World Book Day is a great thing. A day to celebrate and encourage any and every kind of reading. But it’s really not just for kids.

Many of us spend more time scrolling through short-form social media content on our digital devices. So why should we read books instead?

For 2022, here’s 22 reasons, and below you’ll find 22 books to go with them.

Twenty-two reasons to read more books

1. Become more mindful. 2. Broaden your horizons. 3. Develop your concentration. 4. Extend your attention span. 5. Be calm. 6. Reduce stress. 7. Improve your long-term mental and physical health. 8. Increase empathy. 9. Accept difference. 10. Tolerate complexity, expect nuance. 11. Enjoy incomprehension. 12. Try new ideas. 13. Become more articulate. 14. Deepen your emotionality. 15. See from a fresh perspective. 16. Relax. 17. Enjoy. 18. Laugh. 19. Cry. 20. Learn something new. 21. Can’t beat a good story. 22. Change your mind.

In no particular order — here’s 22 mind-altering classics you can read right here, right now. How many have you read already?

The mysterious woman in white changes everything for a young teacher.

Vivid and compelling adventure featuring the world’s most famous detective.

Steinbeck’s beautifully written and incredibly moving novella.

The source of one of the most thrillingly frightening fantasies of all time.

Huge story about the loves and lives of four sisters.

H. G. Wells’ masterpiece about an alien invasion.

Epic adventure by J. R. R. Tolkien’s good friend, C. S. Lewis.

A masterful storyteller shares the twisty-turny life story of an orphan boy in Victorian London.

Possibly the most richly described and poetic play ever written.

Hard-boiled crime fiction, biting prose, and Philip Marlowe, Private Investigator.

A shocking short story about a troubled woman. Best not say anything more.

A gothic tale about whether we can truly hide our sins.

Mystery, intrique and artistry from the charismatic thief.

Bedtime stories about the fantastical origins of exotic beasts.

Edgar Allen Poe’s supernatural poem about dark, dark thoughts.

Adventures don’t come more swashbuckling than this one.

Modernist classic exploring relationships and emotion.

Hemingway’s terse prose on death, love, the power of nature... and bullfighting.

Forbidden love as only a poet could tell it.

The dark and thrilling downfall of an over-ambitious soldier — and surprisingly easy and enjoyable to read.

Go on, I dare you.

Literally the world’s first novel.