L. M. Montgomery once wrote,
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
…and we can’t help but agree!
Nothing beats this time of year – when the foliage turns to picturesque shades of orange, red, and brown. When the weather necessitates sweaters and umbrellas. When apples, pumpkin spice, and caramel reign supreme.
And what’s better than a hot drink and a spooky book to cozy down with to celebrate the changing of the seasons?
We took the time to make this curated list full of books we think would make the perfect listen.
Whether looking for something to compliment your yearly watch of Practical Magic or Gilmore Girls, or needing your next Dark Academia novel to devour, we have the audiobook excellent for listening while navigating a corn maze, visiting a pumpkin patch, carving jack-o-lanterns, or enjoying any other wonderful fall activity!
COZY MYSTERY
Witch’s Block
written by Amy Boyles, narrated by Mollie Stark
Nothing screams fall more than a paranormal cozy mystery!
Paige Provey, a successful paranormal author, faces career ruin when her ex-husband exposes her as a fraud. To save her career, she must overcome writer’s block and write a new book. Paige travels to a lakeside community where strange things happen, including a murder where she becomes the primary suspect. She must write a book, solve the mystery of Willow Lake, and prove her innocence to save her dreams.
Pumpkin Spice Peril
written by Jenn McKinlay, narrated by Susan Boyce
Life is all sugar and spice for the Fairy Tale Cupcake bakers—Melanie Cooper is engaged to the delectable Joe DeLaura, Angie Harper and her husband Tate are savoring married life, and the bakery is bustling with happy customers…until one of their most valued cupcake connoisseurs ends up dead after eating one of their cupcakes. With their lives and bakery at stake, it’s up to Mel and Angie to find out who poisoned their artist friend and why… before their future is frosted for good.
And if you need a recommendation to add to your Christmas TBR (it’s never too early in our book!), then read the latest in the series, Sugar Plum Poisoned!
Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking
written by Raquel V. Reyes, narrated by Frankie Corzo
It’s time for a savory soirée—but something sinister is stewing.
Fall festivities in Coral Shores turn deadly for Miriam Quiñones-Smith when a woman is found dead in her front yard. Miriam’s mother-in-law puts her in charge of the Women’s Club annual gala, but things take a dangerous turn when the head chef dies. Two possible poisonings and a growing body count put Miriam’s life in jeopardy. Will she solve the mystery before it’s too late?
Foodies and mystery lovers alike will savor this culinary cozy mystery where the truth is laid bare in a simmering stew of rage, retribution, and murder.
PARANORMAL ROMANCE
The Only Purple House in Town
written by Ann Aguirre, narrated by Carly Robins
Looking for a read that’s the perfect companion to The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches? Look no further than this magical, cozy romance.
In the magical town of St. Claire, anything is possible. Iris Collins is the “chaos bunny” in her successful family. After inheriting a house, she opens a B&B. She rents rooms to lost souls, including non-humans. Eli Reese, a successful app designer, spots his first crush at a café and ends up renting a room in Iris’s B&B. He becomes enchanted by the misfit boarders and Iris. Could this be home for Eli at last?
Witch Please
written by Ann Aguirre, narrated by Ava Lucas
Everybody knows that Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls are a must-watch in the fall. And this rom-com, featuring a cursed bisexual virgin baker and a witch looking to avoid romantic entanglements, is a perfect mix of both iconic fall classics!
Meet Danica Waterhouse, a modern witch and co-owner of Fix-It Witches. After a tough breakup, she made a pact with her cousin to keep their hearts protected. But navigating her family’s feud and an overly opinionated Gram is exhausting. Three blocks away, Titus Winnaker, owner of Sugar Daddy’s bakery, has his own family trouble and a string of bad luck in love. Then he meets Danica. Sparks fly, but she’s hesitant due to the family war. Can a modern witch find love with an old-fashioned man who wants forever?
Not the Witch You Wed
written by April Asher, narrated by Zura Johnson
In this start to a bewitching new paranormal series about being sexy, single, and supernatural in New York City, April Asher brings all the hilarity and sweet, sexy moments you love in a romantic comedy—plus a fun dose of magic when a fake relationship between a magic-less witch and a wolf shifter turns into so much more…
HISTORICAL FICTION
Gallows Hill
written by Lois Ruby, narrated by Michael Crouch & Jess Nahikian
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a “Salem Witch Trials” phase – who are we kidding everyone has! (Right?!)
