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Take the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2024

Join the Year's Definitive Book Event: The 2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge Starts Now!

As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

The best time of year has arrived. And no, we're not talking about the holidays — the 2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge is here. For nearly a decade now, our annual Reading Challenge has delighted our community of readers across the globe with 50 book prompts, driving loyal fans and new readers alike to discover the magic of the written word.

This year, we have a fun theme you'll see pop up throughout our prompts — indeed, in keeping with embracing the magic of words, you'll find subtle references to dictionaries. Maybe you'll learn the proper definition of a literary genre, or look up a new word in the process. You'll also see several prompts related to '24, given this is our 2024 challenge.

Download our printable list of book prompts here, which allows you to easily check them off as you go. This year, we're also introducing an awesome new element: a tracker that allows you to paste your chosen book covers to each corresponding prompt.

And as you embark on reading, be sure to join the POPSUGAR Book Club on Facebook, a community of POPSUGAR editors and readers from around the world who delight in the challenge each year. You can discuss challenging prompts, swap picks, and more.

Without further ado, keep reading for the 2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompts and tracker, along with book suggestions courtesy of our editors.

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge Prompts


  • A book with the word "leap" in the title
  • A bildungsroman book
  • A book about a 24-year-old
  • A book about a writer
  • A book about K-pop
  • A book about pirates
  • A book about women's sports and/or by a woman athlete
  • A book by a blind or visually impaired author
  • A book by a Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing author
  • A book by a self-published author
  • A book from a genre you typically avoid
  • A book from an animal's POV
  • A book originally published under a pen name
  • A book recommended by a bookseller
  • A book recommended by a librarian
  • A book set 24 years before you were born
  • A book set in a travel destination on your bucket list
  • A book set in space
  • A book set in the future
  • A book set in the snow
  • A book that came out in a year that ends with "24"
  • A book that centres on video games
  • A book that features dragons
  • A book that takes place over the course of 24 hours
  • A book that was published 24 years ago (2000)
  • A book that was turned into a musical
  • A book where someone dies in the first chapter
  • A book with a main character who's 42 years old
  • A book with a neurodivergent main character
  • A book with a one-word title you had to look up in a dictionary
  • A book with a title that is a complete sentence
  • A book with an enemies to lovers plot
  • A book with an unreliable narrator
  • A book with at least 3 POVs
  • A book with magical realism
  • A book written by an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated person
  • A book written during NaNoWriMo
  • A cosy fantasy book
  • A fiction book by a trans or nonbinary author
  • A horror book by a BIPOC author
  • A memoir that explores queerness
  • A nonfiction book about Indigenous people
  • A second-chance romance
  • An autobiography by a woman in rock 'n' roll
  • An LGBTQ+ romance novel

Advanced

  • A book in which a character sleeps for more than 24 hours
  • A book with 24 letters in the title
  • A collection of at least 24 poems
  • The 24th book of an author
  • A book that starts with the letter "X"

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge Tracker

Image Source: Photo Illustration: Patricia O'Connor

A book with the word "leap" in the title

Fun fact: 2024 is a leap year. "Sappho's Leap" by Erica Jong (£13), who is also author of best-selling debut "Fear of Flying," would cross this prompt off the list.

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"Sappho's Leap" by Erica Jong
£13
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book centreing a bildungsroman story

In case you need a definition (I know I did), Merriam-Webster defines "bildungsroman" as "a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character." "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (£9) would work nicely here. Centreing on a young Nigerian woman named Ifemelu, the story follows her journey to America and the complicated questions about identity and home awaiting her there.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
£9
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book about a 24-year-old

Twenty-four is an interesting age. You're old enough to be placed firmly in the "adult" category, but also not very far removed from adolescence and all the chaos that comes with it. For this prompt, we're inviting readers to follow along on a 24-year-old's journey. Need a starting point? "Hana Khan Carries On" by Uzma Jalaluddin (£23) comes highly recommended from our editors.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Hana Khan Carries On" by Uzma Jalaluddin
£23
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book about a writer

Write about what you know, as they say. For this prompt, read a book about a writer. (Any kind of writer counts!) "Romantic Comedy" by Curtis Sittenfeld (£14) would fit the bill, for example.

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"Romantic Comedy" by Curtis Sittenfeld
£14
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

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A book about K-Pop

If you're a fan of K-pop, don't miss "Fireworks" by Alice Lin (£8), which follows a 17-year-old girl named Lulu Li whose neighbour and childhood friend Kite Xu grew up to become a member of the K-pop group Karnival. And for more books for K-pop fans, check out our list here.

