November has snuck up on us, and now the days are shorter, the weather is actually cold, and if you’re like me, all you want to do is curl up with a blanket and a book that completely consumes you. Now that the Halloween season has officially ended, it’s time to slow down and actually make a dent in your TBR (to be read) list.
This month, I’m leaning toward stories written by women who’ve left their mark — books that aren’t only beautifully written but have made a noticeable impact. If you’re looking to add something meaningful (and maybe a little moody) to your TBR this November, these are four books to reach for.
- The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
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In my opinion, this is exactly the kind of book that would be best read during the fall season. If you’ve been meaning to dip your toes into classic literature that actually feels relevant, The Bell Jar is it, no doubt about it.
Sylvia Plath’s one and only novel dives into the mind of a young woman balancing ambition, identity, and the weight of societal pressure. It’s rich with metaphors with endless ways to interpret it, and it has created a space for discussions about women’s mental health and gender roles.
It made waves in the 1960s, and even today, The Bell Jar still inspires broader interpretations and discussions on feminism.
This book is hauntingly beautiful, dark, and incredibly poetic. I literally couldn’t stop thinking about this book for weeks after finishing it. This one’s best read on a quiet afternoon with a cup of coffee and a blanket, if you’re ready to reflect and question everything in your life.
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
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Say what you want, but Twilight is a fall staple. It’s moody, overly dramatic, and absolutely perfect to put you in the mood for fall. If you were a tween during the Twilight movie franchise craze, rereading it now is a total nostalgia trip, just in case you wanted something else to reminisce about as 2025 gets closer to ending, and if you somehow missed it (where the hell have you been, loca?), it’s time.
Even though the series isn’t exactly taken seriously, Twilight paved the way for paranormal romance and female-led blockbusters, forever changing the world of pop culture and the entertainment industry. So, whether you’re reading it for the nostalgia, the fall vibes, or just for fun, I’d highly recommend picking up the series or at least having a Twilight movie marathon with your friends.
- The Vegetarian by Han Kang
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This one is personally on my TBR, so I have yet to read it, but I’ve heard that if you want something thought-provoking and deeply unsettling, The Vegetarian is a must-read. What starts as a woman’s decision to stop eating meat because of her nightmares quickly unravels into something much darker: a haunting exploration of identity and control.
It’s told through multiple perspectives, which makes the story even more layered and unsettling. From everything I’ve read about it, Han Kang’s writing is the kind that stays with you long after you finish reading it.
Since its publication, The Vegetarian has become one of the most internationally acclaimed works of contemporary Korean fiction. After winning the 2016 Man Booker International Prize, it brought global attention to Korean literature and opened the door for more translated works to reach a wider audience.
Beyond that, its themes of autonomy, body politics, and quiet resistance have made it a staple in discussions of feminist and existential literature.
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
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This book might actually be one of my favorite reads of all time. Gone Girl begins like any other missing person mystery: a woman vanishes on her wedding anniversary, and her husband quickly becomes the prime suspect.
Gillian Flynn takes that familiar premise and twists it into a psychological thriller that dives deeper into marriage, identity, and the roles people play to maintain appearances. The novel shifts perspectives, challenges assumptions, and keeps readers constantly second-guessing. It’s dark, clever, and incredibly well-written, making it nearly impossible to stop reading once you begin.
Its massive success has since sparked what’s now known as the “Gone Girl effect,” a wave of psychological thrillers centered around complex and morally ambiguous women. It also started the trend of crime novels with “girl” in the title and has solidified the rise of the female antihero in popular fiction.
I’ve yet to find a book that has shocked me and fascinated me as much as Gone Girl. If you love books with plot twists and unreliable narrators, then I can guarantee that this book won’t disappoint you!
Fall is the perfect time to slow down and get lost in stories that make you feel something, whether that’s comfort, nostalgia, or total unease. Each of these books captures a different side of that cozy yet introspective fall energy: the ones that stay with you, make you think, or just let you escape for a little while.
So light that candle, queue up your fall playlist, and start reading — your November TBR is waiting!
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