As the number of backlogged books I need to review slowly dwindle, I have been looking at some other options as to what posts I can have. One option I was looking into was Top 10 Tuesday, by That Artsy Reader Girl. So for this week’s top 10 Tuesday….

Bookish Goals for 2025 (How many books do you want to read this year? Are you hoping to read outside your comfort zone? Are there books you meant to read last year but never got to? Are there new-to-you authors you’re hoping to read?)

-That Artsy Reader Girl

1) Read over 48 books this year

Last year my goal was to target reading 3 books a month, this worked out well because I came in hot and heavy in the first half of the year, but hardly finished a novel after July. This is primarily due to Marathon running picking up. While I used to listen to a lot of audiobooks during runs, this year I spent a lot more time running with a partner or group. Thus, I kept the headphones out to enjoy the conversation.

2) Physically read at least 2 books a month

As mentioned above, audiobooks work out better for my lifestyle. There is something so easy about throwing it on in the background while cooking, cleaning, or running. In recent years, it has become my primary form of consumption. While there is no wrong way to read, I want to get back to the peaceful moments of sitting down with a good book as a form of relaxation.

3) Check out 1 library book a quater

I am really starting this list off with dedicate SMART goals to motivate me. Libby and NetGalley are how I receive the bulk of my reading material. However, our local libraries are excellent use of tax payer dollars. We have a very nice one where I live, and walking into the library to check out a book always brings a smile to my eye. In the summer, I may even start biking down to the library and spending time reading in their garden.

4) CATCH UP ON MY NETGALLEY READS

If you are thinking of joining NetGalley, do not be like me. I won’t lie, I really bought off more than I could chew last year. I requested to read too many novels (thinking I wouldn’t be approved), and was approved for almost all of them (was only declined by 1 last year). Then on top of that, I started getting email after email of novels I was pre-approved for. I greatly appreciate everyone that reached out to me, so I selected to download them all…and I did not get to hold up my end of the deal. I still have 9 from 2024 that I need to complete and review. Plus, 12 more already for 2025.

5) Try out new book tracking platforms

I have been an avid GoodReads user since 2018. My whole semi-professional reading life is documented on GoodReads. I am also pretty positive that this year is the first year GoodReads has had any updates since it was bought out by Amazon (aka 2013). While I love how simple GoodReads is, I want to start utilizing StoryGraph and Fable as well. I technically downloaded StoryGraph last year, and forgot to update it. But now that I manually entered everything from 2024 back into it: add me on both!

6) Get a Book Bingo!

I am still looking for a good Book Bingo Card. I saw Fable posted one to use, however it was a 3 by 3 grid so fairly easy. If you have a better one please comment below.

7) Keep up with a Book Club

I have joined multiple Book Clubs, but have always fallen off as I couldn’t get the novel we needed free. This year, I will do my best to actually complete every novel picked by one book club. (Probably @ADrayReads as it is a virtual club. But my friends and I also started our own book club with the first book being “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year.”

8) Organize and document my bookshelf

This one sounds like an easy task. However, the reality is it’s rather daunting. I am someone who generally does not keep a lot of the books I purchase. I’ll only hang on to novels that I rank 5 stars, or would read again at some point in my life. I keep them in my guest bedroom like it is an AirBnB, so when friends and family stay with me, they have the option to start a new book. I want to document the ones I have, so if a friend does take a book with them, I will be able to replace it.

9) Donate more novels to my local free library

As I mentioned above, I only keep novels that I rank 5 stars, or would read again. Any novel that doesn’t meet that expectation tends to end up in my local free library: the final resting place for the majority of my Book of the Month books. Reading is easy, but it can be expensive. I am fortunate enough that I have a discretionary income that allows me to purchase new hardback copies of books when needed. Libraries and Libby are great options, but sometimes the waitlists can take forever (I have been on the waitlist for “Lesson’s in Chemistry” on Libby since May of 2023. I am finally 155th in line. I started as 1289th; then I was kicked out of the line when my Library Card number was updated and was placed back at 1032th). Donating “Like New” novels allows everyone to be able to stay up-to-date with the latest releases, and own a nice copy of a book.

10) Read 1 “Classic” a Quarter

I ended 2024 by reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, and it made me realize I really do need to read more of “The Classics”. Since I start this blog, I have only read 1 novel that was published before 2015. (Now 2 with The Bell Jar). I want to start knocking off those English Literature books my classes haven’t read.