Key Takeaways:

• A good fall reading list gives you something slow and fun to do on screen-free weekends.

• Pick your books for fall based on mood, age, genre, and when and where you’re reading.

• Cozy books include fiction, read-alouds, hobby books, kids’ picks, and activity books for rainy days. 

• Since book inventory at Ollie’s changes frequently, shop by category and see what your location has on the shelf. 

Some days are made for staying in. The sky is gray, the blankets come out, and the couch is looking oh, so cozy. For these kinds of days, we like to have a fall reading list. Not a list that feels like homework, but more of a “What can I have on my nightstand for the next chilly Sunday morning?” kind of list. 

A few books for the kids. Something mellow for the grown-ups. Maybe a cookbook or puzzle book for the person who can’t sit still for a long read. Ollie’s Bargain Bookland is jam-packed with great reads for every taste up to 80% off list price!

Weekend Reading Escapes

If you want to disappear for a while and explore another world, go for:

• Light fiction

• Historical fiction

• Fantasy

• Travel stories

If you’re running on leftover coffee or don’t have an hour to sink into a full story:

• Short stories

• Humor or joke books

• Short essays

• Advice pieces

• Fast-paced thrillers

It can be nice to be able to dip in and out without needing a bookmark or time spent emotionally preparing yourself. 

The best books for fall aren’t always the heaviest ones on the shelf. Sometimes they’re the ones you can pick up after lunch, read for twenty minutes, and leave on the arm of the couch for your next afternoon break. 

We also recommend having a book in your fall reading list that’s easy to restart if life gets busy.

Family Reading Time

Reading aloud can support early literacy and is great for child development. So if you’re putting together a fall reading list, make sure to throw some family-friendly books in the mix. That might mean picture books after dinner, early chapter books for after-school reads, joke books you can keep in the car for road trips, or popular children’s books their friends from school might be reading. 

Look through kids’ and young adult books for read-aloud options and early readers. Your child should have a book they can call theirs. That little bit of ownership can mean a lot. So does letting them pick out something silly now and then. 

Cozy Mysteries and Fiction

Cooler nights and mysteries belong together. If you want to add a bit of drama to your collection of cozy books, look for:

• Gentle mysteries

• Light thrillers

• Small-town fiction

• Family dramas

• Seasonal fiction

• Historical dramas

Nothing has to be too heavy. Let the book entertain you without feeling emotionally exhausted. 

If you like variety, mix a few different moods into your fall reading list. A mystery for a Friday night. Wholesome fiction for the Sunday scaries. 

Children's Story Time

Kids know what they like, and they’ll be the first to tell you. Sometimes it’s animal stories. Sometimes it’s bright picture books. 

For younger readers, have a few types of books for your fall stash available:

• Picture books

• Early readers

• Bedtime stories

• Animal adventures

Find the right time for story time. It might just be whenever your child is inspired to read in that moment. And when they are, let them flip through the pages. Let them ask questions. Give them a second to admire the drawing of that skateboarding zebra because, let’s admit it, that is pretty cool.

Three pages a night might be the limit, and that’s plenty!

Young Adult Favorites

If you’re looking for books for your teen, think about the kinds of books you liked reading when you were their age. Then think about the kinds of stories or genres they’re into. If there’s one thing about teens and young adults, it’s that they like diversity. They’re exploring and trying to find new things that inspire them.

If you’re putting together a stack for your teen’s fall reading list, start with:

• YA books

• Graphic novels

• Fantasy

• Sports stories

• Coming-of-age fiction

• Adventure fiction

• Teen romance

• Suspense

You can’t go wrong with a big series either, although there’s also something cool about discovering a series before anyone else knows about it. 

Cookbooks and Hobby Books for Fall

Not every book needs to be one you read straight through. If you’re someone who likes to turn reading into doing, add some books to your fall reading list like:

• Cookbooks

• Craft books

• Puzzle books

• Hobby guides

• Activity books

That rainy afternoon might be the perfect time to test out a new cookie recipe. Or that hour before the kids wake up in the morning can be your time for crosswording.

If your pile of cozy books is all novels, add something hands-on. Your future snack-loving self will be glad you did. 

The Best Types of Books for Someone Who Hasn’t Read in a While?

If you haven’t read in a while but want to dive back in, it’s best to start with something easier. We recommend:

• Short mysteries or page-turning thrillers: Anything that is short and propulsive is great, since it almost feels like you’re working out the answers to the puzzle with the characters.

• Sci-fi: There’s slow, heady sci-fi, and then there’s accessible sci-fi with humor and emotion. Look for the latter. 

• Fantasy: Any author who can build a world through story and describe it vividly enough to put you inside it can make it hard to put that book down, no matter how new or out of practice your reading skills may be.. 

• Young adult: Great for young readers and often a guilty pleasure for older adults. They’re often easy reads with short, addictive chapters. 

Find Your Next Fall Favorite

Drop by Ollie’s Bargain Bookland today & start building out your fall reading list. Have a book for the couch, one for the kids, one for when you only have 15 minutes to kill, and one that inspires you to bust out the oven mitts. 

Check out the current flyer to see what your local Ollie’s has in stock.