I only have one goal for next year: I want to reread one book per month. I have so many five star favourites but I never get to them a second time because I prioritise new books. I want to change that! :)
My main goals: no set amount of books, buy second hand over new, read owned books and use library more ( no impulse buying), read more banned books, use my book journal I bought off etsy the whole year!
my goals 1.write essays on some of the books I read so I can process them better AND have a better memory of the book in the future 2. read something from every historical(=literary) period, i.e. Ancient Greece and Rome, Middle Ages etc all the way to 20th century 3. poetry!!! read more of it and copy some of it into my journal, also learn some of the best pieces of poetry by heart - so I can make it a part of me and its language a part of my language
1. Embrace the DNF: Why waste time on trash? 2. Read 125: Totally doable, I've read 127 so far this year. Thank you audiobooks and novellas 3. Avoid FOMO reading. I don't need to read something just because everyone else is. 4. Read more children's books. They are fun and I like the pictures.
embrace the DNF - so well said! it´s my goal too🤓 so hard sometimes, though especially when the book ishn´t bad and the story is kinda engaging but it´s just NOT GOOD ENOUGH.I realised I need a book to be truly special and profound and not just passable.
I think I DNF’d as many as I read this year. I don’t have time to read like I used to, and I can no longer struggle through something that I deem as garbage.
My reading goal for 2024 was 80 and I’m over 100 now. So I’ll make my 2025 goal 100 so I can feel motivated but not pressured. Thank you for all the recommendations this year. Honestly thanks to you and Emma I’ve found my love for reading after 2 years of reading 5-10 books. THANK YOU 🩵
I never really have a goal of the amount of books that I’d like to read each year, but it’s fun to count how many I’ve read at the end of the year. I love keeping written lists too. I recently bought my first fountain pen which I love! I feel so elegant when I write out my lists now. 😅
my goal this next year (other than reading a ton hehe) is to start my middle education degree, to one day be able to teach middle schoolers about the joys of literature 💕
You look so good in green! I Love your goals! Can't wait for your TBR. I don't have a specific number goal yet; I'm trying to focus on enjoyment this year. Reading slowly. My reading goals are to read the books on my shelves. I have about 45 unread books, and four have sat unread for 10 years. TEN YEARS....the shame. Another goal is to wait to purchase any new material until I've read my existing books. Fortunately, I'm looking forward to reading all of my books.
My reading goals, 1. 40 books. 2. Tackling some of the biggies like Crime and Punishment and Anna Karenina... 3. Keeping a book journal 4. Read more contemporary Lit Fic (I'm a classics/Modern Classics person)
ny goals my goals for the year: 1 - read 5+ translated books and australian books (im aussie) 3 - less structured tbr. last year I had toooo many tbr plans / goals and it made me stressed because I'm a mood reader. For eg, last year I did 10 aus and 10 translated. I don't read enough books in a year to have so many pre-made tbrs 4 - read more non-fiction (especially serious non-fiction on literary criticism/history/political science) and essays to get back into using my brain like I did in uni lol 5 - and read with more whimsy. which means giving myself to deep-dive into topics of interest and fixate on those. this year I did it a few times (went through a stage of reading biographies about cities, another of reading books about animals) and it was really fun!
Great goals! (And…congratulations on your soon-to-be new home?) My number one goal is to pick up a book first thing in the morning, rather than my phone. I always tell myself I’ll do it and then fail, but now I’m planning to tell my husband to hide the phone every night, and not tell me where it is before I leave the house unless I really need it.
Oh wow, I love your goals Carolyn! I’ve had total number of books goals and specific books goals but I never thought of creative over arching and bookish goals but I have been putting thought into goals that celebrate the spirit of my love for reading. Here are some of mine for 2025: 1st: (and I actually plan to start doing this before the end of 2024) I notice so many year end book rankings give more weight to 5 star reads read later in the year and many phenomenal reads from Jan, Feb, etc. get lost in the rankings. When I noticed I was doing this too, I realized that I was reading new books to the very last day of the year, not giving myself time to go back to the beginning of the year and revisiting my favorite reads, characters, passages, moments that made me laugh and cry. Starting this year I want to dedicate the last week of the year (not racing to fit one more new book into the year, but) going back through the great year of reads that took me on dozens of adventures, to read through my highlighted passages and visit again with my favorite characters and remind myself of the value of each and every book I’ve read throughout the year, take time to remember and reflect, and appreciate all the literature that I read this past year, the books that effected me, changed my view of the world, improved the person I am. Before the new year rings in and I’m diving into my new 2025 reading goals, I want to take the time to hug and say thanks to all my books of 2024… all the books that were my best friends during the year. I plan to add this as a new yearly end of year goal. 2nd: I want to support more Independent smaller Presses (two of my favorite 2024 reads came directly from Independent Presses). I have a goal to buy and read at least three lesser known books from Independent Presses. 3rd: (and, Carolyn, this one is thanks to you)… after watching your Anna Karenina Translations sampling video last year… in 2024 I read 4 different Anna Karenina translations simultaneous… Garnett, Maude, Pevear & Volokhonsky, and Bartlett… what an experience… Each translation was unique and each had their stunning moments… I so enjoyed seeing how translations changed through time. I loved Anna Karenina and I found reading 4 translations in parallel so rewarding that I plan to do another parallel reading in 2025, this time 5 different translations of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. I find language and the power of storytelling through different translations intricately interesting. I’d like to do a parallel read of different translations of one classic each year. I’m looking forward to following all your reading adventures next year. Thanks for a great year of videos and review. You continually inspire me to read better and more deeply and more meaningfully each year.
I just LOVE hearing about everyone's goals! I find them so inspirational and seeing all the comments is so motivating and exciting. I'm super excited for your goal to read more Russian lit and explore more bookshops in 2025. My goals for next year are: 1. Read 6 Shakespeare plays (I read 5 this year and have soooo enjoyed getting back into Shakespeare so I've upped it for 2025) 2. Read 3 poetry collections (I read 5 this year and want to continue next year but with a bit less pressure lol) 3. Reading around the world challenge (reading a book from every country, which I've been working towards this year and will be more of an ongoing goal) 4. I have a specific 25 in 25 TBR of 25 books I want to get to 5. Author re-visits - there are a few authors that I used to read tons of a 10-20 years ago but then I stopped reading much from them and I really want to go back and do some re-reads from them and also read some of their books I haven't yet read 6. Research and dive into reading Ancient Classical literature and study the history alongside- Ancient Greece/Egypt/Rome/Mesopotamia/India, etc 7. I want to go on bookish adventures! I did that this year and loved it! It can be like author signings, book festivals, author/literature talks, visiting bookshops, visiting museums dedicated to certain authors or visiting author sites (their birthplaces, homes, graves, etc), following a character's path like Mrs Dalloway's walk, visiting places that inspired authors like Whitby or where books are set and so on I'm so excited to finish up my goals for this year and start fresh in 2025 with new ones. Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season and I hope you have a cosy winter x
Green has been my favorite color since I was a tiny girl. I begged my mom to paint my room green when I was 4. She didn't want to but she did paint it green. I still love green! 😃💚 My reading goal for 2024 was 25 and I've read 41 so far! 📚
I never had reading goals but I would like to have some in 2025. 1. Visit new book stores. 2. Keep a journal of books I read. As a poet and journaler I prefer longhand. I"d also like to find new outdoor places to read. 3. Read more classics and literary fiction.
Good luck on your goals! Mine are 52 books, read through the decades (2 year challenge, 1 a month, starting in the 1780s) participate in the Agatha Christie challenge, and a few others annual things like Victober. We got this!
Carolyn, I loved hearing about your reading goals🫶🏻 I really appreciate you prioritizing quality over quantity and I think that I'll make this one of my goals as well :) My goal for 2025 is to read around 40 books and I already picked out some Genre challenges to read more diverse. Happy New Year and I hope you'll have a great 2025!🩷
Amazing goals. My life is so busy I set my goal to 12 books a year and I swear I’m always trying to fit half of those into the last couple of months of the year. lol. 🤣
My goal for this year is to read every day. Even if it is only two or three pages, I want to work on my consistency and get away from having some months when I don’t read at all and other months of a dozen books
This was great. Some are the same as mine and others weren't but now are! Writing reviews is a great one that I want to embrace. You've inspired me to think through this properly and write them down. One goal might be to join fewer reading groups, because I always bite off more than I can chew with that and end up feeling overwhelmed and that I'm failing. And yet I keep doing it!
