There are so many things I love about fall: pumpkin season, spooky season, and all the cozy feels. Of course, that includes curling up with a blanket and a book. So today, I’m sharing some of my most-anticipated fall 2021 book releases!
In this list, I’m focusing on fiction. Thrillers, rom coms, horror, historical fiction, general fiction, etc. – they’re all fair game. So let’s get to it!
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Fall Reads: New Fiction Books in September 2021
Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“Chloe is one of seven students at her DC-based college who are part of an unusual clinical study for psychopaths—students like herself who lack empathy and can’t comprehend emotions like fear or guilt. When one of the students in the study is found murdered in the psychology building, a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, and Chloe goes from hunter to prey.”
Release date: September 7th, 2021
Matrix by Lauren Groff
Genre: Historical Fiction/Literary
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“Equally alive to the sacred and the profane, Matrix gathers currents of violence, sensuality, and religious ecstasy in a mesmerizing portrait of consuming passion, aberrant faith, and a woman that history moves both through and around. Lauren Groff’s new novel, her first since Fates and Furies, is a defiant and timely exploration of the raw power of female creativity in a corrupted world.”
Release date: September 7th, 2021
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
Genre: Romance/LGBT
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“In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.”
Release date: September 7th, 2021
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson
Genre: YA Horror/Thriller
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“The Haunting of Hill House meets Get Out in this chilling YA psychological thriller and modern take on the classic haunted house story from New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson.”
Release date: September 14th, 2021
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
Genre: Horror/Thriller
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“This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street. In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, lies something buried. But it’s not what you think.”
Release date: September 28th, 2021
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain
Genre: YA Fantasy/Mystery
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“A teen girl disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, where magic festers beneath the surface of the swamp like water rot, in this chilling debut supernatural thriller for fans of Natasha Preston, Karen McManus, and Rory Power.”
Release date: September 7th, 2021
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget. Rock Paper Scissors is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist, New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney.”
Release date: September 7th, 2021
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance
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“Beautiful World, Where Are You is a new novel by Sally Rooney, the bestselling author of Normal People and Conversations with Friends.”
Release date: September 7th, 2021
The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“A cold case, an abandoned mansion, family trauma and dark secrets lie at the heart of Lisa Jewell’s remarkable new novel.”
Release date: September 7th, 2021
Fault Lines by Emily Itami
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
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“Combining the incisive intimacy of Sally Rooney with the sharp wit of Helen Fielding, a compulsively readable and astonishingly relatable debut novel about marriage, motherhood, love, self and the vibrant, surprising city that is modern Tokyo.”
Release date: September 7th, 2021
Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“In this relentlessly twisty literary thriller from New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight, a desperate intervention brings together a group of college friends 10 years after graduation—a reunion marked by lies, betrayal, and murder.”
Release date: September 7th, 2021
Dark Things I Adore by Katie Lattari
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“A psychological thriller for fans of Lucy Foley and Liz Moore, Dark Things I Adore is a stunning Gone Girl-esque tale of atonement that proves that in the grasp of manipulative men, women may momentarily fall. But in the hands of fierce women, men will be brought to their knees.”
Release date: September 14th, 2021
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“From #1 New York Times bestselling author Liane Moriarty comes a novel that looks at marriage, siblings, and how the people we love the most can hurt us the deepest.”
Release date: September 14th, 2021
My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“Paloma thought her perfect life would begin once she was adopted and made it to America, but she’s about to find out that no matter how far you run, your past always catches up to you…”
Release date: September 14th, 2021
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/LGBT
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“Under the Whispering Door is a contemporary fantasy with TJ Klune’s signature ‘quirk and charm’ (PW) about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with.”
Release date: September 21st, 2021
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
Genre: Literary Fiction/Magical Realism
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“A brilliantly inventive new novel about loss, growing up, and our relationship with things, by the Booker Prize-finalist author of A Tale for the Time Being.”
