The Her Campus National Editors write about products we love and think you’ll love too. Her Campus has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase. All products are in stock and all prices are accurate as of publication.
From genre gems to niche authors, here is a curated list of book recommendations to hook you in and reel you straight out of your reading slump this fall.
Contemporary Fiction
As we shift into the moody, grungier months of fall with crisp cool air and colorful intensity, there is no better time to read contemporary fiction. Here are several books featuring young women grueling out their twenties while also unpacking some important themes and topics.
1. Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavencio
For those who love fiction that unpacks the elitism of academia, Karla Cornejo Villavencio’s striking debut novel Catalina is a must read. The novel follows Catalina as she navigates Harvard’s elitist culture alongside the anxieties and tensions of her family’s undocumented status in the US. The novel examines pertinent topics from immigration, accessibility and privilege, and mental health while also fully immersing the reader into Catalina’s vivid emotional world.
2. Coco Mellors’ Blue Sisters and Cleopatra and Frankenstein
Coco Mellors is perfect for dark comedy lovers and fans of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag. Although her novels require a taste for deeply flawed and unlikeable characters (which is not everyone’s cup of tea), her writing is instantly captivating with its intensely-focused and at times humorous style. Both books focus on relationships across New York City and London, with Cleopatra and Frankenstein depicting the downfall of a young marriage and Blue Sisters exploring familial grief and addiction.
3. Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan.
For those who loved the emotional tension in Normal People but also have a taste for thrillers, Nolan’s Acts of Desperation is your go-to. It is sleuthy and intense, examining a fraught situationship in Dublin. While it has received its fair share of criticisms, it is a book that will captivate you from the very first page and jolt you out of your reading slump.
Fantasy Inspired by Mythology
If you were a Percy Jackson fan or had an obsession with fairytale retellings (I fall into the latter category), chances are, you are still obsessed with fantasy and mythology. There’s an even greater chance YA is your comfort genre. Since fantasy and mythology stories are my personal favorite, here are some recent novels that never fail to hit the spot when it comes to vivid mythological tales that immerse you into other worlds.
1. The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, based on a Korean folktale called The Tale of Shim Cheong, is the perfect fantasy read. The perfect YA comfort book and a Goodreads Choice Award for a reason, it tells the story of a girl who throws herself into the sea as a sacrificial bride to the Sea God and is in turn, submerged into the politics of the Spirit Realm.
2. Daughter of The Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Also a Goodreads Choice Award, Daughter of The Moon Goddess is based on the legend of the Chinese moon goddess and is perfect for fans of YA, Fantasy, and Romance. If you are looking for a 500+ page fantasy novel full of rich mythology and romance, this book is the perfect read.
3. The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko
Set in a world inspired by West-African mythology, The Maid and the Crocodile is a vivid and enthralling tale about a young girl named Small Sade who gets wrapped up in the ambitions of the Crocodile God while also navigating her job as an inn’s curse eater.
Romance
For me, romance is the trickiest genre to navigate. I have fallen victim to this genre’s masterful marketing tactics many times, purchasing novels that promise enemies-to-lovers and then fail to deliver. Similarly, I have given into the TikTok hype around books like Fourth Wing only to be disappointed. Yet after years of reading countless romance novels, and finding some gems, here are the standouts from my shelves.
1. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Soon to be a movie produced by Reese Witherspoon, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine follows Eleanor, who works in an office and struggles with social skills and isolation. Due to her past, she carefully revolves her life around avoiding social interactions. While this novel is a swoon-worthy romance, it won my heart over with Eleanor healing from trauma and learning to open herself up to love.
2. A League of Extraordinary Women by Evie Dunmore
If you are a fan of regency romances, whether it be from the iconic work of Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer or you just love Netflix’s weekend binge Bridgerton, I highly recommend checking out Evie Dunmore’s A League of Extraordinary Women. The series, which albeit is set in Victorian England, possesses all the enchanting qualities of the regency romance canon. It consists of four standalone novels, with each following a new suffragist protagonist in England (although in one of the books, the characters make their way to St Andrews!). While some of the books are definitely better than others, Evie Dunmore never fails to deliver her steaming hot romance alongside an intriguing feminist plot.
Historical Fiction & Fantasy
1. The Poppy War by RF Kuang
While The Poppy War is a gorgeous fantasy series, it is profoundly inspired by China’s 20th century history and its iconic author, RF Kuang, and builds its fantasy world with the meticulous detail and scrutiny of a historian. The Poppy War follows a peasant girl’s rise to power after she achieves the highest score on the Keju, a test which leads her to the nation’s most elite and prestigious school. If you are looking for a novel that fuses the political intensity of Game of Thrones with the rich fantasy world of Avatar the Last Airbender, The Poppy War is for you.
2. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Nightingale is a profoundly moving, intricate story of two sisters living in Nazi occupied France during World War II. Winner of People’s Choice Award for best fiction alongside Readers’ Favorite Historical Fiction (2015), Kristin Hannah has truly solidified herself as a master of the historical fiction genre and intimately captures this profound history that will enthrall you from the first to last page.
Memoirs & Non Fiction
Trigger warnings: Mentions of sexual assault and violence.
If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673 or visit hotline.rainn.org/online.
1. Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Know My Name is the most moving memoir I have read, and if there is one book I think everyone should read, it is this one. Chanel Miller tells her story of being sexually assaulted and the gruelling legal process that followed in one of the US’s most publicized sexual assault court cases. According to Goodreads, her victim impact statement, which was viewed by 11 million people on Buzzfeed and translated across languages after being published for only a few days, was read on the floor of Congress, incited California to create legal change, and inspired other survivors to share their stories. Her memoir is a powerful piece that “illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators” while also telling a story of courage and resilience.
2. In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park
In Order to Live is a remarkable story by human rights activist Yeonmi Park that everyone should read at least once. In this powerful memoir, Park recalls how she fled North Korea with her mother after they realized they would starve if they stayed. It chronicles her harrowing fight to reach freedom in South Korea, which involved being human trafficked in China after crossing the border and later having to cross the Gobi Desert in the dead of night. It similarly details Park’s search to reunite her family, who split when her sister fled to China alone before her Park’s escape. It is one of the most moving and courageous stories I have encountered, written by one of the most important human rights activists.
3. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Crying in H Mart is a powerful story about identity, youth and adolescence, and mother-daughter relationships. Grammy-nominated indie musician Michelle Zauner takes us through her life, from growing up as the only Asian American kid in her school to becoming a musician to her mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis. It is a beautiful story that navigates the weight of love and grief, cultural belonging, and dreams. Truly a memoir for the ages, Crying in H Mart will stick with you for a long time.