Gallows Hill is a riveting historical YA novel that captures life in Salem as accusations of witchcraft begin to fly.
In 1692 Salem, Quaker Thomas is an outcast with nowhere to live. Lucky for him, he’s taken in by rumored witch Prudence. When young girls in Salem claim to be bewitched, including Prudence’s sister, the town becomes consumed by suspicion. Thomas and Prudence search for the truth, questioning their faiths and loyalties to protect those they care about.
The Manningtree Witches
written by A.K Blakemore, narrated by Sofia Zervudachi
England, 1643. Puritanical fervor has gripped the nation. And in Manningtree, a town depleted of men since the wars began, the hot terror of damnation burns in the hearts of women left to their own devices.
Brimming with contemporary energy and resonance, The Manningtree Witches plunges its listeners into the fever and menace of the English witch trials. Suspicion, mistrust, and betrayal run amok as a nation’s arrogant male institutions start to realize that the very people they’ve suppressed for so long may be about to rise up and claim their freedom.
The Summoning
written by J.P. Smith, narrated by Ann Marie Lee
When it comes to contacting the dead, it’s easy to go a step too far… And nobody knows that better than Kit Capriol.
After losing her husband in the North Tower, Kit struggles as an actress to support herself and her daughter. With her daughter in the hospital and bills to pay, Kit decides to fake being a medium which is almost too easy for someone used to pretending for a living—and desperate clients aren’t hard to come by.
Now, though, something has changed. The seances Kit holds in her apartment are starting to feel unsettlingly real. Has she opened up a portal that can’t be turned off?
MYSTERY/THRILLER
Ocean State
written by Stewart O’Nan, narrated by Sara Young
Set in a working-class town on the Rhode Island coast, this profoundly compelling novel is about sisters, mothers, and daughters—and the terrible things love makes us do.
In the first line of Ocean State, we learn that a high-school student was murdered, and we find out who did it. The story that unfolds from there with incredible momentum is thus one of the build-ups to and fall-out from the murder told through the alternating perspectives of the four women at its heart.
A Cruel Light
written by Cyndi MacMillan, narrated by Nan McNamara
With vivid imagery and gothic overtones, this incredibly atmospheric and engrossing read is perfect for fans of Simone St. James and Mexican Gothic.
A blood-curdling crime that rocked the town to its core is reopened after a renovation unearths a time-ravaged portrait of the young victim. Conservator Annora Garde is hired by the local police to clean the painting and expose what lies buried within it.
Inspector Scott “Mac” MacGowan is convinced the mural is a cryptic confession that will solve the cold case. Together, Mac and Annora struggle to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Toxic mold obscures blood-chilling clues, and the painting has an eerie life of its own. Annora is haunted by what she reveals and as she closes in on the killer, the killer inches ever closer to her, and she will come face to face with a brutal truth: some murderers never come clean.
The Nightmare Man
written by J. H. Markert, narrated by David Bendena
Featured on TheShadesofOrange BookTube Channel, Most Anticipated Horror of 2023!
Rural and old-school horror fans will find much to love in this chilling horror novel where T. Kingfisher meets Cassandra Khaw.
Blackwood mansion, perched atop a hill overlooking New Haven, was where bestselling author Ben Bookman wrote his latest horror novel, The Scarecrow. As the book’s release approaches, murders begin to occur that resemble scenes from the novel making Ben the prime suspect. Ben’s memory of the night he finished writing The Scarecrow is hazy, but he knows he wrote it in his grandfather’s forbidden room, The Atrium. As he delves into Blackwood’s history, Ben realizes he may have unleashed something horrifying – and it won’t stop with the horrors buried within the pages of his book.
Mister Lullaby, the second book, will be out on November 21st!
DARK ACADEMIA
The Hawthorne School
written by Sylvie Perry, narrated by Nan McNamara
For fans of Riley Sager, this twisty psychological suspense is inspired by our present-day obsession with true crime.
This exploration of what a mother will do for her child is guided by the author’s work with narcissistic manipulation and the addictive power dynamics in her role as a psychotherapist.
