Here’s How to Beat Yours in 2025

I love Goodreads. It’s always fun to look back on the year and remember the best things I’ve read in the past 12 months. The Goodreads Reading Challenge motivates me even more, and in 2024, I beat my goal. Here’s how.

1

I set a realistic reading goal

At the beginning of each year, Goodreads asks me to participate in their Reading Challenge, but before I set a goal, I try to take into account what other reading goals I have for the next year.

In 2024, I’ve been aiming to catch up on a few epic classics I’ve wanted to read for years. I also noticed a few titles that I always read every year – How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, for example. That’s why I set a realistic goal of 52 books, which is one a week. In the fall, I realized that I had been too conservative since I was only a couple of novels away from completing the year’s challenge. So I increased it to 70. It’s roughly in line with previous years, ranging from 51 to 82.

Yes, I’d like to read more often, but setting a goal that’s both challenging and manageable means I’m not overly stressed about goals and running through books just to pop a goal online.

2

I read a mix of long and short books

In 2024, my longest book was 1,368 pages. My shortest was only 28 pages. On average, the books were 211 pages, so a balance between short and long titles is vital. Vital, that is, not only for my Goodreads Challenge, but also for giving me fresh things to think about.

We all like to think we can read novels the size of War and Peace consecutively. But we can’t. And we shouldn’t.

This also means you can vary the format. I read a mix of novels, non-fiction, graphic novels, omnibuses and scripts. Omnibuses are huge; scripts are often comparatively short. Most importantly, both are fulfilling.

3

I Read Numerous Books At The Same Time

This is a controversial idea and not one that everyone can do, but I read several books at the same time. This means that there is always something I can turn to, no matter what mood I’m in, whenever I have a few minutes.

I can’t take a huge novel on a bus with me and not be too heavy. But I can take a novel or a book of poetry. I want something more substantial when I’m feeling artistic, so a heavy Van Gogh tome is ideal.

Some people worry that they cannot remember the individual threads of the plot if they read many books at the same time, and this is a fair argument. However, it is much easier if you read different genres or formats. You don’t get characters from a romance book mixed with those in a thriller. Don’t wonder what happened to Scrooge when you read a non-fiction book.

Even if you can only manage two books at the same time, it’s better than one, and will help you reach your Reading Challenge goal much faster. And there are others Apps that can help you read more every year.

4

I checked the ISBN on everything

I went to Greenway, Agatha Christie’s holiday home, and I had the slim guide for it. It was a pleasure to read. I also added it to the My Books section on Goodreads.

You’d be surprised what has an ISBN. It is the barcode at the end of a book, usually used by sellers to log the products brought and sold. It’s also what you can use to find individual editions of books on Goodreads, if you can’t find them by title alone.

I was surprised to find the amount of things I can add to Goodreads that aren’t books. I can add comics. I can add audio plays. I may add some visitor guides.

I make rules for this kind of thing. I’ve read too many comics to list them all: that alone would become a chore. But graphic novels count. Make your own rules and be prepared to find out how many articles have ISBNs.

5

I Listened to Audiobooks

Does listening to an audiobook count as reading? The jury is out because it is, of course, personal preference. It is fair to argue that no matter how you consume media, you will always benefit from the information it imparts.

Spotify Premium offers audiobooksso it is a great help to achieve reading goals. It also means that if a book is sold out or too expensive, I can listen to the audio version without fuss.

Many libraries have a range of audiobooks and audio plays available for hire too. Don’t be shy about giving your local library a visit, as it can really help you beat your 2025 Reading Challenge.