Let's see... I at least want to read all the Shakespeare plays, don quixote, war and peace, finish in search of lost time, and finally get to the lord of rings i've had unread on my bookshelf for years
This year my goals are; * to complete the A-Z classics challenge i paused last year. *Finish reading Les miserables *continue with my series reads (mainly fantasy) * reduce my romance and crime tbr shelf. Dont collect much of this genre so want to clear some space on shelves. * actually complete my 25 books in 2025 in one year lol.
I love this time of year with all the planning and goals :D A reading goal I always have is to pick one or two authors and one or two series I have already started or read some of - to complete. Just contemplating and choosing which series and authors I would like to pick is really informative.
I love your goals! And I cannot wait to see the bookshelves 👀 I also made a video about my 2025 goals but a few of them are: read 75 books, finish 6 series I’m in the middle of, read 4 books written by Polish authors, read 12 classics, read 4 big books (600+ pages), read 50 books from my physical tbr and I’ll also be doing a no buy/low buy for books! 🥰
1. Learn to dance the Mazurka [Hey!]; 2. Get a cat; 3. Write a poem in French; 4. Reread Proust; 5. Improve my body (weight, teeth, hair, et cetera). That's about it. In the meantime, I'm waiting for some kind of group read of East of Eden, which is queued up in my Audible player; and I'm hoping to make progress on one my long-term life goals. Thank you and have a happy New Year: you and all of your loved ones.
That inspired me to have some reading goals as well for 2025. So here goes 1. Reading 40 books 2. Reading more books from other countries than US or Europe 3. Buying less books, using more libraries and Skoobe :)
Happy Christmas to you. Excited for your new nest. As for my 2025 reading goals (so far): 1. 2025 TBR consists of 48 books broken down by quarter. I'll probably read about 25-30 of them. 2. During the 1st qtr, I must read contemporary lit/hist fiction to identify comp titles for my own novel which I plan to query in 2025. 3. 6 classics that I can't believe I've never read before and 1 that is a re-read. 4. 2 NFs about Gods & Goddesses or ancient Rome. 5. 6 autobiography, memoir or biographies about people who interest me 6. 6 other NFs about art, literature, women, Shakespeare, or history 7. 6 Fiction, at least two titles nominated for a book prize; two titles recommended by booktubers; and books that piqued my interest. 8. 6 collections of poetry, essays or short stories. I read these each morning when my eyes and mind are most receptive. 9. Donate books I've read to little free libraries so they don't collect dust on my own limited shelves. 10. Discover other independent bookshops 11. Recommend and gift books to my far away friends 12. Read at least one big book during the summer (over 400 pages) 13. Try to match my reading to the Savidge Prompts or Ben Reads Good Challenges. 14. I'd like to read one or more of Shakespeare's plays but honestly, I don't think I'll get to them in 2025. Not a goal just a wish. Cheers. marjorieapple.substack.com
My goals focus on trying to do various things every month. I don't mind if these overlap 1: finish 60 books (my goal for this year was 30 and I'm at 54 at the moment!) 2: listen to one audiobook a month 3: read one book in Spanish a month 4: read one library book a month 5: read one unread book on my shelves per month
a goal i had for this year which i’ll also carry on for next year is being mindful of reading themed books depending on the month/occasion. for example, romance in february, horror in october. i feel like it helps each month feel more memorable :) another goal is to read one intimidating classic per month but to read a specific page/chapter count to ensure i finish by the end of the month. i’m currently doing this with ‘little women’ as it has 23 chapters and on Christmas eve i will be rewatching the movie. i find that it makes the book far more manageable and a lot easier to review as daily i update my goodreads review and share my thoughts/quotes i like on whichever chapter i’m on. i hope that makes sense 😅
My reading goals for the past 5 years is to read a book a week. (52 per year) For the past couple of years however, I’ve extended it to one physical book per week and one ebook per week. (104 per year overall) Mainly because I was doing it anyway but I wasn’t counting the ebooks. So now I do! 😁
I love that color on you! I am also a list maker. I love how you use a handwritten journal! I do the same because I get so tired of looking at screens sometimes! To answer your question, I think my 2025 reading goals will be based on the authors I am trying to become more familiar with.💚
My reading goals: 1. Try to read a variety of genres. Some classical, some fiction, some biographical, some related to my career etc. 2. Read 25 chapter books to my children. I'm a homeschool mom to 3 kids, so I should be able to do this if I average 2-3 chapter books a month. And it's a great way to both enjoy some great children's lit and pass it on to my kids! 3. Read a couple of books with my husband. I'm thinking out loud in the evening with some tea or whiskey. I really want reading to be a source of bonding with my spouse and bringing us together to talk about our thoughts/feelings on a work.
1. Among my reading goals: Read two books that I have had since I was a teenager, but have not read. Also, reread two books that I have not read since then. 2. Because you love making lists, I highly recommend you listen to the fun song “Girl of 100 Lists”, an underrated, but great, song by The Go-Go’s.
So, hear me out. This year (and last year) were insane reading years for me. I read 173 books last year, and so far I've read 189 books this year. I read a wide variety of books (literature, nonfiction, business, manga, etc) and was very lucky that the quality of the books were QUITE high. However, I have some goals next year that are going to take up a LOT of my time and therefore I expect in 2025 that I'll read somewhere between 80 and 100 books. I had an interesting mix of books this year, but like you - I want to make the spread a bit more balanced. I LOVE your journal - I also love that brand. At the moment I'm living very nomadically - so I've put myself on a ban of buying physical books and journals (which is heartbreaking) but I made spreadsheets for all the books I want to read in order of priority in 2025 with a goal of one non-fiction book (skill or history books) and one fiction book per week. You really inspired me to read Russian lit - so next year one of the books I have on my list is Anna Karenina. I think you'd really like a LOT of the Korean women authors that have made waves in the last few years - they vary wildly in topics and tone as well. I have Han Kang on my list for next year as well (she just won the the Nobel Prize for Literature). Love your goals and I'm so with you - the act of handwriting feels so personal and connected - it's a great thing to do. It forces you to slow down a little as well. Looking forward to your future reviews!
1. More books from my shelves! And then gifting them to friends who might be interested ;) 2. Read more in my target language - dutch (while also continuing to read in my other 4 languages, so i don't forget them -- at least 2 books in spanish & ukrainian (probably children's), and at least 5 in russian) 3. write reviews, yes! 4. maybe come up with a system for notes - rn i just write everything i wanna remember from non-fiction in one journal, and it's very hectic 5. have a day a month where i stay home and just read, like a reset/retreat sorta thing
I always start my number of books on a lower number and increase it as needed. I started this year at 75 but have read 150ish. I’m planning to read a big book every month next year so I’ll probably keep my goal on the lower side. My main focus will be to read from my shelves and try to get my physical tbr down. I’ve been on a book buying ban since the beginning of November so I’d like to continue that. I’ve neglected my classics a bit this year so I definitely want to get back to that in 2025. I have a quiet little rustic cafe in my very small township so I’m going to aim to read there once a week too. I’m also a list person. I’ve made so many bookish lists in the last week in anticipation of the coming year 😂
Thank you for giving us another fantastic book tube video your amazing 👏 i wish you the absolute best with all your reading goals in the new year keep up the good work enjoy all the new reads 📚 :)
What a beautiful video! I watch a lot of goals videos, as they are some of my favorites, and your was just so thoughtful and unique, thank you for inspiring me! I also subscribed today! 😊
These are great goals! My one and only goal for next year is to read more books from my shelves. I’ve only read about 60% of them. And I have at least 100 unread…
Here are some of my goals for next year: 1. Reread books that I want to revisit (mostly classics) 2. Read three books as an intro to a new-to-me author (this year, that's Margaret Atwood) 3. Read more non-fiction (mostly literary biographies and history)
Hi! If you want to explore book places in the Uk just thought I’d share a place I love to go. It may be far but if you don’t mind that it’s called Haye on Wye in Powys, Wales. It’s referred to as a book town which has around 20 bookstores! (Might need to check this is correct but there’s quite a lot) Both second hand book stores and new book stores. Also has cute cafes and other little stores. It’s one of my favourite places ever and I have found some really good books there! I love your videos by the way, you’ve inspired me to get back in to reading more again. I am reading Anna Kerenina at the moment and loving it so thank you for your recommendations!
