The fall season is finally here! What better time to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book? If you’re looking for some books to add to your fall TBR, then this is just for you.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Starting with a classic, Frankenstein is the perfect book for the Halloween season. The life of Victor Frankenstein is recounted through a series of letters. We learn of his picturesque childhood and his studies. Once at university, Victor becomes obsessed with the secret of life. This obsession leads him to try to create life himself. He spends months studying the dead and building a man out of dead body parts to try and answer the question of life. However, his quest does not go as planned. Terrified by the grotesque monster he brought to life, Victor abandoned the creature. Yet the creature refuses to leave Victor alone and is determined to find him.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
For those who love Gothic literature and romance, this next recommendation is for you. The novel follows Catherine Morland, a young woman who is fresh out in society. Catherine joins family friends on a trip to Bath, where she meets new people and experiences society for the first time. There she meets a young clergyman, Henry Tilney. In the first half of the novel, Catherine must battle learning the ways of society and her growing crush on Henry. She is later invited to Henry’s home, Northanger Abbey. As a book-obsessed girl, Catherine imagines the estate as a grand gothic place full of secrets. However, is Northanger Abbey really a mysterious, gothic place, or is it all Catherine’s imagination?
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
A work of literary fiction that is also praised as a modern gothic novel, this is a book that definitely fits the fall mood. After confessing to murder in the opening line, Richard Papen recounts his time as a part of a prestigious club while at college. We learn of his obsession with aesthetics and how it guides his choices. This leads him to apply for Hampden College because of how beautiful the brochure is. He later joins an exclusive Classics program where he feels extremely out of place. Surrounded by his rich peers, Richard tries to hide his middle-class background and make himself fit in better. After slowly being accepted into this elite group, Richard is soon drawn into a series of murders.
Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu
Every fall book list needs a story about a vampire, and here we have Carmilla. At just over a hundred pages, this book is a great short read to add to your TBR. The book follows Laura, a young woman who lives with her father in an isolated Austrian castle. After a carriage accident, a woman named Carmilla stays at the castle to recover from the incident. Even though the two women grow closer, Carmilla keeps her past a mystery and hides a dark secret. Mixing gothic horror with some romance subtext, Carmilla is a staple in vampire and queer fiction.
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Serving as the inspiration for one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musicals, Phantom of the Opera is another beautiful piece of Gothic literature. For years, the Paris Opera House has been plagued by strange events; many believe it to be the work of the infamous Opera Ghost. When the young Christine Daaé replaces the prima donna one night, people question how her talent has remained hidden for so long. This performance thrusts Christine into the spotlight and leads her to reconnect with a childhood friend, Raoul de Chagny. Determined to win Christine’s heart, Raoul tries to confess his love to her; however, things do not go as planned. After learning that Christine’s heart belongs to someone else, Raoul must fight for Christine’s love.