Announcing the 2024 Fantasy Classics Chapter-a-Day Read-Along

Welcome to the official sign-up post for a very special 2024 Chapter-a-Day Read-along! This year we we will be reading some of the most beloved modern classics in all of literature: The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, and the entire Harry Potter series. All three series are in the top ten of the PBS list of America’s 100 most-loved books, and are adored by readers the world over. And, since 2024 is a leap year, we get an extra day to read!

Long-time participants will notice a couple of changes to this year’s read-along. First, I normally like to choose books that are in the public domain, so that readers can find them free online. But this year marks the 70th anniversary of the publication of Lord of the Rings, and I wanted to mark the occasion in a special way. I also wanted to create a read-along that families could participate in if they choose, and pairing Lord of the Rings with The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter books seemed like a perfect fit. Though none of these books are available online for free, they are all so popular that those hoping to save money can probably find them in a local library or thrift store. You probably even already own some or all of them, which brings me to the second change this year.

One of the purposes of the chapter-a-day read-along over the past six years has been to introduce challenging classics to those who might not otherwise read them. The idea has been that by taking these long or obscure classics in chapter-sized bites, they become more readable. This year, however, I hope to encourage readers to re-discover and re-read classics that they might have read when they were younger, or that they only know from watching the movie versions.

So dig through your childhood library, scour the thrift stores, or splurge on some new editions, and join me in reading these enchanting classics. Maybe you could make it a family affair and read a chapter a night with your children or grandchildren. You could read it aloud to them yourself or listen to an audiobook version.

I look forward to my own re-reading of The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings, and I can’t wait to read the entire Harry Potter series for the first time ever! I read the first two books to our boys over twenty years ago, and then they finished the rest of the series on their own, so I never finished it myself. I’ve also made it a point not to watch any of the movies past the first two, so this will be a great new adventure for me!

How to Participate in the 2024 Chapter-a-Day Read-along

  • Get a copy of any of the books you don’t already own. Get them from the library, your local bookstore, a thrift store, or online. (See below for affiliate links to purchase them online.)
  • Leave a comment below introducing yourself, sharing where you are from, and explaining why you are joining the read-along.
  • Download the daily schedule: Nick’s 2024 Fantasy Classics Chapter-a-Day Reading Schedule
  • Commit to reading a chapter a day, savoring the words, characters, and events of the stories. If you get behind or race ahead, no worries. Life happens.
  • It’s purely optional, but I encourage you to join me in posting a quote from the current chapter each day on either Facebook, Instagram, or X (Formerly known as Twitter). I will be posting on all three, using the hashtag #fantasyreadalong. My social media posts will stay on track with the reading schedule, and I only ask that you please respect the reading experience of those who may not know the full stories. In other words, no spoilers!
  • You will find the official 2024 read-along graphic next to this list. Feel free to use it on your website if you wish.
  • Subscribe to One Catholic Life so you don’t miss any read-along posts throughout the year. You can get updates via email by using the form in the sidebar.

And now, here are the specific details about what we will be reading in 2024!

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

(Purchase the Single volume or Box set)

We begin the year by traveling to the land behind the wardrobe, the magical realm of Narnia. I absolutely love this series, especially because it can be read on several levels. It is a grand adventure, a spiritual allegory, and a feast for the imagination.

This seven-book series was published between 1950 and 1956, and consists of the following titles:

  • The Magician’s Nephew (1955)
  • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950)
  • The Horse and His Boy (1954)
  • Prince Caspian (1951)
  • The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
  • The Silver Chair (1953)
  • The Last Battle (1956)

I have made the decision to schedule these books in internal chronological order. Some fans and scholars would say that they are better read in publication order, but I have chosen this order because C.S. Lewis seemed to approve of it, and because the books appear in this order in the single-volume editions of the series. There are 110 chapters in The Chronicles of Narnia, and we will be reading them from January 1 to April 14.

