January 2025 - TBR
Intro
The first month of a year is always full of great potential. Just yesterday I spent a few moments jotting down, on flashcards, all the series and standalone stories I want to tackle in 2025. And, surprisingly, it did not feel overwhelming. I know that, over the year, I will add more goodness to this list; yet, I have a starting point, something I can take advantage of for the rest of the year. It’s my playground!
The challenges ahead
Tame the mood reader in me
I also know I will need to wrestle with the mood reader in me; therefore, I will need to be vigilant and push myself on the right steps. Allow the mood reader to do some of the decisions but within a realm of options that are curated.
The need to feel progress
Another important element for me to continue doing is to complete series; or, at the very least, make progress on the ongoing series I have on the list.
I felt a sense of accomplishment finishing series; and I felt proud of myself when listing all the series that I have finished last year. I never felt this satisfaction with finishing series. And the competitor inside me wants to finish more series than I did last year. I just know that this is how I am wired; and I will need to sooth this part of me too.
The pressure to do better than 2024
I have set a few personal goals for myself in 2025, which include reading a few large series and a few smaller series. The potential is huge and I am excited about it; I am also worried about falling short of my expectations. The true power that I have right now, that I have never harnessed before, is awareness.
100 fantasy books for 2025
The last challenge ahead of me is numerical; I would love to read 100 fantasy books in 2025. It feels that this is an ambitious goal. And yet, I have no idea if in the last years I have achieved this goal; therefore, let’s start with one goal and see where we end up!
To break this goal up, I need to read more than 8 books per month to achieve the goal at the end of the year!
TBR and Hopefuls
So what is the frame I am giving myself this month?
With all the challenges in mind - and I find a form of satisfaction in acknowledging them and bringing them forward to my own attention - I have a few ideas for January.
TBR
I will start the year in great style with at least four fabulous books, the first two are re-reads and the second two are new reads:
Gardens of the Moon (which would probably be my 6th re-read) by Steven Erikson, book one in The Malazan Book of the Fallen.
The color of magic by Terry Pratchett, which starts a 41-book series; while the goal is not to read the entire Discworld catalogue this year, I still want to be able to make important progress. My choice? To read them in order, not breaking them down in series. And I hope that I can finish some of those for myself but I might not be able to and I need to be okay with it!
Shadowplay by Tad Williams, book two in the Shadowmarch series. The disappointment for me, this year, was not push myself to continue reading this series. And there is so much to offer. Therefore, this would be a priority read for the year!
The Golden compass by Philip Pullman, the first book in his dark materials series. It is a series I have been wanting to read for a very long time and I will indulge this want for this year!
Black powder war by Naomi Novik, book three in the Temeraire series. I just love this dragon - human relationship and I love getting to know more about Temeraire. This dragon is so cool that I would love to have one Temeraire for me.
The rest of the pool:
There are many options to add to this list. Yet, I want to keep in mind a few things, including the high of finishing series and/or to actual make progress on the series I have on my list.
And so, next to these options, I also have In the shadows of kings by Philip C. Quaintrell, helping me to tick A time of Dragons off the list.
Outro
The challenges are real and I am excited about managing and coming on top of the challenges. I am looking forward to seeing what I can do. The awareness I have developed in the last years around my reading habits and goals is incredible and I cannot wait to see what I can do with a greater understanding of who I am, as a reader, and an acknowledgement of those risks and strengths!
What are your plans for January? Have you also reflected on your goals for the year? And who you are as a reader?
