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Two years into college, I made a horrifying realization: I could not remember the last time I had stayed up past my bedtime to read a good book. Gone were the days of “just one more chapter!” and little eyes drinking in a delicious concoction of characters, while a careening pile of stories threatened to spill over next to my bed. Now, there was just one measly book, neglected to the corner of my desk, rendered almost obsolete under a pile of homework and hair ties. Almost like a shy school-kid, it seemed to call to me. “Remember when you bought me and promised not to forget I was there? It’s been months, girl.”
I decided this all needed to change. On January 1st, I made a list of 26 books I wanted to read in the upcoming year. I challenged myself to experiment with different genres, authors, and subjects that I had been curious about. And here was the kicker: I needed one for every letter of the alphabet.
What followed was a year of falling back in love with one of the most integral parts of my childhood. I no longer had a bedtime, but I smiled one night when I realized it was one o’clock in the morning and I was still awake, wrapped in a blanket, and intent on finishing my chapter. In today’s fast-paced world, I found beauty in slowing down and recommitting myself to reading.
Here is my alphabet challenge book list, and the books that changed my life along the way.
The A-Z List
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
Bridgerton: The Duke And I by Julia Quinn
Crying In The Bathroom: A Memoir by Erika L. Sánchez
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
I Hope You Remember: Poems on Loving, Longing and Living by Josie Balka
Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez
Kamala Harris: 107 Days by Kamala Harris
The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t, and Get Stuff Done by Kendra Adachi
A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Quiet: The Power of Introverts That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Rewire: Break the Cycle, Alter Your Thoughts and Create Lasting Change by Nicole Vignola
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
That’s A Great Question, I’d Love To Tell You by Elyse Myers
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects by Mary Wollstonecraft
We Came, We Saw, We Left by Charles Wheelan
X by James Galvin
Yes, No, Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
The Zookeepers Wife: A War Storyhe Zookeepers Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman
My Favorite Reads From The A-Z List
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
There is a reason “Silver Springs” was my most-streamed song in 2025. This marvel of a book is loosely based on the true story of the iconic ’70s band Fleetwood Mac, and the tumultuous relationship of lead singers Stevie Nicks (Daisy Jones) and Lindsay Buckingham (Billy Dunne). Told entirely through fictionalized interviews, Daisy Jones & The Six follows seven bandmates as they rise to stardom and navigate fame, addiction, and love. During the week it took me to read, I had to set alarms to remember to go to class because of how absorbed in it I became. The chemistry of the characters was so palpable it felt like I was in the room with them. This book also had me furiously underlining quotes, most notably: “I used to care when men called me difficult. I really did. Then I stopped. This way is better.” It was adapted for an Amazon Prime TV show in 2023.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
I read The Housemaid in one sitting while lying out by the pool (and got an impressive sunburn to prove it!). I could not put this book down. Psychological thrillers were a new genre to me, but I was immediately addicted. Written in dual perspectives, this book tells the story of a young woman who is hired as a housemaid for a wealthy family, and the harrowing secrets she finds inside their seemingly harmonious household. This book has it all: an attic bedroom that locks from the outside; a slow-burn romance; and a twist so shocking that I had to set the book down for a minute to pick my jaw off the floor. In 2025, it was released as a movie starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney.
I Hope You Remember: Poems on Loving, Longing and Living by Josie Balka
You might know Josie Balka for her poem on body image that went viral on TikTok (“I can’t remember anyone I’ve ever seen at a public pool with such a memorable body, good or bad, that I think about it ever again,” ring a bell?) Almost 1.5 million likes later, she has amassed over 900,000 followers and a loyal cult following (including me!) who adore her deeply vulnerable and “girl-next-door” type of poetic storytelling. Her first book of poetry, I Hope You Remember, never fails to be the exact pick-me-up I need. Whether I am frustrated about dating, miss my long-distance best friend, or am simply feeling deeply thankful for my dogs, Balka finds a way to speak my emotions into existence much more eloquently than I could ever dream. Her poem, “We were girls together,” will have you wiping a tear away and scheduling a dinner to catch up with your besties before you even reach the last line.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Listen, I’m not a huge rom-com girl. I’ve tried. But when Funny Story ranked the lowest on my list, I knew that I had to confront my truth. Going into The Unhoneymooners, I was apprehensive, but my fears were quelled almost instantly. Finally: a rom-com for the girls who don’t love rom-coms! Protagonist Olive Torres is spunky, hard-working, and knows what she wants. Her chemistry with the so-called “bane of her existence,” soon-to-be-brother-in-law Ethan is off the charts. Set against the backdrop of a gorgeous--albeit forced--Hawaiian vacation, I couldn’t get enough of this book. Say what you will about rom-coms being “predictable”: if I ended up replacing my sister on her honeymoon after she got a bad case of food poisoning, alone with my arch-nemesis who was a little too obsessed with my green bridesmaid's dress…I’d be pretty shocked, too.
We Came, We Saw, We Left by Charles Wheelan
If I hadn’t read this book, I don’t think I would have had the guts to hit “purchase tickets” and actually follow through on my study abroad dreams. Taking you through the journey in chronological order, Charles Wheelan crafts a thoroughly entertaining tale of the “family gap year” he, his wife, and three teenage children undertook in 2016. Although this book is listed as a travel memoir, it is much more than that: it serves as a detailed “how-to” guide on how to recreate this exact type of experience; it is laugh-out-loud funny, told with a relatable sense of humor and humility; and it serves as a beautiful reminder that family is one of the most important things in the world. When I wondered if I might be living at the Marseille train station for the rest of my life after not being able to figure out how the ticket machine worked, instead of getting stressed, I called upon the Wheelen family’s calm, cool, and collected wisdom. Turns out, there are few things Google Translate can’t solve. This delightful book will have you looking up flight deals and the time difference in Taipei as you consider that your long-forgotten travel dreams might not be so hard to achieve, after all.
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