I know we’re already three months into 2026 (how!?), but I finally got some time to sit down, relax, and reflect on my 2025 reading year.
I’m not going to lie, 2025 was a rollercoaster for me. I had one of the most amazing months of my life, traveling to Ireland with some close friends and family, where I married my (now) husband. I had so many amazing moments with friends — tailgating at football games, buying a tailgating bus, so many D&D/game/movie nights, and more.
But on the other hand, I hit one of the worst reading slumps I’ve ever had. My mental health took a big dip over the summer, and when that happened, my motivation for pretty much everything disappeared, especially reading. I also went through a three-month streak where I was sick on and off.
I’m not fully back to myself yet, but I’m starting to feel a little less overwhelmed and a little more motivated to do the things I love again, like crochet and playing video games. I haven’t fully found the motivation to read yet (the fact that I haven’t finished a book and we’re twelve days into the year is unusual for me), but I am using the new year to prioritize some new goals that feel realistic for where I’m at mentally.
1. Read 80 books
Every year, I set my reading goal to 80 books, and this year is no different. I didn’t hit this goal last year, but I don’t feel the need to put extra pressure on myself because of this. I have already been reading more consistently in the past three months, which I count as a win!
2. Read 10 Books From Different Countries
I really want 2026 to be about learning. I am officially two years out from grad school, and while I do not miss college itself, I do miss learning about new things. I decided to create a loose “personal curriculum,” where I explore and teach myself about various topics. One of my goals with this is to read books from other countries. In addition to reading the book, I will also do some side research, including reading articles or watching movies from the country.
If you have any suggestions for books for this challenge, I’d love to hear them!
3. Get My Unread TBR below 150.
My unread physical TBR is currently at 174, so this is very doable for me. BUT if I keep buying books and not reading them, this will become much more of a challenge. I will never be able to do a full book-buying ban (I know myself), but I have started using the library a lot more, especially when it is a book I’m not 100% sold on.
4. Get Netgalley Ratio to 85%.
Because I started 2025 more motivated, I requested some Netgalley books that I was really looking forward to. I then only read six ARCs during the entire year. Wait, I lied. I read eight ARCs, but I only wrote reviews for two of them. 🤦🏻♀️ I have been spending the last few weeks trying to catch up on books I have read and didn’t review, but now I would like to transition into actually reading some more of my ARCs.
I am currently at 76%, so again, this goal feels very attainable to me.
5. Limit My Book Purchases to Three a Month
This goal goes hand in hand with number three. As I said, I will never be able to not buy books (especially if I go to an indie bookstore), but I have been trying to limit the number of purchases I make. I now stick to 1-2 book boxes (my Afterlight and Ardvark boxes are my priority) and maybe a book or two when I go shopping in person.
6. Read 2 Kindle Unlimited Books A Month
Just like previous years, I need to justify spending the money on a Kindle Unlimited subscription. It has come in clutch for my book club, since most of our choices come from there, but I would like to continue upping the amount of books I read from the subscription.
When I was primarily a romance reader, Kindle Unlimited was great, but I never went outside that genre. I recently looked through some of the horror selections on KU, and there are SO MANY CHOICES I WANT TO READ. I can’t believe I never looked outside the romance genre, and I am excited to dive into some other selections.
I have also started another book club with my friend who lives across the country, and she also utilizes Kindle Unlimited often. This will make it much easier to select more books.
7. Post on My Blog at Least once a Month
Last year, I made the goal of four times a month, and I only posted nine blog posts total.
I’m going to try not be too bummed about that because of how hectic 2025 is, but I would like to get back into a rhythm this year.
Because four a month would be way too much to commit to right now, I figured one post a month would be more attainable for me. It still keeps me active, and if I manage to post more than that, then great!
8. Have 25 or fewer ongoing series
In 2025, I brought the number of ongoing series from 44 to 37.
I originally thought my goal of 25 might be too high, but looking at my spreadsheet, I have 8 series where I only have one more book to finish.
I have already started to tackle two of those series (Six of Crows and Briar U), and with the last book in the Ninth House trilogy coming out this year, I am hoping to also complete that one as well.
9. Read 8 Young Adult Books
As I get older, I have started to read fewer young adult books. However, as a high school English teacher, I do not want to completely eliminate young adult literature from my reading. I usually always have one young adult book going at a time during the school year, so I figured that eight would be a solid goal to aim for.
10. Read From at Least 40 New-To-Me Authors
I always have to continue with this goal because it is a gimme: read from 40 authors I’ve never read from before. I usually aim for 30, but after reading from 50 new authors last year, I thought that 40 authors could still be a challenge.
And that’s it! This is my favorite post to make at the beginning of the year because it helps me get into a positive reading mindset! It also gives me something to look back on when I want to check in with my goals!
If you are still with me, be sure to answer the question of the day in the comments below!
QOTD: What is the number one reading goal you have made for yourself this year?
Until next time, xx