8 Audiobook Recommendations for Fall

Everyone seems to be searching for aesthetic, some calming atmosphere that reflects a cookie cutter image of a particular place or season. It’s hard to achieve, particularly in adulthood when your attention is constantly being pulled in several different directions. That’s why our social media feeds are covered in images and videos to get you in the mood for these different feelings.

Fall is a very popular aesthetic, and it’s easy to immerse yourself into, especially when you live in a climate where the weather cools and the leaves change. But life can still distract you from fully enjoying those surroundings. One thing that helps is listening to in-season stories that sink into your imagination and help get you in the mood for fall. Below are eight audiobook recommendations in various genres that can help you get into the fall aesthetic.

Cell

Stephen King’s Cell opens at the beginning of October, immediately setting a traditional fall scene that turns to horrific chaos real fast. King’s descriptive prose continues on throughout the book as the survivors of a zombie outbreak that is transmitted through a cell phone signal spreads throughout the world.

At the same time, this is a personal story about a small group of survivors who form a makeshift family that serves as protagonist Clay Riddell’s stand in for his son who he is desperately trying to reach. This book was written just as cell phones started to become a necessity to society, and most were still using them as actual phones rather than mini-computers.

What I loved about the audiobook was how the narrator put on thick Boston accents for some of the characters. He also whisper-screamed some of the dialogue to show that characters were being animated and freaking out without screaming in the listener’s ears. I like to read long books as audiobooks, and this one stuck in my head to the point where I reread it in a hard copy format a few years later, notably again in early fall.

Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark

In the memoir category, I recommend Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark by Cassandra Peterson. Peterson’s character, Elvira, is one of those cult pop culture icons. Even if you’ve never seen her movies or the horror movie shows she has hosted throughout the year, you’ve probably seen her in commercials, TV shows as a stand up comedian version of Morticia Addams.

Peterson narrates the audiobook version of her memoir, deep diving from birth to the present. From her childhood in Kansas to her teen years as a showgirl in Vegas to eventually landing a spot in the Groundlings, Peterson has amassed a wealth of stories and experiences that she shares in her trademark candid schtick.

What makes this a great fall read are the chapters where Peterson talks about developing the character of Elvira, making her movies, and her experiences living in a haunted house. It’s on the long side, but I found myself binging this book over a few short days while doing chores around my house. It not only kept me motivated to get some stuff done, but it kept me entertained the entire time as well.

Buy a copy of Yours Cruelly here, and help support local bookstores! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

Though it’s obviously fiction, World War Z by Max Brooks reads like a historical account of a zombie outbreak and how different countries would, and do, deal with it. Brooks does his homework, heavily researching the strengths and weaknesses of every featured nation and then designing scenarios that are then retold by those who experienced them, from innocent children to high ranking officials.

The audiobook is read by dozens of narrators who each provide a specific account of the outbreak. Brooks plays the part of the narrator, or more accurately, the interviewer. As a result, many famous voices get to develop his well-constructed characters and colorfully recount the numerous zombie tales.

You’ve probably been warned that the book is nothing like the movie, and that’s true. But on top of watching zombie movies in the fall season, it’s also nice to have them performed for you while you take a chilly autumn walk or take a drive through the countryside.

Salem’s Lot

Salem’s Lot is a chilly story that blends well with the fall aesthetic. It’s classic Stephen King with a group of people joining together to take down an evil force. In this case, the evil force is vampires. And it’s a slow burn that focuses on character development in that detailed Stephen King way. So, when these characters begin to die off, you feel the loss as the stakes increase and the lives of the survivors are further threatened.

I liked listening to this in audiobook format because there are so many characters to keep track of. And while I thought I had lost my place several times, when I went back and through the chapter summaries, I realized that I had retained all of the basic plot points of each chapter. Listening to the book helped me to unconsciously absorb the story and saddle me on a vampire kick.

The List of Unspeakable Fears

This historical middle grade novel by J. Kasper Kramer was recommended by a YouTuber, and I was excited to find that there was an audiobook version of it on Libby. The story follows Essie, a young girl who moves to North Brother Island when her widowed mother marries a doctor who works at the hospital where sick New Yorkers are sent to quarantine, including the infamous Typhoid Mary. Essie is a scaredy cat who makes lists of her fears, and the idea of living on this island full of sick people really plays on those fears.

This book has a chilly, atmospheric vibe, particularly for a middle grade novel. You’re taken on a journey with Ellie as she overcomes her fear in order to prove that her stepfather is up to no good. The audiobook brings Ellie’s story to life and adds to the irrational panic that is Ellie’s mindset yet still hints that she may be on to something more sinister brewing beneath the surface of her new home.

Buy a copy of The List of Unspeakable Fears here, and help support local bookstores! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.

Small Favors

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig was also recommended as part of a Booktuber’s fall book recommendations. I ended up borrowing an audiobook version and finding it to be very atmospheric. It contains a small, isolated village, supernatural monsters, and a determined protagonist who is very protective of her family. In some ways, it’s similar to M. Night Shyamalan’s, The Village, a polarizing movie that I happen to love.

I really liked the protagonist, Ellerie, and how she deals with tough, life or death, and sometimes supernatural, choices. I tend to find myself thinking of how I would handle survival situations, and it’s always interesting to see how authors do the same to their fictional characters. It definitely teaches you a lot about yourself and leaves you with a little more knowledge as to how to deal with these life or death decisions as well as a sigh of relief that you’re just reading about them and not experiencing them.

Psycho

As a long-time fan of the 1960 film, I found it important to see how the book compares and contrasts to the version I’ve seen dozens of times. What was interesting about listening to Psycho as an audiobook was listening to the back and forth between Norman and Mother. I found that Norman was angrier than Anthony Perkins’ portrayal, and Mother was a bit less domineering.

Still, the book remains close to the movie plot wise. It’s just small details that are added or subtracted from the film that make you perk up and pay attention. If you’re familiar with the story and the twist has already been ruined for you, the book will still hold your attention in its familiarity and the beats that you know are coming, similar to listening to the cover of a beloved song.

This is the perfect short read for a rainy afternoon or a quiet evening at home. It brings up all of the chilling, energetic thoughts of the upcoming Halloween season.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway

Ruth Ware’s mystery novel is one that I listened to in the dead of winter, but it has that dreary, rainy day feeling that readers crave in the autumn months. The Death of Mrs. Westaway follows Hal, a young woman struggling to make ends meet as a tarot card reader when she receives a letter in the mail informing her that she has inherited a fortune from a long lost relative.

Set in an old, gothic mansion, this story will give you that creepy haunted house vibe for the fall season. It’s dreary and mysterious and has a fascinating backstory that will keep you listening while you bake an apple pie or rake leaves in your backyard.

Buy a copy of The Death of Mrs. Westaway here, and help support local bookstores! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.

What are your favorite fall stories? Leave your answers in the comments below!

Pin it!