Release date: September 21st, 2021
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Genre: Historical Fiction/Science Fiction
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“Dedicated to ‘the librarians then, now, and in the years to come,’ Cloud Cuckoo Land is a beautiful and redemptive novel about stewardship—of the book, of the Earth, of the human heart. From the author of All The Light We Cannot See.”
Release date: September 28th, 2021
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
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“New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins, writing as Erin Sterling, casts a spell with a spine-tingling romance full of wishes, witches, and hexes gone wrong.”
Release date: September 28th, 2021
As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson (AGGGTM #3)
Genre: YA Mystery
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“The highly anticipated, edge-of-your-seat conclusion to the addictive A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series that reads like your favorite true crime podcast or show. By the end, you’ll never think the same of good girls again.”
Release date: September 28th, 2021
Eight Perfect Hours by Lia Louis
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Holiday
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“In this romantic and heartwarming novel, two strangers meet in chance circumstances during a blizzard and spend one perfect evening together, thinking they’ll never see each other again. But fate seems to have different plans.”
Release date: September 28th, 2021
Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone
Genre: YA Fantasy/Gothic Romance
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“A lush gothic fantasy about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake. Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Brigid Kemmerer.”
Release date: September 28th, 2021
Out of Love by Hazel Hayes
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance
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“Readers of Normal People; Goodbye, Vitamin; and One Day will adore this bittersweet romance, a sparkling debut that you won’t want to miss.”
Release date: September 28th, 2021
Fall Reads: October 2021 Fiction Books
Cackle by Rachel Harrison
Genre: Horror
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“A darkly funny, frightening novel about a young woman learning how to take what she wants from a witch who may be too good to be true, from the author of The Return.”
Release date: October 5th, 2021
Reprieve by James Han Mattson
Genre: Literary Horror/Thriller
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“A chilling and blisteringly relevant literary novel of social horror centered around a brutal killing that takes place in a full-contact haunted escape room—a provocative exploration of capitalism, hate politics, racial fetishism, and our obsession with fear as entertainment.”
Release date: October 5th, 2021
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling
Genre: Horror/Gothic/Historical Fiction
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“Set in a dark-mirror version of post-war England, Starling crafts a new kind of gothic horror from the bones of the beloved canon. This Crimson Peak-inspired story assembles, then upends, every expectation set in place by Shirley Jackson and Rebecca.”
Release date: October 5th, 2021
We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride & Jo Piazza
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
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“Told from alternating perspectives, an evocative and riveting novel about the lifelong bond between two women, one Black and one white, whose friendship is indelibly altered by a tragic event—a powerful and poignant exploration of race in America today and its devastating impact on ordinary lives.”
Release date: October 5th, 2021
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Retelling
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“When Zinnia Gray pricks her finger, something strange and unexpected happens, and she finds herself falling through worlds, with another sleeping beauty, […] desperate to escape her fate.”
Release date: October 5th, 2021
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
Genre: Historical Fiction
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“The bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility and master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction returns with a stylish and propulsive novel set in 1950s America.”
Release date: October 5th, 2021
Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
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“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets The L Word in this fresh, sizzling rom-com by Lana Harper.”
Release date: October 5th, 2021
The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Genre: Fantasy/Magical Realism
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“Master storyteller Alice Hoffman brings us the conclusion of the Practical Magic series in a spellbinding and enchanting final Owens novel brimming with lyric beauty and vivid characters.”
Release date: October 5th, 2021
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
Genre: Fantasy/Gothic Horror
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“Two sisters go missing on a remote Scottish island. Twenty years later, one is found–but she’s still the same age as when she disappeared. The secrets of witches have reached across the centuries in this chilling Gothic thriller from the author of the acclaimed The Nesting.”
Release date: October 5th, 2021
The Prince of the Skies by Antonio Iturbe
Genre: Historical Fiction
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“A gripping narrative of friendship and exploration, and an homage to Antoine de Saint-Exupery, an unforgettable writer who touched the lives of millions of readers, and who was able to see the world through the eyes of a child.”
