Reading Goals for 2025

On September 8 I wrote about my 2024 reading goals.  While you can see from that post that I have a few concerns about setting reading goals, I do like having them overall, and want to set some for 2025.  

1. Read 50 books.  So far this year (as of December 19), I've read 64 books.  I've already met the 50 book goal, but 64 books seems like an anomaly compared to previous years.  I'm going to keep the number at 50 for 2025.
2. Read 18,000 pages. My average book size this year was 360 pages.  If I read 50 books, that will be 18,000 pages.  Number of pages is a new goal for me.  I'm able to do it because I have created a Story Graph account.  Story Graph will convert audiobooks to number of pages.  
3. Read at least four Spiritual Development books. 
4. Read at least 30% new books.  As of today, 53% of the books I have read have been new to me.  I like re-reads, but I don't want to only re-read.  Hence this goal.

This isn't a reading goal, but I also want to revamp how I track my reading in my bullet journal and in my reading journal, so I'm giving that some thought. 

I'm keeping updated accounts in both Good Reads and Story Graph.  So far that hasn't proven to be an issue at all. I like what each one provides even though at first blush it might seem duplicative. 

I love data!

By the way, this is an image from UnSplash of someone else's library. Do you love to look at pictures of wonderful libraries?  I do.

Update on End of Year Book Tag

I thought I would take a moment to update the End of Year book tag post that I uploaded on November 11. After that, I'll talk (later this week) about the reading goals I'm setting for 2025.

Is there a book you have started that you would like to finish by the end of the year?

I finished Hounded - a book I started on January 25.  I also finished Go Tell the Bees that I'm Gone by Diana Gabaldon - a book I started sometime in 2021.  I discovered (she says facetiously) that if you read a little bit of a book each day, you can get to the end.  I found as I read these books, that I wanted to read a little bit more than a little bit each day.  Two books down that I have wanted to finish. 

Do you have an autumnal book to transition to the end of the year with?

I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, my sort of autumnal book. 

Is there a new release you are still waiting for?

The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts was released on November 19.  I read it (listened to it). 

What are three books you want to read by the end of the year?

As of November 19, this was my TBR so far for the rest of the year:

• Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy #1) by Nora Roberts - Finished.
• Artificial Conditions (Murderbot #2) by Martha Wells - Finshed today.
• Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood - Finished.
• All the Good: A Wesleyan Way of Christmas - Finished - maybe before Advent or very close to the beginning of it.
• The Mirror by Nora Roberts - Finshed.
• Hounded by David Rosenfelt - Finished.

Is there a book that you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

The Mirror was a five star read for me - a new favorite. That's not shocking. 

Stitching on Paper

 This is a terrible picture - sorry.  I was in a rush.  

In the image are stitched paper light bulbs and the gold sockets.  This is my first attempt at stitching on paper.  The bulbs were cut using Stitched String Lights Etched Dies from Spellbinders.  I cut them from foiled paper so they would be shiny, and then I stitched them using DMC gold thread.  I did this on a trip to and from Pittsburgh - they were a car craft. 

Soon, I'll assemble them on what I imagine will be two Christmas cards using the cord die that comes with the set. 

Do I like stitching on paper? Well, it was a little fiddley.  The sockets are very small. The thread was slick - it had no gripping power on the paper, and the road was rough. I'm not sure this project was a good test of whether I like this kind of crafting or not.

Looking forward to creating the cards, though.

End-of-Year Book Tag

I was watching a video from Katie is Reading on YouTube. She talked through questions from an End-of-Year tag. I enjoyed thinking about the questions, so here they are with my answers.

Is there a book you have started that you would like to finish by the end of the year?

On January 25, I started Hounded by David Rosenfelt. It is the 12th Andy Carpenter book in this series. I habitually read these books on my Kindle (instead of listening to them). The problem is that I don't find much time to read books (with my eyes) unless I am reading them for a specific purpose (like a class). I would like to finish this one by the end of the year. I'm 50% done with it.

Do you have an autumnal book to transition to the end of the year with?

I think you could call this an autumnal book, although I don't reserve reading this series to any particular season. I started a reread of the Harry Potter series in December of 2023. I'm currently reading #7 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'll finish it either this week or next.

Is there a new release you are still waiting for?

Yes - I'm looking forward to the release of The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts on November 19.

What are three books you want to read by the end of the year?

I have more than three. Here is my TBR so far for the rest of the year:

• Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy #1) by Nora Roberts - a reread to be ready for the second in the series.
• Artificial Conditions (Murderbot #2) by Martha Wells - I read #1 this month and really enjoyed it.
• Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood - I read the first two in this series, and only have this one left.
• All the Good: A Wesleyan Way of Christmas - a book to read during Advent
• The Mirror by Nora Roberts
• Hounded by David Rosenfelt

There will be more - I just haven't picked them out yet. I would like to find something fun for the Christmas season.

Is there a book that you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

I really enjoy books by Nora Roberts, so The Mirror could become a new favorite. It wouldn't be shocking, though.

Have you already started making reading plans for 2025?

No, not really. I am working my way through the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters, so I imagine I will read some of those. If I finish that series, I might start another series of hers as a reread. I'll probably throw in some more Murderbot books. There will probably be two JD Robb In Death books released - I'll read those. And I'll pick up at least one new Andy Carpenter book (by David Rosenfelt).

I'll probably set a goal of at least four books for spiritual development - that was one of my goals this year. That will probably include The Gospel of John by Amy Jill-Levine.

Pumpkins

Navy and Green

Orange and Yellow 

Late last month I posted that I had purchased yarn from Fibre Space to knit using free patterns from Blue Sky Fibers.

Last week I knit two pumpkins with the Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok yarn.  They were mini-hanks, so there wasn't enough of one color to knit a solid pumpkin, unfortunately.  I like them, though.

• Yarn: 2+ mini-hanks of two different colors of Woolstok Yarn
• Needles: Size 7 double-pointed needles

 

Card Basket

When I finish a card, I take its picture, initial the back, match it with an envelope, and put the envelope and card in a plastic sleeve.

The cards are then categorized into my card basket - birthday, anniversary, etc. 

I love it when my basket is full!

 
 

Work Planning Routine

Monthly Plan

I've talked about bullet journaling on this blog, but I thought I would take a moment to talk about how I plan for work. It's very different than my life planning. 

First, our staff gathers each year for a planning retreat. We set goals, review strategic planning, and set dates for the next year. This provides much of the basis of my planning for the year. That said, items come up during the year that are added to the plan. Plus, there are things you just can't plan for that have to be incorporated.  

Each month, I take all of those components and combine them into a plan for the month. What has to be done this month? What would it be helpful to complete this month?  This is divided into topics - each one centered around a different strategy.

From that, I create my weekly plan.  I do this planning on Monday morning.  I consider what events I have on the calendar for the week and what "to do" items should (or can) be done each day.

Weekly Plan

I use that to plan each day in my Franklin Planner.  I use the Leadership two-page per day planner.  On one side, I create a to do list. I prioritize the list with A (must be done), B (should be done), and C (could be done).  I then number each A, each B, and each C.  The right hand column of the left hand side of the two pages I use to list meetings, etc.  I also add tasks (and I do this at the beginning of the month for the whole month) that are done every month on a certain day (for example, on every Monday, I add a task to check our computer back-ups and make sure they are working.

 I use the right hand side to right down notes from the day - phone calls, etc.  

This is how I plan when everything is going as it should be. That's not only the case, but I do reach more goals when I follow this routine.

Franklin Planner 2 pages per day