Bookish Goals for 2025

My Bookish Goals for 2025

1) Reading Challenge: 75 Books

Last year, I set a goal of 50 and ended up reading 76, so this year, I’m aiming to match that success. Let’s see how it goes!


2) Local Library Challenge: Finish my daughter’s 1000 Books Before Kindergarten goal

My 4-year-old daughter is so close to completing the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge! We’ve read about 820 individual books so far. I think she might get some fun prizes, like a shirt, when she finishes. We’re excited to reach the finish line!

3) Read More New-To-Me Authors

I’m looking forward to reading more new-to-me authors this year! I want to branch out, explore some fun debuts, and finally check out books by authors my bookish friends are always raving about.


4) Tackle My Non-fiction Shelf

I’m planning to finally read some of the nonfiction books I own. They cover a mix of topics, like the Regency era, women lighthouse keepers, and some fun how-to guides.


5) Clean Out Old Titles

I’m no Marie Kondo when it comes to books, but I am "book" shelf-aware enough to know, that if I own a romance paperback, and have not got around to reading it in ten years time, that it’s time to find it a new home. I’m going to do a great clean out soon.

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Waiting on Wednesday (40)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme originally created by Jill at Breaking the Spine and now hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings under the heading “Can’t Wait Wednesday” where bloggers share books they're excited for, that have yet to be released. I’m sticking with the original name “Waiting On Wednesday” because I like continuity.

For this Waiting on Wednesday, I picked Fan Service by Rosie Danan.

Release Date: March 11, 2024

Book Summary:

The truth is stranger than fan fiction in the next sexy paranormal rom-com from the beloved author of The Roommate.

The only place small-town outcast Alex Lawson fits in is the online fan forum she built for The Arcane Files, a long-running werewolf detective show. Her dedication to archiving fictional supernatural lore made her Internet-famous, even if she harbors a secret disdain for the show’s star, Devin Ashwood. (Never meet your heroes—sometimes they turn out to be The Worst.)

Ever since his show went off the air, Devin and his career have spiraled, but waking up naked in the woods outside his LA home with no memory of the night before is a new low. It must have been a coincidence that the once-in-a-century Wolf Blood Moon crested last night. The claws, fangs, and howling are a little more difficult to explain away. Desperate for answers, Devin finds Alex—the closest thing to an expert that exists. If only he could convince her to stop hating his guts long enough to help....

Once he makes her an offer she can’t refuse, these reluctant allies lower their guards trying to wrangle his inner beast. Unfortunately, getting up close and personal quickly comes back to bite them.

My Thoughts:

Oh, I can definitely relate to a character escaping the small-town blues through online fan forums! I think most girls growing up have that one favorite show or movie they just can't stop gushing over.

This sounds like such a fun team-up! And hey, I'm all for equal representation in fan service for us ladies-we're so often overlooked.

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Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025

My Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025

1) Say You’ll Remember Me

2) Deep End

3) Fan Service

4) Wild Side

5) First Time Caller

6) The Love Lyric

7) Shadow's Heart

8) The Listeners 

9) Sunrise On The Reaping 

10) Book Boyfriend

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Waiting on Wednesday (39)

For this Waiting on Wednesday, I picked Deep End by Ali Hazelwood.

Release Date: February 4, 2025

Book Summary:

“Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

 
Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.
 
So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water...”

My Thoughts: 

I was genuinely surprised to learn that Ali Hazelwood, known for her nerdy STEM romances, is releasing a college-era sports romance. While a paranormal romance and a video game-centered romance seemed like natural progressions of her geeky themes, a sports romance feels like a new direction for her. Having enjoyed sports romances like The Wall of Winnipeg, I’m curious to see where Hazelwood takes her writing next. It’s clear she’s not afraid to branch out and won’t be typecast as only writing nerdy characters.

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Waiting on Wednesday (38)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme originally created by Jill at Breaking the Spine and now hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings under the heading “Can’t Wait Wednesday” where bloggers share books they're excited for, that have yet to be released. I’m sticking with the original name “Waiting On Wednesday” because I like continuity.

For this Waiting on Wednesday, I picked Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

Release Date: April 1, 2025

Book Summary: 

"There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an a@@hole wrong…

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering."

My Thoughts: 

After rating Abby Jimenez's “Just For The Summer” 5 stars, I'm eager for a follow-up and curious about the direction her new work will take.

I've never claimed to be much of a Taylor Swift fan, although I liked “Midnights” well enough, so the title doesn't influence my judgment either way. Pop music is just pop music to me.

Thinking back, I'm not entirely sure if I've ever read a romance with a veterinarian hero. However, since I was a pet mom long before I became a kiddo mom, this could definitely be swoon-worthy. Here’s to hoping!

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TTT: Children’s Books on our Fall TBR list

Children’s Books on our Fall TBR list

Nowadays, we're reading for the https://1000booksbeforekindergarten.org/ challenge through our local library. We're over half-way there! I love revisiting my fav children's books with my kiddo, and discover our new favs, too.

 

1 - Penguin and Pumpkin




2 - Pumpkin Day!: A Festive Pumpkin Book for Kids





3 - Fletcher and the Falling Leaves




4 - Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn




5 - Boo Who?




6 - Pumpkin by Charlie W. Sterling




7 - The Scarecrow




8 - You’re the Apple of my Pie




9 - Applesauce season




10 - Too Many Pumpkins

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Waiting on Wednesday (37) Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme originally created by Jill at Breaking the Spine and now hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings under the heading “Can’t Wait Wednesday” where bloggers share books they're excited for, that have yet to be released. I’m sticking with the original name “Waiting On Wednesday” because I like continuity.

For this Waiting on Wednesday, I picked Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood.

Release Date: October 1, 2024 by Spotify

Book Summary: "Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, a.k.a. her arch-nemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her–and Viola has no idea why.

When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can’t think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you.

But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one."

My Thoughts: Ok, so although I am fairly burned out on the enemies-to-lovers trope right now...being that I am an enormous nerd, a romance involving video games, especially video game developers/designers would be an automatic TBR pile add for me. Having Ali Hazelwood write such a novel, I am sure that the novel will contain a relatable heroine, smoking hot nerd hero, and lots of witty and/or snarky banter that will make me laugh out loud, and stay up way too late.

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