Happy New Year! We are sinking back into (and enjoying) our routines this week after traveling over the holidays. This means lots of time for audiobooks while unpacking and doing laundry for me. This week I’m sharing my 2024 reading recap, my top 5 favorite reads of the year, and my plans for reading in 2025. The best way for me to think about my reading life is in the form of “stop, start, continue.” So, I’m answering these questions:
- What do I want to stop doing this year?
- What would I like to start?
- What went well last year and I’d like to continue doing? (spoiler alert: I did quite a bit in 2024 that I plan to continue!)
For planners who are interested: last year I found “the notebook that changed my life.” My only complaint is that it starts at 7am. I wish the weekly pages went from 5am-9pm (sometimes I have really early work meetings.) I LOVE the 15-minute appointment time blocks and the notes space each week – it’s where I write down my weekly to-do list and goals I want to accomplish.
My 2024 Reading Recap
This year was an overall great reading year for me – both in the form of quantity and quality. I also broadened the influences on my reading life by joining two book clubs – one is virtual and the other is in-person. I read several books that I would not have picked up otherwise! You can see that I had some favorite authors this year: Cait Flanders, Annabel Monaghan, Emily Henry, Kate Baer, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Ashley Poston, and Jenny Han. I read more light-hearted books this year than any year prior. An author chat with Katherine Center taught me that this is called “positively valenced anticipation.” In other words, it’s ok to know they fall in love in the end!
Top 5 Favorite Reads of 2024
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett – read my review here.
Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann – a modern-day family saga that takes place in small-town Texas. Pay close attention to the mythology allusions!
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister – read more about why I loved it here and here.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston – It checks all my boxes: time travel, best friends, career cross-roads, grief, self-discovery, and some very subtle T-Swift references that only Level 13 super fans will notice. Highly recommend!
Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan – 5/5 stars, no notes!
Stop
Last year, I made a concerted effort to invest more time in my reading life, so I don’t have much to “stop” at this point. However, I do have a habit of delaying difficult-to-me or longer-than-400-page books. Some examples are Cloud Cuckoo Land, Demon Copperhead, and The Circle. I own these books. They are on my nightstand. I promise I want to read them! I know that once I get 50 pages in, I will be fine, but that first 50 pages is always the biggest barrier for me. Some ideas to get through these might be: a buddy read, following a reading schedule, taking notes while I read, reading in the morning instead of before bed, listening to a podcast featuring the author (without spoilers!), or looking for a virtual book group that is reading the book. I’ll let you know when I am reading one of these books!
Start
- 25 in 2025. 25 minutes of closely reading a physical book 2-5 times per week. I’ve written previously how annotating a book helps me understand and retain information better.
- Reviews. Write substantive book summaries and reviews for books I loved. Right now, my book reviews are often “5 stars – loved the vibes!”
- Community. More involvement in the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club and other literary communities in the Bay Area. I’m so glad books are back in a big way and I’d love to connect virtually and in-person with other readers!
Continue
- Morning pages. This year I started reading non-fiction in the morning and I’m finding I like it more than reading it before bed.
- Tandem reading. I really enjoy reading a book and listening to the audio at the same time (I usually own either the audio/physical/e-book and then borrow the other version from the library). This is especially helpful when the book requires world-building or figuring out exactly how to pronounce names and places.
- Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club monthly selection. I joined MMD this year and enjoyed the monthly book selections and the author chats.
- Rakestraw monthly book group. Rakestraw has so many book groups to choose from! I joined one this year and look forward to our discussions each month.
- 5 on a Friday weekly post. The weekly cadence works so well for my busy life. I may continue to have some stand-alone posts, but I love to plan this weekly content!
That’s it for this week, I hope you have some fun reading goals for 2025!
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