My reading goal has been 75 for several years. I didn’t read as many as I hoped in 2023 because I moved houses amongst other living arrangement changes. Whereas this year, I am already over the goal! My main bookish goal since turning 50 is trying to draw down my TBR list from 2,200 books. I culled about 100 books over the last month. Most of the books since starting this quest were on the TBR list. In my 20s, I felt like I had to finish every book no matter how much I didn’t enjoy it. Now, I am much quicker to DNF a book if it’s not working for me after about 100 pages.
My Woolf bookclub is starting up reading all of James Baldwin in January and I’m so excited! We finished reading all of Woolfs major works last summer and I’m so excited to be continuing on! Hoping to get back into my other online book club as well. I’ve missed a couple picks 😢
My reading goals for next year are 1) to read 40 books, 2) read my 2 of longest page count books on my physical TBR (I've been avoiding them for years, but I'm nearly through Count of Monte Cristo this month so I'm inspired to tackle some of the other big ones), and 3) read whatever is the oldest book on my bookshelf as part of my reading every 2nd month (to stop a trend I have of perpetually avoiding the oldest books on my physical TBR in favour of new buys).
My reading goal for 2024: 100 books. Thus far, I have read 93 of 100. My tastes are quite similar in that I read a lot of classics and literary fiction, and also a great deal of poetry! We will see what materializes in the realm of possibilities next year, but one of my tentative reading goals for 2025 is to finally read Don Quixote. ☺
I just started a multi-year goal to read 80 by 80. These 80 books are all books I currently own. I'm trying on general to read more of the books I own. I'm hoping that if I have more books Iown scheduled to read I'll buy fewer new books. Another way to read books I own is to join reading challenges and choosing those books from those I already own.
You just reminded me that I have a notebook somewhere with book / topics I want to read about. Now I’m on the hunt for it to see if I can cross anything off it. lol
My goals this year were: - Read the biggest books from my TBR (made me read war and peace, brothers Karamazov, Count of Monte Christo) - Read one classic per month - Read one Non-Fiction per month - DNF books (I managed to do that for two this year, I still find it hard even though it’s wasting my time) The classic and non fiction per month worked very well for me and I will take them into 2025. Still thinking of a replacement for the biggest books one.
My 2025 reading goals are: 1. Read the complete works of Charles Dickens 2. Resume the Ray Bradbury Challenge 3. My TBR has over 2,000 books on it. I need to focus on that and make some headway. I am a "mood reader" so I should have plenty of options. 4. More biographies and letter collections.
I really want to get back into Russian literature too. I’ve started Doctor Zhivago and I’m taking it slow, but the imagery is masterful and it’s really good to read on a cold day.
My main goal is to read books that I already own and reduce the amount I buy! Some of my books have been waiting over 5 years 😢 Good luck for you too 😊🙌
We have some very similar goals! I want to read 60 books even though I read over 80 this year. Trying to focus on quality over quantity. I want to read at least 12 classics and 12 nonfiction. I want to cut my physical tbr in half, but that would mean reading 44 books that I own. I really hope that I can do that, because I feel overwhelmed by the amount of books that I own and haven't read! haha Lovely video as per usual!
My goal next year is to read what’s on my bookshelf instead of buying more books to just sit on my bookshelf. I feel like I have a lot of books I’m just going to read once and pass on, so I want to clear my shelves for the books I love and want to re-read!
I love seeing everyone's goals! This December my goal has been to read prize-winners for the Nobel, Booker, Barnes and Noble and Women's Prizes, but that may carry into January as well. My biggest goal will be to read from books I already own since a lot of my books this year were new purchases or ebooks, and I have so many on my shelves at home I want to read. For 2024 I didn't have a number goal and that helped me tremendously, especially since I didn't feel like I needed a number to motivate me to read in the first place, and when I had one and didn't hit it I was stressed (and why feel stressed about reading??)
My goals are usually just to read at least 50 books, even though I have been reading 100 the last 2 years. I usually make my list of books to read based on a couple reading groups. So my goal is usually to make sure I read those, and then I fill in the space with anything I want to read.
I’m at 23 books this year and at this point in my life, it unfortunately isn’t possible to read much more. But like you said, quality over quantity. I do have a few other goals: 1. Read a Russian classic. I’ve started reading Anna Karenina 4 times and this time, I want to finish it. The reason I always stopped reading is because it intimidated me so much but I’ve been watching your and others’ videos and I feel ready. 2. Read another classic. I think I’ll go for Jane Eyre. 3. Read 2 books by awarded authors. I decided on Orbital by Samantha Harvey and The Vegetarian by Han Kang. Besides that, I’ll let my mood dictate my reading choices.
My goals are to read more fantasy and children’s literature. 2025 will be my enchanted/whimsy era. I want to prioritize reading through Harry Potter, Redwall, and the Realm of the Elderlings series, as I didn’t grow up reading any of them. I also would like to reread The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings again. I normally read 100+ books a year but i’m trying to slow down and pick up bigger books that I can immerse myself in. If I can get through The Brothers Karamazov or The Idiot that are on my shelf then thats a bonus 😅
Two goals of mine for next year are to read a short story a day and a work from L.M. Montgomery a week. I really have wanted to read the entire Anne of Green Gables series and just haven't done it and figured this will force me to do it.
I have a fun more special goal for next year. I’m going to read Simone de Beauvoir. I bought 5 different novels by her. I’ve longed to read her writing and excited to really experience her literary work. One of them I will read in French, but I also have an English copy because my French isn’t excellent quite yet. I plan to read at least three novels in French 😁💗
My reading goals next year I turned into a challenge on story graph titled, "expanding our Reading" if anyone wants to join me. My goals are to read more classics, continue with reading more BIPOC authors, reading more translated novels, and more big books. :)
You need to come to Edinburgh! You and Leon would love it, such a beautiful city. There's a Toppings here, a two-storey Waterstones on Princes Street with a cafe. Plus lots of gorgeous independents like Golden Hare Books (in Stockbridge, lovely wee part of Edinburgh with lots of scrumptious cafes), The Edinburgh Bookshop, and Portobello Bookshop right near the beach 💞 My goal is to read at least five Classics throughout the year and to write at least twice a week. My overall reading goal is 50 x
I want to read The Man Without Qualities, lots of Polish literature, some Julio Cortázar books in Spanish, Chekhov’s major plays in Russian. There’s always a list of novels I want to read, but the order always shifts based on mood- Balzac, Prus, Musil, Dickens, Bulgakov, Turgenev, Stendhal, Goethe, etc.
My reading goals are to read at least five books (I've been reading around 30 for the past two years, but i had times where i only read 1 so i think at least 5 is a good goal) and to read my physical tbr. I want my tbr down to 0 (maybe w some unread classics here and there) before buying any new books. I thought about finishing series as a goal but i think i rather take my time with them and not push myself if I'm not feeling like continuing them.
I had a very slow reading year, last year I read one per week, this year much less. Its not about the numer, its more about taking time to do what I enjoy. To me, its very important for my well-being. Having said this, my goal is to read 45-50 books because i do want to prioritize quality and length over quantity.
