Reading Goals That Don't Suck

A curious mind's approach to goal-setting

sort of sums it up nicely

As we reach the end of the year, and because god forbid we live in the moment, naturally, we are thinking about the coming year. The shiny promise of January 1, when we will surely morph into a new, better – much better – version of ourselves; shedding our fugly skin from the previous year and showing off our Best Self,™️ which we can brag about on Instagram. I’m TALKING about goals, people!!!!

Okay, but heavy-handedness aside, setting goals or resolutions or what have you can be kinda fun I guess? At least, in the realm I will be talking about, which is reading. You’re gonna have to find another substack for “Jumpstart January” or whatever. But so goals. They can be good! But creating a meaningful, fun goal that strikes a balance between challenging and attainable is easier said than done. At least with reading, where I feel like we often fall into the trap of clocking the number of books we read. Despite telling myself it does not matter how many books I read a year, (because it literally does not), and that quality matters much more than quantity, I still find myself setting a number goal for books read each year, surreptitiously checking my “pace” on Goodreads every time I finish a book. It’s lame and it doesn’t make me feel good.

So, while I haven’t come up with my reading goals for 2025 just yet, and since no one told me we were all supposed to write gift guides, I thought it would be fun to brainstorm some ideas with you, my buddies! I have many thoughts for reading goals that don’t involve quantity but will expand your horizons as a reader and break you out of your comfort zone a bit. So here are some of the reading goals I’m mulling over for the new year. Shall we?

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Genres on display

1. Try a New Genre

We all get stuck in our ways. I tend to stick to literary fiction, women’s fiction, and speculative fiction with a dash of sci-fi. But setting a goal of reading a few books in a genre I don’t often read is a nice springboard into uncharted territory. Now, at the same time, we must be honest with ourselves. I’m not going to set a goal of reading romance because I am not a romance person, and that would be like pulling teeth. I’m a realist, a pragmatist, and a skeptic in my black little heart, after all. Romance does not agree with me.

Point being– I might try to get into some historical fiction, which I tend to roll my eyes at and then end up really liking. I definitely want to pursue more non-fiction, especially cultural essays, art history, and New York-centric work. And who knows, maybe I’ll give fantasy more of a shot? Would love to hear your suggestions/thoughts for genres to pursue.

Zadie Smith is another non-white/non-dude author I’ve had on my list for a while!

2. Books by Authors Who Aren’t (Straight) White Dudes

If your hackles went up reading that headline, this is the goal for you, babyyyyyy! I am going to make a gross generalization, but try to stay with me – most of the books we read in school growing up were by white guys. A lot of college English literature courses focus on work by white guys. Think about it! Lord of the Flies, The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, Of Mice and Men – all bangers, sure, but also all by straight white guys. Don’t misunderstand me: of course some white guys write excellent stories. I am a Cormac McCarthy stan from way back, and that’s like as white as it gets.

But! There are also a lot of other non-white, non-male people who write books too! And they’re good! Expanding your repertoire to female, BIPOC, and/or queer authors will change your life. I know that sounds corny as hell but it’s true. Some of my faves to get you started:

Miranda July

, Akwaeki Emezi, Hanif Abdurraqib, Rivers Solomon, Torrey Peters…and many more! Add at least a few non-male, non-white authors to the list in 2025. You’ll be better for it, I promise.

This is what all old books look like in my brain

3. Books Published Before A Certain Date

Here’s where things get interesting! I’ve been toying with the idea of only reading books published before a certain date, though I know it’ll be hard to stick to. I have found that recently I get so caught up in new releases, salivating over a coveted new title that ends up being a total flop, and now I’m out thirty dollars and hours of precious reading time.

Reading older stuff has been so much fun this year. It’s allowed me to discover new authors and gain perspective, and I’ve had my mind utterly blown by how prescient certain books from over 20 years ago have been. Not to mention it’s a lot cheaper to get older books, second-hand or just in paperback. I’m not sure how far back I’d go for the publishing cutoff– maybe 5-10 years or so? Thoughts welcome…

One of my favorite used bookstores in Philly, Lot 49

4. ONLY Read Second-Hand Books/Library books

I’m sure a lot of you already do this and I’ll be the first to say that you are better people than me. Of course, I utilize the library and frequent second-hand bookstores, but god, the lure of a shiny new book!? I fall for it every time, man. Like a moth to the flame. So again– would be a hard goal for me, but certainly worth a shot. Maybe I’ll make it a percentage of my reads, like 75% have to come from lib/second-hand shop. This is where the delusions of grandeur for my not-so-distant future self are starting to affect my goalsetting judgment. But I am liking this one for me!

One of my favorite translated works

5. Translated Works!

Setting a goal of adding some translated works to your 2025 reading is a must, I mean it. Translated works have been some of the most interesting, affecting works I’ve read and have stretched the boundaries of my brain in ways I didn’t know were possible. It’s hard to articulate what a miracle it is to be able to read something that was initially written in a language that is not your own. Someone had to translate the words, sure, but the meaning of the book, the turns of phrase; the essence of the work that gets its originally intended meaning across. Being a translator, I imagine, is like playing god in a small, but meaningful way.

I’ll for sure be upping my intake of works in translation in 2025. If you need recs for works in translation, I’ll suggest anything by Samanta Schweblin, Tove Ditlevsen, or José Saramago. For titles, I’d recommend I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, and The Wall by Marlen Haushofer. I also can’t say enough good things about

Martha

’s newsletter,

Martha’s Monthly

, where she reviews books she’s read each month, and there’s always a handful of great works in translation in there. I’ve gotten a lot of great recs from reading her work.

My boy Gary

6. Read All Works by an Author

Aside from just earning bragging rights, reading all of the books by a single author is such a fun goal. It allows you to better see the trajectory of an author’s career, notice connections between their books (they’re always there), understand their influences and style, and of course, then you just have the fun of comparing and contrasting everything you’ve read by them.

I already know I want to make 2025 my Gary Indiana completionist year, and perhaps it’s the year I finally complete the Bret Easton Ellis oeuvre (I haven’t read White, for obvious reasons, but sometimes one’s got to grin and bear it). The only drawback to this goal is that finishing all the work by a beloved author means there’s nothing left to read, which is a specifically cruel kind of heartbreak that those who’ve experienced it can attest to.

There are a ton more ways to read more deeply and widely in the new year– I’d love to hear what you’re considering for 2025 reading goals, what’s been successful in the past for you, or if there’s any here that you’ve been particularly inspired by. As you can see, I still need to nail mine down, and any input/discussion is greatly appreciated. Hope you’re reading some wonderful things as the year winds down, and here’s to many more in 2025! ✨📚

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✨Heads up fam! I’m using my Bookshop affiliate link for all titles recommended in this newsletter. If you buy them through these links, I earn a commission.✨

📖 Currently reading:

Haven’t decided!! 🥴

📚Recently finished:

The Coin by Yasmin Zaher. Wild, stressful, and funny… haven’t decided how I feel about it, but I am thinking about it a lot so that counts for something I guess.

Affinities by Brian Dillon. If you don’t like art, this won’t be for you, but I loved this so much. One of the most interesting things I’ve read this year.

Orbital by Samatha Harvey. Just gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.

👉🏼You should read: The Disappearance of Literary Men DOES Concern Me by

Sara Hildreth

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💌 Email me book recs and other literary thoughts at emilygatesjohnson@gmail.com

🛍 Shop all Point of Departure recs (and more!) from my digital bookstore here.