Reading Better in 2025
In this post, I give suggestions for how to shape your reading life in the new year that don’t involve the typical reading challenges.
Happy New Year! I hope you are enjoying the start of the year and looking forward to the wonderful things 2025 will bring.
Since it’s the start of a new year, I’ve been thinking about reading challenges and my reading plans for 2025. If you are not familiar with reading challenges, there are a couple types that are popular. The first one is challenging yourself to read a specific number of books in a year, whether it be 1 or 100. I have set challenges like this for myself in the past. Another popular type of challenge is set up like a BINGO card. The squares may say things like, “read a book with a blue cover” or “read a book set in Mexico”. You might read one book per month, or have multiple suggestions for the entire year. These reading challenges can get pretty random, but they are fun!
While I believe that all reading challenges can be beneficial, I do not necessarily subscribe to challenges like the ones mentioned above any longer. Trying to read a certain number of books doesn’t match the ebb and flow of my year. Sometimes I’m reading a lot, and others, not so much. Trying to make sure I read a certain number of books feels stressful, which takes the joy out of reading. So, these days, I do not set a goal number of books for myself for the year.
With the BINGO-style challenge, I have struggled with finding books to fit each category that sound interesting to me. Occasionally, I have had to switch out books because I wasn’t enjoying what I chose. While this styles of challenge can introduce you to books you never would have picked up otherwise, it can also feel limiting. I have found myself longing to read something different, but wanting to honor the challenge at the same time.
Ultimately, I don’t want to be told what to read or how much. This is partly why I am not a good book club candidate. That is not to say that these types of reading challenges aren’t worth it - they just don’t benefit me, personally. But maybe you love them, which is great!
If you are looking to add more depth or flair to your reading life this year, there are ways you can do so without limiting or stressing yourself out with the typical reading challenges. Here are a few ideas for how you can read better in 2025.
Read to learn
Is there a topic you really love learning about? Instead of looking to the Internet or videos, why not try reading a book? This could be as simple as using a cookbook to try new recipes, or an art book to teach you how to use different painting techniques. Maybe you love learning about a specific subject in history, and can find a book that goes into more detail about it. Even fiction books can be helpful for learning, whether it be historical fiction about a specific time period, or understanding a character’s career or culture. Whatever you love to learn about, try stepping away from your screen and enhancing your knowledge with a good, old fashioned book!
Add diversity
Have you noticed if your books feature characters of the same race, social class, cultural group, or physical ability over and over again? Try being more conscious about diverse representation in the books you choose. In reading more diversely, you may learn new things about different cultures, or better understand people and the situations they deal with that are different from your own. Now more than ever, books are being published with so many different and interesting perspectives. In order to create a better future, we absolutely need to be reading diverse books. I try to include diverse voices in all of my book lists, so you can refer to those if you need ideas!
Read across genres
In the past, I have not been good about reading outside my preferred genres. I thought that I only liked a couple of genres and I did not have patience for anything else. This was narrow-minded thinking on my part, and it did not allow me to grow as a person. I’m honestly not sure why I thought that, because I now read in pretty much every genre. I love how it allows my brain to think more creatively, see patterns in different genres, and learn new things. Try picking up a books from a genre you aren’t familiar with and see what you think!
Read award-winning books
There are tons of different book awards out there, and all focus on finding the best stories published in their category. One of my favorite places to find award-winning books is the American Library Association (ALA) website. There are tons of awards to browse with backlogs of past winners for each category. Online library catalogs and bookseller websites also feature award-winning book lists for their users to browse. These books win awards for a reason, so definitely give some of the them a try!
Read recommended books
If you have never asked a librarian for reading recommendations, this is your sign to do it! Librarians practically live among books, and are more than happy to locate your next favorite read. They can help you pinpoint a book (or multiple books) you’ll love based on your preferred genre, tone, pace, and characters. Or, just ask them about the books they’ve read recently - you may enjoy them, too! Reading recommendations are not just limited to librarians, though. Ask your friends and family about the stories they love, or borrow a book from their personal library (if they let you!). This is a great way to connect with others and discover new titles you may not hear about otherwise.
Have you completed reading challenges in the past, or are you participating in any this year? My plan is to read more award-winners, classics, and books about subjects I’m interested in. I’m also trying to read longer books since I don’t gravitate towards them. Please let me know your reading goals for the year and let’s cheer each other on!