Release date: October 12th, 2021
No One Will Miss Her by Kat Rosenfield
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“A Gone Girl for the gig economy, this is a story of privilege, identity, and cunning, as two devious women from opposite worlds discover the dangers of coveting someone else’s life.”
Release date: October 12th, 2021
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
Genre: Historical Fiction
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“From Patti Callahan, the bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis, comes another enchanting story that pulls back the curtain on the early life of C. S. Lewis.”
Release date: October 19th, 2021
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“A father and daughter living in the remote Appalachian mountains must reckon with the ghosts of their past in Kimi Cunningham Grant’s These Silent Woods, a mesmerizing novel of suspense.”
Release date: October 26th, 2021
The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller
Genre: Historical Fiction
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“The “ceaselessly brilliant” story of one man who banishes himself to a solitary life in the Arctic Circle, and is saved by good friends, a loyal dog, and a surprise visit that changes everything.”
Release date: October 26th, 2021
Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente
Genre: Horror/Thriller
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“A terrifying new thriller from bestseller Catherynne M. Valente, for fans of Gone Girl and Spinning Silver.” Everything is perfect for Sophie and her husband in their picturesque home in Arcadia Gardens. Or is it?
Release date: October 26th, 2021
Fall Reads: New Book Releases November 2021
All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“In this fast-paced thriller, Wanda M. Morris crafts a twisty mystery about a black lawyer who gets in over her head after the sudden death of her boss. A debut perfect for fans of Attica Locke, Alyssa Cole, Harlan Coben, and Celeste Ng, with shades of How to Get Away with Murder and John Grisham’s The Firm.”
Release date: November 2nd, 2021
True Crime Story by Joseph Knox
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“In the early hours of Saturday 17 December 2011, Zoe Nolan, a nineteen-year-old Manchester University student, walked out of a party taking place in the shared accommodation where she had been living for three months. She was never seen again. Shaken by revelations of Zoe’s secret life, and stalked by a figure from the shadows, Evelyn turns to crime writer Joseph Knox to help make sense of a case where everyone has something to hide.”
Release date: November 2nd, 2021
The Collective by Alison Gaylin
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“Camille Gardner is a grieving—and angry—mother who, five years after her daughter’s death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible. When her rash actions attract the attention of a secret group of women—the collective—Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice […].”
Release date: November 2nd, 2021
Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
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“From the author of Little Broken Things, a “race-to-the-finish family drama” (People) following a mother who must confront the dark summer that changed her life forever in order to reclaim the daughter she left behind.”
Release date: November 2nd, 2021
Just Haven’t Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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“From the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year comes a heartwarming and hilarious tale that asks: What if you pick up the wrong suitcase in an airport, only to fall head over heels for its unseen owner?”
Release date: November 9th, 2021
All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman
Genre: YA Fantasy
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“The blockbuster co-writing debut of Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman, All of Us Villains begins a dark tale of ambition and magick…You Fell In Love With The Victors of The Hunger Games. Now Prepare To Meet The Villains of The Blood Veil.”
Release date: November 9th, 2021
The Hidden by Melanie Golding
Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Horror
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“From the acclaimed author of Little Darlings, Melanie Golding returns with another captivating tale of myth and the mysteries of motherhood.”
Release date: Release date: November 9th, 2021
Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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“Sometimes a yacht, a bold bucket list, and a kiss with a handsome stranger are all a person needs to dive into the deep end of life.”
Release date: November 23rd, 2021
You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen McManus
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller
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“From the author of One of Us Is Lying comes a brand-new pulse-pounding thriller. It’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with murder when three old friends relive an epic ditch day, and it goes horribly–and fatally–wrong.”
Release date: November 30th, 2021
Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance
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“From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a deeply moving novel about the resilience of the human spirit in a moment of crisis.” (Set on the Galapagos Islands during quarantine.)
Release date: November 30th, 2021
View my full list of new fall 2021 book releases here.
I hope this list of new fiction books coming in fall 2021 has helped you grow your TBR list! Stay healthy and keep reading, friends.
If you’re looking for more awesome books to read, check out my list of some of the most anticipated fiction books coming in 2021!