And just like that, we’re already thinking about Christmas. (Or is that just me?)

I feel like I blinked and suddenly Halloween was behind us. I’m not sure how it happened. I swear time is getting faster and faster. But I did get to read quite the mix of books this fall, including some horror in honor of spooky season.

The list includes:

• All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Stoner by John Williams
• Piglet by Lottie Hazell
• Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
• Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang
• Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine
• The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
• She Didn’t Seeing It Coming by Shari Lapena
• Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
• Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
• Strangers by Belle Burden
• Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano
• Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting by Richard Chizmar and W.H. Chizmar
• A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

Let’s get into the reviews!

All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert

It’s hard to even know what to say about this book. It’s heavy, but it’s honest.

In this memoir, Elizabeth Gilbert shares the story of her tumultuous relationship with Rayya. The two were extremely close friends for many years before they finally admitted their feelings were more than just friendship. But this revelation came as Rayya received a cancer diagnosis that would ultimately result in her death. There are haunting confessions as the two struggle with not only the diagnosis, but their addictions.

Rating: ???

Stoner by John Williams

For all of the people online who say this is their favorite book, are you OK? I mean this genuinely.

This book follows the life of William Stoner as he leaves his parent’s farm, attends university, and ends up dedicating his life to English literature and being a professor. While that sounds good on the surface, Stoner does not live a happy life. His relationship with his wife is toxic, his relationship with some of his colleagues is toxic, and even his relationship with his daughter is strained and distant.

While this book did leave me with some things to think about, be prepared to be frustrated by Stoner’s passivity about literally everything.

Rating: 8/10

Piglet by Lottie Hazell

Piglet seems to have everything going her way. She’s being considered for a big promotion at work, she’s getting married in a few weeks, and she owns a nice house with her fiancé, Kit. But one night, Kit upends her entire world with a shocking confession. Piglet begins to spiral out of control, not caring about work, her family, or anything else.

I’ll be honest, I found this book so frustrating! You never find out what Kit did and it’s hard to watch Piglet in meltdown mode.

Rating: 7/10

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

If you’re a fan Agatha Christie books, you’ll know exactly where this story is going.

Christa and her boyfriend are heading to a remote cabin in the Rocky Mountains on a group trip. It should be a nice, relaxing few days. But a storm is moving in quickly and their bus is forced to stop and pull over due to a downed tree. The group gets split up in the storm and visibility is low, but most of the crew manages to find their way to a small cabin where they plan to shelter for the night. But a killer is among them and the bodies begin to pile up. Can they catch the killer before the killer catches them?

Unfortunately, I guessed what was happening from the beginning and I was right.

Rating: 7/10

Taipei Story by R.F. Kuang

Lily Chen goes abroad to Taipei for a study abroad immersive language program. She hopes to become fluent in Chinese to be able to speak with and understand her family better. But these aspirations begin to crumble as Lily struggles to fit in with her peers and finds herself still feeling like an outsider even as her language skills improve. Can she find what she is looking for?

I’m not entirely sure how to describe this book, but I enjoy R.F. Kuang’s writing. Can’t wait to read whatever she writes next!

Rating: 8/10

Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine

This was weird… but not necessarily a bad weird.

Amid a pandemic seemingly spread by making eye contact, Riley is used to being alone. But her world is once again flipped upside down when someone moves in next door. Riley finds herself drawn to her new neighbor, Ellis, but she struggles to trust him as his move to the neighborhood coincides with strange happenings around her home. Who is Ellis really, and is his appearance here a coincidence or something more sinister? If you read this, don’t expect to get clear answers.

Rating: 7/10

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

I have a confession: I love horror movies, but I’m not sure I love horror books. I just don’t find them as scary. Have I not found the right book? If you have any suggestions, please leave your favorites in the comments.

Regan, a young girl, spends a lot of time by herself. Her parents are splitting up and she doesn’t seem to have a lot of friends, except for someone she refers to as Captain Howdy. At first, her mom, Chris, brushes off the mentions of the Captain, but it’s not long before Regan starts acting strange. Despite all sorts of doctor’s visits, there’s no clear answer as to Regan’s behavior. Out of desperation, Chris contacts a priest. As he begins to investigate, Regan’s behavior and health only get worse. Can she be saved before it’s too late?

