Photo: Moody College of Communication, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Read With Jenna Book List (2026): Every Pick So Far, With Reading Times
The Read With Jenna book club covers 90 books; reading them all takes about 599 h 49 min at the average 238 words per minute.
Read With Jenna is the book club Jenna Bush Hager runs on NBC's Today, picking one book a month for viewers to read alongside her since it launched in March 2019. Picks skew towards new literary fiction, with the occasional backlist classic, especially in December.
This page lists all 90 official picks, sourced from today.com's own running list, from the very first selection in March 2019 through to July 2026. August 2020 is the one month with two picks, and both are kept here.
Reading every pick back to back comes to roughly 599 h 49 min at the average adult reading speed of 238 words per minute. At a trained speed reader's pace of 400 WPM, that drops to about 356 h 54 min.
Sourced from the official Read With Jenna list on today.com, scraped 17 July 2026.
Last reviewed 17 July 2026.
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Books on this list
90
Total reading time at 238 WPM
599 h 49 min
At 400 WPM that drops to 356 h 54 min.
The Standout Picks
The Dutch House
Ann Patchett · -
How long does it take to read The Dutch House? About 6 h 29 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (337 pages), or around 3 h 52 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Malibu Rising
Taylor Jenkins Reid · -
How long does it take to read Malibu Rising? About 7 h 29 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (389 pages), or around 4 h 27 min at a trained 400 WPM.
The Lincoln Highway
Amor Towles · -
How long does it take to read The Lincoln Highway? About 11 h 6 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (576 pages), or around 6 h 36 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Shelby Van Pelt · -
How long does it take to read Remarkably Bright Creatures? About 6 h 56 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (360 pages), or around 4 h 8 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Black Cake
Charmaine Wilkerson · -
How long does it take to read Black Cake? About 8 h 1 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (416 pages), or around 4 h 46 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Leave the World Behind
Rumaan Alam · -
How long does it take to read Leave the World Behind? About 5 h 14 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (272 pages), or around 3 h 7 min at a trained 400 WPM.
The Secret History
Donna Tartt · -
How long does it take to read The Secret History? About 11 h 6 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (576 pages), or around 6 h 36 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen · -
How long does it take to read Pride and Prejudice? About 6 h 47 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (352 pages), or around 4 h 2 min at a trained 400 WPM.
The Measure
Nikki Erlick · -
How long does it take to read The Measure? About 7 h 5 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (368 pages), or around 4 h 13 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Good Material
Dolly Alderton · -
How long does it take to read Good Material? About 6 h 28 min at the average reading speed of 238 words per minute (336 pages), or around 3 h 51 min at a trained 400 WPM.
Every Pick by Month
2019
| Month | Title | Author | Year | Pages | Time (238 WPM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar | The Last Romantics | Tara Conklin | 2019 | 368 | 7 h 5 min |
| Apr | The Unwinding of the Miracle | Julie Yip-Williams | 2019 | 336 | 6 h 28 min |
| May | A Woman Is No Man | Etaf Rum | 2019 | 352 | 6 h 47 min |
| Jun | Searching for Sylvie Lee | Jean Kwok | 2019 | 327 | 6 h 18 min |
| Jul | Evvie Drake Starts Over | Linda Holmes | 2019 | 304 | 5 h 51 min |
| Aug | Patsy | Nicole Dennis-Benn | 2019 | 432 | 8 h 19 min |
| Sept | The Dearly Beloved | Cara Wall | 2019 | 352 | 6 h 47 min |
| Oct | The Dutch House | Ann Patchett | 2019 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Nov | Nothing to See Here | Kevin Wilson | 2019 | 254 | 4 h 53 min |
| Dec | Late Migrations | Margaret Renkl | 2019 | 248 | 4 h 47 min |
~ page counts estimated where no reliable edition data exists.
