What Kind of Mother
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Clay McLeod Chapman
Publisher: Quirk Books
Release Date: September 12, 2023

My grandma always says, “Where there’s a thought, there’s an image; where there’s an image, there’s an event.” If, like Grandma, you believe that thought projection leads to manifestation, then the events of What Kind of Mother will make perfect sense to you. If not, then when you get through the last third of this book by Clay McLeod Chapman, you’ll probably be like, “What the hell did I just read?!” Actually, you might think that either way, because wow does this story take a wild turn.

Fall is almost upon us! This is my favorite season of the year in general, but also my favorite time for reading. There’s always a plethora of titles being released for the season, many of which are perfect for Halloween and even the Christmas Horror subgenre. I always have so much fun putting together my Fall reading recommendations not only because of all the new titles I’m anticipating, but also so I can look back on what was released earlier in the year and read anything I might have missed.

Below are some titles — with accompanying links to the print, ebooks, and audiobooks editions — that I personally am looking forward to this Fall, presented here in order of release date, starting with those releasing in September 2023. After this main list, I’ve included some titles that came out earlier this year that you might have missed that would be appropriate to read this Fall. At the end, I included recommendations for themed Cookbooks, Crafts, Guides, Coloring Books Sourcebooks, and Tarot Decks that would be great to dive into during the spooky season.

Continue on to check out my Fall 2023 Book Recommendations…

The September House
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Carissa Orlando
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: September 5, 2023

Bleeding walls, nightly screams, and mutilated apparitions are what Margaret and Hal are up against in their new home every September in The September House, the debut novel from Carissa Orlando. When the empty-nesters first moved in, this large, beautiful, and surprisingly affordable Victorian domicile was their dream home. But with their fourth September as homeowners fast approaching, Hal has had enough of this place and its eerie inhabitants. He wants his wife to move out with him, but Margaret refuses because as strange as it may seem, this is the only place she’s ever been able to call her own. Sure, the ghosts can be menacing and there’s some kind of evil lurking in the basement, but there’s also a live-in housekeeper… albeit a dead one, but she’s actually really good at her job. Margaret has figured out the “rules” of the house to follow in order to maintain the status quo and make it through to October; therefore, she’s staying put. But after Hal suddenly leaves, their daughter, Katherine, becomes suspicious. Where did her father go and why isn’t he answering her calls? When Katherine insists on visiting her parents’ new home for the first time during September of all months, Margaret struggles to keep up appearances as the hauntings become more frequently intense.

Dungeons & Dragons: Bigby Presents: Glory Of The Giants
Hardcover
D&D Accessory
Wizards Of The Coast
Release Date: August 15, 2023

Good day and well met, friends! I hope today finds you well and I am absolutely excited to present this newest source book to you, for it is near and dear to my heart. Playing AD&D in the ’80s was possibly the highlight of any given week, but when it involved giant-kin, then it was beyond fun. Wizards Of The Coast has published this tome entitled Bigby Presents: Glory Of The Giants at such an opportune time for me, as I just welcomed my third grandson, Leonardo, into the world a few weeks ago. The correlation is that big boy was a healthy nine pounds which is, as many know, a pretty big baby. Who knows, maybe we have a Hill Giant in the family now? Only time will tell.

Dragons of Fate
Dragonlance Destinies Volume 2
Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook
By Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Release Date: August 1, 2023

It has been almost four decades since I was fourteen and I read the very first Dragonlance novel from bestselling authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman; don’t do the math as it stings a little to see that number has grown so large. But when I dove into Dragons of Fate, the second volume in the Dragonlance Destines series, it was like going home again. Please join me while I try not to spoil anything, but do my best to explain what you are missing out if you do not reading this novel.