# Ann Patchett's Bookstore Staff Shares Fall Reads > Parnassus Books staff picks five fall books including Ann Patchett's 'riveting' choice. - Title: Ann Patchett's Bookstore Staff Shares Fall Reads | Shortify - Summary: Parnassus Books staff picks five fall books including Ann Patchett's 'riveting' choice. Nashville's Parnassus Books staff recommends five fall reads, with… - Keywords: ann patchett, parnassus books, nashville, fall books, emily st john mandel, exit party, bookstore staff, book recommendations, romance, historical fiction, Ann, Patchett's - Source: Woman's World — https://womansworld.com/entertainment/books/ann-patchetts-bookstore-staff-shares-top-fall-book-recommendations - Author: Melissa D'Agnese - Published: 2026-10-03T17:00:21+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: ann patchett, parnassus books, nashville, fall books, emily st john mandel, exit party, bookstore staff, book recommendations, romance, historical fiction ## Fall Reading Inspiration The crunch of fall leaves, crisp air, and colorful foliage create a perfect backdrop for browsing bookstores and reading all night long. ## Parnassus Books Nashville’s beloved Parnassus Books, founded by award-winning author Ann Patchett, is a favorite destination for book lovers and their four-legged friends. ## Top Fall Picks The staff shares five captivating fall reads ranging from historical mystery to gothic romance and family sagas. ## The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies Kate Westbury’s historical mystery set in 1951 Oxford features a debutante and a war veteran solving a spy case. > I love mystery and romance. In Oxford? With spies? Even better. A mismatched pair, working class and wealthy, veteran and undergraduate, Gin and Sidney, are teamed up by MI5 to figure out who poisoned a librarian. Watching these two trade barbs and solve a mystery is a fun ride. ## The Knave and the Moon Rachel Gillig’s sequel to The Knight and the Moth features a princess plotting to overthrow a cruel ruler in a gothic fantasy kingdom. > Full of secrets, betrayal, intrigue and sweeping romance, the highly anticipated sequel to The Knight and the Moth was everything I dreamed it would be. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy now! ## Body Language Meg Howrey’s novel follows three sisters returning to their mother’s home after learning she has dementia. > As a reader, I often have to skip any book that touches on dementia, but as a fan of Meg Howrey, I had to give this one a shot. I’m so glad I did, Body Language is a gorgeous story of sisterhood and family bonds. ## The Treasure House Amy Matthews’ novel follows a mother and daughter starting over in a Maine cottage after learning the house is sold 'as is'. > On a whim, Zoe buys a house in a small coastal Maine town. But as Zoe and Flo sort through the physical treasures (junk) that fills their house, it’s the past stories that shape their lives now and in the future. I highly recommend this book! ## Exit Party Emily St. John Mandel’s novel set in 2.031 Los Angeles features doppelgangers and time distortions. > If post-civil war speculative fiction takes you out of your comfort zone, you are in good company, and, more importantly, you are in good hands. Emily St. John Mandel is a brilliant writer. In Exit Party she manages to populate two worlds full of doppelgangers. Time and space slide back and forth, characters lead long and complicated lives, what is true in one state is not exactly true in another, and yes, part of Paris is under glass. And never for one sentence was I confused about what was going on. Never for one sentence was I anything short of riveted. I know exactly where I was sitting when I finished it. ## Ann Patchett's Favorite Ann Patchett calls Emily St. John Mandel’s Exit Party 'riveting' and a must-read for fall. > If post-civil war speculative fiction takes you out of your comfort zone, you are in good company, and, more importantly, you are in good hands. Emily St. John Mandel is a brilliant writer. In Exit Party she manages to populate two worlds full of doppelgangers. Time and space slide back and forth, characters lead long and complicated lives, what is true in one state is not exactly true in another, and yes, part of Paris is under glass. And never for one sentence was I confused about what was going on. Never for one sentence was I anything short of riveted. I know exactly where I was sitting when I finished it. ## Key takeaway Nashville's Parnassus Books staff recommends five fall reads, with Ann Patchett calling Emily St. John Mandel's 'Exit Party' riveting.