Rethinking My Reading Goals: My Approach for 2025
Happy 2025 everyone!
I apologize for my absence over the past few months. Life has been unpredictable lately, and I often need to readjust. And I unfortunately put blogging off to the side. But it’s all right because I am back and still moving and grooving. Also, Happy New Year! I can’t believe we’re in 2025 now. I am looking forward to what this year has to offer as I focus on transitioning to new heights in my life.
Speaking of changes, I have decided not to make any new concrete reading goals this year. I don’t think setting strict reading goals is necessary as I tend to have shifting interests and I’d rather let my reading be fluid instead of forcing myself into commitments I may not want later. Instead, I want to update you on what my intentions are for reading this year as well as recap my reading activities from 2024.
2024 Reading Goals Recap
Last year, I set the following reading goals:
read 24 books
read for 20 minutes before bed
write 12 book reviews
read outside my preferred genre
listen to more audiobooks
participate in reading challenges.
2024 Reading Goals Stats
I read 15 books:
The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J Mass
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Mass
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Mass
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Mass
Avatar the Last Airbender: The Promise by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, Gene Luen Yang
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Watering the Soul by Courtney Peppernell
Happy Place by Emily Henry
The Last Mermaid by Derek Kirk Kim
Spider-Woman #2 by John Byrne, Bart Sears
Spider-Woman #3 by John Byrne, Bart Sears
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarrsos
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carrissa Broadbent
read for 20 min of approx. 145/365 nights of the year
wrote 9 mini book reviews
explored 3 genres: romance, poetry, and comic books
listened to 4 audiobooks: A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Silver Flames, Fourth Wing, and Iron Flame from GraphicAudios
I completed no reading challenges, but that’s okay!
Reflection on Reading Year
2024 was a slow reading year for me. Working full-time and prioritizing important tasks were always at the forefront of my mind. However, I considered the rest I needed to balance my workload and attempted to include reading during my downtime. I was excited to read novels but I often felt they were impossible to finish. It felt like I would never complete one story to move on to the next.
Although the stats reflect no goals accomplished, I am still very proud of my results. I read 15 more books than I have in the past few years. I conquered so many doomscrolls by listening to audiobooks while getting tasks done. I wrote mini-book reviews so as not to put too much pressure on writing a full-fledged 9-paragraph review of one book. (I would love the challenge of delving into a deep discussion about a book I strongly felt for in the future.) I expanded my horizons with poetry, romance, and comic books. I think fitting reading into my daily life was a challenge within itself so I am not too bummed about the lack of reading challenges I didn’t participate in.
Overall, I am quite pleased with what I accomplished this year and I look forward to what I can achieve this year.
My Approach Ahead
Since novels sometimes felt overwhelming to finish, I’ve shifted my focus to short stories. Not only will they fit better into my reading routine, but they also help me reconnect with story elements that inspire my writing. I’m excited to see how these stories influence both my reading and writing journey this year!
That’s all I have for you today. What are some books/genres you are looking forward to reading in 2025? I’d love to hear about it!
