My 2025 Reading Goals

The fact that I’m publishing this in late February probably doesn’t bode well…does it?

January 2025 saw the end of my Caldecott reading year, and as I am not yet committed to another reading thing for 2025, I decided to treat myself to some generalized book goals and resolutions.

These were inspired by my goal to stay at least free of book commitment til June, and to challenge myself a little bit and explore the interests I have while also meeting myself where I am…which is busy busy busy.

Goal 1: Read the Collected Stories of John Cheever

Is this inspired by last year’s goal to read the Collected Stories of Flannery O’Connor that was kind of dreadful? Yes. Is John Cheever a less racist writer than Flannery O’Connor? I hope so! My hope is that these stories are easier for me to get through and that I don’t end up finishing these on the very last day of the year…

Goal 2: Read books within 3 months of purchasing them

Since I’m not on a committee this year, and since I in theory have a lot more reading time for ME, I am allowing myself to purchase several books I’m really looking forward to reading this year. This includes the new Hunger Games book, the new RF Kuang, a couple graphic novels, etc. My rule, self-imposed, is that i must read a book within 3 months of purchasing it (aka: it’s release date, for most pre-orders). So far I think I’ve only bought one single book this year, and that was a Book of the Month club book in January, and I read it that same month! Let’s see if I’m able to keep up with this in the fall when a bunch of books come out back to back to back…

Gaol 3: Reread & annotate Little Women

I love Little Women. I study Little Women. I research Alcott, and I could probbaly recite my favorite passages verbatim, but when was the last time I read it in its entirety? I couldn’t tell you. I think this goal will be a fall task—a nice cozy curl up with a blanket and a cup of tea task, to re-read in its entirety, annotate as I go, and have a new favorite copy of the book.

Goal 4: Read Donna Tartt’s ‘Little Friend’

The Secret History is one of my favorite books of all time. I really really enjoyed The Goldfinch. I suspect that Donna Tartt is waiting to release her 4th novel until I have read her complete body of work, including the copy of Little Friend that I have owned for years. My goal is to uh…read it, this year. Unfortunately, as I write this, I just DNF’d the book because I wasn’t really in the mood to read it…so this goal is maybe on the brink of failure already Whoops. Let’s see how I feel about it in the summer.

What are your reading goals for 2025?