I’m turning 50 in 2025 and to celebrate I pulled 50 books off my unread shelves that I most want to read. These are books by my favorite authors (i.e. Ishiguro, Eugenides, Tartt) that I never got around to or books that I can’t imagine not reading in my lifetime (i.e. The Handmaid’s Tale). What am I waiting for?!
I want more 5-star reading in 2025. Sometimes I think I tailor my reading a little too much. I don't go for all the buzzy books, but some of them or I read along with different groups. But I think I know enough about my reading to choose some stellar books. Sometimes I read things just because I have the book or it popped up in my library holds. I want to go more for what I really think speaks to me.
I just finished reading Susan Hills memoir ‘Howard’s End is on the Landing’ in which she decided to read only books that she had in her house over a one year period. She lists her final 40 at the end. I took inspiration from her, and since I have over 1000 books in our house that I haven’t read yet, I decided to try this, but on my own terms. I do work at an Indie book shop, so I can’t not read some new books. But for 2025 my goal is to read 3 books from our shelves at home for every 1 new book brought into the house (library or purchase or ARC). I’m excited about what I will find. Thanks Mel and Dave for your podcast. My wife is a Patreon and we enjoy your suggestions.
In my never ending quest, to actually read the books that I own, I will read at least 25 books this year, 2025, from my own shelves. (This was from a resolution shared last year from Shannan at Modern Mrs. Darcy). I think this is one I can actually succeed at.
Plan to read more this coming year. I've gotten rather gobsmacked by reading so many Substacks (so much interesting stuff on this platform) that I've neglected my personal reading, which I adore. Sooo-- I already started, and am setting aside more time to read, my passion. Have a Happy New Year guys!
My reading resolution for 2025 is to try to get back to reading more meaningful books. With all that's going on in the world my reading has become quite the escape and I've been reading a lot of surface level cozy mysteries and rom coms as a way to escape from the daily realities of the world. I am working my way back to adding in more meaningful reads along with my escape reads. Thank you for always jump-starting great bookish conversations!
I'm with you, Lisa! 2023 and 2024 were years of trying to escape - politics, work uncertainty, etc, and I too want to add some more meaning into my reading!
Glad I'm not alone. It's not that I haven't read some really good books but I definitely have been shying away from anything meaty or heavy and that wasn't the kind of reader I've always been. I guess like everything else are reading lives change and adjust to where we are in time. I hope you're reading life in 2025 brings you some really awesome reads.
No more numbers on my yearly reading goals. Use book challenges s a guide for book recommendations. No more stressing over whether I complete them. Read more good books and find a good balance between reading books for entertainment and books with substance. In short, read better books but also read for pleasure.
Continue to try and read one book from each Strong Sense of Place podcast. I read 14 recommendations this year. Just finished A Guide to the Birds of East Africa and loved it!
I love to make book bingo cards for friends and family. I even make them for my staff (I'm a library director, so it's good for my staff to read widely!). I always make them for myself, too. Lately I have been overly ambitious (45 books for 2024 was a miserable failure). I need something more reasonable. This year, I decided to let my husband and my staff make a book bingo for ME. There are some categories I am excited about (set in New Orleans! Set on a Greek island!) and others that will be more challenging for me (fantasy, set in the future). But at a reasonable 25 books, I think I can manage this. My hubby and staff are so excited I'll finally be reading some of their favorites: The Women by Kristin Hannah, 11/22/63 by Stephen King, and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas are all on there. Their excitement is already a huge motivation for me! I can't wait to get started.
My husband has just joined Hardcore Literature with Benjamin McEvoy, to read classics all year with discussions led by Mr. McEvoy, who has a literature degree from Oxford. He is really looking forward to it. There are a few titles planned for the year that he has always wanted to read but wanted to be able to discuss them with someone. So completing this year's Hardcore Literature is his goal.
I agree. But he really wants to be well-read and reading One Hundred Years of Solitude on his own was really challenging for him. (I also find that authour intimidating!) He is doing it this year as a trial run. I'll let you know how he likes it!
The non-linear aspect of books of poetry is a self imposed roadblock. Do I read a book of poetry by one poet? All the way through from beginning to end? Start in the middle? Choose randomly? Read all the poems? Read an anthology of poets? Which one? In order from the beginning? A sampling of each poet? So I stall out. How do YOU read poetry?
I like to pick a volume and then read one or two upon waking each morning. It’s a sweet way to greet the day and it reminds me that my life is a poem if I pay attention
My 2025 reading resolution is the same as for 2024: read for pleasure !
Before that decision, I would read books because they were bestsellers, someone gave or recommended them to me or because I thought I ‘had to’ read that one.
Before that decision, I would read a lot self help books to improve my knowledge and find solutions to better myself and my life.
