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New year, new unreasonable reading goals to accomplish! If you feel bad about your recent book reading habits, remember, you could be a way worse person. You could be that totally unhinged Goodreads user who review-bombed a bunch of books for personal gain. But if you need some help getting out of your reading rut, I got you.
This is not just another roundup of 2024 books to read based entirely off of a BookTok algorithm. No, this is a hyper specific, slightly offensive, offering of curated books based on the type of reader you are. From translated Polish novels to pop culture essay collections, I’ve gathered books for all tastes. (And what it says about you.)
As the year progresses, I will be updating this list of best books of 2024 so if you feel like your niche has been left out, don’t be afraid to leave a snarky message in the comments. Now, go forth and spawn book clubs!
If You Just Want To Keep Up With Pop Culture
You probably don’t have time to scroll endless on Twitter because (unfortunately) you weren’t included in your company’s last round of layoffs. These are the books you need to read if you wanna know what anyone in the group chat is talking about. You’re welcome.
The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir By RuPaul
A self-portrait of the QUEEN of drag, RuPaul does not hold back in this introspective on his road to glam and fame.
Pretty Boys Are Poisonous: Poems By Megan Fox
I read somewhere that this poetry collection is like if Rupi Kaur wrote for Raya. If you’re a fan of Jennifer’s Body and/or Tumblr micro poems, this book is for you.
It Ends With Us By Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel “It Ends With Us” went viral on BookTok for some reason so the producers are turning it into a movie. Blake Lively is starring in the adaptation alongside Jenny Slate and Justin Baldoni, so read the book and tell me what it’s about.
Black Friend: Essays By Ziwe
Pop culture commentary by the queen of satire.
If You Enjoy Being Scared On A Deep, Psychological Level
You clearly had a good childhood if you willingly find scary things to haunt your dreams. Good for you. Here are the latest and greatest thrillers that won’t make you pee your pants, but will have you questioning America’s lack of mental health facilities.
The Shards By Bret Easton Ellis
Everyone knows horror is infinitely better when it’s “based on a true story.” Well, this book is based on a fictionalized memoir of Ellis’s senior year of high school, it’s a coming of age story but with a serial killer on the loose.
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead By Jenny Hollander
We love a girlie crime book — especially when the protagonist has “nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
The Deep Sky By Yume Kitasei
If you’ve ever wanted more mystery in your science fiction or more sci-fi in your thriller, then look no further than Yume Kitasei’s debut novel. Set in space, “The Deep Sky” is fast-paced so you won’t have to fight your attention span too hard.
The Writing Retreat By Julia Bartz
I’m not lying when I say that I read this in two days and it would’ve been one day if I didn’t need to take food and bathroom breaks. This thriller is addicting and surprisingly queer. Just read it!
Everyone Here Is Lying By Shari Lapena
Unhinged domestic thriller! Need I say more?
If You Just Want Easy Breezy Reads That Don’t Make You Think Too Hard
We all know reading wasn’t your strong suit in 2nd grade and that’s haunted you into adulthood. Good thing there are books that are equally if not more enjoyable than War & Peace with half the amount of pages and twice as much entertainment.
Good Material By Dolly Alderton
The New York Times said it was “Like Nora Ephron, with a British twist,” which is an odd thing to say but I guess it’s a good thing because it’s a very fun read about a comedian who can’t seem to get his love life together.
Happy Place By Emily Henry
From the author who made beach reads cool again, Emily Henry is back with her latest “Happy Place.” Don’t worry, this story takes place on vacation too.
Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend By Emma R. Alba
Think if Bridgerton was queer af.
Quietly Hostile: Essays By Samantha Irby
Okay less easy breezy and simply hilarious. If you just want to laugh and laugh and seem super mysterious with your very funny book then this is the read for you.
If You Like Non-Fiction Because Novels Are Just A Book Of Lies
You don’t read for pleasure, you read to learn things. God forbid you mistake autofiction for a memoir! I bet you also know how to play chess and do crossword puzzles for fun. I hope you enjoy these books but for the love of god don’t contact me about any fun facts you learned.
Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture By Kyle Chayka
There’s nothing more interesting to me than how boring people have gotten with their opinions. In the latest project from New Yorker writer Kyle Chayka, we’re forced to reckon with what “pop culture” even means anymore. Is it truly just mindless consumption? And what does that mean for the development of personal taste?
Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia By Kate Manne
Read this if you need to deprogram from society. (So like, everybody.)
Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story By Leslie Jamison
Okay if you don’t already know this, Leslie Jamison is one of the best essayists of our time. She’s been compared to Joan Didion and Susan Sontag, and has been praised by Mary Karr. (This is a big deal.) In this memoir, she looks at what it means for a woman to be many things at once — a mother, an artist, a teacher, a lover — and it’s wildly relatable.
Sociopath: A Memoir By Patric Gagne, Ph.D.
Dr. Gagne shares their experience of being a sociopath, so if you also have a morbid fascination with mental disorders then this memoir should scratch that itch.
Grief Is for People By Sloane Crosley
After her closest friend dies of suicide, Sloane goes on a quest (yes, I just wrote “quest”) to answer the question: how do you hold onto the past without being consumed by it? Because grief is confusing and isolating and reading about it can make things a little less lonely.
If You Want Fiction That’s Just So Literary And Cultured
I’m sorry your self-published poetry collection didn’t take off on Tumblr the way you hoped. You clearly strain to find beauty in the mundane even if it means you are the most annoying person at every dinner party.
Martyr! By Kaveh Akbar
The main character is a drunk, an addict, and a poet — some of my favorite people — who is obsessed martyrs. This obsession leads him to examine the mysteries of his past and his lineage as a son of Iranian immigrants. It’s as funny as it is moving!
The Great Divide By Cristina Henríquez
Roxane Gay called it an “absorbing, sprawling, wonderfully written novel about the building of the Panama Canal.” I’ve never been interested in the Panama Canal before now.
Mercury By Amy Jo Burns
Family drama! Small town secrets!
Land Of Milk And Honey by C Pam Zhang
Two words: lyrical prose. If that’s your shit, then this book is for you! Personally, I love novels that kinda sound like poetry but with a more established plot.
The Peasants By Władysław Reymont
Yes, this book was originally published in 1904, but it’s relevant I swear!! The book is being adapted into a movie starring Robert Gulaczyk, Sonia Mietielica, and Miroslaw Baka (I don’t know who they are but they sound cool). You’re welcome for making you sound really cultured.
If You Think Unlikable Characters Are Hot
You’re a sick people pleaser who lives vicariously through your messiest friend. Sure, you want everyone else to do it for the plot but are terrified of making your own mistakes. Be a bitch? That would mean having the confidence to be unlikable.
The Fury By Alex Michaelides
A murder mystery set on a Greek vacation told by a narrator who is enjoying seeing his friends freak out way too much. Like this narrator is full of glee as this dark tale continues to twist and turn. It’s giving Alan Cumming as host of “Traitors.”
Come And Get It By Kiley Reid
College kids, a professor and some weird dark deeds.
The Guest By Emma Cline
If you missed this book last summer, where the fuck were you? It was THE It girl for a reason. The narrator was young, hot and a horrible person. Also, Emma Cline is literally one of my favorite authors so I will send every single one of you her way!
Yellowface By R.F. Kuang
If you love fucked up narrators, “Yellowface” is for you. The protagonist literally steals someone’s book and then pretends to be Asian American (?!). The plot is so twisty and turny and just an absolute wild ride filled with suspense.
