Top 10 Bookish Goals for 2025 | TTT

Posted on by Lauren

Hello, everyone! Since I didn’t say this in my last post: happy new year! I hope you had a lovely 2024 and that you’re going into 2025 starting on a good foot. Last year was quite busy for me, and it was the first time I’ve made a point to set goals. While I didn’t achieve all of the bookish goals I set out for last year, I did alright on a few.

Since then, I’ve been a little hesitant about goal-setting this year because I burned myself out by taking on too much early in 2024 (I had several other lists that I didn’t feature on this blog). Despite that, I think it was good to set the goals, and I’m going to make a point to do it again this year. What’s your take on goal-setting, specifically bookish in nature?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Reading Goals

1. Read 35 books.

I know this is a pretty low goal for a lot of other readers I see online, but given my last few reading years, I think it’s enough to be attainable but still a challenge for me.

2. Listen to more audiobooks.

This was something I already started doing in 2024 and am really hoping to continue into the new year. I’ve written off audiobooks for a long time because of attention (and internet) issues but upon giving it a try, it’s a format I’d like to utilize more.

3. Read more adult high fantasy.

While I’ve always been a fantasy reader, I’ve read more YA high fantasy and generally more low fantasy/magical realism adult stories (think The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue or Piranesi). I’ve always looked at Brandon Sanderson, George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and even J.R.R. Tolkien a little doubtfully because of length, worlds and characters to keep track of, etc. However, I’m really feeling ready to explore that more!

4. Look at my local library’s new releases shelf less.

I love keeping an eye on new releases and organically finding books I haven’t heard about online but with shorter loaning periods and the fact that they aren’t on my physical TBR, it’s something I want to focus on less.

5. Get a handle on my physical TBR.

This is a perpetual goal, and I have no real expectations of ever “completing” my physical TBR but I want to get nearer if I can. There are so many excellent books on my shelves waiting to be read, and they’re completely neglected because I know they’ll always be there. I might make a bigger project of it this year, maybe making a series of update posts and things — we’ll see!

6. Try to buy fewer books.

A book-buying ban is a teensy bit laughable for me but there have been times I’ve stuck by one more. Since I’ve been working in bookselling this past year, I come across a lot of interesting books while sourcing, and I need to better balance what I end up adding to my shelves. This next year is hopefully going to be about moderation and maintenance.

Bookish Community Goals

7. Put out a blog post at least once a week.

I started 2024 putting out posts every Tuesday and Thursday which I really enjoyed doing but wasn’t able to keep up with after a few months. Setting a smaller goal will hopefully keep things going consistently and make anything extra feel particularly rewarding.

8. Post on bookstagram at least three times a week.

Ramping up and maintaining a bookstagram account was another 2024 goal that started out stronger and sort of waned. I’ve had a harder time consuming content on there as opposed to the blogsphere as I find it difficult to come across others with similar reading tastes. That being said, I think if I continue to be active on there, I’ll have an easier time finding accounts more in line with my preferences.

Writing Goals

9. Finish at least one polished draft of a novel.

I’ve worked on and off on several writing projects over the years but have yet to have a draft polished enough for me to feel comfortable saying I’ve completed a manuscript, even in its earliest stage (I’ve “finished” a story before but it needed so much overhauling that I barely considered it a zero draft). Like a possible TBR project, I might end up talking more about writing on here too.

10. Don’t start a new novel until I’ve completed the above goal.

Starting a new project in any regard always sounds more glamorous than maintaining or finishing something already started but since I’m hoping for a better managed year, it’s something I want to put off, at least for a little while.

There are more goals than I’ve listed that I’d like to maintain but I’m going to keep my list to the ten I have since I know if I list more, the likelihood of me keeping up with the list shrinks. It’s gotta be all about balance for me this year or I’ll lose my few remaining marbles!

Do you set reading goals? If so, do you focus on numbers or something more abstract? What are some on your list? Do we share any? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

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Published by Lauren

Hi! I’m Lauren (she/her, 22), and I like to read and write; I’m still trying to figure out the rest.

18 thoughts on “Top 10 Bookish Goals for 2025 | TTT”

  2. These are great goals. I think 35 is a perfectly respectable goal! We don’t all have the same availability to read or enjoyment in it or read at the same pace. My partner reads 2-3 books per year, and that’s a pace that works for him. I hope you have a great year!

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    1. Thank you for saying that! It’s so easy to compare goals and achievements to others’ but, ultimately, reading should be for your own personal enjoyment first (and it’s always refreshing to get encouragement in that direction). Wishing you a great 2025 as well!

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    1. Thanks! I tend to think of “high fantasy” as very epic with largescale secondary worlds/cultures/creatures/conflicts/etc. so, though it’s still on my TBR, I think Wicked could count. I believe literary fantasy is generally character-focused but I think a book could hypothetically be both. It’s funny, genres are supposed to help give a better idea of certain stories but can make it a lot trickier to understand sometimes! Whatever the case, I’m all for any kind of fantasy. 🙂 How did you like the book, by the way? Happy reading!

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    1. It’s such a great format, I can’t believe I overlooked it for so long. That’s a good point about making tedious tasks less so — that’s even more incentive to utilize them more. 🙂 Thanks and good luck with your goals also!

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  8. For adult large scale fantasy, you might try the Sharing Knife series by Lois McMaster Bujold (first title is Beguilement); the trilogy by Patricia McKillip that starts with The Riddlemaster of Hed; the Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin (first title is The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms); The Dreamblood duology by N.K. Jemisin (first title is The Killing Moon); or The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu.

    I have one specific goal this year: read Emma by Jane Austen. Last year I successfully completed the Pick Your Poison reading challenge, so I’m taking it easy for goals this year. Good luck on your goals!

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    1. Thank you so much for all of the recommendations — I really appreciate it! I’ve actually not heard of most of the books you mentioned which I think makes the recommendations all the better. 🙂 Definitely will be adding them to my list.

      I hope you can achieve your goal and that you end up loving it! I started reading Emma a few years back but unfortunately didn’t get around to finishing it (though I would definitely like to at some point). Happy reading!

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