Reading Goals for 2025
Happy New Year! This is the post in which I lay out all my carefully planned literary ambitions for the upcoming year since I want to be more intentional in my reading.
Except, as usual, I’m not as on top of it as I’d like, so those careful plans? Yeah, they’re still a muddled mess in my mind.
I have a few things figured out, and since New Year’s Day has arrived, let’s go ahead and get started. The first part of my plan is to come back and tweak this post as I go along. So far, so good.
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Goal #1. Bible Reading
I’m going to read the Jubilee Bible this year. This is a new-to-me translation, and I’m intrigued by the story of how it was originally a Spanish translation and why the translator felt it was important to translate it into English. Essentially, “The Jubilee Bible (JUB) stands apart from most other English versions in print since the beginning of the last century. The usage and context tend to define each key word so you do not have to blindly rely on theological dictionaries or reference materials that may wittingly or unwittingly include any type of prejudice or bias.” I’ve started it on Kindle (which is currently available for free), but I may end up ordering a printed copy.
Alongside that, I’ll be reading a lovely year-long devotional book, Everyday Gospel, by Paul David Tripp. I received it as a gift, and I love how it ties in with reading through the Bible in a year.
Goal #2. Biblical Studies Challenge
I’ve decided to join the 2025 Biblical Studies Challenge hosted by ReadJournalLove. I don’t have all my books picked out for this challenge yet, but here are the monthly topics.
- January- Hermeneutics (My book choice: How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart)
- February- Prayer
- March- Missions
- April- Gospel
- May- Textural criticism
- June- Heaven
- July- Biblical archeology
- August- Discipleship
- September- Greek or Hebrew
- October- Spiritual Warfare
- November- Church History
- December- Holiness
Additionally, Lyle and I are going to lead a Bible Study this year based on Well Versed by James L. Garlow.
Goal #3. My Book Journal Reading Challenge
I picked up a cute little book journal a while back, and it includes a 24-book reading challenge. I can achieve that in a year by reading two books a month. I don’t intend to read these in any particular order. I’ll come back and update this as I decide on titles. Books on this list will likely overlap with titles from other challenges. Feel free to let me know if you have any recommendations.
- A book written by someone on a different continent
- A book written before 1900
- A book of poetry
- A graphic novel
- A book set in wartime
- A book recently turned into a movie or TV show
- A book set in a dystopian future
- A book set in a time period you would like to visit
- A Pulitzer Prize-winning book: The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
- A book by or about someone you admire
- A book about religion or spirituality
- A book of short stories: The Way I Heard It by Mike Rowe
- A book set in a country you would like to visit
- A guilty-pleasure beach book
- A book written the year you were born
- A mystery
- A book about or narrated by a child
- A ghost story or scary book
- A memoir or biography
- A book on politics
- A book about spies: Midnight on the Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin
- A romance
- A fantasy
- A thriller
Goal #4. Scheduled Book Reviews
Last year, I posted 18 book reviews. I want to try to do at least one each month this year. Here’s what I have scheduled so far:
- January 23: The Resurrection Project by Tanya Sparks Belvin
- February 3: Whispers of Fortune by Mary Conneally
Goal #5. Read My Shelf
I have so many books I haven’t yet read or that I’d like to re-read. When I saw this reading challenge hosted by Chantel Reads All Day, I decided it would be fun to see what I have that fits each category. I’ll come back to add titles as I decide on them.
- January – beauty: Beauty for Ashes by Grace Livingston Hill
Goal #6. What the Dickens Book Club
I’ve been following the What the Dickens Book Club hosted by authors Katherine Reay, Sarah E. Ladd, and Kristy Cambron over on Facebook but I haven’t been keeping up with their reading. I like that their selections are classics and vintage books, so I’m going to try to participate this year. I found several of these titles on Project Gutenberg as well.
Goals Summary
Let’s see what I’ve ended up with to read each month.
- Bible reading (approximately 1/12th each month)
- Bible studies – 1 book
- Book Journal reading challenge – 2 books
- Book reviews – 1 book
- Read My Shelf challenge – 1 book
- What the Dickens Book Club – 1 book
I think that’s doable for me. Please jump in if you have any suggestions or want to join me for any of these challenges.
