With fall just arriving and the weather finally cooling down, it’s the perfect time to light a candle, pull out a book, cozy up, and read. 

       If you’re unsure about what to read this season, I have the perfect books to read. Here’s my list of top books to read this fall, especially for those that prefer young adult fiction.

“All For The Game” Series by Nora Sakavic (Trigger Warning)

   Summary: The All For The Game series is a sports fiction series about a college exy team. Exy is like lacrosse mixed with the violence of hockey played on a large court. The book follows Neil, who has been on the run from the mafia and his father, both of whom have been trying to kill him since he ran away. Now that he is at Palmetto State playing exy, he has to learn to disguise his true identity from the public.

   Common Themes: This book series has what could be considered sensitive themes that may be disturbing to some people, as well as themes like learning how to work with people, learning to trust people, and being who you are.

   Why it’s Worth the Read: This book series is by far my favorite series ever. These books are unpredictable at almost every moment, and they cover endless topics and events (exy games, clubbing, getting kidnapped, etc) that make you never want to put them down. The author also does an amazing job of creating relationships between characters throughout the series, developing all of the characters really well. Another aspect of this book that makes it stand out is the author’s ability to create a whole entire sport and make it something so important in these books.

“They Both Die at the End” by Adam Silvera

   Summary: “They Both Die at the End” is a great but also very sad young adult book that everyone should read. The book is about two boys who both receive a call from Death Cast (a company that calls people to tell them they have 24 hours until they die). From there the book goes into how these two boys spend their last day and end up meeting each other. After they meet each other the book shares their journey together on their last day. 

    Common Themes: This book is about how to live like your true self and not be someone you are not. It also discusses friendship, mortality, and the meaning of life.

    Adaptations: The book has only been published for four years, but that hasn’t impeded the new HBO adaptation that’s in the works. As of May of this year, Drew Comins said he would be adapting the book into a short TV series. 

    Why it’s Worth the Read: The author has an amazing way with words that causes you to never want to set the book down. Along with the perspectives from the two main characters, the author also adds in perspectives from side characters, allowing you to have a unique insight of the story. 

“Looking for Alaska” by John Green

   Summary: Looking for Alaska is about a boy named Miles and his journey of seeking the “Great Perhaps”. To find the “Great Perhaps” he goes to a boarding school in Alabama. While breaking the rules with newfound friends, Miles tries to figure out why Alaska’s mood and personality change so quickly. By the end of the book he finds the answers to his questions, but also finds the “Great Perhaps” and faces grief.

   Common Themes:  Common themes presented throughout the book are guilt, friendship, the meaning of life, and finding yourself. The main theme in the story is death because the majority of things that happen throughout the book revolve around death. 

   Adaptations: In 2019 Hulu released the TV series version of the book. 

   Why it’s Worth the Read: This book is worth the read because it will make you laugh and smile, as well as feel grief as John Green shifts the mood of the novel, with the novel changing from Before to After. This book will definitely leave you asking life questions, and teach you a great lesson about how to deal with grief and loss.

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky (Trigger Warning)

    Summary: This is a coming-of-age novel about an introverted teenager named Charlie and his life after he experiences two traumatic events. Throughout the book, he ends up making friends and experiencing high school while also managing grief and reflecting on past traumatic events. 

    Common Themes: The book has heavy themes that may be unsuitable for some readers like the exploration of sexuality, drug use, rape, and mental health. The novel also shows how books, music, and movies are more than entertainment to teens; a reason why many love and relate to this book. 

    Adaptations:  In 2012 a popular adaptation starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller was created.

    Why it’s Worth the Read: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is a must-read for anyone who loves reading. It is probably one of the most relatable books; if you aren’t relating to the main character you always find yourself relating to one of the other characters. Along with that, the book is very short and jumps directly into the story.

“The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson

      Summary: “The Haunting of Hill House” is a gothic horror novel about four people (Dr. Montague, Luke, Theodore, and Eleanor) who end up staying at a haunted house and experience supernatural things such as ghosts going up and down the hall, writing appearing on the walls, and creepy noises throughout the night. With all the supernatural stuff happening in the house Eleanor starts acting strange and sort of possessed, leading them to get worried about staying in the house and leaving. 

    Common Themes:   A handful of common themes seen throughout the story are fear, isolation, dissociation and depression. 

    Adaptations: “The Haunting of Hill House” also has a TV series on Netflix that came out in fall of 2018. Even though the TV series is amazing, it isn’t exactly like the book since the show was made taking different little details from the book and then adding it to the director and producer’s main concept.

    Why it’s Worth the Read: This book is absolutely worth the read, especially with it being fall and spooky season. The book will perfectly fill the void for anyone who likes horror stories and takes you down a rabbit hole of mystery and fear. I also loved how scary the book was, and the author makes you feel the same fears as the characters while you read.