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Crush Your 2025 Reading Challenge Goals with These Tips
Congrats on taking the first (and arguably most important) step of the 2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge: signing up! By joining, you're making a personal commitment to spend time reading throughout the year. And to help you get started, we're sharing these tried-and-tested tips for staying motivated.
(Haven’t signed up yet? There’s no time like the present—join below.)
Mix up your formats
There’s no need to limit yourself to just physical books. Incorporate audiobooks into your commute, workout sessions, or while doing household chores. E-books are perfect for reading on the go or in low-light conditions. This variety can help you fit more reading into your busy schedule and keep things interesting.
Always have a book with you
Keep a book (or your e-reader) in your bag at all times. You’d be surprised how much reading you can accomplish during unexpected downtime—waiting rooms, long lines, lunch breaks… Those small pockets of time add up quickly over the course of a year.
Set a daily reading target
Break down your goal into manageable daily chunks. Even 20 pages or 30 minutes a day can add up to a significant amount of reading over the year. Consistency is key—make it a habit like brushing your teeth!
Keep a book (or your e-reader) in your bag at all times. You’d be surprised how much reading you can accomplish during unexpected downtime—waiting rooms, long lines, lunch breaks… Those small pockets of time add up quickly over the course of a year.
Set a daily reading target
Break down your goal into manageable daily chunks. Even 20 pages or 30 minutes a day can add up to a significant amount of reading over the year. Consistency is key—make it a habit like brushing your teeth!
Include a mix of genres, lengths, and difficulty levels. Shorter books or graphic novels can give you quick wins, while more challenging reads can be balanced throughout the year. Browse the books that your fellow Goodreads members have been picking up for their own Reading Challenges, our big guide to Summer Reading, or articles from our editorial team, like these recommendations for books to bust a reading slump. And don’t forget to use your Want to Read shelf to help keep track of what you’d like to read next.
Create a cozy reading nook
Designate a comfortable space in your home specifically for reading. Make it inviting with good lighting, comfortable seating, and minimal distractions. Having a dedicated reading spot can help you associate that space with your reading habit.
Use the “rule of 50”
If you’re not enjoying a book after reading about 50 pages, give yourself permission to put it down and move on. Life’s too short to struggle through books you don’t enjoy, and forcing yourself through a difficult read can slow your progress and dampen your enthusiasm.
Schedule reading time
Just as you would schedule any other important activity, block out specific times on your calendar for reading. This could be 30 minutes before bed, during your lunch break, or first thing in the morning with your coffee. Treating reading as a priority ensures it doesn’t get pushed aside by other activities.
Don’t be discouraged if you fall behind—life happens!
You can always change your annual goal on Goodreads. The important thing is to keep reading and enjoying books at your own pace. With these strategies in your tool kit, you’re well-equipped to make significant progress on your Reading Challenge and perhaps even surpass your goals.
Remember, the ultimate goal is to enjoy the journey and reconnect with your love of reading. Each book you finish is an accomplishment, regardless of how many you read in total. Reading should be a pleasure, not a chore, so find ways to make your Challenge personally exciting and rewarding.
Happy reading. And may your year be filled with wonderful books!
Comments Showing 1-50 of 223 (223 new)
This year I may follow the "Rule of 50" more. I have a hard time giving up books even though I do not enjoy them.
Happy New Year readers, enjoy your reading this year as well and hope you all find lot of great reads.
sian (harry’s version) wrote: "100 is the goal for this year 🗣️🗣️🗣️" Great! Good luck!
I keep getting a blank page when I try to set my challenge for the year...I normally set it for 45 but this year I am reducing it as I want to try and read some meatier books.
Excelente! Me apunté 50 libros, pero NO para competir sino para llevar mi conteo personal, nada más. En todo caso, una motivación, peeeero leer ya es parte de mi esencia.
I set myself a decent goal of 25 books. There's about five bricks in it so far but I hope I can finish them! Good luck to everyone in this new Reading Challenge!
Why can‘t I see my friends reading challenges ?? That was so fun
Hola, feliz navidad y feliz año nuevo! 🍾✨🎁🎄....Es mi primer año en esta app y me hizo ilusión el reto de lectura, mi meta será 33 libros jajajjajaa porque? No tengo idea, me gustó el número y este año pasado me leí 20 libros, así que voy a aumentar un poco.... El mejor hábito y hobbie del mundo
Lara wrote: "Why can‘t I see my friends reading challenges ?? That was so fun"i agree
Lara wrote: "Why can‘t I see my friends reading challenges ?? That was so fun"The only way I've discovered to see Friends' Challenges is to scroll through my feed and see where they appear there. Of course that requires them to have set up their Challenge. I can't see them on their Profile pages, but that might be a glitch while the bugs of the new Challenges are being worked out.
