I'm reading so much less this year...
And I'm actually completely OK with it!
By this time last year, I’d read 36 books. As of today, May 11th 2025, I’m at a grand total of 24.
That’s a pretty big drop - 12 whole books fewer than last year - but I’m not upset about it. In fact, I’m kind of relieved.
Ever since I started keeping a reading journal, I’ve been setting myself a yearly reading goal. I think a lot of us do - book-tracking apps like Goodreads and StoryGraph encourage it, and we hear bookish content creators talking about their goals on all the socials. My 2024 goal was 100 books, something that didn’t feel like too much of a stretch when I set it in late 2023 after reading 85 books that year without having to try too hard. I could stretch it to 100, right?
Then November and December 2024 hit, and StoryGraph was reminding me I was “behind” on my goal. I know you can turn this prompt off, but I didn’t. Suddenly I found myself searching out short books and novellas to pad out my numbers, but they weren’t the books I really wanted to read at the time, and I wasn’t enjoying the process. Reading suddenly felt like a chore. It was all a bit weird.
I got sucked into the numbers game, where it’s easy to let your reading goal become the point of reading, rather than a fun way to observe it. And that’s not what I want.
When I set up my reading journal in December, I wasn’t sure yet. I made a bookshelf tracker with 100 books on it, just in case (pictured above) - but I’ve rolled my goal back to 60 books. Storygraph says I’m two ahead of my goal, but even if I hit a slump and don’t reach that 60 book target, I’ll be fine with it. If I surpass it, I’ll be fine with that too. My real goal is to find books that make me FEEL, and this year has been wonderful for that so far!
For some of us, competition with ourselves can feel good and motivating - but I think this race with 2023 Erin burned me out on reading for a little while, which is not ideal when it comes to one of your favourite hobbies. I’ve slowed down a lot this year, and reading is feeling fun again - but it wasn’t just the conscious choice to read less that’s brought back the joy.
So what’s different this year?
I’m choosing the books I’m reading more intentionally.
I’ve been gravitating toward books I genuinely want to read - not the ones I feel I should read, or that will help me hit a higher book count. That means I’m taking more time to finish some of them, and I’m DNF-ing more freely when I don’t vibe with a book.
I’m prioritising library reads.
I’ve been a big library user for a couple of years now anyway, but I’m really trying to borrow more and buy less this year. Using the library gives me more freedom to experiment without committing my wallet, and the wait times for some of the more popular books are teaching me patience! They’re also helping me find books I never would have stumbled across when none of my holds are ready yet - the “available now” section of your Libby app might be full of gold, if you’re willing to scroll through it.
I’m not chasing a number.
No two years are alike in events or in experiences, and compared to 2024 I’ve had shifting priorities, a couple of health setbacks, and different reading rhythms this year. I’ve decided I’m not measuring my worth - or even my reading year - by how many books I’ve finished. The person who set that target was December-me, and she doesn’t get to be the boss of May-me. If I hit my goal, great. If I don’t, I still found new favourite books and fell in love with so many new characters - and visited some old book-friends too.
I’m reframing how I think of reading stats
Stats really satisfy my inner data-lover when the end-of-month and end-of-year wrap-ups come around - I’m one of those Spotify Wrapped lovers who wants to see ALL my friends lists. It makes sense then that I love tracking my reading, watching the numbers tick up, seeing graphs grow, but I’m trying to remember they’re a measure of what happens naturally - not a benchmark I need to surpass month after month.
And one more thing: I’m reading more ebooks.
I’ve been an audiobook-first kind of reader for the past two years, listening while I work, drive and tidy up. But lately, I’ve found myself curling up with ebooks instead. Maybe it’s because I’ve needed quieter time. Maybe it’s because I live with a musician who needs to practice, and when I edit videos I have to listen to my own voice for hours, so I’ve been in the mood to look at words rather than hear them. Whatever the reason, I’m going slower, and that’s okay too. I’m still listening to audiobooks when the mood strikes, and I love them, but I’ve been really keen on a few podcasts this year too, and I’ve come across a few TV shows that have caught my attention. Past-me might have thought they were competing for my audiobook time, but really I’m just enjoying media in all sorts of forms - just because I’m not tracking them in a journal doesn’t mean they aren’t valid leisure time too!
Reading is a joy. A comfort. Still one of the best parts of my life. And it’s glorious even when done at a slower pace.
What about you?
Are you reading more or less this year? Has your reading changed in unexpected ways? I’d love to hear how your 2025 reading experience is going!
New Videos
It’s Mystery Journal giveaway time! I’m setting up this entire journal (pictured above) for July to December 2025, and giving it away. You’ll need to watch the video to find out how to enter!
I read four books in April - check out the video to find out which books, what I thought of them, and how I set up review spreads for them in my journal.
Need some June bullet journal inspiration? Here’s the final setup in the previous Mystery Journal, featuring the cutest little cosy washi sticker houses.
Recent Reads
Remember how I was raving about my love for Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer* in a previous newsletter? I’ve dived right into the rabbit hole and gone back to the start of the series that precedes it - A Curse So Dark and Lonely* is the first book in the Cursebreaker series. It’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but things go very differently to that other renowned romantasy series with a Beauty-and-the-Beast-y book one! I devoured this only slightly slower than Forging Silver, rated it almost as highly at a very respectable 4.5 stars, and I’ve already acquired the follow up. I think it’s safe to say I’m a Brigid Kemmerer fan!
* = affiliate link - if you make a purchase through these links I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
It’s midyear new journal setup season over on my Youtube channel, and I’ll also be furiously mystery-journal making over the next two weeks. I hope you’ll join me for the ride!
Until next fortnight, may your reading goals be achievable, your neighbours delightful, and may you get to touch an adorable creature every day.
I resonate and love this post! This is the first year I’m creating a reading journal. I’ve noticed as I watch people on YouTube set up their journals and discuss the # of books they read last year or their goal for this year, I feel a competitive edge rising, with me thinking I need to read just as many books and participate in all the challenges. It’s been an interesting journey reminding myself why I’m doing what I am (to celebrate my absolute love of reading and creating in my journal). I don’t want to turn this into a job. I do this for stress relief and self-care. ❤️
In 2024, I had a friendly reading challenge with my teen boy to see who could read the most books in the year. It was a close race, but I think he managed one or two more than me. But after working to build up such a good reading habit, I wanted to read longer, harder books in 2025. So I'm not getting anywhere the 50 books I did last year, but I'm learning so much and enjoying such beautiful, long books. I'm happy with the 50 books that helped me to read consistently. But, like you, my focus this year is on something different. And I love it. Though I will admit to throwing in one or two easy to read books each month just so I have something to journal. I can't only read books that take me multiple months to finish.