The Protégé
written by Jody Gehrman, narrated by Cindy Kay & Jess Nahikian
In the vein of Samantha Downing and Layne Fargo, this chilling psychological suspense pits revenge against the will to survive.
Dr. Hannah Bryers, anthropology professor and forensics expert at the prestigious Mad River University, career is being sabotaged after dangerous mistakes keep happening in her lab. Hannah has no idea who would have it out for her and would be willing to risk students’ lives. As the incidents become deadly, many suspects come to light. Hannah won’t go down without a fight. She has to figure out who is sabotaging her career and killing people—her life depends on finding answers.
YOUNG ADULT
Anne of Green Gables
written by L.M. Montgomery, narrated by Susie Berneis
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
That famous quote is all you need to know. If you haven’t read this classic yet, what are you doing?
This recommendation should come as no surprise – you’ll likely have seen this on any autumn reading list. And for good reason! It has all the cozy, fall atmosphere you could want full of heartfelt friendship, romance, growing up, and family. And since this is a classic, there are also so many TV show variations to watch as well!
Anne, a young orphan, is mistakenly sent to live with Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. Despite their initial intentions to adopt a boy, they keep Anne after discovering an evil woman who wants to adopt her. Anne’s bright attitude earns her many friendships in town, and she excels in both school and farm work, aspiring to become a teacher.
The Last Hope in Hopetown
written by Maria Tureaud, narrated by Mary Cross
After Sophie’s vampire mother turns rogue, she must find a cure. But taking matters into her own hands might be way more than she bargained for if it means braving a secret council of vampires, executing epic heists, and facing the true bad guys head-on. With her best friend by her side, Sophie will fight for hope, freedom, and a family bonded by a love that’s thicker than blood.
The Alchemy of Moonlight
written by David Ferraro, narrated by Will Watt
Historical gothic horror with a gay love triangle…. what more could you want?
Emile runs away when his aunt threatens to disown him for being gay. He works as a servant in Count Montoni’s mansion and discovers that the family has a strange affliction during the full moon. After overhearing suspicious family arguments, he finds a body on the estate, drawing the attention of a handsome doctor as well as the count’s charismatic nephew, Henri.
Before Emile can sort out his affections or unravel the growing Montoni family mystery, his identity is revealed. He will have to risk his life to find the love he deserves―and survive the Montoni family.
After Dark with Roxie Clark
written by Brooke Lauren Davis, narrated by Jordan Killam
What lengths will a family go for each other?
Roxie Clark’s family is cursed and has a history of tragic deaths. Roxie has turned this into a successful ghost tour. However, her sister’s boyfriend was found murdered, and Roxie wants to help her sister find closure. As the sisters dig into what really happened, they discover that more than one person has been lying about that night. And the closer they get to the truth, the more Roxie starts to wonder if some scary stories might be better left untold.
After Dark With Roxie Clark is a thought-provoking thriller about grief, family, and what happens when true crime hits a little too close to home, perfect for fans of Kara Thomas and Cruel Summer.
KIDS
The Skull
written by Jon Klassen, narrated by Fairuza Balk & Jon Klassen
The Skull is a gentle, charming story that will be perfect for the Halloween season for young listeners.
In a big abandoned house on a barren hill lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both?
Steeped in shadows and threaded with subtle wit, The Skull is as empowering as it is mysterious and foreboding.
Vlad, the Fabulous Vampire
written by Flavia Z. Drago, narrated by Marisa Blake
Vlad, the Fabulous Vampire is the third book in the massively popular World of Gustavo series. Fans of the series will love this delightful new character and the uplifting message of acceptance and being yourself.
Vlad is a vampire with the misfortune of having rosy cheeks that—gasp!—make him look abysmally alive. But being the fabulous vampire that he is (and hoping to avoid rejection), he hides his rosy complexion behind elaborate vampire outfits in traditional black. That is, he does until he finds out that his best friend has a pink secret of her own…
NONFICTION
The Fright Before Christmas
written and narrated by Jeff Belanger
Much like The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Fright Before Christmas is the best of both holiday seasons. If you want an informative nonfiction book that is creepy but also delightful, then consider giving this a listen.
With The Fright Before Christmas, you can step into the dark roots of Christmas, full of monsters like Krampus, Gryla, and Tomten, and fears that the sun won’t rise again after the shortest, darkest day.
