Many of us started 2024 with the goal of reading more books, but, as we jumped into the world of literature a second more complicated question arose – what books to actually read?
The quest can be daunting, with friends’ suggestions, bookshops and bestseller lists overwhelming and overcomplicating the simple question. Do you go for an author you already love and trust? A classic? Self-help? The prettiest cover?
Enter Kaia Gerber.
True, it may not be the name you were expecting but Kaia is actually quite the bookworm – and her book club (launched March 2020) has included some pretty good picks if we do say so ourselves.
“Honestly, my perfect day is just relaxing and reading. I read a lot,” she told GRAZIA back in 2020. “It’s one of the things I force myself to sit down for – no distractions.”
In 2022 she shared her top five most influential books to Vogue. Which included The Lover by Marguerite Duras, The Stranger by Albert Camus, The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, Just Kids by Patti Smith and What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver.
In February 2024, Kaia reflected on her literary journey, sharing with fans the exciting news that she would be launching a platform focused on new books, authors and community.
“Four years ago, I started a book club,” she wrote on Instagram to her followers. “It became a place to have nuanced, interesting conversations with friends, authors, and activists.”
“Today, I’m so beyond thrilled to finally be giving it a life of its own. we are launching @libraryscience – a platform for sharing books, featuring new writers, hosting conversations with artists we admire – and continuing to build a community of people who are as excited about literature as I am….we are so proud to share it with you. books have always been the great love of my life.”
“Reading is so sexy,” she added.
With her official book club now launched, we’re rounding up the best of the model’s recommendations, from poetry and feminist manifestos to essays and sci-fi.
The best book recommendations from Kaia Gerber
MY BODY BY EMILY RATAJKOWSKI
One of Kaia’s more recent picks is Emily’s 2021 book. Exploring the exploitations of women’s bodies and what it means to be a woman in today’s age, it’s definitely one to read if you haven’t yet.
SEVERANCE BY LING MA
This science fiction novel follows Candace Chen before and after an incurable inflection slowly obliterates global civilisation – the perfect post-pandemic read.
REALITY IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS BY CARLO ROVELLI
As Kylie Jenner once aptly put it, this year is all about *realising* stuff, and this illustrated book by Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli is the perfect way to do just that. Exploring questions and pushing boundaries, this book is an accessible way to jump into the big questions of life.
BRIGHT LIGHTS BIG CITY BY JAY MCINERNEY
This novel follows the journey of a young man, living in Manhattan and is the perfect encapsulation of 1980s New York City – the perfect place to escape to! Nightclubs, fashion shows, editorial offices, and loft parties act as the perfect backdrop to this thoughtful story.
THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING BY MILAN KUNDERA
Two women, two men and a dog in Prague. Spring, 1968. Enough said!
ILLUMINATIONS BY ARTHUR RIMBAUD
Poetry can be quite daunting, but this is the year to jump right in if you haven’t before. These prose poems by French poet Arthur Rimbaud were originally published in 1886 and are the perfect short read if you don’t want to commit to a novel-length story.
SLOUCHING TOWARDS BETHLEHEM BY JOAN DIDION
This collection of essays describes Joan Didion’s experiences in California during the ’60s. From what it’s like growing up as a girl in Cali to ruminating on the nature of good and evil – these essays have it all.
SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND OF EXPERIENCE BY WILLIAM BLAKE
Jump back into reading classics this year! Trust us, reading them yourself is nothing like reading them in year 11 English class. Ease back into it with one of the most famous collections of poetry!
BLOOD AND GUTS IN HIGH SCHOOL BY KATHY ACKER
This book has been called everything under the sun, from ‘post-punk porn’ to ‘post-punk feminism,’ and to this day remains Kathy Acker’s most popular book. Shocking a generation, this book is a teenage coming-of-age story that’s both shocking, controversial and revered by many.
HOWL AND OTHER POEMS BY ALLEN GINSBERG
Read Howl, one of the principal works of the Beat generation in the collection of poetry by Allen Ginsberg. If you haven’t read (or listened) to his work before, prepare to be impressed.
A HAPPY DEATH BY ALBERT CAMUS
The novel by absurdist French writer Alber Camus is a philosophical and existential book about the “will to happiness” and the conscious creation of one’s happiness.
LABYRINTHS: SELECTED STORIES & OTHER WRITINGS BY JORGE BORGES
Don’t have the time for a novel? Short stories and essays are the way to go. Try these ones by Jorge Borges.
THE SYMPOSIUM BY PLATO
Want to really push your reading abilities this year? Why not try the works of Plato. We know reading isn’t about impressing others, but just imagine the looks you’ll get from friends when you casually drop this into conversation…
THE PROPHET BY KAHLIL GIBRAN
This collection of 26 prose poetry fables is a short but moving book of philosophy and encouragement – the perfect way to kickstart the new year.
I LOVE DICK BY CHRIS KRAUS
When Chris Kraus, an unsuccessful artist pushing 40, spends an evening with a rogue academic named Dick, she falls madly and inexplicably in love….a psycho-sexual obsession ensues.
WHAT CAN I DO?: MY PATH FROM CLIMATE DESPAIR TO ACTION BY JANE FONDA
A call to action from Jane Fonda herself, this book weaves her own deeply personal journey as an activist alongside conversations with and speeches by leading climate scientists and inspiring community organizers.
THE GREAT GATSBY BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD
Sure, you probably were forced to read this in high school (and maybe like us, you didn’t – instead heavily relying on Sparknotes), but it’s the perfect time to revisit the classic that embodies the roaring 20s. And then you can re-watch the Baz Luhrmann classic of course.
THE OVERSTORY BY RICHARD POWERS
A book about nine Americans whose unique life experiences with trees bring them together to address the destruction of forests, Richard Powers’ book is an ambitious eco-fable full of scientific facts.
IN THE DREAM HOUSE BY CARMEN MACHADO
In the Dream House is a memoir by Carmen Maria Machado. First published in 2019, the book was awarded the 2021 Folio Prize and the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Nonfiction. It was also longlisted for the 2020 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction.
IN MEMORIAM BY ALICE WINN
A haunting, virtuosic debut novel about two young men who fall in love during World War I.
ACTS OF SERVICE: A NOVEL BY LILLIAN FISHMAN
A story about desire, pleasure, politics of power, queerness, and ambiguity. The debut novel is about a young woman who follows her desires into a world of pleasure, decadence, and privilege, unravelling everything she thought she knew about sex . . . and herself.
DON’T CALL ME HOME: A MEMOIR BY ALEXANDRA AUDER
“These stories are a love letter to NYC, an ode to bohemian downtown in the 80s, and a visceral look back on live and love in the midst of madness,” Kaia wrote when announcing her book club pick.
“I fell in love with Alex through the beautiful and brutal honesty of her storytelling and I cannot wait for you to do the same.”