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"Fireworks" by Alice Lin
£8
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book about pirates

I personally don't have any stories about pirates on my TBR pile, but hey, that's what this challenge is all about, right? Join me in unchartered waters, if ye dare, and pick up a book about pirates — perhaps "Fable" by Adrienne Young (£8)?

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Fable" by Adrienne Young
£8
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book written by or about a woman athlete

First, POPSUGAR defines "woman athlete" as anyone who identifies as such. Second, our team is very passionate about giving women athletes the platform and respect they deserve. We are thrilled to dive into a story written by or about a woman athlete for this year's reading challenge. One suggestion of the many wonderful books that would fit this prompt: "Money, Power, Respect" by Macaela MacKenzie (£24).

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Money, Power, Respect" by Macaela MacKenzie
£24
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book by a blind or visually impaired author

A classic by one of America's preeminent authors, "The Colour Purple" by Alice Walker (£10) should be on everyone's reading list. The novel follows sisters Celie and Nettie, who sustain their love for each other other across time, distance, and silence.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"The Colour Purple" by Alice Walker
£10
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book by a Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing author

"Deaf Utopia" by Nyle DiMarco with Robert Siebert (£7) is an empowering memoir and celebration of Deaf culture, all culling from the experiences of DiMarco, who you may recognise for being an actor, producer, and reality-show winner.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Deaf Utopia" by Nyle DiMarco with Robert Siebert
£7
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book by a self-published author

Many best-selling authors self-published to get their work into the world. But "Milk and Honey" by Rupi Kaur (£9) has found success beyond the physical book; you've likely seen her beautiful poetry on social media.

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"Milk and Honey" by Rupi Kaur
£9
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book from a genre you typically avoid

Personally? I am not a horror reader. Enter: "The Luminous Dead" by Caitlin Starling (£9), a frightening tale following a caver on a foreign planet who's trying to survive.

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"The Luminous Dead" by Caitlin Starling
£9
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book from an animal's POV

Perhaps one of the most famous books told by animals, "Animal Farm" by George Orwell (£7) is a scathing satire of totalitarianism.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Animal Farm" by George Orwell
£7
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book originally published under a pen name

Mary Ann Evans is better known by her pen name, and "Middlemarch" by George Eliot (£4) is her best-known novel. It's a masterpiece that explores a fictional 19th century English town.

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"Middlemarch" by George Eliot
£4
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book recommended by a bookseller

I recently won a surprise bundle of books from a local bookstore and discovered a new favourite: "The Rabbit Hutch" by Tess Gunty (£5). It's a multi-perspective story that follows one very dramatic week in the lives of one building's residents, culminating in an act of violence.

For this prompt, we recommend popping into a local bookstore and investigating current staff favourites. Maybe you'll be introduced to your new favourite read. At the very least, you'll know another book-lover in the neighbourhood.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"The Rabbit Hutch" by Tess Gunty
£5
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book recommended by a librarian

We're proud of this challenge because, above all, it brings book people together. (Have you joined our POPSUGAR Book Club Facebook group yet?) For the 2024 edition, we're encouraging you to seek out a librarian (local or from afar; in-person or online!). Let them surprise you with a recommendation to fulfil this prompt. We can't be certain which shelf your librarian will pull from, but "Beloved" by Toni Morrison (£5) — a fervent supporter of libraries — seems like a good bet.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Beloved" by Toni Morrison
£5
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book set 24 years before you were born

As a child of the early '90s, "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton (£12) works for my personal prompt. Dial back the clock and find a book published 24 years before your birthday year.

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"The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton
£12
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book set in a travel destination on your bucket list

Japan is at the tip-top of my personal travel bucket list. If your bucket list destination is also Japan, "Fault Lines" by Emily Itami (£13) works. Where are you dreaming of visiting someday? Travel there via literature for this prompt.

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"Fault Lines" by Emily Itami
£13
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book set in space

Oftentimes, books set in space reflect more about our own planet than we could ever imagine. Enter: "An Unkindness of Ghosts" by Rivers Solomon (£12), which follows Aster, who lives in the slums of a space vessel that's organised much like the antebellum South.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"An Unkindness of Ghosts" by Rivers Solomon
£12
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book set in the future

"How High We Go in the Dark" by Sequoia Nagamatsu (£20) may begin in 2030 — when an ancient virus is unleashed in melting permafrost — but it ends up spanning continents, centuries, and celestial bodies.

