2025....Six books I'm carrying over, 12 simple reading prompts & goals/ intentions

Plus my word of the year & a buffet of 2025 lists

Hello!

Happy New Year’s Eve! 🎉🥳 Do you have any plans for celebrating this last day of the year? I’m planning a long walk when it stops raining and reading wise will (hopefully) finish my last audiobook of 2024, Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten on that walk. I’ll share my full thoughts on it once I’m finished, but for now I’ll say I’m loving it. And I’m not someone who’s ever followed her work- I’ve never watched her show or read any of her books - but I’m thoroughly enjoying listening to her story. Her entrepreneurship and work ethic is truly inspiring. This quote stopped me in my tracks because collaboration is something I intend to embrace more in 2025….

I’m a big believer in collaboration and playing nicely with others. I think it makes everyone better because we can learn from each other. Business doesn’t have to be cutthroat and isolating. (AMEN INA!) It’s much more fun and productive to exchange ideas, to be genuinely curious about how other people do things, to be generous and root for competitor’s success

So good!

As for the books I wanted to read in 2024 but didn’t get to, I’ve zeroed in on 6 that I’m carrying over to read in 2025 - do we have any in common?

1. Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster On the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham Bookshop.org

2. Margot’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe Bookshop.org

3. Blue Light Hours by Bruna Dantas Loboto Bookshop.org

4. The Last King of California by Jordan Harper Bookshop.org

5. Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch Bookshop.org

6. The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown Bookshop.org

I’m not one to make a lot of reading goals for myself, but I do have a few intentions I plan on using as guideposts for my reading in 2025. I mentioned a few reading general reading goals in my Best Books of the Year episode with Katie, so in case you missed that I’ll highlight them here, along with a few intentions…

2025 Reading Goals & Intentions

• Significantly increase the number of debuts and nonfiction I read

• Focus less on buzzy new releases and more on under the radar new releases

• Pay attention to the publishers/imprints who have brought me the most success - for example, Knopf and Riverhead were two of my most successful imprints in 2024

• Keep a close eye on small and independent presses

• Continue to dnf (not finish) books without hesitation

• Spend less time reading other people’s content online and/or scrolling social media and more time creating my own content and reading books - this is my intention which goes with my goal of reading more books in 2025

• Reach out to people I admire for possible collaborations- the worst that could happen is they say no. This goes hand in hand with my intention to share more people’s content in 2025- I often read or listen to someone’s work and think it’s fantastic, but don’t share it or reach out to tell them I loved it. I want to do both in 2025!

• Create and embark on my own reading project in the new year- I’ve already decided what this will be, stay tuned for an upcoming post with the details.

• Have guests join me here on Substack for more audio conversations about books & more

• Read at least 10 print books off my own print tbr shelf at home

My 2025 Word of the Year

- Experiment! In 2024, I had two words of the year - radical simplification- and I would say in many ways I did radically simplify my life this past year. When I was thinking about a word to guide me in my reading, work, and life in 2025, experiment was one that jumped into my mind, seemingly out of nowhere. I say that because at heart I’m not someone who likes to experiment; rather, I like to plan, analyze, overanalyze, and often stay in my comfort zone.

When experiment popped into my head I knew immediately that it was my word of the year- it felt right. In fact, it felt energetic. I have many things I’d like to do, accomplish, and try in the new year and experimenting is one way I’m excited to explore different content, work flows, approaches to collaboration, engaging with my reading, and more

12 Simple Reading Prompts For Our 2025 Reading Year

I plan on using these as ways to incorporate more themed structure in my reading. Feel free to use these as prompts for your own reading this year, I’ll make sure to check in with you about them in upcoming Friday Thread posts

1. Read a Debut Novel

2. Read a Pulitzer Prize Winner

3. Read a book published more than 20 years ago

4. Read a book in translation

5. Read a nonfiction book

6. Read a book by an author whose race or ethnicity is different than yours

7. Read a book inspired by real events

8. Read a book published by a small or independent publisher

9. Read a buzzy new release

10. Read a book you’ve always wondered about

11. Read a book from your own shelf

12. Read a book set in a country you would love to visit

*** I’ll add these prompts to the navigation bar at the top of my homepage so you can easily find them if you need them

Some Fun 2025 Lists

• The most anticipated movies of 2025 (Hollywood Reporter)

• Take This Quiz To Find Out Which Book You Should Be Adding To Your 2025 Reading List (Buzzfeed)

• What are the most popular New Year’s resolutions for 2025? (WWLP.com)

• Most anticipated 2025 new releases (USA Today)

• The 25 most anticipated books of 2025 (Oprah Daily)

• 23 interior design trends you’ll see everywhere in 2025 (Good Housekeeping)

• 5 AI trends to expect in 2025 (Forbes)

• Most anticipated nonfiction of 2025 (Barnes and Noble)

• 32 of the very best planners for 2025 (NY Mag)

• 2025 Tv Streaming Preview (Mashable)

I hope you’ve enjoyed this hodgepodge of a newsletter to round out 2024:) Be sure to take a minute to comment and share what book you’re reading to finish out 2024, what’s your word of the year (if you have one), what are your reading goals/intentions?

Coming this week for paid subscribers…. my ultra curated Listed post of 80- yes you read that right, eight zero! - January new releases that sound fantastic. Buckle up for what looks to be a huge publishing month! I’ve spent hours researching January 2025 titles, and adding links and cover photos for each book, so get your tbr’s, bookstore orders, and/or library holds ready because you’re bound to see many books that catch your eye:)

Have a wonderful New Year’s Eve, see you next year🎉