As the new year begins, most of us make lists of things we’d like to do differently this year. For you, it may be going to the gym, eating healthier, or volunteering more often. Or maybe you want to travel more, finally sign up for yoga, or not work weekends. While these are all wonderful goals, we suggest you also add exercising your brain to the list. Instead of sitting in front of the TV this year, we encourage you to pick up a book. What better way to exercise your brain than to sit down and read a few classics. To make it easy for you to get started, below are our top 5 recommendations.

Book #1 - Great Expectations

Great Expectations is Charles Dickens’ 1861 classic novel about an orphan named Pip and his journey from poor orphan to power and wealth, the friends he gains and loses, and his eventual humbling. The stories and lessons you’ll learn in this book will last you a lifetime.

Book #2 - Treasure Island

Treasure Island was written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1883. This book tells the story of Jim Hawkins, a boy living with his parents at their inn, whose life is changed when he encounters a sunburned sailor singing, "Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!" at his family’s establishment. If you like stories about adventure, pirates, treasure, and sailing the Seven Seas, this book is certainly for you.

Book #3 - Little Women

Little Women is Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 “coming of age” novel set during the American Civil War and follows the lives of four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. If you’re a bold, fierce, and courageous woman, you will get a kick out of everything these girls, and their mother, Marmee, encounter throughout this heartwarming book.

Book #4 -  The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. This novel takes place in the midst of the glitz and glam of the Roaring Twenties and is narrated by a character named Nick Carraway—Gatsby's neighbor. Nick tells the story of the many incidents that take place in the home of the rich and famous Mr. Gatsby. If you love history, this book will easily transport you back into the early 1920s and give you a firsthand look at all crazy things that went on during parties and other social events that were hosted by the wealthy upper class.

Book #5 - Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind, written by Margaret Mitchell in 1936, is by far one of the more classic pieces of literature around. Chances are you’ve seen the movie. If you haven’t read the book, it’s a must! This book details the life of Scarlett O'Hara, a wealthy Southern belle, who lives on a large plantation in Georgia. The plot twists when Scarlett’s family loses all of their wealth, and she is forced to make a decision between marrying for love or for wealth. This book contains a little bit of everything and includes storylines rich in history, romance, and life lessons.