They say that to write good books, one must read good books. In an effort to both enjoy reading more and read more books, I’ve drafted a list of books I’m excited to read this year. I’ll write a review here after I read the most influential ones.

What’s on the list?

I’m hoping to balance my reading between fun, light fiction and more serious work, including darker fiction and nonfiction.

My reading reflects my interests, which I hear are strange and varied. I’m sharing the list in hopes that you might enjoy a couple of these books.

The Month-By-Month List

I’m reading a book a week, changing books on Sundays. Here’s a month-by-month look.

December 2023

  • My Family and Other Animals
  • Pictures of Hollis Woods
  • The Wednesday Wars
  • Holes
  • The Invention of Hugo Cabret

January 2024

  • Where the Crawdads Sing
  • Talking to Strangers
  • Oliver Twist
  • The Book Thief

February 2024

  • The Hobbit
  • How to Eat Fried Worms
  • Nickel and Dimed
  • Where the Crawdads Sing

March 2024

  • I am Malala
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • A History of Pi (the number)
  • The Giver
  • Son

April 2024

  • Life of Pi
  • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
  • Inside Out and Back Again
  • The Secret Life of Bees

May 2024

  • There Are No Children Here
  • The Logician and the Engineer
  • A Thousand Splendid Suns
  • Educated

June 2024

  • Dune
  • The Great Gatsby
  • Thinking, Fast and Slow
  • Invisible Man
  • Waiting for the Night Song

July 2024

  • Matilda
  • The Story of Stuff
  • Bud, Not Buddy
  • The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

August 2024

  • The Five People You Meet in Heaven
  • Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
  • The Music of the Primes
  • The Handmaid’s Tale

September 2024

  • Death of a Salesman
  • The Testaments
  • How to Think about Weird Things
  • Oliver Twist
  • The Fault in Our Stars

October 2024

  • Inferno
  • Before Night Falls
  • Frindle
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower

November 2024

  • The Secret Garden
  • The End is Always Near
  • Fahrenheit-451
  • Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

December 2024

  • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
  • Uncle Tom’s Cabin
  • The Golden Ratio
  • How to Eat Fried Worms
  • The Help

Following Up

In an effort to keep myself accountable, I’ll be sharing my thoughts about these books throughout the year. I’ll make sure to come back to this post and link to my comments as I post them.