Welcome to my first Top 5 Tuesday of 2025. I have already posted my goals for 2025 but I have other little resolutions for my reading this year that are good for this topic.
If it isn’t fun it gets the big DNF. I’m really bad at pushing through a book that I’m not enjoying so this year I am making an effort to just give up the bad book.
Don’t get overwhelmed. Last year I tried to complete too many goals and I found myself reading too many books at once which meant I took forever to just finish one book and it just stressed me out. This year I will have a daily buddy read and my main book and no more.
Stop hoarding books I don’t even like. I am a terrible book hoarder and I’m quite proud of this fact but I do tend to keep books that I didn’t enjoy reading. I think I’m trying to give the books a second chance and that I will read them again and like them. This year I’m going to go through the books and get rid of the books I didn’t enjoy.
Keep my bookstagram up to date. I am really good with my blogging but terrible with my bookstagram which I want to change. I love engaging with fellow bookstagrammers so I really need to make more of an effort.
Read as much Tolkien as possible. Tolkien is my favourite author but I haven’t read any of his books for ages so I plan to remedy this.
I have been doing quite a bit of thought regarding my Bookish Goals for 2025. My 2024 goals did not go exactly to plan. I had to lower my book goal, I didn’t finish the Shardlake series, I didn’t manage to read my planned 24 books of 2024. However, I did keep up with my book reviews and I did make progress with The Wheel of Time series so it wasn’t all bad.
Do more buddy reads (if you are interested please drop me a message)
Try to finish at least one series I have started.
Explore different genres.
I managed 45 books in 2024 but a lot of those books were huge. In fact 2024 was the year of big books so I’m planning some shorter reads for 2025.
I haven’t really done much on my Classics Club Challenge recently and I am missing my classics. I really want to read more classics this year as my deadline is 2027.
As my challenge to keep up with book reviews kept me well on track last year I am hoping to do the same this year. I have also been planning my blogging content more which has been a big help in pushing me to do my book reviews. I just need to be as organised for my Bookstagram!
This year I want to do more buddy reads. I have already started my first buddy read this year with my best friend and I am really enjoying it. Each day we read a chapter and then chat about it and it is lovely.
I currently have the Wheel of Time series, The Expanse series and the Shardlake series to finish! I am determined that this year I will finish one of these series. I really don’t want to start another series whilst I still have these series sat making me feel guilty.
I also hope to read some different genres this year. I have certain genres that I tend to avoid and other genres I cling to like a security blanket. This year I want to try some of the genres I avoid. I’ve already started by reading a ghost story and I’m currently reading a biography, neither of which I would usually touch but both that I’m thoroughly enjoying so far.
So there are my goals for 2025. I really hope I do better than I did in 2024. Good luck with your bookish goals!
Since the start of September I’ve been having a think about my Bookish Goals for 2024 and I’ve realised that some of my goals need to change because life is just too busy at the moment.
So here are the goals and what is happening with them…
Read 50 Books
Reading 50 books is never going to happen and I’m now so far behind I know it needs to change. With this in mind I have lowered my target to 40 books. I’m really hoping I manage to read 40 books and if I manage to read more I will be over the moon.
Read 24 Books in 2024
I have now read 10 books off my list but again it is doubtful whether I finish all 24 books before the end of the year. Especially as quite a few of the books on the list are huge. However, I’ve decided to not change my target by reducing the list but to just try and tick off as many of the books as I can. Whatever the final number is will be good because it means I have significantly reduced my TBR pile.
Finish the Shardlake series
Nope, never going to happen! I haven’t even read one of the Shardlake books this year so I haven’t got a hope in finishing the series. I’ve decided to just scrap this challenge and not worry about it. Hopefully, I will read the next book in the series this year but if not I’m not worried.
Read at least one chapter from The Wheel of Time series a day
This challenge is now out of the window but I am still reading The Wheel of Time series. Instead of pressuring myself to read a chapter a day I am reading this series last thing at night and I just go with whatever I manage to read each night. Some nights I read loads, some nights I manage 2 pages which I have to reread the next day because I was so tired I fell asleep whilst reading and dreamt some random rubbish.
Keep going with my Maigret, Agatha Christie and Classics Club challenges.
These challenges are meant to be ticking along in the background this year but instead of ticking they have just stopped. I have the next books planned for these challenges so hopefully I will get around to reading at least one book from each challenge before the end of the year.
Keep up to date with my book reviews
Finally, a challenge I am managing! This year is the first year I am on top of my book reviews and not so far behind that by the end of the year I leave loads of books with no reviews as I just can’t stand looking at them any longer. I’m now in a good routine with my reviews so I am hoping I can complete this challenge this year and for the future.