Happy New Year! I really love the new achievementes <3
My Goal for this year is 240. Ambitious I know but that is the number of books on my 2025 TBR list. :)
Started reading again since last summer and gonna try and get 35 books in this year
I read during commercial breaks esp. when I'm watching a sporting event, half time is reading time.
Ida wrote: "My Goal for this year is 240. Ambitious I know but that is the number of books on my 2025 TBR list. :)"20 books per month and you can make it!
J'ai remis mon objectif à 40 pour 2025 et on verra, je déguste mes livres
The books you read for school or university count towards the challenge too. Books aren't just fiction. Sometimes we don't have time to read fiction because we have to study, but study books count as well!
This is my first years doing a reading challenge, I’m so excited 😆
Alan (the Lone Librarian) wrote: "Lara wrote: "Why can‘t I see my friends reading challenges ?? That was so fun"The only way I've discovered to see Friends' Challenges is to scroll through my feed and see where they appear there...."
But then you can only see their challenge once, at the start of the year. It won't ever be in your feed again.
Cercherò di seguire di più la regola del 50. Ogni volta spero che la situazione migliori andando avanti...ma non sempre è così.Buona sfida di lettura 2025!
I had a long reading slump moment for a few years, and the tips are really helpful. I wish i could back to loving a book again, wish me luck <3
I can't even find the new challenges to add, other than the monthly and yearly ones it already assigned to me.
change it back to where we can see our friends challenges too!!! go back to the old layout !! we should have an option if we want to go back to the old layout or not !!
dez wrote: "change it back to where we can see our friends challenges too!!! go back to the old layout !! we should have an option if we want to go back to the old layout or not !!"I totally agree.
I need to heed the 50 page limit on books im not enjoying. I find it hard to just give up.
Lara wrote: "Why can‘t I see my friends reading challenges ?? That was so fun"I agree! Hopefully they are still working out glitches with the formatting.
Ann wrote: "Lara wrote: "Why can‘t I see my friends reading challenges ?? That was so fun"I agree! Hopefully they are still working out glitches with the formatting."
There is no glitch. This is the reading challenge and there is no intention of changing it back.
Lara wrote: "Why can‘t I see my friends reading challenges ?? That was so fun"I AGREE! I really hope they bring it back.
Great tips on reading books during the year and for your reading Challenge. I do some of this already. I read some books under 300 pages to make my challenge for 2024. And listening to audio books is a great way to meet your goal. This helped me a lot on my long trip to work each day. My challenge for 2025 is 55 books.
If you are looking for easy wins, consider also reading plays. They are often around a hundred pages, and they can often be finished off in a few hours.
Sarah wrote: "This year I may follow the "Rule of 50" more. I have a hard time giving up books even though I do not enjoy them."Real, I have a hard time following that rule 🤭
Going for 150!!!!🥳🥳🤩🤩
Bryan wrote: "If you are looking for easy wins, consider also reading plays. They are often around a hundred pages, and they can often be finished off in a few hours."Reading short books to make it look like you've read more books, is not a win.
My goal is 50 books, hopefully I can reach it because most times I'm busy with schoolwork but still try to read as much as I can. I've gotten more into listening to audiobooks while I work, because I previously used to hate them but now I'm finding them more useful to read more.
Another vote to go back to the old format!
Good luck with everyone’s goals. My goal is 50 books so wish me luck….
dez wrote: "change it back to where we can see our friends challenges too!!! go back to the old layout !! we should have an option if we want to go back to the old layout or not !!"definitelyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
I like the rule of 50. I hate to DNF...but I've wasted so much time on books I disliked but hoped I'd enjoy eventually.
Last year I've read 5 wonderful books. My love gor reading increase. I'm happy with the result for 2024. This year I'm gonna try to read at least 1 book at month. So in 2025 my goal is 12 books. 📚
This is my first year doing a reading challenge after getting into reading last month, i’m trying to read 50 books this year!
The rule of 50 is new to me but very helpful. Thankyou
Why did you change the reading challenge format? It’s what I looked forward to the most and it’s super disappointing that we can’t see our friend’s challenges now. I also don’t like the specific lists to read from to earn badges but I can ignore that I guess.
If others are as disappointed as I am with the new completely botched reading challenge, please make sure to give your feedback on the challenge page: "Help and feedback" in https://www.goodreads.com/readingchal....
Sarah wrote: "This year I may follow the "Rule of 50" more. I have a hard time giving up books even though I do not enjoy them."I used to never put down a book I hated and wasted so much time reading bad books. It took a while to allow myself to not finish a book. Now, even if at 5 pages if I am hating it, DUMP.
Sign me up!