Before that decision, I would finish a book I started, even if I didn't enjoy it.
In 2023, my word of the year was Pleasure. And one of the first insights that word brought me was that I only wanted to read for pleasure. I only wanted to read good stories, no more self help books. And as soon as I did not enjoy a book beyond page 100, I'd declare it a ‘Did Not Finish’ (DNF)..
It's been a game changer for books but that Pleasure year was a revelation on many other levels in my life as well. Because really: how we do one thing is how we do everything.
My purposely vague goal is to read with more intention in 2025 ~ I want to choose my reads for a specific reason rather than just chasing new releases as I found myself doing in 2024. I say vague, because my intention for reading a book can simply be, "I put this on hold ages ago, and here it is, and let's see what made my past self want to read this!" as much as my intention might be to challenge myself as a reader and read a genre I am uncomfortable with, or perhaps to read a romance by a favorite author. I also am planning to participate in several reading challenges and I have a selection of classics I loosely want to tackle.
I started FOUR reading projects. (Why do I do this?) I am doing the Simon Haisell slow read of both War and Peace and The Wolf Crawl (Wolf Hall, etc.). I've never read the Wolf series and I've read the first 100 pages of War and Peace at least five times. I love the idea of community read and there are substack posts and podcasts! Starts today! I'm also reading the essays of both MFK Fisher and EB White. I cheated and started the EB White early and I'm hooked. I'm calling that one the Secret Reasons Project because when EB White was asked to take on a role for President Eisenhower he replied: "I must decline, for secret reasons." My daughter made me a notepad with that quote!
I’m turning 50 in 2025 and to celebrate I pulled 50 books off my unread shelves that I most want to read. These are books by my favorite authors (i.e. Ishiguro, Eugenides, Tartt) that I never got around to or books that I can’t imagine not reading in my lifetime (i.e. The Handmaid’s Tale). What am I waiting for?!
I love this! I am also hoping to read more books I bought with great intention and have since let languish. Cheers to both of us in this endeavor!
Reading books by your favorite authors is a wonderful gift! Happy birthday and happy reading
I love this! I've been enjoying my 50s so much, I love that you'll be celebrating by reading from your unread shelves:)
Happy Birthday! What a wonderful goal you have set yourself for this 365-day spin around the sun!!
Love this!!!
Yes! Read more books and listen to less news less tv and less people! 😁😂😂
LESS PEOPLE - love this so much!
I want more 5-star reading in 2025. Sometimes I think I tailor my reading a little too much. I don't go for all the buzzy books, but some of them or I read along with different groups. But I think I know enough about my reading to choose some stellar books. Sometimes I read things just because I have the book or it popped up in my library holds. I want to go more for what I really think speaks to me.
It's a vague wish. We'll see how it goes.
I used to put a number on my reading goal but no more. My goal aligns with yours - I just want to read good books. Have a wonderful year guys!
I'm feeling this too, I pushed through too many mediocre books in 2024
I just finished reading Susan Hills memoir ‘Howard’s End is on the Landing’ in which she decided to read only books that she had in her house over a one year period. She lists her final 40 at the end. I took inspiration from her, and since I have over 1000 books in our house that I haven’t read yet, I decided to try this, but on my own terms. I do work at an Indie book shop, so I can’t not read some new books. But for 2025 my goal is to read 3 books from our shelves at home for every 1 new book brought into the house (library or purchase or ARC). I’m excited about what I will find. Thanks Mel and Dave for your podcast. My wife is a Patreon and we enjoy your suggestions.
In my never ending quest, to actually read the books that I own, I will read at least 25 books this year, 2025, from my own shelves. (This was from a resolution shared last year from Shannan at Modern Mrs. Darcy). I think this is one I can actually succeed at.
I want to read some of my print books this year too- good luck to us both:)
Plan to read more this coming year. I've gotten rather gobsmacked by reading so many Substacks (so much interesting stuff on this platform) that I've neglected my personal reading, which I adore. Sooo-- I already started, and am setting aside more time to read, my passion. Have a Happy New Year guys!
My reading resolution for 2025 is to try to get back to reading more meaningful books. With all that's going on in the world my reading has become quite the escape and I've been reading a lot of surface level cozy mysteries and rom coms as a way to escape from the daily realities of the world. I am working my way back to adding in more meaningful reads along with my escape reads. Thank you for always jump-starting great bookish conversations!
Me too!
I'm with you, Lisa! 2023 and 2024 were years of trying to escape - politics, work uncertainty, etc, and I too want to add some more meaning into my reading!
Glad I'm not alone. It's not that I haven't read some really good books but I definitely have been shying away from anything meaty or heavy and that wasn't the kind of reader I've always been. I guess like everything else are reading lives change and adjust to where we are in time. I hope you're reading life in 2025 brings you some really awesome reads.