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

(Purchase the Single volume or Box set)

After our sojourn in the land of Narnia, we accompany Frodo and Sam on their epic journey across Middle-earth. Anyone who knows me or who has read this blog knows how important this work is to me. I have read and reread Lord of the Rings countless times over the last 40 years, and I enjoy it deeply every time. I have previously written about the influence Tolkien and Lord of the Rings have had on my life, and I can’t wait to read it again to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its initial publication. Though Tolkien conceived of it as one large work, for various reasons it was originally released in three volumes:

  • The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)
  • The Two Towers (1954)
  • The Return of the King (1955)

The chapters in Lord of the Rings are a bit longer than in the Narnia series, so be sure to set aside enough time to read each day. The entire trilogy has 62 chapters, and we will be reading it from April 15 to June 15.

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

(Purchase the Box set)

I clearly remember the first time I heard about Harry Potter. It was during a school book fair around the year 1997, and our school librarian showed me an article in a trade magazine about a surprising little book that was spreading by word of mouth in England. It was called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and children were raving about it. The book was not yet available in the United States, and when it finally arrived it was called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Of course, the rest is history. For the next ten years the story of Harry Potter not only dominated the book world, but also the film world, with the final film being released in 2011. You can now visit Hogwarts at Universal Studios, and there are Potterheads all across the globe. How have I avoided reading it for so long? Well, no more! This is the year I finally finish the series, which includes these seven books:

  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1997)
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
  • Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire (2000)
  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)
  • Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince (2005)
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)

The Harry Potter series has 199 chapters, and it will take us almost half the year to read them all. We will read them from June 16 to December 31.

Reading Schedule

To recap, here is a broad outline of the reading schedule, along with links to purchase them online (Links are affiliate links):

Close readers might have noticed that the number of chapters exceeds the number of days in the year, even considering 2024 is a leap year: 110+62+199=371 chapters, which is 5 chapters too many. To fit all the chapters in one year, I have doubled up on chapters at the beginning of each of the first five Narnia books. In other words, for five days this year we will be reading two chapters instead of one. (I know, I know, it’s not exactly a chapter-a-day, but that’s the way it is this year!) See the detailed schedule below for more information.

Of course, I hope you read the entire year with me, but you’re free to participate as much or as little as you like. I will try to write more often about the read-along this year than I did last year, and I will continue to post a line a day on social media. Again, I’ll be using the same hashtag for all three series, #fantasyreadalong.

Stay tuned for my introductory post for The Chronicles of Narnia toward the end of December, and leave a comment to let me know if you’re participating!

Ultimately, the goal of this year’s chapter-a-day read-along is to encourage people to revisit books that they might not have read in a long time, and to share those books with their family. I appreciate all those who have participated in the past and I look forward to reading these great fantasy classics with you this year. Reading a book in a chapter a day is great way to fit the habit of reading in each day, and it is so much more fun to do it with others. Seeing the quotes you post on social media is motivational and inspirational, and I look forward to them each day. I can’t wait to visit Narnia, Middle-earth, and Hogwarts with you!

2024 Fantasy Classics Chapter-a-Day Read-along Schedule

Here is the detailed read-along schedule, and you can also download it as a pdf here: Nick’s 2024 Fantasy Classics Chapter-a-Day Reading Schedule

