgiath War College. No one expected her to survive this long, much less bond with one of the strongest dragons in existence. Now that she knows the secret the nation has been hiding, it will take all her wits to survive her second year, especially with the new vice commandant determined to make her betray the man she loves.
The River We Remember
William Kent Krueger
In 1958, Sheriff Brody Dern investigates the murder of a wealthy landowner in a small Minnesota town. The rumor mill is quickly ablaze, accusing Noah Bluestone of the murder, a Native American WWII vet who just returned to town with his new Japanese bride. As Brody tries to find the truth, the physical and emotional wounds from World War II bring up old grievances in the community.
Tom Lake
Ann Patchett
In 2020 three grown daughters return to their family orchard in Michigan to isolate with their mother. They beg her to tell them about a story from her youth when she fell in love with famous actor Peter Duke while they performed together at the Tom Lake Theater Company. As Lara ponders her life, her daughters begin to wonder about their own choices.
The Mystery Guest
Nita Prose
In a sequel to the hit bestseller, The Maid, we return to the five-star Regency Grand Hotel where Molly Gray is now the Head Maid. When famous author J. D. Grimthorpe drops dead in the hotel’s tea room, the entire staff are suspects in his murder. Yet, Molly has her own secret. As a child, Molly worked with her grandmother cleaning Grimthorpe’s mansion. Can Molly solve the mystery and save the hotel’s reputation?
Mystery & Thriller Books for Fall
Dark Corners
Megan Goldin
In a sequel to The Night Swim, podcaster Rachel Krall returns to assist the FBI in investigating a case. Popular true crime podcaster Maddison Logan interviewed soon-to-be released serial killer Terence Bailey in prison and then disappeared. But Maddison Logan seems to only exist online. Going undercover at a popular influencer convention, Rachel discovers a fierce world of competitors and suspects that Bailey might have an accomplice on the outside.
Holly
Stephen King
When Holly Gibney receives a call at the Finders Keepers Detective Agency, she knows she should decline the job. Her mother just died and her partner has Covid. But Holly can’t help but want to help Penny Dahl find her missing daughter. Holly’s search leads her to an octogenarian couple – two ruthless professors with an unholy secret in their basement that may lead to Penny’s daughter.
The Traitor
Ava Glass
In a sequel to her high-action spy thriller, Alias Emma, which was one of my favorite books of 2022, British spy Emma Makepeace returns with another thrilling case. When an MI6 operative is assassinated, Emma determines to find the killer without becoming a victim herself. Before his death, he was investigating two Russian oligarchs he believed were spies with ties to a mysterious third man, but MI6 told him to drop it. As Emma goes undercover on a Russian oligarch’s yacht, she finds the killer might be closer to home than she ever imagined.
My Darling Girl
Jennifer McMahon
Alison has always hated Christmas, but her holiday season gets worse when her mother calls and tells her she only has a few weeks to live. Reluctantly, Alison agrees to take in her mother despite Alison’s traumatic memories of her abusive alcoholic mother. Instead of healing the relationship, Alison begins to suspect her mother is not who she thought. When other-worldly things begin to happen, Alison must decide how far she is willing to go to save her family from this nightmare.
The Exchange
John Grisham
In a sequel to his debut thriller, The Firm, John Grisham returns to tell you what happened to Mitch and Abby McDeere after they exposed the crimes of his corrupt Memphis law firm. Fifteen years later, Mitch and Abby are living in Manhattan where Mitch is a partner in the world’s largest law firm. When Mitch gets caught up in another sinister plot with worldwide implications, he must do all he can to stay one step ahead of his enemies.
Christmas Presents
Lisa Unger
As a teenager, Madeline Martin was the only surviving victim of Evan Handy, who was convicted of murdering her best friend Steph and suspected in the disappearance of two of her other friends. Now Madeline runs a thriving bookstore while caring for her aging father, the former sheriff. When true crime podcaster Harley Granger arrives just before Christmas, he suspects there is more to the story. Women are still disappearing and Harley wonders if Evan might have had an accomplice.
Best Fall Reads: Historical Fiction
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
James McBride
In the rundown Chicken Hill neighborhood of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, African-Americans and Jewish immigrants have lived side-by-side for decades. Moshe and Chona Ludlow are an integral part of the community. Moshe’s integrated theater and Chona’s grocery store provide a much-needed sense of community as the residents struggle to live in the margins of a white Christian society. When workers discover a skeleton at the bottom of a well in 1972, long-hidden secrets come to light.
The Phoenix Crown
Kate Quinn and Janie Chang
In 1906 San Francisco, Gemma desperately needs a refresh of her singing career, and Suling, a Chinese embroideress, needs to escape an arranged marriage. Soon, they are both caught up with charming railroad magnate Henry Thornton, owner of the fabled Phoenix Crown, an ancient Chinese relic. After an earthquake tears the town apart, Henry disappears. When the crown reappears at a Paris ball five years later, Gemma and Suling are determined to solve the mystery.
The Fraud
Zadie Smith
in 1873, Scottish housekeeper Eliza Touchet is skeptical of the literary community. Her cousin, the once famous William Ainsworth, and his friend Charles Dickens are far from the moralists they claim to be. Soon Eliza becomes enthralled with a case where a man claiming to be the heir to an estate is possibly a fraud. Former Jamaican slave Andrew Bogle is the star witness, but in a land where hypocrisy runs riot, how do you decide what’s real and what’s fiction?
Let Us Descend
Jesmyn Ward
Blending magical realism with a reimagining of American slavery, Let Us Descend follows Annis, a black girl sold South by the white slave master who fathered her. As Annis marches south, she finds solace in thinking of her mother and her warrior African grandmother. Communing with spirits, both good and bad, along the way, Annis’s descent toward the further hell of slavery is a surprising tale of rebirth and reclamation.