No more numbers on my yearly reading goals. Use book challenges s a guide for book recommendations. No more stressing over whether I complete them. Read more good books and find a good balance between reading books for entertainment and books with substance. In short, read better books but also read for pleasure.
Continue to try and read one book from each Strong Sense of Place podcast. I read 14 recommendations this year. Just finished A Guide to the Birds of East Africa and loved it!
I love to make book bingo cards for friends and family. I even make them for my staff (I'm a library director, so it's good for my staff to read widely!). I always make them for myself, too. Lately I have been overly ambitious (45 books for 2024 was a miserable failure). I need something more reasonable. This year, I decided to let my husband and my staff make a book bingo for ME. There are some categories I am excited about (set in New Orleans! Set on a Greek island!) and others that will be more challenging for me (fantasy, set in the future). But at a reasonable 25 books, I think I can manage this. My hubby and staff are so excited I'll finally be reading some of their favorites: The Women by Kristin Hannah, 11/22/63 by Stephen King, and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas are all on there. Their excitement is already a huge motivation for me! I can't wait to get started.
My husband has just joined Hardcore Literature with Benjamin McEvoy, to read classics all year with discussions led by Mr. McEvoy, who has a literature degree from Oxford. He is really looking forward to it. There are a few titles planned for the year that he has always wanted to read but wanted to be able to discuss them with someone. So completing this year's Hardcore Literature is his goal.
Happy (Reading) New Year, everyone!!!
Enjoy the book bingo. I imagine it will lead to some good bookish discussions with your husband and staff about your thoughts on their favorites!
I'd love to hear what your husband thinks about Hardcore Literature. I am really interested in it, too, but the membership fee is pretty significant.
I agree. But he really wants to be well-read and reading One Hundred Years of Solitude on his own was really challenging for him. (I also find that authour intimidating!) He is doing it this year as a trial run. I'll let you know how he likes it!
Read good books, always 😄 I also want to read more poetry and books for personal growth.
The non-linear aspect of books of poetry is a self imposed roadblock. Do I read a book of poetry by one poet? All the way through from beginning to end? Start in the middle? Choose randomly? Read all the poems? Read an anthology of poets? Which one? In order from the beginning? A sampling of each poet? So I stall out. How do YOU read poetry?
I like to pick a volume and then read one or two upon waking each morning. It’s a sweet way to greet the day and it reminds me that my life is a poem if I pay attention
Loosely intentional. Open ended. Poetic. I love it. Thank you for the gentle guidance.
My 2025 reading resolution is the same as for 2024: read for pleasure !
Before that decision, I would read books because they were bestsellers, someone gave or recommended them to me or because I thought I ‘had to’ read that one.
Before that decision, I would read a lot self help books to improve my knowledge and find solutions to better myself and my life.
Before that decision, I would finish a book I started, even if I didn't enjoy it.
In 2023, my word of the year was Pleasure. And one of the first insights that word brought me was that I only wanted to read for pleasure. I only wanted to read good stories, no more self help books. And as soon as I did not enjoy a book beyond page 100, I'd declare it a ‘Did Not Finish’ (DNF)..
It's been a game changer for books but that Pleasure year was a revelation on many other levels in my life as well. Because really: how we do one thing is how we do everything.
My plan for the year is to do a slow read of War and Peace on this platform! I can’t wait to start!
I'm doing that too. I will see you there I hope <3
My purposely vague goal is to read with more intention in 2025 ~ I want to choose my reads for a specific reason rather than just chasing new releases as I found myself doing in 2024. I say vague, because my intention for reading a book can simply be, "I put this on hold ages ago, and here it is, and let's see what made my past self want to read this!" as much as my intention might be to challenge myself as a reader and read a genre I am uncomfortable with, or perhaps to read a romance by a favorite author. I also am planning to participate in several reading challenges and I have a selection of classics I loosely want to tackle.
I started FOUR reading projects. (Why do I do this?) I am doing the Simon Haisell slow read of both War and Peace and The Wolf Crawl (Wolf Hall, etc.). I've never read the Wolf series and I've read the first 100 pages of War and Peace at least five times. I love the idea of community read and there are substack posts and podcasts! Starts today! I'm also reading the essays of both MFK Fisher and EB White. I cheated and started the EB White early and I'm hooked. I'm calling that one the Secret Reasons Project because when EB White was asked to take on a role for President Eisenhower he replied: "I must decline, for secret reasons." My daughter made me a notepad with that quote!
Secret Reasons! How wonderful. Other people just say they need to wash their hair. 😄
I’ve always wanted to read MFK Fisher and EB White. Enjoy the Secret Reasons challenge - fun!