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Before I get to my list, a confession: I am a slow reader. Oftentimes, it’s by choice. I love to soak in dazzling sentences and sumptuous passages, turning them around in my head and examining them from every angle. This is a terrible way to speed through books and a fulfilling way to read.

I’ve adjusted my expectations accordingly. My “reading challenge” number each year is closer to twenty books rather than hundreds. (I’m in awe of anyone who can read hundreds of books in a year!) I have no judgment; I just know that I physically could not do this. My brain won’t allow it. I can and often will spend over a month reading one book.

Contributing to my slow reading habit is the fact that I’m a classic “mood reader:” I can stop reading a book and pick it back up months later. I’m typically reading multiple books at a time. During a challenging phase last year, I couldn’t bear to pick up any books that dealt with heavy topics. I’ve read more fluffy romances recently than I ever have before.

I’m sharing this because, in the past, I’ve felt pressure to read the latest buzzy book to keep up with the Culture and the Dialogue, especially as someone in the content space whose work often touches on books and the reading world. I’ve even participated in perpetuating said pressure myself by immediately posting advance copies of trendy books I receive (I try to do this less now). Plus, it’s fun to talk about books with people during the height of any fandom. (See: Fourth Wing, which…I still haven’t read!)

Two advance copies that I AM pretty excited about.

Eventually, I gave in and gave up on keeping up. Placing this kind of pressure on a fun hobby can quickly suck the joy out of it. I’m in a season of life now where I simply have to read less so I can take care of other things, like a baby and my sleep and the household chores and cooking and turning off my brain by watching terrible reality shows. Now, I read what I want when I want to, and I’m much happier.

I have a hunch that most readers are like this; we’re all quite busy, very few of us are speed readers, and it’s impossible to keep up with the breakneck pace of all these incredible books getting published.

I loved Pandora Sykes’s post on how she reads so much. She lists many reasons, including reading to cope with her insomnia, the fact that she doesn’t have a regular exercise routine, she doesn’t cook, she doesn’t go on social media much, and so on. As she shares in the post, reading books quickly shouldn’t be a marker of morality. It just means you’re prioritizing or choosing to read right now above other stuff.

“So why does reading come with the moral signifiers that other hobbies do not - the signifiers that make so many people feel bad, when they are not doing it?”

I wanted to share this because while I’m excited about all the books on this list below, I also need to be real about the fact that I probably won’t read all of them this year. But maybe I will next year. Or the year after that. And that’s okay. The books are not going anywhere.

I’m curious to hear: Are you a slow, fast, or somewhere-in-between reader? Do you like to keep up with the latest and greatest?

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The books I’m most excited about in 2024

This list contains fiction titles only. I haven’t read any of these yet, so it’s based on the synopses and authors I’m drawn to. Quoted synopses are from publishers. Oh, and these are not in chron order, sorry. Would love to hear yours!

Fiction Books

1. Come and Get It by Kiley Reid (Jan 30): “A fresh and provocative story about a residential assistant and her messy entanglement with a professor and three unruly students.” I, like everyone else, devoured Such A Fun Age. This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year.

2. Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (Jun 11): “This book follows the story of Margo Millet, who, after enrolling in junior college, has an affair with her English professor, gets pregnant, and develops a plan to get cash by starting an OnlyFans account.” And some exciting news: it’s being adapted for film by A24.

3. Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez (Mar 5): “A mesmerizing novel about a first-generation Ivy League student who uncovers the genius work of a female artist decades after her suspicious death.”

4. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Jan 23): “A newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a remarkable search for a family secret that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum.” This sounds fresh and original. Plus, it was blurbed by Lauren Groff, and really, that’s all I needed to know.

5. Good Material by Dolly Alderton (Jan 30): “Set adrift on the sea of heartbreak, 35-year-old Andy clings to the idea of solving the puzzle of his ruined relationship. Because if he can find the answer to that, then maybe his ex, Jen, can find her way back to him. But Andy still has a lot to learn, not least Jen’s side of the story.” I adored Alderton’s first book, Everything I Know About Love; she writes with warmth, humor, humility, and wisdom. This book is at the tippy top of my list.

6. Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter (Jun 4): “A razor-sharp debut about what happens when one of the first child stars of the social media age grows up . . . and goes missing.” I admit I’m not a thriller kinda gal, but the premise feels fresh and exciting. If you liked the movie Ingrid Goes West, it sounds like you may like this.

7. Exhibit by R.O. Kwon (May 21): “At a lavish party in the hills outside of San Francisco, Jin Han meets Lidija Jung, and nothing will ever be the same for either woman. A brilliant young photographer, Jin is at a crossroads in her work, in her marriage to her college love Philip, and in who she is and who she wants to be. Lidija is an alluring, injured world-class ballerina on hiatus from her ballet company under mysterious circumstances. Drawn to each other by their intense artistic drives, the two women talk all night.” ...