The Frozen River
Ariel Lawhon
From the author of Code Name Hélène, comes a new novel based on the true story of a fearless midwife determined to find justice. In 1789, Martha Ballard is asked to determine the cause of death of a man found buried in the ice. As a local midwife, Martha knows all the town’s secrets, including that this man was one of the men accused of a heinous rape four months ago. As the trial nears, Martha believes the two cases are connected and her detailed diary ends up as pivotal evidence that might tear the whole town, and her family, apart.
Best Fall Books for Book Clubs
Evil Eye
Etaf Rum
When she marries a charming entrepreneur and moves to the suburbs, Yara thinks she has finally escaped her conservative Palestinian upbringing. Yet, even her dream job with her dream family doesn’t seem to fulfill Yara. As Yara’s world begins to implode, she realizes that the upbringing that she thought she left behind has lasting consequences for her and her daughters.
The Leftover Woman
Jean Kwok
Fleeing her abusive husband, Jasmine Yang arrives in New York from China with no money but a fierce determination to do anything to find the daughter stolen from her due to China’s one-child policy. Meanwhile, publishing executive Rebecca Whitney has a perfect job, marriage, and the most adorable adopted Chinese daughter. When a scandal at work threatens to ruin her marriage, Rebecca and Jasmine find themselves on a shocking collision course.
What We Kept to Ourselves
Nancy Jooyoun Kim
In 1977, Sunny Kim arrives in Los Angeles with her workaholic husband John and struggles to make a home in America. Then a chance encounter at a bus stop leads to long-term consequences. In 1998, John Kim and his adult children are completely upended when Sunny disappears. A year later, John discovers a stranger’s dead body in his backyard carrying a letter for Sunny and his search for the truth threatens everything he thought he knew.
Happiness Falls
Angie Kim
Twenty-year-old Mia isn’t particularly concerned when her father and brother are late coming home from a walk. Until her little brother walks in covered in blood. With a rare genetic condition, Eugene can’t communicate what happened. Now Mia must race to find answers, desperately hoping the family’s secrets won’t be exposed.
Best Books to Read This Fall
Amazing Grace Adams
Fran Littlewood
On a hot London day, Grace Adams finds herself stuck in traffic. Desperate to deliver a birthday cake to her estranged teenage daughter, Grace ditches her car and sets out on foot. As Grace continually runs into various obstacles, you learn more about her journey from an amazingly successful woman to a nearly invisible 45-year-old on the brink of divorce.
A Winter in New York
Josie Silver
Recently arrived in New York, Iris falls in love with a family-owned gelato shop in Little Italy whose gelato recipe is exactly like her mother’s. However, Gio, the owner, admits to Iris the family is struggling ever since his uncle forgot the secret family recipe after a stroke. Curious about the ties Gio’s uncle might have to her mother, Iris agrees to work as a chef to help recreate the recipe, but secrets from the past might threaten her new-found love of life.
The Good Part
Sophie Cousens
Twenty-six-year-old Lucy Young is tired of her career, love life, and flat-mates, none of which are coming anything close to what she imagined. When she stumbles upon a wishing machine, she makes a wish to skip to the good part of her life. Suddenly, Lucy finds herself a married 40-year-old with the life she imagined. Did she skip ahead or just forget? And if she could go back, would she?
Check & Mate
Ali Hazelwood
When Mallory reluctantly enters a charity chess event, she unexpectedly beats the handsome world champion Nolan Sawyer. Despite her antagonism towards chess for destroying her family, Mallory finds herself entering the professional chess world, since her family desperately needs the prize money. As things heat up between Mallory and Nolan, Mallory must balance her love of the game with the deep pain it has caused her family.
The Future
Naomi Alderman
Naomi Alderman, the author of The Power, brings forth a dystopian future where money brings you everything. The world’s elite live in bunkers, protected by private weather and aided by technological advances. When a handful of friends plan a heist, it could save the future for mankind or it could have catastrophic consequences.
Nonfiction Fall 2023 Reading List
Build the Life You Want
Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey
You don’t have to wait for the world to hand you the life you want, you can build it yourself. Using inspiring anecdotes and scientific research, Brooks and Winfrey show you how to use emotional self-management to improve your family, friendships, work, and faith, regardless of the hardships and setbacks life throws at you.
Going Infinite
Michael Lewis
After tackling the financial sector in The Big Short and Flash Boys, Michael Lewis dives deep into the collapse of the crypto company FTX. Virtually overnight, Sam Bankman-Fried shot onto Forbes’ billionaire list and captivated the world as he played video games during meetings. Lewis paints a character profile of Bankman-Fried, a man who never liked playing by the rules, a trait that lead to immense success and even more immense failure.
Hidden Potential
Adam Grant
While innate talent has natural advantages, in life, success generally comes more from how well you are willing to learn and develop yourself. Using research and insightful storytelling, Grant shows how you can unlock your hidden potential by building character skills and motivational systems that will help you achieve more.
Class
Stephanie Land
In her bestselling memoir Maid, Stephanie Land described her story of working as a house cleaner and trying her best to raise her child in extreme poverty. In the final chapter, she wrote about moving to Montana to attend college. Yet, getting a degree was not the happily-ever-after she imagined. With a searing look at America’s education system, Land discusses navigating a tricky loan system, attending college while still in poverty, and the struggle of being a single mother full of desire and ambition.
What Fall 2023 Books Are You Most Excited For?
What new releases are on your must-read list this Fall? Did I miss any of the Best Books of Fall 2023 that you are anticipating? As always, let me know in the comments!
More New Book Releases:
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