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
Nice! Thanks. 🙂
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!
Ooh I remember seeing that bookish brags one around. I’ll have to check out your list for it though. They’re both really interesting ideas.
I’m sorry that you suffer with them too. I don’t think a lot of people realise how intense and debilitating they can be.
J actually have my eye on a 2025 title that I’m hoping will get me started on the genre.
Thank you. Yeah, they’re awful.
My bookish brags post is here: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-bookish-brags/
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!
Your handwriting goal made me laugh! I used to have fairly decent handwriting, way back when, and liked writing in cursive. Now, it’s all pure chicken-scratch. I can make out what I write, but no one else can. I blame technology! I’d like to attend more bookish events as well. I used to get out to book signings and author appearances a few times a year before the pandemic, but haven’t done much of this since. Wishing us both better luck with this in the new year!
Heh, thanks. Yeah, technology has really reduced how often one needs to write!
Fingers crossed you’ll get out to some great bookish events this year.
Congrats on the goals you accomplished last year, and good luck on your goals for this year!
Thank you. 🙂
I am a light reader. I read to escape reality and not remind me of it so I think I understand what you’re saying in your first goal.
I love your idea for meeting other bookworms.
It would be great for a book to be made so well into a movie that you’re surprised by it.
Thanks. 🙂
This one was me too:
“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.”
I just couldn’t take it and don’t know if I still can this year.
I’d also love more books about people dealing with invisible illnesses like me. I read one one time but I couldn’t find the name of it and it looks like it is out of print, even though it was not a very old book. If I remember the name of it, I’ll let you know.
Reading more history is an interest to me too, but some of it just makes me so sad. And bookish friends? yes please!!
Yay! I’m glad you get it. Please do let me know if you remember the title of that book!
Best of luck with your goals! I would like to read more history books, too.
Thank you. 🙂
Good luck with these goals! Re: indie bookshops, I’ve managed to give a lot more money to indies since Bookshop.org opened in the UK — before that, the temptation was sooo strong to just go with whatever’s most convenient, y’know? Having one convenient option to turn to has really helped.
Oh, for sure! That site sounds awesome.
You have such great goals!
I definitely want to read more nonfiction this year and history is definitely on my list as well. There are so many things from history that I am interested in.
I need more bookish friends too. There are a few that I have buddy reads with now and again in different groups that I am in but I don’t really have any that I talk to on a regular basis. A bookish OKCupid would be amazing!
I would also like to read more books about people with invisible illnesses that don’t focus on the illness. I am one of those people with invisible illnesses so I love that representation in my reading.
Good luck with all your goals this year!
Thank you. I’ve followed your blog.
If I find more books about people with invisible illnesses, I’ll let you know!
I love your goals! I hope you get to do all of these. Finding new teas will be fun. You’ll have to let us know if you find any nice ones.
Thank you and will do!
I want to go to more Indie Bookstores this year as well.
Nice!
Lydia, this is an interesting list and I hope you accomplish your goals. I have been reading more humorous books in the last few years, plus more feel good books. I am sticking with less darkness in books for a while.
Thanks for coming by my blog and checking out my list.
TracyK at Bitter Tea and Mystery
You’re welcome, TracyK.
I hope you find a lot of great feel good books this year.
I feel like I’m seeing a lot more books being published lately that feature characters with chronic and/or “invisible” illness. I have Type 1 diabetes and it seems like the disease was only mentioned occasionally in books and only in regards to elderly people. Now, I’m seeing it featured much more and in younger characters. I love that kind of rep. It helps teach people about different diseases and issues that they/we might not otherwise know about. It also definitely helps me feel more empathy for people I know who have those conditions.
Good luck with all your goals and Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Oh, good to know! If you blog about any of them, I’ll look them up. 🙂
I don’t read enough humorous books, but you are right, they can be so much fun. I hope you are able to achieve all these!
Thank you. 🙂
i want to visit more indie book stores and attend bookish events as well..
Fingers crossed for you that you’ll be able to!
Lydia, this is such a great list, I can understand why you recycle some of these. I have more than a few of them on my own list this week, and others have me thinking of adding more to my own personal list. Reading more nonfiction is always a personal aim for me, and there are so many fascinating aspects to history. Plus the different time periods all throughout history makes it a subject that never gets old, pun intended! haha
I really love that you included the desire to read more books featuring an invisible illness. So many times, it’s easy to forget that there are so many systems in the body and that not every illness is visible. I learned when I started having symptoms of an invisible illness, and started reading more about it. Reading these type of books gives me a new perspective on my own illness, and has changed how I interact with providers, even if the diagnosis in the book is completely different than my own.
Your comment got caught in my spam filter, so apologies for the late reply!
If you find any good books about invisible illnesses, I’d love to hear about them. I’ll return the favour if you wish as well. 🙂
So sorry you also have to deal with this.
I really love visiting independent bookstores! They usually have such personality. I also love our goal of reading characters that have invisible illness, where that is not the main focus. I think that is so important!
Thank you very much!
These are all great goals! My handwriting has gotten worse over the years too. I think it’s because I spend more time typing nowadays rather than actually writing by hand. Your number 8 goal is something I tried to do this past year, especially when I was feeling at my worst. Those humorous reads can make all the difference. Good luck with your goals, Lydia!
Thank you. I appreciate that. 🙂
And, yeah, typing is faster, but it does lead to worse handwriting if that’s all you do.
Here are some suggested titles, mostly romances, featuring characters with invisible disabilities:
Get A Life Chloe Brown and Act Your Age Eve Brown, both by Talia Hibbert
The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test, both by Helen Hoang
The Lady And The Tiger and The Twelve Points Of Caleb Canto, both by Sam Starbuck
Check Please! by Ngozi Ukazu
Awesome! Thank you so much. I’m checking my local library for them now.
Congrats on the goals you achieved — definitely things that enhance both reading and regular life — and good luck on the coming ones.
I will join you in hoping for #10…I Believe!
Thank you. Fingers crossed.
I think to DNF a book if you’re not happy with it or it reminds you of bad things happening in your life or it makes you uncomfortable is a skill and a preservation of mental health. Reading is supposed to be fun.
If there’s ever an OkCupid for book lovers, I’d like to sign up, too.
Good luck to your 2025 goals! 🍀
Thank you very much. And, yes, reading is supposed to be fun for sure.
Ooooh, so many great goals! My handwriting is terrible, too. I had planned on starting a daily journal to maybe help with it, but it hasn’t happened yet. Ha! 2024 was rough for me, too. Fingers crossed 2025 will be better for both of us!
Thank you. I’m cheering you on!