Overall, I’m quite disappointed with my goal progress this year but I also realise that this year is not an ordinary year. Since the beginning of June the house has been covered in scaffolding and the work that has been going on has not been conducive to reading. We’ve also been busy working on the garden and on the inside of the house so there has been less time for reading.
I really hope all my fellow Book Dragons are having better luck with their reading goals this year but if not remember it is the joy of reading that matters the most.
As we are now half way through the year I thought it was time for a check in on my Bookish Goals for 2024.
What were my goals…
Read 50 books
Read 24 books that I own in 2024 (official list will be published soon)
Finish the Shardlake series by C. J Sansom
Read at least one chapter from The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan a day. I started The Shadow Rising yesterday and have read just over 2 chapters so far.
Keep going with my Maigret, Agatha Christie and Classics Club challenges.
Keep up to date with my book reviews.
Read 50 books
I really lowered my target for this year because I planned on reading some very big books. However, this target is not going very well because so far I have only managed to read 19 books of that target. I’m really hoping to catch up during the summer holidays but I am worried I might have fallen too far behind.
24 Books in 2024
Technically I should have read half of the list by now but yet again I am behind! Here are the books I have read off the list so far.
The Midnight Folk by John Masefield
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan
A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women by Emma Southon
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Finish the Shardlake series
Well this isn’t going to plan because I haven’t picked up a Shardlake book all year! Hopefully I will manage to read the next book in the series but I doubt I will finish it this year.
Wheel of Time
My original plan for this challenge was one Wheel of Time chapter a day but I have slightly adapted it. Basically I am now reading the Wheel of Time books at night. This means sometimes I manage a few pages and sometimes I manage several chapters. I’m making steady progress with the books which I’m happy about.
Maigret, Agatha Christie and Classics Club Challenges
These challenges are sadly not progressing at the moment. I really hope to get moving on them soon though and have several books lined up for my summer reading.
Book Reviews
So far I am up to date on my book reviews which is big progress because every year I am usually way behind.
Overall, my challenges are not going well but I am really hoping I will manage to pull them back soon.
I hope everyone has made better progress with their challenges than I have so far this year.
It has taken me quite a while but I think I have finally decided what my bookish goals are for 2024. I started thinking about this in December and I have changed my mind quite a bit but I think I have finally settled.
Goals for 2024
Read 50 books
Read 24 books that I own in 2024 (official list will be published soon)
Finish the Shardlake series by C. J Sansom
Read at least one chapter from The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan a day. I started The Shadow Rising yesterday and have read just over 2 chapters so far.
Keep going with my Maigret, Agatha Christie and Classics Club challenges.
Keep up to date with my book reviews.
Reading 50 books is my lowest ever Goodreads Challenge but this year is going to have some massive books in it so I thought I would go for a lower challenge. If I get to 50 before the end of the year I will increase my challenge but 2023 I had to lower my challenge and I don’t want to do that again.
I really want to make a dent in my TBR pile this year. I own so many books and it is time I read them rather than just adding to them and ignoring them. I have chosen 24 books off my shelves and these I plan on definitely reading this year. I also plan on getting rid of more books this year. Any books I rate at two dragons or below are leaving the house and never returning!
My husband has finished the Shardlake series but I have only read 3 of the books so I thought this year I would actually finish a series. I’m not great at finishing book series so this will be a challenge.
My Agatha Christie challenge got rather ignored in 2023 so I need to get back into that. Maigret and Classics Club challenges have just been chugging along nicely.
Book Reviews! I am always behind with my book reviews. In fact I have about 10 I still need to do for 2023. For 2024 I plan on writing my reviews as soon as I finish the book. Hopefully, I will manage this but it might take me more discipline than I will have, especially when I’m back at work and tired.
So there are my goals. What are your goals for 2024 or are you free styling it this year?
Last year I was quite relaxed with my bookish goals and to be honest because of this I ignored them. This year I have decided to get back to my usual challenges.
In 2021 I attempted to read my height in books and sadly I failed. For 2023 I have decided to try the challenge again and I really hope this time I will complete it.
I had no idea what to set for this years Goodreads Challenge so I let my fellow Bookstagrammers decide for me and they chose 80 books. 80 books! I have never read anymore than 74 books in a year but I am hopeful I will manage this challenge. It might mean I read some smaller books this year.
I also want to read more classics this year as I miss my Ancient Greek and Rome literature. I am thinking I might read a lot of Greek plays but I will see what I come up with.
Lady Book Dragon 