Day Date Book
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Magician’s Nephew
1 1/1/2024 Chapters 1 and 2
2 1/2/2024 Chapter 3
3 1/3/2024 Chapter 4
4 1/4/2024 Chapter 5
5 1/5/2024 Chapter 6
6 1/6/2024 Chapter 7
7 1/7/2024 Chapter 8
8 1/8/2024 Chapter 9
9 1/9/2024 Chapter 10
10 1/10/2024 Chapter 11
11 1/11/2024 Chapter 12
12 1/12/2024 Chapter 13
13 1/13/2024 Chapter 14
14 1/14/2024 Chapter 15
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
15 1/15/2024 Chapters 1 and 2
16 1/16/2024 Chapter 3
17 1/17/2024 Chapter 4
18 1/18/2024 Chapter 5
19 1/19/2024 Chapter 6
20 1/20/2024 Chapter 7
21 1/21/2024 Chapter 8
22 1/22/2024 Chapter 9
23 1/23/2024 Chapter 10
24 1/24/2024 Chapter 11
25 1/25/2024 Chapter 12
26 1/26/2024 Chapter 13
27 1/27/2024 Chapter 14
28 1/28/2024 Chapter 15
29 1/29/2024 Chapter 16
30 1/30/2024 Chapter 17
The Horse and His Boy
31 1/31/2024 Chapters 1 and 2
32 2/1/2024 Chapter 3
33 2/2/2024 Chapter 4
34 2/3/2024 Chapter 5
35 2/4/2024 Chapter 6
36 2/5/2024 Chapter 7
37 2/6/2024 Chapter 8
38 2/7/2024 Chapter 9
39 2/8/2024 Chapter 10
40 2/9/2024 Chapter 11
41 2/10/2024 Chapter 12
42 2/11/2024 Chapter 13
43 2/12/2024 Chapter 14
44 2/13/2024 Chapter 15
Prince Caspian
45 2/14/2024 Chapters 1 and 2
46 2/15/2024 Chapter 3
47 2/16/2024 Chapter 4
48 2/17/2024 Chapter 5
49 2/18/2024 Chapter 6
50 2/19/2024 Chapter 7
51 2/20/2024 Chapter 8
52 2/21/2024 Chapter 9
53 2/22/2024 Chapter 10
54 2/23/2024 Chapter 11
55 2/24/2024 Chapter 12
56 2/25/2024 Chapter 13
57 2/26/2024 Chapter 14
58 2/27/2024 Chapter 15
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
59 2/28/2024 Chapters 1 and 2
60 2/29/2024 Chapter 3
61 3/1/2024 Chapter 4
62 3/2/2024 Chapter 5
63 3/3/2024 Chapter 6
64 3/4/2024 Chapter 7
65 3/5/2024 Chapter 8
66 3/6/2024 Chapter 9
67 3/7/2024 Chapter 10
68 3/8/2024 Chapter 11
69 3/9/2024 Chapter 12
70 3/10/2024 Chapter 13
71 3/11/2024 Chapter 14
72 3/12/2024 Chapter 15
73 3/13/2024 Chapter 16
The Silver Chair
74 3/14/2024 Chapter 1
75 3/15/2024 Chapter 2
76 3/16/2024 Chapter 3
77 3/17/2024 Chapter 4
78 3/18/2024 Chapter 5
79 3/19/2024 Chapter 6
80 3/20/2024 Chapter 7
81 3/21/2024 Chapter 8
82 3/22/2024 Chapter 9
83 3/23/2024 Chapter 10
84 3/24/2024 Chapter 11
85 3/25/2024 Chapter 12
86 3/26/2024 Chapter 13
87 3/27/2024 Chapter 14
88 3/28/2024 Chapter 15
89 3/29/2024 Chapter 16
The Last Battle
90 3/30/2024 Chapter 1
91 3/31/2024 Chapter 2
92 4/1/2024 Chapter 3
93 4/2/2024 Chapter 4
94 4/3/2024 Chapter 5
95 4/4/2024 Chapter 6
96 4/5/2024 Chapter 7
97 4/6/2024 Chapter 8
98 4/7/2024 Chapter 9
99 4/8/2024 Chapter 10
100 4/9/2024 Chapter 11
101 4/10/2024 Chapter 12
102 4/11/2024 Chapter 13
103 4/12/2024 Chapter 14
104 4/13/2024 Chapter 15
105 4/14/2024 Chapter 16
Lord of the Rings
