How to read more this year
hopes and dreams for 2025
I love the first week of January. Everyone is plotting out their year and dreaming about the person they want to be. Potential is in the air and it’s contagious! My new year's resolution is to finally, at long last, after years of attempting to do so … build a steady writing practice.
Perhaps you’re setting out to build a steady reading practice? Or maybe you’re trying to get out of your holiday reading rut? Here are some ideas for how to do both.
Start with something short and easy.
Right now, we’re trying to build momentum. If you’re slogging through a book, you won’t get anywhere. I’d recommend starting with something short (call it … under 200ish pages) or easy (these books are still substantive, but they’re not too heavy, hook you early and move quickly).
Easy: The Rachel Incident, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Know what you’re going to read next.
We’re keeping the momentum going! Before you finish your current book, have an idea of what you’re going to pick up when you’re done. I do this by tracking all of my “to read” books on Goodreads, keeping multiple books on my nightstand, and adding lots of books to my queue at the library. If you need inspiration, here are a few books at the top of my “to read” list: Family Meal, Our Evenings, Like Mother, Like Mother
Use your library card.
Libraries make the world go round. They are also an excellent way to ensure that you have a steady stream of books ready to go. I usually let my library queue decide what I’m going to read next. As soon as I hear of a new book, I put a hold on it via the San Francisco public library app. As a few books become available each week, I always have new ideas for what to read.
Get attached to characters.
The books that truly stick with me are the ones full of people I wish were real. One of my best tips for reading more books is to read about unforgettable characters. These characters are a few of my all-time favorites, and they’ll make you want to read forever: Saint from All The Colors of the Dark (more on this below!!!), Elizabeth Zott from Lessons in Chemistry, Swiv from Fight Night, Shuggie from Shuggie Bain.
⭐ Recent reviews ⭐
All The Colors of the Dark: This book floored me. Everyone. Must. Read It. It’s a thriller, it’s a murder mystery, it’s a story of love and friendship, and I wept when it ended. A few of the many things that I loved about it: I felt extreme fondness for and loyalty to the two main characters (who reminded me of Demon Copperhead and Scout Finch, two of the literary greats). The book takes place over the course of three decades, so the story really builds over time and you get to watch the characters grow up. I’m a sucker for any story about a group of unlikely comrades coming together to fight for and protect each other, and this book is exactly that.
Big Fan: The smartest, sharpest romance I’ve read — as a former political junkie and ex-DC resident, the setting really spoke to me.
Be Ready When the Luck Happens: I’m not typically a fan of celebrity memoirs, but I really enjoyed this one. It’s equal parts food and cooking obsession (Ina and I have this in common), stories of entrepreneurship (interesting and inspiring) and an ode to Jeffrey (a bit repetitive, but very sweet all the same). Listen to this on audiobook — with Ina’s voice in your ear, you can do anything.
More reading in 2025! Let’s do it.