Fall has officially arrived, and along with the changing leaves and cooler temperatures comes the urge for bookworms consume every spooky, cozy novel there is. It\u2019s time to hone in the horror, return to seasonal rom-coms or, if you\u2019re into dark academia, head back to school.<\/p>\n
Originating online around 2015, dark academia is a popular aesthetic that now extends beyond the internet. Though there is some variety to what makes a DA story, they’re typically set in schools, feature a moody atmosphere and center a mystery or the protagonist\u2019s pursuit of knowledge (think movies like Dead Poet\u2019s Society<\/a> or TV shows like Wednesday<\/a>).\n<\/p>\n It\u2019s fitting, then, that there are a plethora of dark academia novels for readers who can\u2019t get enough of the aesthetic. We\u2019ve rounded up a reading list of the best books to delve into this fall \u2014 from subgenre staples to newfound favorites.<\/p>\n \u2018Katabasis\u2019 by R.F. Kuang <\/p>\n The cover of ‘Katabasis’ by R.F. Kuang.<\/p>\n Harper Voyager<\/p>\n This gripping odyssey follows Magick students (and academic rivals) Alice Law and Peter Murdoch, who go through literal Hell to save their professor. Kuang’s latest is a satirical look at the brutal nature of academia.\n<\/p>\n \u2018We Love You Bunny\u2019 by Mona Awad <\/p>\n The cover of ‘We Love You, Bunny’ by Mona Awad.<\/p>\n S&S\/Marysue Rucci Books<\/p>\n Readers were first introduced to the Bunnies \u2014 a creepy clique of writing MFA students\u00a0 \u2014 in Mona Awad\u2019s Bunny<\/a>. In its follow-up, the group is back with a vengeance after one of their own publishes a novel that puts the Bunnies in a bad light.\n<\/p>\n \u2018The Secret History\u2019 by Donna Tartt <\/p>\n The cover of ‘The Secret History’ by Donna Tartt.<\/p>\n Alfred A Knopf<\/p>\n Arguably the quintessential dark academia novel, Tartt\u2019s campus narrative centers a group of six Classics students who are torn apart after one of them winds up dead.\n<\/p>\n \u2018If We Were Villains\u2019 by M.L. Rio <\/p>\n The cover of ‘If We Were Villains’ by M.L. Rio.<\/p>\n Flatiron Books<\/p>\n A group of students studying in an elite Shakespeare program face their own dramas offstage, when one of the thespians ends up behind bars for the murder of his classmate. Rio\u2019s debut novel is a riveting read with a haunting ending.\n<\/p>\n \u2018The Bewitching\u2019 by Silvia Moreno-Garcia <\/p>\n The cover of ‘The Bewitching’ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.<\/p>\n Del Rey<\/p>\n This era-spanning gothic novel follows three women who are each impacted by witchcraft. It\u2019s largely set on the gloomy campus of Stoneridge College, and brings Moreno-Garcia\u2019s signature horror skills to the dark academia genre. Pro tip: Don’t read it with the lights off.\n<\/p>\n \u2018I Have Some Questions for You\u2019 by Rebecca Makkai <\/p>\n The cover of ‘I Have Some Questions for You’ by Rebecca Makkai.<\/p>\n Viking<\/p>\n When Bodie Kane returns to teach at the New England boarding school where her roommate was murdered decades earlier, she comes to see that the case may not be completely solved. This is a literary thriller, mystery and an ode to true crime all wrapped up in one.\n<\/p>\n \u2018The Library of Hellebore\u2019 by Cassandra Khaw <\/p>\n The cover of ‘The Library at Hellebore’ by Cassandra Khaw.<\/p>\n Tor Nightfire<\/p>\n Set in a school for students with dangerous powers, where teachers feast on their pupils upon graduation, this novel centers on a group of classmates who must team up to save themselves from a brutal end.\n<\/p>\n \u2018Sleepwalking\u2019 by Meg Wolitzer <\/p>\n The cover of ‘Sleepwalking’ by Meg Wolitzer.<\/p>\n Riverhead Books<\/p>\n Wolitzer\u2019s debut novel, about a trio of college students each obsessed with a different dead poet, is both a striking coming-of-age story and a compelling portrait of grief.\n<\/p>\n \u2018Where Sleeping Girls Lie\u2019 by Faridah \u00c0b\u00edk\u00e9-\u00cdy\u00edm\u00edd\u00e9 <\/p>\n The cover of ‘Where Sleeping Girls Lie’ by Faridah \u00c0b\u00edk\u00e9-\u00cdy\u00edm\u00edd\u00e9.<\/p>\n Feiwel & Friends<\/p>\n After Sade arrives at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy, the school year takes a turn when her roommate vanishes and another student winds up dead \u2014 putting Sade and her roommate\u2019s friend, Baz, on the case. This is another novel from the Ace of Spades<\/a> author you won\u2019t be able to put down.\n<\/p>\n \u2018Never Let Me Go\u2019 by Kazuo Ishiguro <\/p>\n The cover of ‘Never Let Me Go’ by Kazuo Ishiguro.<\/p>\n Harper Perennial<\/p>\n Years after leaving Hailsham, a secluded English boarding school in the countryside, Kathy looks back on her time at the institution, which was more than it appeared to be. This novel, also the basis for the 2010 film of the same name, seamlessly blends literary and science fiction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fall has officially arrived, and along with the changing leaves and cooler temperatures comes the urge for bookworms…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":48957,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[288,93,61,60],"class_list":["post-48956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-books","tag-books","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48956"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48956\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}