A new year means new resolutions, and for me, that means setting a new reading goal.
Last year, I set my reading goal at 10 books, and by the end of 2024, I had read 12 books. While this may seem like a small goal to some, I consider it a win.
Personally, I like to keep my reading goal realistic and attainable, so one for each month was perfect for me. I only started reading regularly again a few years ago and setting a goal like this kept me reading while still juggling work, socializing with friends, and all of the other day-to-day happenings of life! But this year, I’m challenging myself a bit more, and I hope to read at least 20 books.
A few years ago I joined a book club that my cousin and her friends had started, and it has been a great way to read a variety of books, including ones that I would have never picked up to read on my own.
We had our first meeting of the year last weekend, where we recapped our 2024 reads, and picked our books for the year ahead. To recap our books, we each picked a different book we read and brought a drink or dish that was inspired by that book, which was such a fun way to remember those stories. My favorite book that we read last year was Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll.
After that, we picked our 2025 book list, which we did differently this year. Instead of discussing possible picks and seeing which ones the majority of us wanted to read, we all wrote our picks on pieces of paper and randomly drew them out of a bowl.
This was fantastic, because we had no idea what other people had written down, and it was a good surprise for everybody when they were drawn.
So, while lists of the most anticipated books are popular at the start of a new year, I thought it would be fun to give you a look at the books I’m planning to read this year.
Here’s everything my book club is going to read this year:
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
First up, we have Chuck Palahniuk‘s 1966 novel Fight Club. The book follows an unnamed protagonist who meets a mysterious man named Tyler Durden. Together they start an underground fight club, in which members have to follow a set of rules, including “you don’t talk about fight club.”
While some of us have seen the 1999 movie adaptation, none of us have ever read the book!
Click here for more about the book.
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
This is the third book in Rebecca Yarros' Empyrean fantasy series. We read Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, the first and second books, together as a book club and are excited for this book. In these fantasy books, we follow Violet Sorrengail’s journey at a war college for dragon riders, where only a few of the strongest are expected to make it until graduation.
Click here for more about the book.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
This book is a speculative fiction novel written in 1993 that features a post-apocalyptic world. It follows Lauren Olamina, who struggles with hyperempathy, on her journey after her house is burned down and her family is killed.
Click here for more about the book.
Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton
This memoir by Paris Hilton gives readers a closer look at what her life was like growing up, her struggles with ADHD, what it was like to be a pop culture figure in the early 2000s, and who she is now.
Last year for book club, we read Julia Fox’s memoir. In her memoir, she opened up about growing up in the U.S. and Italy, an abusive relationship, her struggles with addiction, her relationship with who she called “The Artist” and navigating motherhood. It felt open and honest. I’m interested to see if Paris' memoir will give the same sort of look behind the highlight reels we see online.
Click here for more about the book.
All the Colors in the Dark by Chris Whittaker
Chris Whittaker’s All the Colors in the Dark is set in the 1970s in a small town in Missouri. The Vietnam War is ending, Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier, and the U.S. is seeing a lot of change, but in this town, girls are going missing. The daughter of a wealthy family disappears, and a boy named Patch saves her. It follows their love story as they search for answers in this case.
“A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession and the blinding light of hope,” according to the description from Barnes and Noble’s website.
Click here for more about the book.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
This is a 1946 memoir by Viktor Frankl that shares details about his experiences as a prisoner and psychiatrist in concentration camps during World War II. “At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful,” according to the Goodreads description.
Click here for more about the book.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
The Women is a historical fiction that follows Frankie McGrath’s journey as a young nurse for the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. This is a book I’ve seen a lot of people reading and talking about, and I am excited to see how it is. I actually just started reading it because it was the first pick for a second book club I just joined, but I haven’t read much of it yet, so it’s hard to say how I am feeling about it so far!
Click here for more about the book.
Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
Catalina, Villavicencio’s first work of fiction, is about the life of an undocumented immigrant attending Harvard. It shares how she navigates school, social circles and relationships while she struggles with the looming uncertainty of what her life will be like for her and her grandparents after she graduates.
This follows her nonfiction debut, The Undocumented Americans, which shares the voices of undocumented individuals across the U.S., from those recruited to clean up Ground Zero after 9/11 and those living in Flint during the water crisis. This one isn’t a book club pick, but I’m adding it to my reading list!
Click here for more about the book.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
The God of the Woods is set in 1975. A summer camp counselor notices an empty bunk and realizes that a girl, who happens to be the daughter of the family who owns the camp, has disappeared. This isn’t the first time this has happened to the family though, as the family’s son similarly disappeared 14 years before this. It delves into the family’s secrets as they search for answers.
Click here for more about the book.
The Wolf Den by Eloise Harper
This is a historical fiction about a young woman who is sold into slavery at an infamous brothel in Pompeii. It’s the first of a trilogy that details the lives of women living in ancient Pompeii.
Click here for more about the book.
Besides these picks, we might add in a few more for book club. We typically pick a thriller around Halloween and a Christmas-themed book in December.
I’ll also be reading for that second book club I mentioned, but we haven’t picked titles for that one yet.
On my personal reading list outside of these book clubs, I’d like to read Tuesdays with Morrie, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant and finish the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.
Well, this was a fun one to write! What books are you looking forward to reading this year?
Happy reading, everyone!
