1. A book by a debut author
Read a book written by an author publishing their first novel or major work.
Example: Shark Heart by Emily Habeck; The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei
2. A book with a horse on the cover
Choose a book that clearly features a horse on its cover art.
Example: Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore; Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
3. A book title featuring alliteration
Read a book whose title repeats the same starting sound in multiple words.
Example: Red Rising by Pierce Brown; The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
4. A book with a monochromatic color scheme
Pick a book whose cover is primarily made up of one main color.
Example: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr; The Martian by Andy Weir
5. A book-to-screen adaptation
Read a book that has been adapted into a movie or TV show.
Example: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins; Wool by Hugh Howey
6. A book set somewhere you want to visit
Choose a story set in a place you’d love to travel to someday.
Example: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (set in Scotland); Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes (set in Italy)
7. A book about American history
Read a fiction or nonfiction book focused on people, events, or eras in U.S. history.
Example: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson; 1776 by David McCullough
8. A book recommended by a librarian
Pick a title suggested by any librarian or library.
Example: We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer; The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
Read a book originally written in another language and translated into English.
Example: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi; The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
10. A book with a title you’d want on your gravestone
Choose a book with a striking or memorable title that would make an interesting epitaph.
Example: Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca; With a Vengeance by Riley Sager; Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
11. A book from a genre you typically avoid
Step outside your comfort zone by trying a genre you don’t usually read.
12. A book with a book on the cover
Pick a book that visually includes another book on its cover art.
Example: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig; Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