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"How High We Go in the Dark" by Sequoia Nagamatsu
£20
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book set in the snow

Any Olympics lover should rush to read "Rise" by Lindsey Vonn (£21), the most decorated woman skier of all time. The memoir charts Vonn's pursuit of greatness on the slopes, as well as reveals her decades-long depression and struggles with self-confidence.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Rise" by Lindsey Vonn
£21
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book that came out in a year that ends in ‘24

"The Magic Mountain" by Thomas Mann (£12) was originally published in 1924. It's a hallmark of German literature, and takes place in a tuberculosis sanatorium in the Swiss Alps, which functions as a fictional microcosm of Europe in the days before World War I.

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"The Magic Mountain" by Thomas Mann
£12
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book that centres on video games

If you're one of the few POPSUGAR Book Club members who hasn't already finished "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin (£11), now's your chance. Even if you're not a gamer, you'll love this story of friendship, life, and love.

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"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin
£11
from amazon.co.uk
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A book that features dragons

2024 is the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese calendar. Dive into a fantasy narrative featuring these mythical, winged creatures. We suggest "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros (£10), which takes you into the elite world of a war college for dragon riders.
,

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"Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros
£10
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book that takes place over the course of 24 hours

A lot can happen in the course of the day. Such is the case in "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon (£6), which follows two teenagers in New York City who meet on a fateful day and spend the next several hours together.

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"The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
£6
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book that was published 24 years ago (2000)

I'm still wrapping my brain around this one, but "The Princess Diaries" by Meg Cabot (£8) is already 24 years old. Despite the decades since this book was released, Mia Thermopolis will forever be our favourite unlikely princess.

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"The Princess Diaries" by Meg Cabot
£8
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book that was turned into a musical

From "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire (£4) to Alison Bechdel's "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic," many fan-favourite musical productions started out in book form. Get to know the source material of Broadway hits for this prompt — love of musical theatre not required.

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"Wicked" by Gregory Maguire
£4
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book where someone dies in the first chapter

Sometimes a death is required to really get a book going. In "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas (£7), huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, setting off a mystical (and frightening) series of events.

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"A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas
£7
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book with a main character who's 42 years old

In "The Good Part" by Sophie Cousens (£18), 26-year-old Lucy Young is tired and makes a wish to be older. When she wakes the next morning as a 42-year-old, she has to figure out: is this what she really wants?

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"The Good Part" by Sophie Cousens
£18
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book with a neurodivergent main character

A seminal novel, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon (£9) follows Christopher John Francis Boone, a boy with autism who sets out to solve the murder of a neighbour's dog.

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"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon
£9
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book with a one-word title you had to look up in a dictionary

I'd never heard the word "zazen" before, but it turns out it's the word for seated meditation. Perplexingly, "Zazen" by Vanessa Veselka (£8) isn't a calm, meditative book at all; it takes place in a dystopian America that feels far too familiar.

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"Zazen" by Vanessa Veselka
£8
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book with a title that is a complete sentence

Ah, sometimes a full-sentence book title is just so satisfying. Take "Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman (£9) as an example. It's a book beloved by Reese Witherspoon and editors alike.

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"Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman
£9
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book with an enemies to lovers plot

Enemies to lovers plot have been everywhere this year: just think this summer's popular movie "Red, White & Royal Blue." "Yours Truly" by Abby Jimenez (£5) is also a good fit for this prompt. It follows Dr. Briana Ortiz, who has just been eclipsed for a promotion by Dr. Jacob Maddox.

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"Yours Truly" by Abby Jimenez
£5
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book with an unreliable narrator

Although they're unsettling, books with unreliable narrators offer so many intriguing twists and turns. If you haven't yet read the crime thriller "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn (£9), now's your chance. The narrative alternates between the point of view of married couple Nick and Amy. Nick's narration begins when he finds Amy is missing from their home on their fifth wedding anniversary; Amy's narration, meanwhile, comes in the form of her diaries.

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"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
£9
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book with at least 3 character POVs

Highly recommended by celebrities and PS editors alike, "Alice Sadie Celine" by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright (£22) follows one woman's affair with her daughter's best friend — and we get insight into each character as we move through a mesmerising portrait of three women.

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"Alice Sadie Celine" by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
£22
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book with magical realism

Merriam-Webster defines magical realism as "a literary genre or style associated especially with Latin America that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction." It's a mind-bending, magical genre, and "Gods of Jade and Shadow" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (£9) is a great example. In it, a young woman opens a wooden box and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death.

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"Gods of Jade and Shadow" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
£9
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book written by an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated person

In her memoir "The Many Lives of Mama Love" by Lara Love Hardin (£9), Hardin takes the reader on her journey of going from football mom to opioid addict to convicted felon to ghostwriter.

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"The Many Lives of Mama Love" by Lara Love Hardin
£9
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A book written during NaNoWriMo

If you're a writer, you've likely heard of National Novel Writing Month, which happens each year in November. Thousands of people sign up for the challenge — to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days — every year. NaNoWriMo paid off in the form of "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen (£4), which tells the tale of workers in a Depression-era circus.