I am really excited that you are going to be reading more Russian lit again. I started reading Russian lit thanks to you. I just started reading French lit thanks to another RUclipsr.
i think i’m gonna stick with 50 books for my reading goal cause even tho i usually read more, but it makes it less stress full to not have a huge goal and be anxious about the books etc… (maybe i won’t even make a book reading goal… i’ll think about it 😂) definitely want to read more classics too, and prioritize quality too (again the reading goal is always ruining the whole thing cause i get so behind and read the shortest books and easiest just to not be behind and i don’t like that) gonna try to pause with the audiobooks (even tho i have a bit of dyslexia and it makes me focus more on the books, i wanna try to start reading less and less with them so i can get a bit better myself) don’t want to force myself reading, i know that next year i’ll be very busy so i won’t be reading as much as i would want to but it’s ok i’ll try to make a small time anyway and not be stressed over it too much! read more from the books i own and that i recently bought etc… i have so many i’m excited about but i always get influenced by others to read other stuff, i wanna prioritize the ones i have!
my goals: 1) read 60 books. it's the same as i've kept it the past few years and it's enough that i don't have to stress but lasts me to mid-december at least 2) finish war and peace (i started it in july 2022 😭) 3) read 12 non-fiction books because my non-fiction tbr grows a lot quicker than it gets read
My main goal is to buy fewer books and prioritise the enormous catalogue of both physical and kindle books I already own. I keep a reading journal, and I am setting up a bingo board with prompts tailored to the books I own (eg 'purchased more than 10 years ago') and I can't buy a new book until I've completed a line. Not sure how well this will work, but I will try my best!
Some of my 2025 goals are: Reading books from 10 new to me countries. Reading 5 non-fiction books. More moodreading instead of tbr's. Prioritizing lgbtq+ books. And making sure I re-read some books.
I no longer have the time to read like I used to, so for me this year quality is key. I think I DNF’d as many as I read in 2024. I really do need to read books I own. It’s atrocious how many unread books I have. If there’s something newly published, I get out of the library and see if it’s worthy to add to my collection. These were a lot of my DNFs. I’ve been burned so many times picking up books that people deem was wonderful , and I find it mediocre at best.
The last three years, my goal has been to read 100 books each year. I've gotten in 100 the last two years, and I'm at 98 right now with several books in the works, so I have no doubt I'll make it (and perhaps surpass by a few). I want to read 100 books next year but beyond that I haven't thought through any specific goals.
My goals are actually to read less books and focus on reading long form internet content like blogs and articles! I really like reading current content but find I don't make time for it if I'm prioritising novels! I wanna read shorter fresher stuff too.
My reading goal is to read 40 books or more this year. And read more books in different diverse range! Last year i read a lot of ebooks but this year i am planning to read a lot of physical books too
i keep track of the books i read on storygraph, mostly just so i know! i never set a specific number of books i look at the graphs & note the genres and make mental notes... i try to keep a good balance of fiction & non-fiction
This year, I will try to avoid adding books from the US and England to my tbr. There are so many other countries that publish amazing books, and I will savour those😊
Pauses video one minute in…”hold on..they make GREEN Bic pens?!?!?!” Immediately checking amazon (green is my favorite color and cheap bic pens are my favorite to write with) 😅
2025 reading goals: 1. Read 52 books 2. Read 1 classic per month 3. Read from *minimum* 1 BIPOC autbor per month 4. Read War and Peace 😅 (easier said than done with a toddler, but here's hoping!) Wishing you a happy and healtthy 2025 ❤
Instead of goals I'm focusing on reading projects. I want to continue reading Filipino literature, but I also want to read some Japanese literature. I would like to focus on reading the books I own that are on the Rory Gilmore reading list. There are authors such as Stephen King, Anthony Trollop, and Wilkie Collins whom I want to prioritize this year. Eight years ago I had a plan to read a Stephen King book a month , but because a lot of his books are often extremely long I fell off with that goal. I also have a Tolkien project I want to start and reading books that intimidate me in some capacity. Lastly, I want to read some presidential biographies and US history books.
The Age of Jackson is very very good, as is 1848 (recounting the Polk presidency). And of course the multi-volume Caro biography of President Johnson is excellent, even though it may provoke some discussions of greater heat than you might like. Someone here is planning on reading Sherman's Memoirs, which is deservedly among the great classics of history, as is Grant's Memoirs. Both are good but Sherman's maps are better. The fold-out hand drawn maps are special. As for Lincoln, there are so many very good ones but the only one I've reread more than once is David Donald's. Of course Donald does focus on the political history including the rise of the Radical Republicans, which can be difficult for more casual readers. Anyway, enjoy : )
While you're in the UK you should consider going to a small town in Wales called Hay-on-Wye. Under 2000 people live there, but there's something like 20 bookstores.
I watched all the booktubers and have been following other booknerds in facebook and Googlereads and etc and wanted to read 100 books this year... yea now I'm reading my 96th book.. but I'll never ever do this again bcs it just made to read mechanically and yea I only enjoyed around 50 books so far heartily.. I read 1st one in Norsk(which is a new language I'm learning: only1 book), Tamil(my mother tongue :around 37 ; translated in Tamil from Bengali and Malayalam plus originally written in Tamil) and English(the rest were in English: translated into English from Russian and originally written in English )... my advice would be just read and don't panic but yeah keep account of the books you read and count at the end of the year 😊
My lenient 2025 tbr: C.S. Lewis' Ransom-trilogy. Out of the Silent Planet already savoured. Ps. Do you miss your books? I guess you couldn't have taken them all with you. Whenever I want to be encouraged and get pleasure from books, I watch your bookshelf tour for the umpteenth time.
I've been really enjoying this video unitl you mentioned that one of your goals if to read Russian literature. I find it concerning that it get so much attention these days. I get that these works have artistic and cultural value, but a lot of them also carry strong imperialist narratives that most readers might not immediately notice. These narratives often push the idea of Russia’s cultural superiority, justifying its control over other nations and erasing local cultures. This way of thinking has shaped Russian empire-building, and it’s still influencing the country’s actions today-especially with the war in Ukraine. What’s really tough is that many of these works also justify the helplessness of Russians in the face of their government, as if inaction and passivity are inevitable. These narratives can excuse complicity or suggest that nothing can be done about oppression, which makes it even harder to see them being promoted right now. For Ukrainians, hearing you talk about Russian literature in this context is really painful. Many of us feel that these narratives not only fuel the war but also justify the ongoing violence and suffering we’re experiencing. It’s hard to separate the art from these harmful ideas. I think it would be helpful if you could stop promoting Russian literature in your videos, or at least provide more context about these imperialist and passive narratives, especially given the current situation. Your platform has the power to drive a more thoughtful conversation, and it would mean a lot to see that from you. Thanks for hearing me ou!
I wanna read most books on my TBR. That means a lot of classics (I am also fine with DNFing and maybe unhauling some if I really can‘t get into them). Other than that I want to read more LGBT+ fiction, more by BIPOC authors and also tackle 1 or 2 big „lifegoal“ classics (maybe The Count of Monte Cristo & Anna Karenina). I also want to get back into audiobooks. I purposefully did not listen to any audiobooks this year as I wanted to see how much I could read just from physically reading. I think listening to some romance books as audiobooks could be fun for next year. I also want to try reading in Spanish as I‘ve been learning the language for years. It‘s gonna be challenging. But I think I can manage 2 or 3. Lastly I want to start recording my thoughts on what I have read. Maybe in the form of a journal (tho I don‘t wanna get hung up on aestethics). (Additionally i am contemplating starting a podcast specifically discussing queer lit.)
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
I only have one goal for next year: I want to reread one book per month. I have so many five star favourites but I never get to them a second time because I prioritise new books. I want to change that! :)
Thats such a perfect goal im so doing that too!! Thank you for the idea
I will do the same for next year👍
My main goals: no set amount of books, buy second hand over new, read owned books and use library more ( no impulse buying), read more banned books, use my book journal I bought off etsy the whole year!
my goals
1.write essays on some of the books I read so I can process them better AND have a better memory of the book in the future
2. read something from every historical(=literary) period, i.e. Ancient Greece and Rome, Middle Ages etc all the way to 20th century
3. poetry!!! read more of it and copy some of it into my journal, also learn some of the best pieces of poetry by heart - so I can make it a part of me and its language a part of my language
Omg 1st one is one of my goals too ❤
1. Embrace the DNF: Why waste time on trash?
2. Read 125: Totally doable, I've read 127 so far this year. Thank you audiobooks and novellas
3. Avoid FOMO reading. I don't need to read something just because everyone else is.
4. Read more children's books. They are fun and I like the pictures.
embrace the DNF - so well said! it´s my goal too🤓 so hard sometimes, though especially when the book ishn´t bad and the story is kinda engaging but it´s just NOT GOOD ENOUGH.I realised I need a book to be truly special and profound and not just passable.
