Building a Personal Reading List

Design a reading list that balances your interests, new territory, and different forms of writing.

A personal reading list is not a syllabus someone hands you; it is a plan that reflects who you are and who you want to become as a reader. A useful structure is to balance three kinds of books. Anchors are books in areas you already love, which keep reading pleasurable. Stretches are books in genres, eras, or cultures you have not explored, which widen your range. Wildcards are books chosen by chance or recommendation, which keep the list surprising.

Consider an original example: a student who loves science fiction might anchor with a new space novel, stretch with a nineteenth-century novel of manners, and take a wildcard recommendation from a grandparent, perhaps a memoir about growing up on a fishing boat. Include different forms, too: novels, essays, poetry, drama, and long nonfiction. Keep the list flexible. If a book stops serving you, replace it. A reading list is a tool for curiosity, not a contract.

• 1Balance anchors, stretches, and wildcards.
• 2Include different forms: novels, essays, poetry, drama, nonfiction.
• 3Keep the list flexible; it serves your curiosity.