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QUIZ: Which Book Should You Read First in 2024?

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Susie Dumond

Senior Contributor

Susie (she/her) is a queer writer originally from Little Rock, now living in Washington, DC. She is the author of QUEERLY BELOVED and the forthcoming LOOKING FOR A SIGN from Dial Press/Random House. You can find her on Instagram @susiedoom.

New year, new reading goals, and lots of new books! Are you looking for the perfect book to kick off your 2024 reading? We’ve got you covered! Take the quiz below, and we’ll tell you what book you should read first in 2024. Your result could be fascinating nonfiction, thoughtful literary fiction, adventurous romance, transportive fantasy, or something full of surprises. Whatever it is, it’s sure to help you start off your year on the right literary foot.

Alright, let’s admit it: Some of you bibliophiles are already on book, what? Five? I’m with you! I jump right into my first book of the year as soon as the clock strikes midnight and the ball drops in Times Square. If you’ve already chosen your first book of 2024, you can still have a fun little quiz and book recommendation as a treat. And honestly, all the results are listed beneath the quiz, so why not add all eight recommended books to your TBR? If you’re a voracious reader, you can use all the recommendations you can get. It takes a lot of books to keep that kind of reading appetite satisfied. Alright, let’s crack the champagne and get to quizzing!

Results: Which Book Should You Read First in 2024?

book cover for Airplane Mode by Shahnaz Habib

Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel by Shahnaz Habib

Hoping to travel more in 2024? Check out this thoughtful and personal nonfiction book about the history of travel, from Shahnaz Habib’s experiences traveling the world as an Indian Muslim woman to the invention of passports and the concept of wanderlust.

cover of A Dirty Guide to a Clean House

A Dirty Guide to a Clean Home: Housekeeping Hacks You Can’t Live Without by Melissa Dilkes Pateras

You’re ready for a fresh slate this year, and nothing makes you feel more ready to take on the world than a clean house. Check out this approachable guide to whipping your house into shape by the coolest TikTok laundry lesbian, Melissa Dilkes Pateras.

cover of Divine Might

Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes

If you want to step into your own power this year, you’ll find a lot of inspiration in Natalie Haynes’ feminist take on the Greek goddesses and their lasting impact on modern culture. Figures like Hera, Aphrodite, and the Furies have long been remembered through the eyes of men, but Haynes brings them to life in all their complicated and powerful dimensions.

godly heathens book cover

Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon

Explore new worlds this new year with a fantasy novel. Gem has been careful to hide their strange dreams and visions, so they’re shocked when new kid in town, Willa Mae, seems to know all about them. Willa Mae reveals that they’re both reincarnated gods who have found each other across lifetimes — but they’ve also pissed off the Goddess of Death.

cover of The Goodbye Cat

The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa, translated by Philip Gabriel

Start your year off with a gentle, cozy book with great vibes and touches of magic. In these seven short stories about cats rescued by families in Japan, we see just how much our little feline friends can teach us about love, loss, and life.

cover of On Thriving

On Thriving: Harnessing Joy Through Life’s Great Labors by Brandi Sellerz-Jackson

You’re focused on living your best life in 2024, and life doula Brandi Sellerz-Jackson has exactly the advice you need to help you thrive. You’ll learn about the four great labors of life, how they might be impacting you, and how to find joy and satisfaction where you are right now.

cover of Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

Looking for adventure and romance in the new year? This is the book for you! Archaeologist Corrie is put in charge of an expedition in Mexico to research her ancestor, an ancient Aztec warrior. But she’ll have to share leadership with her rival, the obnoxiously handsome Ford.

cover of The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez; illustration of a pink flower on the top half, and a parrot upside down on the bottom half

The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez

Start the year with some contemplative literary fiction by one of today’s greatest novelists. Explore unlikely human and animal relationships, the healing power of connections, and the purpose of books and art during difficult times through the story of three strange roommates during the coronavirus pandemic.


We hope this quiz helped you find the perfect book to kick off your 2024 year of reading! You might also enjoy:

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