Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
Before I get into the meat of this post, let’s highlight the bookish goals I accomplished for 2024:
- Visit coffee shops more often.
- Submit a Top Ten Tuesday theme to Jana that she ends up using (which was a thrill!)
- Read more novellas and short stories
- Spend less time on social media
- Meet more bookish people
Accomplishing five out of my ten goals for 2024 is pretty good, especially considering the rough spots this past year had in store for me that I had no idea were coming when I wrote that post.
Here are my goals for 2025. Yes, I’m recycling some of the ones from last year. Might as well keep plugging away at them.
1. Finish more books
I had so many DNFs this past year. It was sometimes hard to concentrate due to the non-bookish aspects of my life that needed extra attention. I also became much less likely to want to read stories that were unhappy or that reminded me of the various things going on in my life that were hard.
2. Read more history
I believe I only finished a handful of nonfiction books in this category last year. It was better than 2023, but so many of the ones I tried to read ended up being too heavy for me.
3. Patronize independent bookstores
This was a total failure in 2024. Maybe I’ll have the time and energy for it in 2025?
4. Try some new caffeine-free teas
I would have loved to do this one last year, but other stuff got in the way. I hope I will try some great new teas in 2025, though.
5. Make more bookish friends
We need a platonic version of OkCupid for bookish people!
6. Attend bookish events (semi?) regularly
This could also help with #5. Maybe I’ll find a covid-safe poetry reading or a book club or something to join.
7. Read more books about people with invisible illnesses that don’t make the illness the main storyline.
If they also have migraines or other pain or neurological disorders, that would be awesome. But other sorts of illnesses would be interesting, too. Basically, I would love to read more stories about characters who outwardly “look” healthy but who are still dealing with an illness or disability of some sort.
Suggestions are warmly welcomed if anyone has any!
8. Read or listen to more humorous titles.
There’s nothing like laughing until you cry over a ridiculously funny scene.
9. Improve my handwriting
Is that bookish enough for Top Ten Tuesday? I have never had pretty handwriting, but it has gotten worse over the years. Time to buy one of those handwriting books and try to make my writing more legible again. Ha!
10. Be pleasantly surprised by one book that’s finally being made into a film or TV show
Okay, so this isn’t something I can personally make happen…but I would love to be surprised by it regardless.
Great list! I love #10. I find that I generally like remakes of classics, as long as they follow the storyline pretty closely.
Here is my TTT: https://thissideofstoryland.blogspot.com/2025/01/top-ten-tuesday-bookish-goals-for-2025.html
Thank you. Yeah, remakes can be great if they remain true to the spirit of the original.
I think DNFing is great! There are so many great boks out there, why bother with some that don’t work for you?
Good luck with your goals. Here are mine: https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/01/14/my-top-ten-bookish-goals-for-2025/
Thank you. That’s a good point.
I love the idea of making more bookish friends. Almost all of my RL friends are bookish friends, and, trust me, that’s no easy task in Texas. lol
Wow, that’s amazing, Deb. Good for you.
I’m told Bumble has a friends-only mode, but it didn’t have many takers in my area. You may have more success!
I’ve heard of that. Maybe I should sign up!
I love the “patronize independent bookstores” goal. I don’t have any bookstores near me, I have to drive to get to anything, so it’s hard to visit them. But this is a goal I’d love to try too. Good luck!
Thank you. I’m rooting for you.
Spending less time on social media is a big one for me also! I can sit down and get sucked in when there are sooo many other things I’d rather be doing/need to do. The only thing I have left is Instagram and I really need more self-control when it comes to doom scrolling.
It’s so hard! I’m rooting for you.
I love the variety with your goals! I also want to make more bookish friends, whether IRL or on the blogosphere. We definitely need a matchup system or something for book people! 🤣 I hope you have an awesome time achieving these goals, Lydia!
Thank you very much. A matchup system would be great, but probably complicated to make.
If you find something that fulflls number 10, you’ll need to let us know!