I think I DNF’d as many as I read this year. I don’t have time to read like I used to, and I can no longer struggle through something that I deem as garbage.
I got burnt out from reading this much and didn't read for all of 2023 due to this. I just picked up a book again.
This year I want to actually slow down and savor the classics. I want to reread some old favorites as well.
My reading goal for 2024 was 80 and I’m over 100 now. So I’ll make my 2025 goal 100 so I can feel motivated but not pressured. Thank you for all the recommendations this year. Honestly thanks to you and Emma I’ve found my love for reading after 2 years of reading 5-10 books. THANK YOU 🩵
I never really have a goal of the amount of books that I’d like to read each year, but it’s fun to count how many I’ve read at the end of the year. I love keeping written lists too. I recently bought my first fountain pen which I love! I feel so elegant when I write out my lists now. 😅
Same!! I've never set a number reading goal but I love to count how many I've read at the end of the year 📚
my goal this next year (other than reading a ton hehe) is to start my middle education degree, to one day be able to teach middle schoolers about the joys of literature 💕
The colour of your sweater brings out your eyes! Lovely!
You look so good in green! I Love your goals! Can't wait for your TBR. I don't have a specific number goal yet; I'm trying to focus on enjoyment this year. Reading slowly. My reading goals are to read the books on my shelves. I have about 45 unread books, and four have sat unread for 10 years. TEN YEARS....the shame. Another goal is to wait to purchase any new material until I've read my existing books. Fortunately, I'm looking forward to reading all of my books.
My reading goals, 1. 40 books. 2. Tackling some of the biggies like Crime and Punishment and Anna Karenina... 3. Keeping a book journal 4. Read more contemporary Lit Fic (I'm a classics/Modern Classics person)
ny goals
my goals for the year:
1 - read 5+ translated books and australian books (im aussie)
3 - less structured tbr. last year I had toooo many tbr plans / goals and it made me stressed because I'm a mood reader. For eg, last year I did 10 aus and 10 translated. I don't read enough books in a year to have so many pre-made tbrs
4 - read more non-fiction (especially serious non-fiction on literary criticism/history/political science) and essays to get back into using my brain like I did in uni lol
5 - and read with more whimsy. which means giving myself to deep-dive into topics of interest and fixate on those. this year I did it a few times (went through a stage of reading biographies about cities, another of reading books about animals) and it was really fun!
Great goals! (And…congratulations on your soon-to-be new home?) My number one goal is to pick up a book first thing in the morning, rather than my phone. I always tell myself I’ll do it and then fail, but now I’m planning to tell my husband to hide the phone every night, and not tell me where it is before I leave the house unless I really need it.
Oh wow, I love your goals Carolyn! I’ve had total number of books goals and specific books goals but I never thought of creative over arching and bookish goals but I have been putting thought into goals that celebrate the spirit of my love for reading. Here are some of mine for 2025:
1st: (and I actually plan to start doing this before the end of 2024) I notice so many year end book rankings give more weight to 5 star reads read later in the year and many phenomenal reads from Jan, Feb, etc. get lost in the rankings. When I noticed I was doing this too, I realized that I was reading new books to the very last day of the year, not giving myself time to go back to the beginning of the year and revisiting my favorite reads, characters, passages, moments that made me laugh and cry. Starting this year I want to dedicate the last week of the year (not racing to fit one more new book into the year, but) going back through the great year of reads that took me on dozens of adventures, to read through my highlighted passages and visit again with my favorite characters and remind myself of the value of each and every book I’ve read throughout the year, take time to remember and reflect, and appreciate all the literature that I read this past year, the books that effected me, changed my view of the world, improved the person I am. Before the new year rings in and I’m diving into my new 2025 reading goals, I want to take the time to hug and say thanks to all my books of 2024… all the books that were my best friends during the year. I plan to add this as a new yearly end of year goal.
2nd: I want to support more Independent smaller Presses (two of my favorite 2024 reads came directly from Independent Presses). I have a goal to buy and read at least three lesser known books from Independent Presses.
3rd: (and, Carolyn, this one is thanks to you)… after watching your Anna Karenina Translations sampling video last year… in 2024 I read 4 different Anna Karenina translations simultaneous… Garnett, Maude, Pevear & Volokhonsky, and Bartlett… what an experience… Each translation was unique and each had their stunning moments… I so enjoyed seeing how translations changed through time. I loved Anna Karenina and I found reading 4 translations in parallel so rewarding that I plan to do another parallel reading in 2025, this time 5 different translations of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. I find language and the power of storytelling through different translations intricately interesting. I’d like to do a parallel read of different translations of one classic each year.
I’m looking forward to following all your reading adventures next year. Thanks for a great year of videos and review. You continually inspire me to read better and more deeply and more meaningfully each year.
I just LOVE hearing about everyone's goals! I find them so inspirational and seeing all the comments is so motivating and exciting. I'm super excited for your goal to read more Russian lit and explore more bookshops in 2025.
My goals for next year are:
1. Read 6 Shakespeare plays (I read 5 this year and have soooo enjoyed getting back into Shakespeare so I've upped it for 2025)
2. Read 3 poetry collections (I read 5 this year and want to continue next year but with a bit less pressure lol)
3. Reading around the world challenge (reading a book from every country, which I've been working towards this year and will be more of an ongoing goal)
4. I have a specific 25 in 25 TBR of 25 books I want to get to
5. Author re-visits - there are a few authors that I used to read tons of a 10-20 years ago but then I stopped reading much from them and I really want to go back and do some re-reads from them and also read some of their books I haven't yet read
6. Research and dive into reading Ancient Classical literature and study the history alongside- Ancient Greece/Egypt/Rome/Mesopotamia/India, etc
7. I want to go on bookish adventures! I did that this year and loved it! It can be like author signings, book festivals, author/literature talks, visiting bookshops, visiting museums dedicated to certain authors or visiting author sites (their birthplaces, homes, graves, etc), following a character's path like Mrs Dalloway's walk, visiting places that inspired authors like Whitby or where books are set and so on
I'm so excited to finish up my goals for this year and start fresh in 2025 with new ones. Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season and I hope you have a cosy winter x
Green has been my favorite color since I was a tiny girl. I begged my mom to paint my room green when I was 4. She didn't want to but she did paint it green. I still love green! 😃💚 My reading goal for 2024 was 25 and I've read 41 so far! 📚
I never had reading goals but I would like to have some in 2025.
1. Visit new book stores.
2. Keep a journal of books I read. As a poet and journaler I prefer longhand.
I"d also like to find new outdoor places to read.
3. Read more classics and literary fiction.
Good luck on your goals! Mine are 52 books, read through the decades (2 year challenge, 1 a month, starting in the 1780s) participate in the Agatha Christie challenge, and a few others annual things like Victober. We got this!
Carolyn, I loved hearing about your reading goals🫶🏻 I really appreciate you prioritizing quality over quantity and I think that I'll make this one of my goals as well :)
My goal for 2025 is to read around 40 books and I already picked out some Genre challenges to read more diverse.
Happy New Year and I hope you'll have a great 2025!🩷
Amazing goals. My life is so busy I set my goal to 12 books a year and I swear I’m always trying to fit half of those into the last couple of months of the year. lol. 🤣
My goal for this year is to read every day. Even if it is only two or three pages, I want to work on my consistency and get away from having some months when I don’t read at all and other months of a dozen books
This was great. Some are the same as mine and others weren't but now are! Writing reviews is a great one that I want to embrace.
You've inspired me to think through this properly and write them down. One goal might be to join fewer reading groups, because I always bite off more than I can chew with that and end up feeling overwhelmed and that I'm failing. And yet I keep doing it!
Let's see... I at least want to read all the Shakespeare plays, don quixote, war and peace, finish in search of lost time, and finally get to the lord of rings i've had unread on my bookshelf for years
This year my goals are;
* to complete the A-Z classics challenge i paused last year.
