12 brilliant reads to immerse yourself in this year

I have always been a reader, and for as long as I can remember I have always had a book on my nightstand. What I read and how long it takes me to finish a book is a different story and has varied depending on what is going on in my life at the time – but I am always halfway through a book, and I am never not reading anything.

The first book I ever read in English was James and the Giant Peach, which I bought whilst on vacation in Italy with my family – simply because there were not any Swedish books in the bookshops there. I remember being fascinated by Roald Dahl's writing and was overwhelmed by the fact that I could read in English in addition to my native Swedish. I felt a whole new world open up to me – quite literally at the library, where I started exploring the English section more and more. Several times a month I would walk to the local library and borrow a pile of books, choosing them as carefully as if I was making an important purchase.

Books have always had a special place in my life. Still, I have never really kept track of what books I have read or set a goal to read a certain amount of books in a year – until more recently when I discovered ‘GoodReads’. Adding my friends, reading reviews, and tracking my reading made me more motivated than ever to make it a priority. Because although I love books, it definitely takes time and effort to sit down with one. But if there is anything we have all had plenty of this past year; it is time, right? And with the current state of things, we will probably have some more of it this coming year too. Either way, I believe reading to be one of the easiest ways to enrich your life – whilst going through a pandemic or not.

So why do we not all agree to (at least try) to read one book a month for all of 2021? That is do-able, right? And besides the 12 books, there are no rules. Listen to them on audiobook if you have to. Not that audiobooks are not a great way to consume literature – rather, they are a wonderful alternative if you are trying to integrate books into your life but are struggling to find the time and energy to sit down with one. And if you prefer a good paperback copy rather than an audiobook, make it a rule to always try to have it with you. I think the times in my life when I have read the most is when I have gotten into the habit of carrying my current read along with me wherever I go and filling short gaps of time throughout my days with reading. Whatever format you decide works best for you – here are 12 brilliant reads to immerse yourself in this year.

January:

Let’s start the year off with an inspiring self-help kind of book, shall we? Atomic Habits by James Clear is guaranteed to set you off on the right track this year. It is full of interesting ideas around how long-term habits are formed, and how we can make it easier to find consistency and time for things that we want to integrate into our lives.

February:

If you have watched the show but not yet read Normal People by Sally Rooney, that is a must. And if you have already read and loved it, Exciting times by Naoise Dolan is an easy, well-written and entertaining read of similar style.

March:

Let’s step it up a little with a classic that simply had to be included: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. Despite being written about 100 years ago, it is very digestible – and who does not love to read about bar-hopping, red wine, broken hearts, summer, and Paris? That will never go out of time.

April:

Time to mix it up a little! Let’s move away from fiction and spend this month reading Pandora Sykes’ brilliant collection of essays on modern life: How do we know we’re doing it right? Full of witty, cleverly written observations about anything from wellness to fashion and womanhood that are sure to get you thinking.

May:

Not quite sure which category this month’s read falls under but to me it is a classic: Full of inspiring content and advice on beauty, love and life. Here is a bit of joie de vivre in the form of a book: How to be Parisian wherever you are by Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan and Caroline De Maigret. A coffeetable book perhaps?

June:

Last summer I read and absolutely loved Dolly Alderton’s book Everything I know about love, so let’s give her newest release Ghosts a try. I suspect it may be a perfect summer book. Why? Just a gut feeling.

July:

I always read more during the summer and I am probably not the only one. So here is a heavy read; a real brick, to dive into: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Following four friends from their college years to middle-age it revolves around their lives and all of the love, friendship, and pain that that entails.

August:

Not finished with A Little Life yet? That is perfectly okay; because this month’s book is... also A Little Life! Despite its’ excellence, it is still about 700 pages long – so I think a lot of us could use some more time on that.

September:

The Group by Mary McCarthy. For some reason, this book feels like the perfect “back-to-school”/autumn kind of read. Perhaps because it starts out in a New York college environment? And perhaps because I always imagine New York during the autumn, as if that autumnal feel is always there no matter the season? Although The Group was first published in the 1960’s it still feels super-modern and is a great example of how women of all times seem to struggle with such similar issues. I loved it.

October:

By now it is starting to get a little colder outside. Why not cuddle up inside with a good thriller? The Secret History by Donna Tartt is sure to keep you on edge. We are still in a college kind of environment, but The Secret History is far darker and more mysterious than The Group.

November:

Here is a read that I came across quite randomly. I had never heard about this book but was recommended to read it by an older relative who had loved it when she was in her twenties. She said it was ‘a story about growing up, about becoming a woman, and about womanhood’. Set in LA. Romantic. Dark. Sad but oh so beautifully written’. And yes, White Oleander by Janet Fitch was just as brilliant as promised. I could not stop reading.

December:

Congrats! You have made it – nearly! One book left and you are officially ‘a reader’. The last book of the year is one I have not yet read myself: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. I have heard such good things about it, for example on The High Low (a podcast hosted by aforementioned Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes which is definitely worth a listen).

Finally, a few last thoughts on this whole project. Remember that the key to making reading a natural (and fun) part of your everyday life is to make it easy! If the books mentioned here are not for you – switch them out and pick other ones that you are naturally drawn to! Do not limit yourself by anyone else's ideas of what a good book is supposed to be. Read whatever appeals to you, and only you, whether that is self-care books, biographies, short stories, or novels. Reading should be interesting or entertaining in one way or another and if you are not enjoying it – put the book down. It is similar to exercise in that way. If the last thing you remember of a work-out is how boring or horrible it was, you are unlikely to want to do it again. So make sure to only read things that you genuinely and truly enjoy – then once you have gotten into the habit of things you can start challenging yourself.

A great way to find joy in reading is also by talking to other people about books. Join a book club, or perhaps agree with a friend to read a certain book at the same time and discuss it (why not join this reading challenge together?). Talking about books is definitely one of the things that inspire me the most, and hearing other people’s thoughts on what they are reading always makes me want to read too. So if you want to read more, surround yourself with people who do just that, or try to make it a topic of conversation amongst your friends and family and give each other recommendations. If you do not have any book-lovers and potential book-club members around you, GoodReads is such a great way to stay inspired and become part of a network of readers! Anyhow, I think these 12 books are a pretty good start that will give you a taste of a somewhat wide range of genres. Perhaps try to squeeze in a biography somewhere if you have the time – and you are all set. Best of luck!