Fellowship of the Ring – Book One
106 4/15/2024 Chapter I
107 4/16/2024 Chapter II
108 4/17/2024 Chapter III
109 4/18/2024 Chapter IV
110 4/19/2024 Chapter V
111 4/20/2024 Chapter VI
112 4/21/2024 Chapter VII
113 4/22/2024 Chapter VIII
114 4/23/2024 Chapter IX
115 4/24/2024 Chapter X
116 4/25/2024 Chapter XI
117 4/26/2024 Chapter XII
Fellowship of the Ring – Book Two
118 4/27/2024 Chapter I
119 4/28/2024 Chapter II
120 4/29/2024 Chapter III
121 4/30/2024 Chapter IV
122 5/1/2024 Chapter V
123 5/2/2024 Chapter VI
124 5/3/2024 Chapter VII
125 5/4/2024 Chapter VIII
126 5/5/2024 Chapter IX
127 5/6/2024 Chapter X
The Two Towers – Book Three
128 5/7/2024 Chapter I
129 5/8/2024 Chapter II
130 5/9/2024 Chapter III
131 5/10/2024 Chapter IV
132 5/11/2024 Chapter V
133 5/12/2024 Chapter VI
134 5/13/2024 Chapter VII
135 5/14/2024 Chapter VIII
136 5/15/2024 Chapter IX
137 5/16/2024 Chapter X
138 5/17/2024 Chapter XI
The Two Towers – Book Four
139 5/18/2024 Chapter I
140 5/19/2024 Chapter II
141 5/20/2024 Chapter III
142 5/21/2024 Chapter IV
143 5/22/2024 Chapter V
144 5/23/2024 Chapter VI
145 5/24/2024 Chapter VII
146 5/25/2024 Chapter VIII
147 5/26/2024 Chapter IX
148 5/27/2024 Chapter X
The Return of the King – Book Five
149 5/28/2024 Chapter I
150 5/29/2024 Chapter II
151 5/30/2024 Chapter III
152 5/31/2024 Chapter IV
153 6/1/2024 Chapter V
154 6/2/2024 Chapter VI
155 6/3/2024 Chapter VII
156 6/4/2024 Chapter VIII
157 6/5/2024 Chapter IX
158 6/6/2024 Chapter X
The Return of the King – Book Six
159 6/7/2024 Chapter I
160 6/8/2024 Chapter II
161 6/9/2024 Chapter III
162 6/10/2024 Chapter IV
163 6/11/2024 Chapter V
164 6/12/2024 Chapter VI
165 6/13/2024 Chapter VII
166 6/14/2024 Chapter VIII
167 6/15/2024 Chapter IX
The Harry Potter Series
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
168 6/16/2024 Chapter 1
169 6/17/2024 Chapter 2
170 6/18/2024 Chapter 3
171 6/19/2024 Chapter 4
172 6/20/2024 Chapter 5
173 6/21/2024 Chapter 6
174 6/22/2024 Chapter 7
175 6/23/2024 Chapter 8
176 6/24/2024 Chapter 9
177 6/25/2024 Chapter 10
178 6/26/2024 Chapter 11
179 6/27/2024 Chapter 12
180 6/28/2024 Chapter 13
181 6/29/2024 Chapter 14
182 6/30/2024 Chapter 15
183 7/1/2024 Chapter 16
184 7/2/2024 Chapter 17
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
185 7/3/2024 Chapter 1
186 7/4/2024 Chapter 2
187 7/5/2024 Chapter 3
188 7/6/2024 Chapter 4
189 7/7/2024 Chapter 5
190 7/8/2024 Chapter 6
191 7/9/2024 Chapter 7
192 7/10/2024 Chapter 8
193 7/11/2024 Chapter 9
194 7/12/2024 Chapter 10
195 7/13/2024 Chapter 11
196 7/14/2024 Chapter 12
197 7/15/2024 Chapter 13
198 7/16/2024 Chapter 14
199 7/17/2024 Chapter 15
200 7/18/2024 Chapter 16
201 7/19/2024 Chapter 17
202 7/20/2024 Chapter 18
