Have you made a Fall 2025 TBR? It’s always exciting to begin a new reading season!

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books on My Fall 2025 TBR

I’m linking up today with That Artsy Reader Girl: Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Books on My Fall 2025 TBR.

What is your most anticipated fall read?

With all the books that are on my radar on a given day, it’s nice to pick out a few for an official TBR. Ten still leaves room for library holds that come in, occasional ARCs, or some mood reading. Do you have a “most anticipated” fall read? I always look forward to Novellas in November and Nonfiction November in the fall.

One question you may ask is “Are these spooky reads or thrillers?” Many readers have differing opinions of what comprises a fall read: some want spooky, some look for atmospheric, some seek out thrillers, while others like to tackle large tomes or nonfiction during the fall when they are spending more time sitting by the fire. It’s my opinion that any book you read in the fall is a fall read. For my fall reads, I look for the types of books I look for all year: memorable, thought-provoking, and unputdownable. So the answer to the question is NO….no thrillers or spooky reads because I’m too susceptible to nightmares.

Keep in mind that I’m not yet recommending the books on my official fall TBR list…..check back often, though, because I will provide updates and links to reviews as I read them. For now, these are the reads that are receiving priority on my fall 2025 reading radar.

Find my Summer 2025 TBR update here. I read 10/10 and rated EVERY ONE 4 Stars, setting a rating FIRST for a seasonal TBR! Usually, I experience more mixed results.

Fall 2025 TBR

The Blue Machine by Helen Czerski

Genre: Nonfiction, Nature, Science
Why: This is my selection for #NonfictionNovember
***UPDATE: 3.5 Stars. Didn’t quite meet my expectations. Some parts were super interesting and other parts were technical, a bit over my head, too agenda-driven, or too unrelated to the topic. Maybe I’m not the target audience? Oceanographers and environmentalists will appreciate it more than I did, but I will certainly never look at the ocean the same way again. I appreciate the insights that I did gain.

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The Black Wolf by Louise Penny

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Detective, Mystery
Why: #20 in the Inspector Gamache series; I’m a series completist, and although I haven’t been thrilled with recent installments, I have to give this a try. However, I will wait for my library hold and not buy it (which means I might have to push this to my winter TBR).
***UPDATE: Long library hold (just starting it).

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Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Family Drama
Why: Lots of buzz about this one; FOMO
***UPDATE: 2 Stars. Unlikeable characters and dysfunctional families are not my favorites. Underwhelmed by this, and I’m a definite #outlier.

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Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery

Genre: Classic Children’s/Young Adult Literature
Why: I’m participating in a Green Gables October read-along with Jana @ Reviews From the Stacks. Join us?
***UPDATE: Enjoyable reread. In fact, I went ahead and read the last two books in the series to revisit this romance and the final installment. Of the three books I read, I enjoyed Anne’s House of Dreams the most.

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The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison

Genre: Literary Fiction, Marriage
Why: Recommended by Catherine on Sarah’s Bookshelves Live Podcast.
***UPDATE: 4 Stars. Engaging complicated family drama with some relatable themes.

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The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Campus Novel, Coming-of-Age
WHY: Hilderbrand isn’t my favorite women’s fiction author, but this one is a departure from Nantucket and sounds good, so I’ll give it a try.
***UPDATE: DNF 23% (icky teacher/student sexual content) Are we sure Hilderbrand wrote this? I’ll not follow her into the Dark Academia genre.

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Marce Catlett by Wendell Berry

Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
WHY: This will be a #NovellasInNovember read.
***UPDATE: 3 Stars. I enjoyed the beginning, but lost interest in the author’s heavy-handed agenda, preachiness, and opinions. Skimmed the last half.

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Seascraper by Benjamin Wood

Genre: Literary Fiction
WHY: A selection for #NovellasInNovember 2025 (#NovNov25 Buddy Read). Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2025.
***UPDATE: 3 Stars. Bleaker and more dismal than I usually prefer.

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The Eights by Joanna Miller

Genre: Historical Fiction
WHY: Recommended by Lisa @ Hopewell’s Public Library of Life in my One Must Read Book of Summer (2025) collaboration post.
***UPDATE: 3 Stars. An interesting read, but I wish it had been more focused on the academic experiences of the young women.

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Work in Progress by Kat MacKenzie

Genre: Women’s Fiction
WHY: Light reading recommended by Carla @ Carla Loves to Read in my One Must Read Book of Summer (2025) collaboration.
***UPDATE: 3 Stars. Entertaining.

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QOTD!

What’s on your Fall TBR?
What is your one most anticipated read this fall?

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