*Finish reading Les miserables
*continue with my series reads (mainly fantasy)
* reduce my romance and crime tbr shelf. Dont collect much of this genre so want to clear some space on shelves.
* actually complete my 25 books in 2025 in one year lol.
I love this time of year with all the planning and goals :D A reading goal I always have is to pick one or two authors and one or two series I have already started or read some of - to complete. Just contemplating and choosing which series and authors I would like to pick is really informative.
the color of the sweater is really well-matched with your eye color! beautiful
This month I read Anna Karenina and Howl's Moving Castle because of your recommendations and loved them both ❤ Thank you!!
I love your goals! And I cannot wait to see the bookshelves 👀 I also made a video about my 2025 goals but a few of them are: read 75 books, finish 6 series I’m in the middle of, read 4 books written by Polish authors, read 12 classics, read 4 big books (600+ pages), read 50 books from my physical tbr and I’ll also be doing a no buy/low buy for books! 🥰
1. Learn to dance the Mazurka [Hey!]; 2. Get a cat; 3. Write a poem in French; 4. Reread Proust; 5. Improve my body (weight, teeth, hair, et cetera). That's about it. In the meantime, I'm waiting for some kind of group read of East of Eden, which is queued up in my Audible player; and I'm hoping to make progress on one my long-term life goals. Thank you and have a happy New Year: you and all of your loved ones.
East of Eden is definitely on my short list for 2025.
That inspired me to have some reading goals as well for 2025. So here goes
1. Reading 40 books
2. Reading more books from other countries than US or Europe
3. Buying less books, using more libraries and Skoobe
:)
Happy Christmas to you. Excited for your new nest. As for my 2025 reading goals (so far):
1. 2025 TBR consists of 48 books broken down by quarter. I'll probably read about 25-30 of them.
2. During the 1st qtr, I must read contemporary lit/hist fiction to identify comp titles for my own novel which I plan to query in 2025.
3. 6 classics that I can't believe I've never read before and 1 that is a re-read.
4. 2 NFs about Gods & Goddesses or ancient Rome.
5. 6 autobiography, memoir or biographies about people who interest me
6. 6 other NFs about art, literature, women, Shakespeare, or history
7. 6 Fiction, at least two titles nominated for a book prize; two titles recommended by booktubers; and books that piqued my interest.
8. 6 collections of poetry, essays or short stories. I read these each morning when my eyes and mind are most receptive.
9. Donate books I've read to little free libraries so they don't collect dust on my own limited shelves.
10. Discover other independent bookshops
11. Recommend and gift books to my far away friends
12. Read at least one big book during the summer (over 400 pages)
13. Try to match my reading to the Savidge Prompts or Ben Reads Good Challenges.
14. I'd like to read one or more of Shakespeare's plays but honestly, I don't think I'll get to them in 2025. Not a goal just a wish.
Cheers. marjorieapple.substack.com
My goals focus on trying to do various things every month. I don't mind if these overlap
1: finish 60 books (my goal for this year was 30 and I'm at 54 at the moment!)
2: listen to one audiobook a month
3: read one book in Spanish a month
4: read one library book a month
5: read one unread book on my shelves per month
a goal i had for this year which i’ll also carry on for next year is being mindful of reading themed books depending on the month/occasion. for example, romance in february, horror in october. i feel like it helps each month feel more memorable :)
another goal is to read one intimidating classic per month but to read a specific page/chapter count to ensure i finish by the end of the month. i’m currently doing this with ‘little women’ as it has 23 chapters and on Christmas eve i will be rewatching the movie. i find that it makes the book far more manageable and a lot easier to review as daily i update my goodreads review and share my thoughts/quotes i like on whichever chapter i’m on. i hope that makes sense 😅
My reading goals for the past 5 years is to read a book a week. (52 per year) For the past couple of years however, I’ve extended it to one physical book per week and one ebook per week. (104 per year overall) Mainly because I was doing it anyway but I wasn’t counting the ebooks. So now I do! 😁
I love that color on you! I am also a list maker. I love how you use a handwritten journal! I do the same because I get so tired of looking at screens sometimes! To answer your question, I think my 2025 reading goals will be based on the authors I am trying to become more familiar with.💚
My reading goals:
1. Try to read a variety of genres. Some classical, some fiction, some biographical, some related to my career etc.
2. Read 25 chapter books to my children. I'm a homeschool mom to 3 kids, so I should be able to do this if I average 2-3 chapter books a month. And it's a great way to both enjoy some great children's lit and pass it on to my kids!
3. Read a couple of books with my husband. I'm thinking out loud in the evening with some tea or whiskey. I really want reading to be a source of bonding with my spouse and bringing us together to talk about our thoughts/feelings on a work.
1. Among my reading goals: Read two books that I have had since I was a teenager, but have not read. Also, reread two books that I have not read since then.
2. Because you love making lists, I highly recommend you listen to the fun song “Girl of 100 Lists”, an underrated, but great, song by The Go-Go’s.
So, hear me out. This year (and last year) were insane reading years for me. I read 173 books last year, and so far I've read 189 books this year. I read a wide variety of books (literature, nonfiction, business, manga, etc) and was very lucky that the quality of the books were QUITE high. However, I have some goals next year that are going to take up a LOT of my time and therefore I expect in 2025 that I'll read somewhere between 80 and 100 books. I had an interesting mix of books this year, but like you - I want to make the spread a bit more balanced. I LOVE your journal - I also love that brand. At the moment I'm living very nomadically - so I've put myself on a ban of buying physical books and journals (which is heartbreaking) but I made spreadsheets for all the books I want to read in order of priority in 2025 with a goal of one non-fiction book (skill or history books) and one fiction book per week. You really inspired me to read Russian lit - so next year one of the books I have on my list is Anna Karenina. I think you'd really like a LOT of the Korean women authors that have made waves in the last few years - they vary wildly in topics and tone as well. I have Han Kang on my list for next year as well (she just won the the Nobel Prize for Literature). Love your goals and I'm so with you - the act of handwriting feels so personal and connected - it's a great thing to do. It forces you to slow down a little as well. Looking forward to your future reviews!
1. More books from my shelves! And then gifting them to friends who might be interested ;)
2. Read more in my target language - dutch (while also continuing to read in my other 4 languages, so i don't forget them -- at least 2 books in spanish & ukrainian (probably children's), and at least 5 in russian)
3. write reviews, yes!
4. maybe come up with a system for notes - rn i just write everything i wanna remember from non-fiction in one journal, and it's very hectic
5. have a day a month where i stay home and just read, like a reset/retreat sorta thing
I made my books read list in 2025 already and wrote on top my reading goal 'HAVE FUN'
I always start my number of books on a lower number and increase it as needed. I started this year at 75 but have read 150ish. I’m planning to read a big book every month next year so I’ll probably keep my goal on the lower side.
My main focus will be to read from my shelves and try to get my physical tbr down. I’ve been on a book buying ban since the beginning of November so I’d like to continue that. I’ve neglected my classics a bit this year so I definitely want to get back to that in 2025.
I have a quiet little rustic cafe in my very small township so I’m going to aim to read there once a week too.
I’m also a list person. I’ve made so many bookish lists in the last week in anticipation of the coming year 😂
Thank you for giving us another fantastic book tube video your amazing 👏 i wish you the absolute best with all your reading goals in the new year keep up the good work enjoy all the new reads 📚 :)
What a beautiful video! I watch a lot of goals videos, as they are some of my favorites, and your was just so thoughtful and unique, thank you for inspiring me! I also subscribed today! 😊
These are great goals! My one and only goal for next year is to read more books from my shelves. I’ve only read about 60% of them. And I have at least 100 unread…
This is inspiring...!!! 🥰I love reading and books, so I'm always eager to know about other people's reading goals.. Go for it! ☺
Here are some of my goals for next year:
1. Reread books that I want to revisit (mostly classics)
2. Read three books as an intro to a new-to-me author (this year, that's Margaret Atwood)
3. Read more non-fiction (mostly literary biographies and history)
Hi! If you want to explore book places in the Uk just thought I’d share a place I love to go. It may be far but if you don’t mind that it’s called Haye on Wye in Powys, Wales. It’s referred to as a book town which has around 20 bookstores! (Might need to check this is correct but there’s quite a lot) Both second hand book stores and new book stores. Also has cute cafes and other little stores. It’s one of my favourite places ever and I have found some really good books there! I love your videos by the way, you’ve inspired me to get back in to reading more again. I am reading Anna Kerenina at the moment and loving it so thank you for your recommendations!