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
203 7/21/2024 Chapter 1
204 7/22/2024 Chapter 2
205 7/23/2024 Chapter 3
206 7/24/2024 Chapter 4
207 7/25/2024 Chapter 5
208 7/26/2024 Chapter 6
209 7/27/2024 Chapter 7
210 7/28/2024 Chapter 8
211 7/29/2024 Chapter 9
212 7/30/2024 Chapter 10
213 7/31/2024 Chapter 11
214 8/1/2024 Chapter 12
215 8/2/2024 Chapter 13
216 8/3/2024 Chapter 14
217 8/4/2024 Chapter 15
218 8/5/2024 Chapter 16
219 8/6/2024 Chapter 17
220 8/7/2024 Chapter 18
221 8/8/2024 Chapter 19
222 8/9/2024 Chapter 20
223 8/10/2024 Chapter 21
224 8/11/2024 Chapter 22
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
225 8/12/2024 Chapter 1
226 8/13/2024 Chapter 2
227 8/14/2024 Chapter 3
228 8/15/2024 Chapter 4
229 8/16/2024 Chapter 5
230 8/17/2024 Chapter 6
231 8/18/2024 Chapter 7
232 8/19/2024 Chapter 8
233 8/20/2024 Chapter 9
234 8/21/2024 Chapter 10
235 8/22/2024 Chapter 11
236 8/23/2024 Chapter 12
237 8/24/2024 Chapter 13
238 8/25/2024 Chapter 14
239 8/26/2024 Chapter 15
240 8/27/2024 Chapter 16
241 8/28/2024 Chapter 17
242 8/29/2024 Chapter 18
243 8/30/2024 Chapter 19
244 8/31/2024 Chapter 20
245 9/1/2024 Chapter 21
246 9/2/2024 Chapter 22
247 9/3/2024 Chapter 23
248 9/4/2024 Chapter 24
249 9/5/2024 Chapter 25
250 9/6/2024 Chapter 26
251 9/7/2024 Chapter 27
252 9/8/2024 Chapter 28
253 9/9/2024 Chapter 29
254 9/10/2024 Chapter 30
255 9/11/2024 Chapter 31
256 9/12/2024 Chapter 32
257 9/13/2024 Chapter 33
258 9/14/2024 Chapter 34
259 9/15/2024 Chapter 35
260 9/16/2024 Chapter 36
261 9/17/2024 Chapter 37
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
262 9/18/2024 Chapter 1
263 9/19/2024 Chapter 2
264 9/20/2024 Chapter 3
265 9/21/2024 Chapter 4
266 9/22/2024 Chapter 5
267 9/23/2024 Chapter 6
268 9/24/2024 Chapter 7
269 9/25/2024 Chapter 8
270 9/26/2024 Chapter 9
271 9/27/2024 Chapter 10
272 9/28/2024 Chapter 11
273 9/29/2024 Chapter 12
274 9/30/2024 Chapter 13
275 10/1/2024 Chapter 14
276 10/2/2024 Chapter 15
277 10/3/2024 Chapter 16
278 10/4/2024 Chapter 17
279 10/5/2024 Chapter 18
280 10/6/2024 Chapter 19
281 10/7/2024 Chapter 20
282 10/8/2024 Chapter 21
283 10/9/2024 Chapter 22
284 10/10/2024 Chapter 23
285 10/11/2024 Chapter 24
286 10/12/2024 Chapter 25
287 10/13/2024 Chapter 26
288 10/14/2024 Chapter 27
289 10/15/2024 Chapter 28
290 10/16/2024 Chapter 29
291 10/17/2024 Chapter 30
292 10/18/2024 Chapter 31
293 10/19/2024 Chapter 32
294 10/20/2024 Chapter 33
295 10/21/2024 Chapter 34
296 10/22/2024 Chapter 35
297 10/23/2024 Chapter 36
298 10/24/2024 Chapter 37
299 10/25/2024 Chapter 38
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
300 10/26/2024 Chapter 1
301 10/27/2024 Chapter 2
302 10/28/2024 Chapter 3
303 10/29/2024 Chapter 4
304 10/30/2024 Chapter 5
