This year has been big for the appreciation of long-form nonfiction writing. 2012 marked the popularity of #longreads on twitter, as well as the rise of longreads.com, longform.org, and byliner.com. Ironically, at a time when “writing short” and the brevity of Twitter are celebrated, it’s never been easier to discover and appreciate great works of long nonfiction.

After a hectic year for me — relocating from D.C. to North Carolina, juggling major freelance projects, and taking care of two pre-schoolers — I’m overdue to focus my attention on writing. The last month of 2012 seems like a good time to dive back into the world of longform nonfiction.

The premise is simple: I’m going to read 31 longform nonfiction articles in the 31 days of December. Some will be recent articles, some will be classics. Some will be from major publications; some will have obscure sources. I’ll write my reactions and thoughts on each. I’m doing this primarily as an exercise of reading and writing for myself, but I welcome comments and thoughts on these stories — or my reactions to them — as I go along.

My goal: immerse myself in the some of the best longform nonfiction out there and study the range of techniques and styles. Consider this a pre-New Year’s resolution. Maybe a little bit of this wil rub off on me as I dive back into my own nonfiction work in 2013.

The 31 Longreads

1. “How to Build An American Car” by Justin Heckert
2. The Bravest Woman in Seattle by Eli Sanders
3. Urban Meyer Will Be Home for Dinner by Wright Thompson
4. Fatal Distraction by Gene Weingarten
5. Still Richard by David Davis
6. Atari Teenage Riot: The Inside Story Of Pong and the Video Game Industry’s Big Bang by Chris Stokel-walker
7. There and Back Again by Nick Paumgarten
8. Waiting for Bigfoot by Colleen O’Neil
9. Todd Marinovich: The Man Who Never Was by Mike Sager
10. A Wicked Wind Takes Aim by Julie Keller
11. Walking His Life Away by Gary Smith
12. Netherland by Rachel Aviv
13. The Secret History of Guns by Adam Winkler
14. The Most Amazing Bowling Story Ever by Michael J. Mooney
15. Lottery Winner Jack Whittaker’s Losing Ticket by David Samuel
16. The Lost City of Z by David Grann
17. The Hard Life of an N.F.L. Long Shot by Charles Siebert
18. A Eulogy for #Occupy by Quinn Norton
19. Never Let Go by Kelley Benham
20. Life of a Salesman by Eli Saslow
21. A Fighter Abroad by Brian Philips
22. Battleground America by Jill Lepore
23. Embedded with the Reenactors by Nick Kowalczyk
24. A Life After Wide Right by Karl Taro Greenfeld
25. The Hacker is Watching by David Kushner
26. Looking for Someone by Nick Paumgarten
27. How David Beats Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
28. The Trading Desk by Michael Lewis
29. Atonement by Dexter Filkins
30. The Truck Stop Killer by Vanessa Veselka
31. The Loved Ones by Tom Junod