I sure will. 🙂
I love your handwriting goal! I never think of adding something like this but mine is atrocious! In my mind I always feel like I could make it better if I worked at it, but never have. Still it could be fun, especially if I make it part of a creative project or just writing a review on paper rather than on a computer. 🙂 It was fun to see the goals you did accomplish in 2024, too! Good for you. Hope you have success with your goals and life in 2025. 🙂 Thanks for visiting my list!
I’m glad I’m not the only one there!
And you’re welcome, Rissi.
Those are nice goals. I hope you can complete them, I love handwriting goal, you could start a book journal, it’s fun and relaxing, and you can do it in coffee shops 🙂
Ooh, that could be fun!
OMG – yes to OkCupid but platonic and for bookish people. That would be excellent! I love your goal about reading more books with invisible illnesses in them. I am a migraine sufferer, and I hadn’t considered how validating it might be to see more stories where, as you said, people have invisible illnesses. Thank you for sharing your list!
Thank you. I’m sorry you also have migraines. We need more books about characters with them.
Which of your questions made it to Jana’s list?????
Also, I’m reading an excellent book on the history of cancer. Because you know me, I dive into whatever I’m living through wholeheartedly.😄 if it’s sounds like too much for you I understand, but if you want my recommendation, I’ll let you know.
These were the topics I suggested recently. I feel like there was one earlier in the year, too, but not sure anymore.
Bookish brags: https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/2024/10/top-ten-bookish-brags-confessions/
How My Reading Habits Have Changed Over Time: https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/2024/10/top-ten-ways-my-reading-habits-have-changed-over-time/
And yes, I’d love to know that title!
The emperor of all maladies
A biography of cancer
Hah! 😂 Number 10 really made me chuckle! It’s such a hard on to find!
Heh, for sure.
These are all great goals! A platonic version of OkCupid for bookish people would be so fun indeed. Good luck with all of these!
Thank you. 🙂
Awesome list of goals, Lydia! Glad you accomplished so many of last year’s goals. If you find a way to improve handwriting, I’m open to hearing more. Good luck with all your goals!
Thank you. I’ll let you know if I do!
These are great goals, Lydia! I tried a new caffeine free tea this past year and it was super yummy. It was Rishi Tea, I had the Lavender Mint, yum!
Ooh, that sounds good. Thanks for sharing.
Great goals! I wish there were more bookish events in my area, but that’s one of the downfalls of living in a small town. I hope you have a good rest of the week!
Thank you. Yeah, it can be hard for events like that to happen in small towns. I lived in small towns for years and know the struggle in that regard.
Well done on your goals from 2024! I’m really sorry you had a rough time though. I hope 2025 is kinder to you.
Thank you very much. Fingers crossed it will be.
I love the creativity of some of your goals & I hope you can get surprised by a bookish adaptation! I’d love to attend bookish events too but I never know when they are happening lol.
Good luck with all of your goals 🙂
Thank you! Yeah, I hear about a lot of bookish events after the fact, too.
These are great goals. I wish we had independent bookstores around here. Good luck with your goals.
Thank you. I wish you had independent bookstores in your area, too!
More bookish friends would be a dream!! I’m not sure how we don’t have an app for this yet?! lol I wish you luck with all of your goals, they are fantastic!
Thank you. I do continue to try to comment on your posts every week!
Good luck on your goals!
Thanks. 🙂
Well done with your 2024 goals, that’s wonderful that you met five of them. What was the TTT theme that ended up getting used?
Looking at your goals do you get migraines too? I also relate with that handwriting goal. I can write perfectly neatly, albeit in tiny font, unjoined but when I join it up not so much.
Good luck with all of your goals. I should really try the history and humorous one too as I never read non fiction (yet history was my favourite subjevt at school) and always struggle to think of funny books.
Thank you!
These are the themes that I submitted:
Bookish brags: https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/2024/10/top-ten-bookish-brags-confessions/
How My Reading Habits Have Changed Over Time: https://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/2024/10/top-ten-ways-my-reading-habits-have-changed-over-time/
And, yes, I get migraines. I’m sorry you understand what that’s like.
There is so much great nonfiction out there!
We so need a platform for bookish friends!
I also love reading historical non-fiction, really need to find some more of that myself.
If I hear of one, I’ll let everyone know!