My reading goal has been 75 for several years. I didn’t read as many as I hoped in 2023 because I moved houses amongst other living arrangement changes. Whereas this year, I am already over the goal!
My main bookish goal since turning 50 is trying to draw down my TBR list from 2,200 books. I culled about 100 books over the last month. Most of the books since starting this quest were on the TBR list. In my 20s, I felt like I had to finish every book no matter how much I didn’t enjoy it. Now, I am much quicker to DNF a book if it’s not working for me after about 100 pages.
My Woolf bookclub is starting up reading all of James Baldwin in January and I’m so excited! We finished reading all of Woolfs major works last summer and I’m so excited to be continuing on!
Hoping to get back into my other online book club as well. I’ve missed a couple picks 😢
My reading goals for next year are 1) to read 40 books, 2) read my 2 of longest page count books on my physical TBR (I've been avoiding them for years, but I'm nearly through Count of Monte Cristo this month so I'm inspired to tackle some of the other big ones), and 3) read whatever is the oldest book on my bookshelf as part of my reading every 2nd month (to stop a trend I have of perpetually avoiding the oldest books on my physical TBR in favour of new buys).
My reading goal for 2024: 100 books. Thus far, I have read 93 of 100. My tastes are quite similar in that I read a lot of classics and literary fiction, and also a great deal of poetry! We will see what materializes in the realm of possibilities next year, but one of my tentative reading goals for 2025 is to finally read Don Quixote. ☺
I just started a multi-year goal to read 80 by 80. These 80 books are all books I currently own. I'm trying on general to read more of the books I own. I'm hoping that if I have more books Iown scheduled to read I'll buy fewer new books. Another way to read books I own is to join reading challenges and choosing those books from those I already own.
Love your goals, Carolyn, specially quality over quantity! I also like to read everywhere! 😊
You just reminded me that I have a notebook somewhere with book / topics I want to read about. Now I’m on the hunt for it to see if I can cross anything off it. lol
My goals this year were:
- Read the biggest books from my TBR (made me read war and peace, brothers Karamazov, Count of Monte Christo)
- Read one classic per month
- Read one Non-Fiction per month
- DNF books (I managed to do that for two this year, I still find it hard even though it’s wasting my time)
The classic and non fiction per month worked very well for me and I will take them into 2025. Still thinking of a replacement for the biggest books one.
My 2025 reading goals are:
1. Read the complete works of Charles Dickens
2. Resume the Ray Bradbury Challenge
3. My TBR has over 2,000 books on it. I need to focus on that and make some headway. I am a "mood reader" so I should have plenty of options.
4. More biographies and letter collections.
I really want to get back into Russian literature too. I’ve started Doctor Zhivago and I’m taking it slow, but the imagery is masterful and it’s really good to read on a cold day.
My main goal is to read books that I already own and reduce the amount I buy! Some of my books have been waiting over 5 years 😢 Good luck for you too 😊🙌
We have some very similar goals! I want to read 60 books even though I read over 80 this year. Trying to focus on quality over quantity. I want to read at least 12 classics and 12 nonfiction. I want to cut my physical tbr in half, but that would mean reading 44 books that I own. I really hope that I can do that, because I feel overwhelmed by the amount of books that I own and haven't read! haha Lovely video as per usual!
My goal next year is to read what’s on my bookshelf instead of buying more books to just sit on my bookshelf. I feel like I have a lot of books I’m just going to read once and pass on, so I want to clear my shelves for the books I love and want to re-read!
I love seeing everyone's goals! This December my goal has been to read prize-winners for the Nobel, Booker, Barnes and Noble and Women's Prizes, but that may carry into January as well. My biggest goal will be to read from books I already own since a lot of my books this year were new purchases or ebooks, and I have so many on my shelves at home I want to read. For 2024 I didn't have a number goal and that helped me tremendously, especially since I didn't feel like I needed a number to motivate me to read in the first place, and when I had one and didn't hit it I was stressed (and why feel stressed about reading??)
My goals are usually just to read at least 50 books, even though I have been reading 100 the last 2 years. I usually make my list of books to read based on a couple reading groups. So my goal is usually to make sure I read those, and then I fill in the space with anything I want to read.
I’m at 23 books this year and at this point in my life, it unfortunately isn’t possible to read much more. But like you said, quality over quantity. I do have a few other goals:
1. Read a Russian classic. I’ve started reading Anna Karenina 4 times and this time, I want to finish it. The reason I always stopped reading is because it intimidated me so much but I’ve been watching your and others’ videos and I feel ready.
2. Read another classic. I think I’ll go for Jane Eyre.
3. Read 2 books by awarded authors. I decided on Orbital by Samantha Harvey and The Vegetarian by Han Kang.
Besides that, I’ll let my mood dictate my reading choices.
I am also a list maker. I make lists for my lists! I have some fun goals playing on the numbers 2, 5, and 25.
My goals are to read more fantasy and children’s literature. 2025 will be my enchanted/whimsy era. I want to prioritize reading through Harry Potter, Redwall, and the Realm of the Elderlings series, as I didn’t grow up reading any of them. I also would like to reread The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings again. I normally read 100+ books a year but i’m trying to slow down and pick up bigger books that I can immerse myself in. If I can get through The Brothers Karamazov or The Idiot that are on my shelf then thats a bonus 😅
Two goals of mine for next year are to read a short story a day and a work from L.M. Montgomery a week. I really have wanted to read the entire Anne of Green Gables series and just haven't done it and figured this will force me to do it.
I have a fun more special goal for next year. I’m going to read Simone de Beauvoir. I bought 5 different novels by her. I’ve longed to read her writing and excited to really experience her literary work. One of them I will read in French, but I also have an English copy because my French isn’t excellent quite yet.
I plan to read at least three novels in French 😁💗
My reading goals next year I turned into a challenge on story graph titled, "expanding our Reading" if anyone wants to join me. My goals are to read more classics, continue with reading more BIPOC authors, reading more translated novels, and more big books. :)
You need to come to Edinburgh! You and Leon would love it, such a beautiful city. There's a Toppings here, a two-storey Waterstones on Princes Street with a cafe. Plus lots of gorgeous independents like Golden Hare Books (in Stockbridge, lovely wee part of Edinburgh with lots of scrumptious cafes), The Edinburgh Bookshop, and Portobello Bookshop right near the beach 💞
My goal is to read at least five Classics throughout the year and to write at least twice a week. My overall reading goal is 50 x
I want to read The Man Without Qualities, lots of Polish literature, some Julio Cortázar books in Spanish, Chekhov’s major plays in Russian. There’s always a list of novels I want to read, but the order always shifts based on mood- Balzac, Prus, Musil, Dickens, Bulgakov, Turgenev, Stendhal, Goethe, etc.
I thought your thumbnail said 180 books and I was like OKAY CAROLYN getting all ambitious out here 🤣❤️
My reading goals are to read at least five books (I've been reading around 30 for the past two years, but i had times where i only read 1 so i think at least 5 is a good goal) and to read my physical tbr. I want my tbr down to 0 (maybe w some unread classics here and there) before buying any new books. I thought about finishing series as a goal but i think i rather take my time with them and not push myself if I'm not feeling like continuing them.
I had a very slow reading year, last year I read one per week, this year much less. Its not about the numer, its more about taking time to do what I enjoy. To me, its very important for my well-being. Having said this, my goal is to read 45-50 books because i do want to prioritize quality and length over quantity.
