Book Smart: Your Essential List for Becoming a Literary Genius in 365 Days

Unleash your literary side--one great book at a time!

Like taking a private class with an engaging literature professor, Book Smart is your ticket for literary enlightenment all year long and for the rest of your life. Whether you're a passionate turner of pages or you aspire to be better-read, Book Smart expands your knowledge and enjoyment with a month-by-month plan that tackles 120 of the most compelling books of all time.

Throughout the year, each book comes alive with historical notes, highlights on key themes and characters, and advice on how to approach reading. Here is a sampling of what you can expect:

• January: Make a fresh start with classics like Beowulf and Dante's Inferno
• April: Welcome spring in the company of strong women like Jane Eyre, Anna Karenina, and Vanity Fair's Becky Sharpe
• August: Bring a breath of fresh air to summer's heat with comedic works from Kingsley Amis and Oscar Wilde
• October: Get back to school with young people struggling to grow up in classics like Little Women and recent bestsellers such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
• December: Celebrate year's end with big prizewinners such as The Remains of the Day and Leaves of Grass

Jane Mallison is a longtime reader and a teacher at New York's Trinity School, where she was the English department head from 1982 to 2004. She lives in New York City.