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"Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
£4
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A cosy fantasy book

"Cosy fantasy" has quickly become one of the most popular niches within fantasy, and it's perfect for the wintertime. Might we suggest starting out with "Keeper of the Enchanted Rooms" by Charlie N. Holmberg (£8)? It centres on a remote estate in Narragansett Bay, RI, with a writer and a keeper of enchanted rooms trying to tame the house.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Keeper of the Enchanted Rooms" by Charlie N. Holmberg
£8
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A fiction book by a trans or nonbinary author

"Manhunt" by Gretchen Felker-Martin (£12) is a gruesome modern take on the post-apocalyptic novel, in which a trio must navigate murderous TERFs, feral men, and more. For more books we love by trans and nonbinary authors, check out this list.

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"Manhunt" by Gretchen Felker-Martin
£12
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A horror book by a BIPOC author

BIPOC authors often nail the horror genre in terms of incorporating the real-life horrors of racism. Such is the case in "Jackal" by Erin E. Adams (£19). After a young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white rust belt town, another Black woman starts noticing a pattern: that Black girls have been going missing in these woods for years.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Jackal" by Erin E. Adams
£19
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A memoir that explores queerness

In "Hijab Butch Blues" by Lamya H (£13), Lamya recounts her journey as a queer hijabi Muslim immigrant. Tracing her coming-of-age story, she makes sense of her struggles and triumphs by comparing her experiences with some of the most famous stories in the Quran.

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"Hijab Butch Blues" by Lamya H
£13
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A nonfiction book about Indigenous people

Indigenous perspectives deserve to be heard in mainstream media. "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer (£19) is a beautiful, genre-bending book that traces Kimmerer's life as an Indigenous scientist and woman. In it, she passes down wisdom about how other living beings offer us gifts and lessons.

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"Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer
£19
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

A second-chance romance

Who doesn't love another shot at love? In "Love and Other Words" by Christina Lauren (£9), childhood sweethearts reconnect by chance after a decade apart. And the romance doesn't end there; you can check out more second-chance romance books here.

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"Love and Other Words" by Christina Lauren
£9
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

An autobiography by a woman in rock 'n' roll

Patti Smith was at the centre of rock 'n' roll in the late sixties and seventies, and in her memoir "Just Kids" by Patti Smith (£11), she paints a picture of that pivotal time as much as she recounts the love story between her and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

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"Just Kids" by Patti Smith
£11
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

An LGBTQ+ romance novel

Who doesn't love a good romantic comedy? In "Iris Kelly Doesn't Date" by Ashley Herring Blake (£9), Iris is convinced she doesn't want dating, love, or romance. But then she goes to a bar in Portland and happens to meet Stefania — and despite a terrible one-night stand, everything changes.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Iris Kelly Doesn't Date" by Ashley Herring Blake
£9
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

Advanced: A book in which a character sleeps for more than 24 hours

If a book featuring a mostly-asleep protagonist doesn't sound like a page-turner, "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" by Ottessa Moshfegh (£9) will surprise you. Rumour has it a film adaptation of this best-seller is still in the works.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"My Year of Rest and Relaxation" by Ottessa Moshfegh
£9
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

Advanced: A book with 24 letters in the title

This romance might have exactly 24 letters in its title, but it promises a lot of steamy scenes, too. "Things We Hide From the Light" by Lucy Score (£6) follows Nash, a police chief recovering from being shot, and Lina, his new next-door neighbour.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Things We Hide From the Light" by Lucy Score
£6
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

Advanced: A collection of at least 24 poems

In 2022, Ada Limón became the first Latina Poet Laureate of the United States, and if you haven't read her poetry yet, it's high time. Thankfully, "The Carrying" by Ada Limón (£3) has far more than just 24 of her poems to peruse.

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"The Carrying" by Ada Limón
£3
from amazon.co.uk
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Advanced: The 24th book written by any one author

It's hard to be an author as popular as Colleen Hoover; dozens of her novels have shot straight to the bestselling list. She's prolific, and while "Layla" by Colleen Hoover (£7) might not be her most popular title, it is her 24th published novel.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Layla" by Colleen Hoover
£7
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

Advanced: A book with a title that starts with the letter "X"

You guessed it, "x" is the 24th letter in the alphabet, so it goes along perfectly with our 2024 theme. Why not try "Xingu" by Edith Wharton (£2)? First published in 1916, it's a collection of short stories that are relevant as ever today.

Image Source: amazon.co.uk
"Xingu" by Edith Wharton
£2
from amazon.co.uk
Buy Now

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