I am really excited that you are going to be reading more Russian lit again. I started reading Russian lit thanks to you. I just started reading French lit thanks to another RUclipsr.
i think i’m gonna stick with 50 books for my reading goal cause even tho i usually read more, but it makes it less stress full to not have a huge goal and be anxious about the books etc… (maybe i won’t even make a book reading goal… i’ll think about it 😂)
definitely want to read more classics too, and prioritize quality too (again the reading goal is always ruining the whole thing cause i get so behind and read the shortest books and easiest just to not be behind and i don’t like that)
gonna try to pause with the audiobooks (even tho i have a bit of dyslexia and it makes me focus more on the books, i wanna try to start reading less and less with them so i can get a bit better myself)
don’t want to force myself reading, i know that next year i’ll be very busy so i won’t be reading as much as i would want to but it’s ok i’ll try to make a small time anyway and not be stressed over it too much!
read more from the books i own and that i recently bought etc… i have so many i’m excited about but i always get influenced by others to read other stuff, i wanna prioritize the ones i have!
my goals:
1) read 60 books. it's the same as i've kept it the past few years and it's enough that i don't have to stress but lasts me to mid-december at least
2) finish war and peace (i started it in july 2022 😭)
3) read 12 non-fiction books because my non-fiction tbr grows a lot quicker than it gets read
I ❤lists too!!
My main goal is to buy fewer books and prioritise the enormous catalogue of both physical and kindle books I already own. I keep a reading journal, and I am setting up a bingo board with prompts tailored to the books I own (eg 'purchased more than 10 years ago') and I can't buy a new book until I've completed a line. Not sure how well this will work, but I will try my best!
Some of my 2025 goals are:
Reading books from 10 new to me countries.
Reading 5 non-fiction books.
More moodreading instead of tbr's.
Prioritizing lgbtq+ books.
And making sure I re-read some books.
I no longer have the time to read like I used to, so for me this year quality is key. I think I DNF’d as many as I read in 2024.
I really do need to read books I own. It’s atrocious how many unread books I have. If there’s something newly published, I get out of the library and see if it’s worthy to add to my collection. These were a lot of my DNFs. I’ve been burned so many times picking up books that people deem was wonderful , and I find it mediocre at best.
The last three years, my goal has been to read 100 books each year. I've gotten in 100 the last two years, and I'm at 98 right now with several books in the works, so I have no doubt I'll make it (and perhaps surpass by a few). I want to read 100 books next year but beyond that I haven't thought through any specific goals.
My goals are actually to read less books and focus on reading long form internet content like blogs and articles! I really like reading current content but find I don't make time for it if I'm prioritising novels! I wanna read shorter fresher stuff too.
My reading goal is to read 40 books or more this year.
And read more books in different diverse range!
Last year i read a lot of ebooks but this year i am planning to read a lot of physical books too
such a big list person! specifically physical lists, digital lists dont really work in the same way for me
❤📚📚❤️
I'm so looking forward to 2025.
i keep track of the books i read on storygraph, mostly just so i know! i never set a specific number of books
i look at the graphs & note the genres and make mental notes... i try to keep a good balance of fiction & non-fiction
This year, I will try to avoid adding books from the US and England to my tbr. There are so many other countries that publish amazing books, and I will savour those😊
My 2025 book goals:
1. Read 1 physical book a week and 1 audiobook every two weeks.
2. Read 10 books I own
3. Read for 45 minutes daily
Pauses video one minute in…”hold on..they make GREEN Bic pens?!?!?!” Immediately checking amazon (green is my favorite color and cheap bic pens are my favorite to write with) 😅
2025 reading goals:
1. Read 52 books
2. Read 1 classic per month
3. Read from *minimum* 1 BIPOC autbor per month
4. Read War and Peace 😅 (easier said than done with a toddler, but here's hoping!)
Wishing you a happy and healtthy 2025 ❤
Instead of goals I'm focusing on reading projects. I want to continue reading Filipino literature, but I also want to read some Japanese literature. I would like to focus on reading the books I own that are on the Rory Gilmore reading list. There are authors such as Stephen King, Anthony Trollop, and Wilkie Collins whom I want to prioritize this year. Eight years ago I had a plan to read a Stephen King book a month , but because a lot of his books are often extremely long I fell off with that goal. I also have a Tolkien project I want to start and reading books that intimidate me in some capacity. Lastly, I want to read some presidential biographies and US history books.
The Age of Jackson is very very good, as is 1848 (recounting the Polk presidency). And of course the multi-volume Caro biography of President Johnson is excellent, even though it may provoke some discussions of greater heat than you might like. Someone here is planning on reading Sherman's Memoirs, which is deservedly among the great classics of history, as is Grant's Memoirs. Both are good but Sherman's maps are better. The fold-out hand drawn maps are special. As for Lincoln, there are so many very good ones but the only one I've reread more than once is David Donald's. Of course Donald does focus on the political history including the rise of the Radical Republicans, which can be difficult for more casual readers. Anyway, enjoy : )
@@jamesduggan7200 Thank you.
While you're in the UK you should consider going to a small town in Wales called Hay-on-Wye. Under 2000 people live there, but there's something like 20 bookstores.
I watched all the booktubers and have been following other booknerds in facebook and Googlereads and etc and wanted to read 100 books this year... yea now I'm reading my 96th book.. but I'll never ever do this again bcs it just made to read mechanically and yea I only enjoyed around 50 books so far heartily.. I read 1st one in Norsk(which is a new language I'm learning: only1 book), Tamil(my mother tongue :around 37 ; translated in Tamil from Bengali and Malayalam plus originally written in Tamil) and English(the rest were in English: translated into English from Russian and originally written in English )... my advice would be just read and don't panic but yeah keep account of the books you read and count at the end of the year 😊
My lenient 2025 tbr: C.S. Lewis' Ransom-trilogy. Out of the Silent Planet already savoured. Ps. Do you miss your books? I guess you couldn't have taken them all with you. Whenever I want to be encouraged and get pleasure from books, I watch your bookshelf tour for the umpteenth time.
Next year i’m more focused on traveling the world through literature. I want to read books from different countries.
I've been really enjoying this video unitl you mentioned that one of your goals if to read Russian literature. I find it concerning that it get so much attention these days. I get that these works have artistic and cultural value, but a lot of them also carry strong imperialist narratives that most readers might not immediately notice. These narratives often push the idea of Russia’s cultural superiority, justifying its control over other nations and erasing local cultures. This way of thinking has shaped Russian empire-building, and it’s still influencing the country’s actions today-especially with the war in Ukraine.
What’s really tough is that many of these works also justify the helplessness of Russians in the face of their government, as if inaction and passivity are inevitable. These narratives can excuse complicity or suggest that nothing can be done about oppression, which makes it even harder to see them being promoted right now. For Ukrainians, hearing you talk about Russian literature in this context is really painful. Many of us feel that these narratives not only fuel the war but also justify the ongoing violence and suffering we’re experiencing. It’s hard to separate the art from these harmful ideas.
I think it would be helpful if you could stop promoting Russian literature in your videos, or at least provide more context about these imperialist and passive narratives, especially given the current situation. Your platform has the power to drive a more thoughtful conversation, and it would mean a lot to see that from you.
Thanks for hearing me ou!
I wanna read most books on my TBR. That means a lot of classics (I am also fine with DNFing and maybe unhauling some if I really can‘t get into them).
Other than that I want to read more LGBT+ fiction, more by BIPOC authors and also tackle 1 or 2 big „lifegoal“ classics (maybe The Count of Monte Cristo & Anna Karenina).
I also want to get back into audiobooks. I purposefully did not listen to any audiobooks this year as I wanted to see how much I could read just from physically reading. I think listening to some romance books as audiobooks could be fun for next year.
I also want to try reading in Spanish as I‘ve been learning the language for years. It‘s gonna be challenging. But I think I can manage 2 or 3.
Lastly I want to start recording my thoughts on what I have read. Maybe in the form of a journal (tho I don‘t wanna get hung up on aestethics).
(Additionally i am contemplating starting a podcast specifically discussing queer lit.)
finishing series I've started and want to read
What is Leon doing his masters in? That is a gorgeous journal. I've been learning bookbinding and am a notebook nerd.
Mine is to read all my unread physical books. I have about 60 so I think it’s doable.