2020
| Month | Title | Author | Year | Pages | Time (238 WPM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | Dear Edward | Ann Napolitano | 2020 | 352 | 6 h 47 min |
| Feb | The Girl With The Louding Voice | Abi Daré | 2020 | 384 | 7 h 24 min |
| Mar | Writers & Lovers | Lily King | 2020 | 288 | 5 h 33 min |
| Apr | Valentine | Elizabeth Wetmore | 2020 | 320 | 6 h 10 min |
| May | All Adults Here | Emma Straub | 2020 | 376 | 7 h 14 min |
| Jun | A Burning | Megha Majumdar | 2020 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Jul | Friends and Strangers | J. Courtney Sullivan | 2020 | 416 | 8 h 1 min |
| Aug | Here For It | R. Eric Thomas | 2020 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Aug | The Comeback | Ella Berman | 2020 | 400 | 7 h 42 min |
| Sept | Transcendent Kingdom | Yaa Gyasi | 2020 | 304 | 5 h 51 min |
| Oct | Leave the World Behind | Rumaan Alam | 2020 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Nov | White Ivy | Susie Yang | 2020 | 368 | 7 h 5 min |
| Dec | The Bluest Eye | Toni Morrison | 1970 | 181 | 3 h 29 min |
~ page counts estimated where no reliable edition data exists.
2021
| Month | Title | Author | Year | Pages | Time (238 WPM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | Black Buck | Mateo Askaripour | 2021 | 400 | 7 h 42 min |
| Feb | Send for Me | Lauren Fox | 2021 | 272 | 5 h 14 min |
| Mar | What's Mine and Yours | Naima Coster | 2021 | 341 | 6 h 34 min |
| Apr | Good Company | Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney | 2021 | 344 | 6 h 37 min |
| May | Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead | 2021 | 608 | 11 h 43 min |
| Jun | Malibu Rising | Taylor Jenkins Reid | 2021 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Jul | Hell of a Book | Jason Mott | 2021 | 450 | 8 h 40 min |
| Aug | The Turnout | Megan Abbott | 2021 | 360 | 6 h 56 min |
| Sept | Beautiful Country | Qian Julie Wang | 2021 | 320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Oct | The Lincoln Highway | Amor Towles | 2021 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Nov | The Family | Naomi Krupitsky | 2021 | 384 | 7 h 24 min |
| Dec | Bright Burning Things | Lisa Harding | 2021 | 336 | 6 h 28 min |
~ page counts estimated where no reliable edition data exists.
2022
| Month | Title | Author | Year | Pages | Time (238 WPM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | The School for Good Mothers | Jessamine Chan | 2022 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Feb | Black Cake | Charmaine Wilkerson | 2022 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Mar | Groundskeeping | Lee Cole | 2022 | 336 | 6 h 28 min |
| Apr | Memphis | Tara M. Stringfellow | 2022 | 272 | 5 h 14 min |
| May | Remarkably Bright Creatures | Shelby Van Pelt | 2022 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Jun | These Impossible Things | Salma El-Wardany | 2022 | 209 | 4 h 1 min |
| Jul | The Measure | Nikki Erlick | 2022 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Aug | The Many Daughters of Afong Moy | Jamie Ford | 2022 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Sept | Solito | Javier Zamora | 2022 | 408 | 7 h 51 min |
| Oct | The Whalebone Theatre | Joanna Quinn | 2022 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Nov | The Cloisters | Katy Hays | 2022 | 320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Dec | The Secret History | Donna Tartt | 1992 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
~ page counts estimated where no reliable edition data exists.
2023
| Month | Title | Author | Year | Pages | Time (238 WPM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | Sam | Allegra Goodman | 2023 | 344 | 6 h 37 min |
| Feb | Maame | Jessica George | 2023 | 452 | 8 h 42 min |
| Mar | Black Candle Women | Diane Marie Brown | 2023 | 368 | 7 h 5 min |
| Apr | Camp Zero | Michelle Min Sterling | 2023 | 193 | 3 h 43 min |
| May | Chain-Gang All Stars | Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah | 2023 | 384 | 7 h 24 min |
| Jun | The Celebrants | Steven Rowley | 2023 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Jul | Banyan Moon | Thao Thai | 2023 | 408 | 7 h 51 min |
| Aug | Summer Sisters | Judy Blume | 1998 | 408 | 7 h 51 min |
| Sept | Amazing Grace Adams | Fran Littlewood | 2023 | 512 | 9 h 52 min |
| Oct | How to Say Babylon | Safiya Sinclair | 2023 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Nov | The Sun Sets in Singapore | Kehinde Fadipe | 2023 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Dec | We Must Not Think of Ourselves | Lauren Grodstein | 2023 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
~ page counts estimated where no reliable edition data exists.
