YA & MG Books to Read This Fall

It’s officially fall and I want nothing more than to curl up with a cozy book while the cool morning breeze blows in through the open windows. I know I’m not alone in this, so I thought it would be fun to compile some of my favorite autumnal reads to share with the internet at-large. 

This list is going to offer you a wide variety of suggestions for fall vibes, mainly in the young adult category, a few middle grade, none of which include horror. I’m just not that kind of reader. There’s horror-adjacent, a thriller, and one eerie. Lots of romance. A few are big names, but most are lesser-known. Feel free to comment and let me know what you’d add to the list when you’re hankering for the change in seasons.

My Fair Monster by Adrienne Rivera

I fell in love with this fall YA romance for many reasons. Exhibit A: The characters. They are a hilarious grumpy-sunshine pairing with the most unique interests. She wants to be a scream queen and he has a talent for special effects make-up. Exhibit B: The handling of ADHD rep. It’s perfect. I laughed and I cried. Exhibit C: The scary without any actual scary. I love that the characters love horror, but I don’t have to experience it.

It’s In The Contract by Jessica Flory

This one takes me back to the classic ’90s rom-coms I loved watching. It’s set in present times, but has all popular-girl-falls-for-sweet-nerdy-boy that we used to love so much. Set in the fall in Seattle, it’s sure to get you in the mood to turn your oven back on and bake some chocolate chip cookies.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell, illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks

This YA graphic novel is a pumpkin patch in visual romance form. Need I say more?

The Carnival of Wishes & Dreams by Jenny Lundquist

If your vibe is magical county fair in the cool autumn evening, then this is for you. This fall book for tweens digs into how a group of friends heals and comes back together, all with a little magic and carnival fun. Lundquist’s favorite season is fall, so if you want more middle grade books with fall vibes, check out her backlist.

Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter

This is a sequel to the soon-to-be-a-movie Better Than the Movies. I’m including it in my fall reading list because it takes place at the start of sophomore year of college. When I read it, I couldn’t get over how authentically college it felt. The characters weren’t even experiencing the same things I experienced, but the feels were so real. If that sounds like your jam, read the first real quick and get on this.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Again, this is for older YA readers, but it’s eerie and perfect for those who want a bit of spooky to get in the Halloween spirit as they read their way through the fall season. Death is a character—the love interest—and it’s so dark and lush, while also being hopeful and swoony. It’s a whole series and this is the first book, so buckle up and get ready to spend the entire season binging this series.

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

If you have not read this yet, what are you waiting for? I recommend it to everyone I know. I would also consider this an older YA, as it deals with some very tough and serious topics. It’s (much to my chagrin) historical, as it’s set in the early 2000s, and considered a thriller? Mystery? Both? If you’re craving intensity in your autumn reads, jump on this one.

Wild Blue Wonder by Carlie Sorosiak

This book is so underrated it breaks my heart. It starts in October and the prose is so atmospheric you’ll feel like you’ve been transported into a dark and lightly magical coastal summer camp in the off-season with a quirky family and characters you can’t help but root for. When you want to question reality and feel the season skate across your skin, read this.

Rolls and Rivalry by Kristy Boyce

If what you most look forward to in the fall is starting school and extracurriculars, or you’re a self-proclaimed nerd, then look no further. This is the third in a series of D&D-themed books, but can be read in any order. I love this one because it absolutely nailed the marching band and color guard experience, as well as what it’s like to be a student leader.

There is a Door in This Darkness by Kristin Cashore

Do you need to revisit the trauma of 2020 in a gentle, magical, healing way? I didn’t know I needed to until I read this book. Cashore is an auto-read for me, always, but this takes place in the fall of 2020 on the east coast, with so many lovely aspects that will usher you into and through the harvest season, including a little magic.

Living With Viola by Rosena Fung

Again, if starting school excites you (or makes you so nervous you might puke), this middle grade graphic novel is for you. Tackling what it’s like to live with anxiety, the illustrations are a visual feast for the leaf-peeping wannabes.

Cardboard Kingdom 2: Roar of the Beast by Chad Sell

The second in a series of absolutely delightful graphic novels, I recommend picking up the whole set and reading through the seasons. Honestly, this middle grade captures so much about the tween experience: friendship and group dynamics, family differences, and that push-pull between playing and growing up. It’s also an excellent source of creativity.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

An oldie, but a goodie. You want light fantasy in a moody island village? You got it. You a horse kid? Done. I’ve been meaning to reread this in the fall for years. Maybe this year I actually will.

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Heidi M. Rogers is an author and illustrator who writes picture books, early readers, graphic novels, middle grade, novels-in-verse, and young adult. She has more than two decades of experience in writing, editing, graphic design, and art and most of her work centers inclusion, community, and love, while exploring themes of neurodiversity, ecoconsciousness, and grief.