10 Novels with Academic Vibes

There’s something about September that will always feel like back to school. The crisp fall weather, apple season, the school supplies in stores–it all brings a certain nostalgia to the surface. Though I’m out of school, sometimes it’s fun to dip back into the world of academia. But from a far, and from a purely literary lens, obviously. To keep up with the back to school vibe, I thought I’d compile a list of a few of my favorite reads featuring lush academic settings. Here are 10 novels with academic vibes.

Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Set over the backdrop of stem academia, Love Theoretically follows Elsie Hanaway as she struggles through adjunct professorship. The pay from her current job is dismal, so Elsie offers her services as a fake girlfriend to supplement her income. Things get complicated when she applies for her dream job, only to find out that a future colleague is the brother of a fake dating client.

This is a quintessential Hazelwood love story full of favorites like an mmc that falls first, enemies to lovers, and complex university politics.

Readers should note, this one is Rated R.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Diana Bishop is a spell bound witch desperate to leave her heritage behind. Working as a professor of alchemy at Oxford University, Diana is hoping to be as far from her magical roots as possible. However, when she accidentally summons an elusive alchemical manuscript from Oxford’s Bodleian Library, all sorts of magical creatures descend. Diana is thrown headfirst into a fight against evil where she must team up with biologist, and vampire, Matthew Clairmont to save the magical world.

If you like your academia novels with a touch of the supernatural, A Discovery of Witches is sure to please. This is the perfect, broody, fall read set against the backdrop of beautiful Oxford University.

Anna K. by Jenny Lee

A modern day interpretation of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, this YA novel by Jenny Lee is perfect for lovers of “Gossip Girl.” The novel follows the children of New York City’s elite, as they navigate school, family, and relationships. In true Gossip Girl fashion, there’s plenty of drama, scandal, and romance as each of the characters navigates the pleasures and pressures of high society life.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallard

When Jamie Watson begins his first year at prestigious Connecticut prep school, Sherringford, he doesn’t expect to befriend Charlotte Holmes. Charlotte Holmes, yes that Holmes, is as eccentric and brilliant as her ancestor. She’s also as notably averse to making friends. But when a fellow student is killed in what looks to be a copy direct from a Sherlock Holmes case, Jamie and Charlotte are the number one suspects. To clear their names and solve the case, Jamie and Charlotte are forced to team up to find the killer before it’s too late.

This book has it all–New England prep school setting, a murder mystery, and a creative Sherlock and Watson retelling. This is the first in a series of creative and thrilling YA murder mysteries featuring everyone’s favorite detective.

Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson

Teenage sleuth Stevie Bell arrives at the exclusive Ellingham Academy with one purpose–to solve the infamous Ellingham murders. However, the closer Stevie gets to answers, the more someone tries to bury the secrets of the past.

Truly, Devious is a quintessential murder mystery featuring complex clues and a lush boarding school setting. It’s the first in a fabulous YA series that will have you desperate for answers, and longing for the rolling hills and unique architecture of Ellingham Academy.

Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus

When a beloved teacher from Saint Ambrose school is found dead in the woods, the small town community is turned upside down. Although three students discovered the body, the case was never solved. Years later, 16 year-old Brynn has always known there was more to the case. Now that she’s moved back to town and has started an internship at a successful crime podcast, Brynn is determined to find answers. Of course, as in any Karen M. McManus mystery, secrets and lies abound and not everything is what it seems.

This is the perfect fall read for murder mystery fans. Set at a prestigious prep school, the vibes are just the right amount of spooky. Karen M. McManus is a YA mainstay for a reason, and I was left wondering about the killer until the final chapter.

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan has never known what it means to live a normal life. As a student at the exclusive Gallagher Academy, she’s been training all her life to become a spy. When Cammie accidentally runs into a local boy in town, she lets him believe she’s just an ordinary girl. Before long, Cammie is juggling martial arts and code breaking classes with small town dates and football games. But girls like her don’t get to have normal, and it isn’t long before life and love get complicated.

I was obsessed with these in middle/high school, and I love how each of the novels grows increasingly more intense as the series goes on. So much of the series takes place in the boarding school setting, this time with a little espionage mixed in!

Take a Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

After a particularly bad experience, Dani Brown has sworn off relationships. She’s working towards her PhD, is building a fulfilling career, and doesn’t have time for romantic entanglements. Security guard Zaf Ansari, on the other hand, lives for romance. He’s a gruff security guard by day and a romance reader by night. He also happens to be harboring a major crush on Dani Brown. When a fire drill gone wrong leads to a viral moment between the two, they decide to begin a fake relationship to benefit Zaf’s charity. However, the longer the fake relationship lasts, the more complex it becomes. Before long, Dani is questioning her stance on love and romance.

This is a charming fake dating love story with complex characters, humor, and a guaranteed HEA.

Readers should note, this novel is Rated R.

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

Penny Lee is moving away from home, starting college, and hopefully starting on the path to becoming a writer. Sam, on the other hand, is at rock bottom. Or at least what feels like rock bottom. Instead of directing movies like he always dreamed, he’s working and living at a cafe. When the two meet in an unconventional and somewhat embarrassing manner, it starts off a digital relationship that allows them to connect and grow…without having to endure the embarrassment of face to face contact.

The bulk of this novel takes place on the campus of UT Austin, with much of the plot centered around moving away from home for the first time. This novel is a sweet telling of first love and independence, and the descriptions of move in week made me nostalgic for those early college days.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

When eccentric billionaire Tobias Hawthorne randomly makes high school student Avery Grambs the sole beneficiary of his fortune, she’s puzzled to say the least. The money rides on the condition that Avery move into his mansion, where she encounters his propensity for riddles, and his four grandsons. The mysterious, intelligent, and attractive Hawthorne boys have been raised to inherit the Hawthorne fortune. They’re not willing to let Avery take everything so easily.

Maybe it’s the riddles and the mystery, or maybe it’s the mansion, but although not an explicit academic novel, this one gives off similar vibes. The plot is twisty and complex and I was left guessing at every turn!

What are your favorite September reads? Let me know in the comments!

Xx, M