what is SHELVE12? + the book list

12 books, 12 months.

So, what is SHELVE12?

Think of it as a highly specific reading challenge for 2025 and the most low stakes book club of all time. I reach for fantasy and contemporary romance constantly, but not as often for literary fiction— even though I end up loving them equally by the end of the year. So at the start of the year, I decided to shelve 12 literary fiction books to pull from monthly with very specific topics and requirements (see below 👀).

That’s where you come in!

Many of the books I’ve selected for SHELVE12 were popular reads I missed between 2010 and 2024, so maybe you’ve already read them! Or, maybe you’re looking for a lowkey challenge of your own and want to read some of these titles alongside me. Either way, you can participate each month by sharing your thoughts in the chat or the comments. Come hang out!

When do posts go up?

Once a month + a chat for each book

What were the specifications to make the SHELVE12 list?

• Published between 2010-2024

• 11 fiction, 1 nonfiction

• The essentials:

  • At least one must feature art as a theme or plot device

  • At least one must be set in Türkiye

  • Light on historical and speculative fiction

  • Must feature diverse perspectives and authors

  • Bonus points for books that were off the beaten path or harder to find

What are the SHELVE12 books?

Great Q! Here’s the list (but not in order! I’m a mood reader, so I’m giving myself the freedom to pick whichever I want each month. ᵕ̈ ) or you can view them as a collection on Goodreads. Each month I’ll tell you either who recommended it to me, or what specific topic or requirement it met on my overall list:

• James // Percival Everett

• Lonesome Dove // Larry McMurtey

• There Are Rivers in the Sky // Elif Shafak

• In the Distance // Hernan Diaz

• Trust // Hernan Diaz

• The Nickel Boys // Colson Whitehead

• All Fours // Miranda July

• Madwoman // Chelsea Bieker

• Memory Piece // Lisa Ko

• Cloistered: My Years as a Nun // Catherine Coldstream

• Crossroads // Jonathan Franzen

• Cutting for Stone // Abraham Verghese

Are these all the books you’re reading this year?

I am a voracious reader and typically read ~7 books a month! I share all the books I read over on my Insta, @the_spines. ᵕ̈

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