Rating: 6/10

She Didn’t Seeing It Coming by Shari Lapena

Sam gets a call at work from his daughter’s daycare stating his wife never showed up for pickup. He rushes over to get their daughter and returns home to discover his wife, Bryden, is nowhere to be found. But the missing person case shifts into a homicide investigation once Bryden’s body is found. The list of suspects starts to grow and you learn that everyone has something to hide. What happened to Bryden and why?

This book started very strong for me, but the middle got a bit messy with all of the side stories. It did keep me guessing though!

Rating: 7/10

Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Want to try something new, but find yourself scared or unwilling to commit? Try a tiny experiment.

I came across the book on a list of book recommendations for people feeling a bit lost or unsure about their next steps in life. To try to overcome this, Anne-Laure Le Cunff, a neurologist, recommends trying out tiny experiments based on the following formula: I will [action] for [duration]. In other words, if you want to know what it’s like to be a writer, commit to writing 250 words a day for the next 3 months. Did you like it? Did you find yourself looking forward to your dedicated writing time? If not, that’s OK. Try something else. And maybe conduct a life audit while you’re at it.

As someone that has read a lot of self-help, there were many familiar ideas. However, there were some interesting concepts and ideas about burnout and procrastination that I haven’t come across before.

Rating: 7/10

Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman

This is book two in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, so proceed with caution as spoilers may be ahead. Curious what I thought about Dungeon Crawler Carl? Check out my review here.

If you liked Dungeon Crawler Carl, you’ll be happy with book two. It carries on the magical absurdity of the first book, but somehow raises the stakes. Carl and Princess Donut continue to navigate the horrible dungeon game that humanity is trapped in, battling monsters, leveling up their skills, and trying to gain fans. Some unexpected quests pose new challenges for the two. Can they reach the next level before time runs out?

Rating: 10/10

Strangers by Belle Burden

If you read this memoir, just expect to be angry and confused.

It’s the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and Belle Burden and her family have retreated to their cabin home to avoid the crowds of New York City. As she’s making dinner, she gets a text revealing her husband is having an affair. She confronts him and everything begins to unravel. Why has he suddenly become a different person? Don’t expect any answers.

Rating: 7/10

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

This is the fifth book in the Finlay Donovan series (not counting the prequel short story), so spoilers for books #1, #2, #3, and #4 may be ahead. Proceed with caution.

I can’t stop reading this series. Despite all of the chaos that Finlay and Vero find themselves in, it’s a comfort read.

In this book, Finlay and Vero have finally put the mess with the mob behind them only to find themselves in the middle of yet another murder investigation. This time, a body has been found in the backyard of their neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty. She’s quickly ruled out as a suspect and it’s clear the police have their eyes on Finlay’s ex-husband. While he’s done his share of bad things, this time, Finlay is convinced he’s innocent. Plus, Finlay and Vero can’t risk having the police look too closely in their direction. The duo decide to investigate for themselves.

Rating: 7.5/10

Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting by Richard Chizmar and W.H. Chizmar

Who doesn’t love a haunted lighthouse?

This was an unusual book in that it was originally a short story that was expanded over time. It’s told in the form of forgotten footage (think something like The Blair Witch Project), so it has a tendency to bounce all over the place as it follows the horrible events that have happened in the Widow’s Point lighthouse. Plus, there are some creepy mannequins that move around. It’s a fun read for a spooky time of year.

Rating: 7/10

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

If you enjoyed English class in school, this book is for you!

George Saunders, a professor at Syracuse University, shares 7 Russian short stories to read with each story followed by his commentary, thoughts, and questions. You’re exploring both the story itself, as well as the writing behind the story and thinking about why a writer made the creative choices they made.

I read this over the course of a few months and I appreciated slowing down and sitting with these stories for some time. If anyone has recommendations of similar books, please leave a comment with your recommendations below.

Rating: 10/10

Want more reviews? Check out what I read in July & August 2026!

As always, I want to know what YOU are reading. Please leave a comment below with some of your favorite recent reads.