2024
| Month | Title | Author | Year | Pages | Time (238 WPM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | The Waters | Bonnie Jo Campbell | 2024 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Feb | Good Material | Dolly Alderton | 2024 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Mar | The Great Divide | Cristina Henríquez | 2024 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Apr | The Husbands | Holly Gramazio | 2024 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| May | Real Americans | Rachel Khong | 2024 | 400 | 7 h 42 min |
| Jun | Swift River | Essie Chambers | 2024 | 304 | 5 h 51 min |
| Jul | All the Colors of the Dark | Chris Whitaker | 2024 | 608 | 11 h 43 min |
| Aug | The Wedding People | Alison Espach | 2024 | 384 | 7 h 24 min |
| Sept | Blue Sisters | Coco Mellors | 2024 | 368 | 7 h 5 min |
| Oct | The Mighty Red | Louise Erdrich | 2024 | 384 | 7 h 24 min |
| Nov | This Motherless Land | Nikki May | 2024 | 366 | 7 h 3 min |
| Dec | Devotions | Mary Oliver | 2017 | 468 | 9 h 1 min |
~ page counts estimated where no reliable edition data exists.
2025
| Month | Title | Author | Year | Pages | Time (238 WPM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus | Emma Knight | 2025 | 384 | 7 h 24 min |
| Feb | This Is a Love Story | Jessica Soffer | 2025 | 304 | 5 h 51 min |
| Mar | The Dream Hotel | Laila Lalami | 2025 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Apr | Heartwood | Amity Gaige | 2025 | 320 | 6 h 10 min |
| May | The Names | Florence Knapp | 2025 | 352 | 6 h 47 min |
| Jun | A Family Matter | Claire Lynch | 2025 | 224 | 4 h 19 min |
| Jul | Happy Wife | Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores | 2025 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Aug | My Other Heart | Emma Nanami Strenner | 2025 | 416 | 8 h 1 min |
| Sept | Buckeye | Patrick Ryan | 2025 | 464 | 8 h 56 min |
| Oct | The Irish Goodbye | Heather Aimee O'Neill | 2025 | 286 | 5 h 30 min |
| Nov | Cursed Daughters | Oyinkan Braithwaite | 2025 | 372 | 7 h 10 min |
| Dec | Pride and Prejudice | Jane Austen | 1813 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
~ page counts estimated where no reliable edition data exists.
2026
| Month | Title | Author | Year | Pages | Time (238 WPM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | Homeschooled | Stefan Merrill Block | 2026 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Feb | One & Only | Maurene Goo | 2026 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Mar | Wait for Me | Amy Jo Burns | 2026 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Apr | Upward Bound | Woody Brown | 2026 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| May | Caller Unknown | Gillian McAllister | 2026 | 352 | 6 h 47 min |
| Jun | The Children | Melissa Albert | 2026 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
| Jul | The Shampoo Effect | Jenny Jackson | 2026 | ~320 | 6 h 10 min |
~ page counts estimated where no reliable edition data exists.
How Long Would the Whole List Take?
Based on 8,565,425 total words across every book on this list.
| Reading speed | Speed band | Total time |
|---|---|---|
| 200 WPM | Slower than average | 713 h 47 min |
| 238 WPM | Average adult (Brysbaert, 2019) | 599 h 49 min |
| 400 WPM | Fast reader | 356 h 54 min |
| 600 WPM | Trained speed reader | 237 h 56 min |
Most people can roughly double their reading speed with practice. Take the 2-minute speed test to see where you are.
Take the 2 minute speed test and this page will show your own times.
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Read With Jenna Reading List FAQ
How many books are on the Read With Jenna book club list?
This list covers 90 books.
How long would it take to read all of them?
Reading every book on the list back to back comes to roughly 599 h 49 min at the average adult reading speed of 238 words per minute (Brysbaert, 2019), or about 356 h 54 min at a trained speed reader's pace of 400 WPM. Your own time will vary with your reading speed and how closely you read each book.
Where does this list come from?
The books here are taken from today.com's official Read With Jenna pick list, running since March 2019. See the source note above for full detail, and the link to the original source at the top of the page.