305 10/31/2024 Chapter 6
306 11/1/2024 Chapter 7
307 11/2/2024 Chapter 8
308 11/3/2024 Chapter 9
309 11/4/2024 Chapter 10
310 11/5/2024 Chapter 11
311 11/6/2024 Chapter 12
312 11/7/2024 Chapter 13
313 11/8/2024 Chapter 14
314 11/9/2024 Chapter 15
315 11/10/2024 Chapter 16
316 11/11/2024 Chapter 17
317 11/12/2024 Chapter 18
318 11/13/2024 Chapter 19
319 11/14/2024 Chapter 20
320 11/15/2024 Chapter 21
321 11/16/2024 Chapter 22
322 11/17/2024 Chapter 23
323 11/18/2024 Chapter 24
324 11/19/2024 Chapter 25
325 11/20/2024 Chapter 26
326 11/21/2024 Chapter 27
327 11/22/2024 Chapter 28
328 11/23/2024 Chapter 29
329 11/24/2024 Chapter 30
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
330 11/25/2024 Chapter 1
331 11/26/2024 Chapter 2
332 11/27/2024 Chapter 3
333 11/28/2024 Chapter 4
334 11/29/2024 Chapter 5
335 11/30/2024 Chapter 6
336 12/1/2024 Chapter 7
337 12/2/2024 Chapter 8
338 12/3/2024 Chapter 9
339 12/4/2024 Chapter 10
340 12/5/2024 Chapter 11
341 12/6/2024 Chapter 12
342 12/7/2024 Chapter 13
343 12/8/2024 Chapter 14
344 12/9/2024 Chapter 15
345 12/10/2024 Chapter 16
346 12/11/2024 Chapter 17
347 12/12/2024 Chapter 18
348 12/13/2024 Chapter 19
349 12/14/2024 Chapter 20
350 12/15/2024 Chapter 21
351 12/16/2024 Chapter 22
352 12/17/2024 Chapter 23
353 12/18/2024 Chapter 24
354 12/19/2024 Chapter 25
355 12/20/2024 Chapter 26
356 12/21/2024 Chapter 27
357 12/22/2024 Chapter 28
358 12/23/2024 Chapter 29
359 12/24/2024 Chapter 30
360 12/25/2024 Chapter 31
361 12/26/2024 Chapter 32
362 12/27/2024 Chapter 33
363 12/28/2024 Chapter 34
364 12/29/2024 Chapter 35
365 12/30/2024 Chapter 36
366 12/31/2024 Nineteen Years Later

The background image for the 2024 read-along graphic is from Storm in the Mountains by Albert Bierstadt

Deacon Nick

Nick Senger is a husband, a father of four, a Roman Catholic deacon and a Catholic school principal. He taught junior high literature and writing for over 25 years, and has been a Catholic school educator since 1990. In 2001 he was named a Distinguished Teacher of the Year by the National Catholic Education Association.

10 Responses

  1. Thanks, Nick, looks like another year of great fun!

  2. Elizabeth Schultheis says:

    I’m looking forward to reading with you in the new year!

  3. Penelope Gough says:

    I am so excited to do this and find a chapter a day so rewarding and lots of fun.

  4. D-Rod says:

    A Deacon from up in Western Canada – thinking of taking up this challenge with my 11 year old son and 9 year old daughter. They love these titles, not so much for me, so…. maybe just what I need. Still a few days of discernment.

  5. Carolyn Foltz says:

    Newly retired Scott and I are in! ?

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