A Year in Review & Reading Resolutions
What books I loved the most in 2024 and what book resolutions I'm making for 2025.
Each year since becoming a librarian (I’m on year 4!) I have tried to create better reading habits and be more intentional about what I’m reading, when. This is something I am learning as I balance the fun books I want to read for me with the books I should be reading professionally.
So I wanted to share what reading habits worked for me in 2024 and what my goals are for 2025. Plus a list of what my favorite reads of 2024 (both newly published and back listed) were!
What reading resolutions or habits do you want to cultivate in 2025? Share in the comments!
Reading Habits That Worked in 2024
Identifying books as daytime or evening reads. Before I go to bed I want to jump into a novel that has a strong plot and I can’t put down; this is not the time I want to focus on nonfiction or force myself to read a book I’m not into for work. This past summer I started a pile of books that I would read during the day, leaving my good novel for the evening. This helped me immensely in getting through some of the books that otherwise would have sat on my nightstand while I picked up my phone to scroll instead. Thinking about what types of books work best at what points of time really helped and I will continue this through 2025.
Putting down books I just didn’t like. Unless it was a necessary read for work, I finally forced myself to stop reading books I just wasn’t into. For some of us it’s hard to do!
Creating specific lists of books. This is more of a professional hazard, but I have books I should read for work or committees I’m on, books I have from NetGalley, and books I just want to read. I made myself a summer reading list and found that it helped me visualize a plan to get my needed reading done.
Just read, even when there’s other stuff to do. There is always stuff on the to-do list but when I need a break I will plop myself on the couch with a book. My excuse for this used to be I was modeling reading habits for my children and now it’s look, I’m working from home (no one in my family is buying that). Regardless, people who read a lot do so because it’s not just a 15 minutes before bed activity. Audiobooks aren’t my thing but I know many people who do their chores while listening and that’s a great way to get some more reading in as well.
Best Books I Read in 2024
Here are my favorites from what I read* this past year:
Favorite YA novel: Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell. I loved this YA mystery about the murder of an indigenous teen; so captivating and important. Read my full review here.
Favorite adult novels: The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali and The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. I could not pick just one! The Lion Women of Tehran is a beautiful historical fiction novel about two friends through three key decades in Iran: before, during, and after the revolution.
The God of the Woods is a mystery about the dissapearance of a 13 year old girl at her family’s camp during the 1970’s. While it is a mystery the story is much more about the family and the secrets of the local community, rather than a fast-paced thriller.
Favorite non-fiction book: Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am by Julia Cooke. I went into the book expecting to read about the expectations of treatment of stewardesses in the 1960’s- 1980’s, but ended up learning much more about their role during the Vietnam War and the lifestyle their job afforded. It’s a fascinating look at a bygone era.
* I left out any advanced reader’s copies (ARC’s) that didn’t publish in 2024, since the general public does not have access to them yet!
Reading Resolutions for 2025
I started to write out a list and realized that everything fell into one general goal “be intentional about what I’m reading”. There are a few ways I am going to do this:
Planning seasonally and monthly. I have a list of books to read for our reading program; I’m part of a committee requiring me to read books; I have NetGalley reader’s copies; there is a pile of books to be read in my house. All of these I can get through slowly if I make a plan to read a little from each, every month.
Utilize a reading journal. Little Inklings has the cutest and most fun reading journals and planners. I have used one in the past and am getting their A Novel Companion to help me stay organized with what I am reading. They have a few different options, based on what you need.
Participate in themed book challenges. The goal is not the number of books read but how widely I read. Fun challenges like reading a book for every continent is a good low stakes motivator.
Leave space for flexibility. I will create a plan but leave space to choose books based on my mood as well. Really the plan is to try and organize my reading, not to be a strict manual. At the end of the day the goal is to just read so how that’s done really does not matter!
I am signing off for 2024 and spending some time over my holiday break to plan for The Young Adult Library in 2025. I thank you for reading and subscribing to this Substack; this has been the most fun addition to this year and I’m looking forward to posting more!
Happy Holidays!
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