Reading in Public No. 69: A reading and writing goal check-in

A first quarter evaluation of my literary intentions

We’re a quarter of the way into 2025 so I’m taking some time to look back at my reading and writing intentions and evaluate how I’m doing so far. I am not typically someone who does this kind of check-in, but intentionality in general has been a big project of mine this year, and this feels like an effective way to bring that to my reading and work life. Last year I set some intentions for myself (remember the 12 rereads goal?) and never thought about them again. As I reflected for this post, I rediscovered some goals I’d forgotten about so returning to them has already been fruitful. I think it can take living inside of goals for a bit to know if they are the right ones, so this is also a perfect time to recalibrate and decide which I want to stick with, and which just aren’t right for me this year.

If you set reading intentions for the year, I’d love to know how they are going for you so far! Do you have any new intentions for your reading life now that we’re firmly settled into 2025?

Alright, here are my goals and how I’m doing so far:

#1 Read fewer books, better

So far, so good. I’ve read 40 books so far this year and had read 46 at the same point last year. That’s not a huge difference, but two books fewer each month is certainly a meaningful difference for me. Of course the more important part of this goal is to be a better reader of the books I pick up. That is going fairly well, though I’m realizing that this largely depends on the book and why I’m reading it. In other words, I’m not going to read every single book exceptionally well, and that’s okay. Some books are meant to be breeze through or the reason I’m reading them doesn’t require a lot of deep thinking. However, I’m also noticing that because I’m reading better books and reading books better, I’m almost unthinkingly bringing some of those good reader skills to the books I’m not intended to read deeply. For example, thinking about point of view for a Novel Pairings lecture and a deep study of Jane Austen helped me realize some specific POV issues that trip me up in contemporary commercial fiction. I have been reading my FictionMatters Book Club books particularly closely, making more annotations that usual and doing more outside reading for each book, which feels good. It’s more of a mixed bag for Paperback Summer Reading Guide titles. I’m looking for selections that are captivating and absorbing so I’m okay with flying through these books if that feels right. But I have been finding some great titles for the PSRG that I’ve wanted to read more carefully, not because they’re any less engaging, but because I don’t want to sell myself short on the reading experience. Deciding to include fewer books in the guide this year is helping me be okay with a slower vetting process.

The original plan and how it’s going:

• Read more books in print. I am definitely doing this! I still love audiobooks, but I’ve been using them sparingly and when it feels right. I wrote about that a bit here.

• Annotate without being precious. Yes! This is 100% happening!

• Read more literary criticism about the books I read. Not so much, yet. I haven’t been reading literary criticism that is specifically about the books I’m reading, but I have been revisiting How Fiction Works and a few other craft and analysis books to help me get back into my analytical reading groove.

• Go down more reading rabbit holes. This isn’t happening yet because of vetting books for the PSRG, but I’m hoping to make this intention more of a priority in the second half of the year.

• Mayyyybeee take a class?? OMG! I didn’t even remember that I had this as an intention, but I am in fact taking a class and loving it!

#2 Be choosey with my book selections

With this goal, I basically wanted to pick up books with intention and read books I’ve been meaning to get to for a long time. Here’s what I wrote at the time:

I am going to keep a more intentional reading list so as not to forget about the books I want to read. Last year I was pretty disappointed in new releases so I’m going to focus more on backlist and be particularly mindful about which new books I’m picking up and why. I just don’t want to get to the end of the year and wonder why I let books I’m excited about languish on my shelves while I was busy reading the books plastered all over social media.

I have been doing fairly well with this, however, I always end up doing a huge book buying spree when I’m getting ready to vet books for the Paperback Summer Reading Guide. This puts me in a state of physical and mental disarray and also adds way too many books to my reading list. I’m going to have to reorganize and reprioritize after the PSRG comes out.

The original plan and how it’s going:

• Make use of the huge spreadsheet of new releases I created. I haven’t been referring to this as much as I had hoped. This is primarily because I just haven’t been reading new releases, but I’ll admit that the new releases I have read have not been the ones I’ve wanted to prioritize. I’m going to make a concerted effort to pay attention to my interests as the year progresses.

• Read books edited by and recommended by my favorite editors. I have read a few books edited by Jaxon Howard and they’ve been huge hits. I also loved this episode he recorded with Merve Emre for her Art of Editing series. Another one of my favorite editors is at Grove Atlantic. When I met her at the National Book Awards she told me to get in touch with her, but I’ve still been too intimidated! I’m going to overcome that and reach out this month.

• Read more books with third person narrators. Is this weird? I’ve just grown a little weary of voicey first-person fiction and am craving books with removed yet knowing narrators. Okay this is wild, because my POV crisis has only grown over the last three months of reading. I have been finding that many of the books I’m captivated by this year have been third person, and I’m getting more of that in my books by choosing older books.

• Focus more of my reading on books in translation and books from small presses. I want to be more intentional about this. It’s happening, but not at the scale I’d like.

• Read classics and long books. Yes!! This is something I’ve been feeling really good about.

• Read books from the Goldsmiths Prize lists. Not a one!

• Read more essays, craft books, and literary criticism. I’ve been dabbling in this kind of reading more than sitting down and reading a single book cover to cover, but that’s felt appropriate for my work life at the moment.

• Let my reading drive my content rather than letting my content drive my reading. This has been going really well even in the midst of guide reading season. I’m excited to see what this looks like when I have no guide to prep for!

#3 Stretch myself in my writing

When I set this goal, I was really wanting to push myself beyond short book reviews and lists, and I think I’m doing that well for the most part. I haven’t really stretched myself in the ways that I’ve wanted to, but I have been trying to set the foundation and build my confidence so that I can really grow as a writer.

The original plan and how it’s going:

• Write some long form literary criticism. Nope! I have a few things sitting in drafts but I haven’t been able to get over myself and publish anything yet. I finished grad school 11 years ago at this point and everytime I try to write something more academic, I compare it to the way it used to feel. I’m rusty. Not only am I rusty, but in school, you have an audience of one: your professor. Here, I have a much largely audience and it feels vulnerable to try to get back into this side of my brain in front of so many people. I still aspire to do this, but I’m giving myself some grace.

• Respond to other writers and thinkers in my writing. I think I’m doing this, but—like with everything—I’d like to be more intentional about it.

• Change up my publishing calendar (just a little). I haven’t done anything differently, but just giving myself permission to be flexible has been mentally freeing.

• Improve my vocabulary. I’ve been looking up words and using my word-a-day calendar. I like the vocabulary app but it’s a little glitchy. I don’t know that it’s trickling into my writing at all at this point, but maybe that will take time and more intentionality.

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Happy reading!

Sara