A book for every month in 2024

The year 2024 has just begun, and on your list of resolutions, there's a goal that holds special importance: reading more. Reading is one of the most relaxing forms of entertainment, allowing us to disconnect from our lives, break away from social media and step away from backlit screens, immersing ourselves in a story beyond the daily hustle. But now, it's time to be more specific. What books will accompany us in 2024?

Below, I've compiled a list of 12 titles, one for each month, to inspire you. This selection includes some of the most beautiful books of 2023, timeless classics, books with upcoming film adaptations, and exciting new releases. Take note of the titles that resonate with you and dive into a year of reading.

January

On the 25th of this month, the film Poor things! by director Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone, will hit theaters in Italy. Described as a "black comedy fantasy," the movie draws inspiration from the homonymous novel by Alasdair Gray. The protagonist, Bella Baxter, a woman resurrected in Victorian times by an eccentric and brilliant scientist, must navigate life in society after unexpectedly finding herself in a Glasgow drawing-room from the cold waters of the Clyde.

February

Ariston - La scatola magica di Sanremo - Walter Vacchino, Luca Ammirati

18,00€

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During the Sanremo festival month, immerse yourself in behind-the-scenes stories and historical events with Ariston – La scatola magica di Sanremo by Walter Vacchino, the owner of Ariston. Together with Luca Ammirati, he captures the curious anecdotes and experiences witnessed during the festival and beyond, narrating the story of a family, a theater, a city, and a country.

March

Dolly Alderton, the author of the bestseller Everything I know About Love, returns to bookshelves with Good material, an ironic novel about love and its crises. Thirty-five-year-old Andy dreams of becoming a successful stand-up comedian, but since his breakup, the only question tormenting him is, "Why did the only woman I ever truly loved leave so suddenly?". Alderton's pen weaves a tale of relationships, breakups, and broken hearts, portraying a generation grappling with the greatest challenge: surviving adulthood.

April

Like those who love great American novels exploring themes of truth, I will be among the first to delve into The shards by Bret Easton Ellis in 2024. The book encapsulates the story of how young Bret Easton Ellis became a writer and how the world fell apart. Is it true? Is it false? Set in a sensual and violent Los Angeles of pool parties and new wave music, vodka and cocaine, Ellis narrates his most personal, emotional, and dark story.

May

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin seamlessly combines the world of gaming with a tale of love, friendship, and work. Videogames reveal more about our perception of reality than meets the eye, making it an ideal story for those nostalgic for the '90s and eager to rediscover video game dynamics within a novel.

June

Le metamorfosi - Franz Kafka

07,50€

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On June 3rd, the 100th anniversary of Franz Kafka's death, seize the opportunity to revisit one of the most beautiful works of world literature, The Metamorphosis. In this surreal tale, a man wakes up one morning transformed into a giant insect, using allegory to explore themes of alienation and the tragic marginalization society imposes on the "different."

July

Finally arriving in Italy is Detransition, baby by Torrey Peters, a book that has been making waves in the United States. The story revolves around a queer triangle with transgender woman Reese at its apex. The novel, written with sharp humor, tackles themes dear to today's thirtysomethings, especially women, questioning the meaning of womanhood and the influence of surroundings on femininity and delving into the theme of failure.

August

Not your typical beach read, but a must-read at least once in a lifetime. Enter the realm of the contemporary classic, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. This controversial book is wrapped in brilliant and poetic prose, revealing the passionate yet unsettling attraction of a mature man to a pre-adolescent girl. It is a book born to be controversial, carrying a veiled critique of American society.

September

In this reflection on time, multidisciplinary artist and writer Jenny Odell shows how our painful relationship with time is inexorably linked not only to persistent social inequalities but also to the climate crisis, existential terror, and lethal fatalism. Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock is an essay inviting us to subvert the mechanisms of daily numbing, those that push us to live as slaves to the clock. What better book to read in September, a time for new beginnings?

October

In her ironic and appropriately wicked novel, How to Kill Your Family, Bella Mackie suggests to us readers the final solution for dealing with the traumas of our past: bury them once and for all. Grace Bernard's politically incorrect intent is to exterminate her entire family to free herself from the burdens weighing on her heart.

November

Another highly anticipated release is Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey, a funny and sharp novel depicting the pain of divorce in a way that's easy to identify with. A narrative on the uncertainties of love, life, friendship, and happiness.

December

There is no age without fear. We are always fragile, as parents and as children, when we must rebuild, not knowing where to lay the foundations. There is a specific moment when we throw ourselves into the world, exposed and naked. This is what L’età fragile by Donatella di Pietrantonio, a novel recounting the events of a night thirty years ago, is about. That night at the Dente del Lupo, everyone was there except three girls who were no longer there. The novel delves into this, telling the story of fragility.