4 Picks From The New York Times‘ 100 Notable Books Of 2014 List

Most likely, you have some holiday travel ahead of you and you’re going to need something to pass the time. Maybe a co-worker you barely know pulled your name in the office Secret Santa and got you a gift card to a big name bookstore but you have no idea what to get (it happens). Or, perhaps you don’t need an excuse to pick up something new to read. Whatever the case, this has been an exciting year in literature for both established authors and up-and-coming writers.

To that end, the NY Times has put together their list of “100 Notable Books for 2014.” The list covers everything from poetry to essays, novels, memoirs, and everything in between.

If 100 titles to wade through sounds daunting, don’t worry: We went ahead and pulled four selections worthy of your attention. Any one of these will make your flight home (or your morning subway commute) fly right by.