My reading trends and goals
Those cool end-of-year posts
In December, my social media was flooded with Spotify Wrapped summaries showcasing top tunes , Top 10 pictures and posts from Instagram, and Year in Review videos. And I am here for ALL of it! I love discovering new artists and podcasts, remembering back to milestones folks have shared, and getting glimpses into key moments and memories of people I care about.
One particular type of summarizing list always catches my eye and makes me look closely: reading lists! I’m always scanning to see what’s trending, what book covers are appearing frequently across friends, and maybe even a new reading adventure to add to my list.
Recent reading trends
Admittedly, I had been out of the habit of reading for enjoyment. Past jobs have included a significant amount of academic reading, which wore me out, so the last thing I wanted to do in my free time was look at pages of words. However, in this new chapter of life, I have the cognitive space to kick reading up a notch! Last year, I endeavored to read a book a month, which for voracious readers is quite light. But I exceeded that goal, with a total of 15 books across 4,317 pages!
I used a free reading tracker called Story Graph because I absolutely loved 1) how it aggregated information about my reading habits, 2) presented them graphically, and 3) used my past reading data to suggest other books I might like.
Here were some takeaways from my Story Graph wrap up for 2024:
I like to keep things light. I want to learn, be entertained, reflect, and enjoy. There is too much heaviness and sadness in real life for me to embrace the dark right now. This could change, but for now, light it is!
I read the most during winter (when I really want to hibernate) and summer (when we travel and schedules are more lax).
Y’all this tracks for me - mostly non-fiction for the purpose of learning and growth, but I’m trying to change that in 2025 and include a lot more novels and works of fiction.
And here are the bright, cheery covers that draw you in. Let me know if any appeal to you and I’ll tell you more about them!
Future reading goals for 2025
I wanted to take a thoughtful approach to reading for 2025, using past data to inform me. Here’s the plan I came up with:
Set clear, achievable goals
My new goal is 24 books - or 2 books a month across formats (paper, audio, or ebook).
Create a reading plan.
This involves breaking my yearly goal into monthly goals (2 books/month), reducing social media and reality TV consumption, and continuing to track on Story Graph.
Curate a reading list.
I’m going back through friends’ recommendations and frequently appearing book covers in those end-of-year posts. Instead of just tracking past reads, I’ll build a ready-to-grab reading list on there as well. This seems much more efficient than looking through my phone’s photo app for screenshots of books. :) I also endeavor to read more fiction - or at least a greater proportion of works of fiction - and explore the work of more diverse authors so I can learn, develop new lenses, and stretch empathy muscles. Looking at recommendations on Story Graph will be helpful for this!
Make reading a habit.
In addition to replacing other activities with reading, I want to carry reading material with me, and if I find I’m slacking, I’ll use timers to add in and monitor 20 minute chunks of time to build the habit.
Track and celebrate achievements.
I’ll keep tracking in Story Graph and sharing my progress on my socials!
Onward together!
We’re less than a month into 2025 and I’m working on book #4! Almost all fiction! Whoop whoop!
I also want to support public libraries by patronizing them as much as possible (and joining a local Friends of the Library group to learn how I can advocate for these staples in our communities). When I buy, I want to support small businesses instead of Bezos, even if it means another dollar and another day waiting for the mail.
I’d love to know more about your goals - reading (if you set reading goals, track your progress, have a favorite genre or tone, preferred format, etc.) or otherwise!
Whatever your goal, know that I am cheering you on and would love to hear about your progress, and if need be, support you in accomplishing them. Book a free 15 minute consultation and let’s discuss what is on your mind.
