Reading Plans for 2025 and Beyond – Half Year Update 

My reading ‘Plans’ have not, I think, gone exactly well this year. I’m not 100% sure why that’s so – my ongoing slow reading pace has something to do with that, but that’s not the only reason. Maybe I’m moving into a new (temporary?) more Chaotic Phase....? Anyway, let’s see just how FAR from the ‘Plan’ I’ve deviated at the half-year point. Is there time to course-correct? Do I want to? Good question(s)... 

Following the Labels   

I have been dropping new titles into various label ‘buckets’, although nothing like systematically. So, there’s still quite a few unloved ones there. I’ll see what I can do for them in the next 6 months. The (very) keen eyed amongst you will, however, have noticed that I’ve been adding a few new labels into the mix. They are: 

100 Years (for anything related to the Hundred Years War) which is a slight hint as to what’s coming... 

Military (for all things military *fiction* related) 

Poetry (not likely to be heavily used, but still...) 

Warfare (for all things military *history* related). This will focus on things like battles, weapons, tactics & strategy, commanders and such like 

The ‘Knowledge Streams’    

The 3 main ‘knowledge streams’ are chugging along quietly in the background. Sometimes TOO quietly but I will be focusing on one of them (USA:WTF inevitably) in a slightly different format going forward. 

Rolling the Dice  

I’m still adding a random element into my reading by rolling a pair of dice every time I finish a book. If I roll a double (odd for fiction, even for non-fiction) I add a random book to the read-next pile. As an additional random factor, I re-roll the dice to see how many extras I read. The vast majority of the time its just the one, but recently I rolled a double 4 (so non-fiction) THEN rolled a double SIX which meant SIX non-fiction.... That pile will be coming up shortly! 

Finishing/Progressing Series   

Zero progress here, I’m afraid. There are probably 5-6 series I’m partially the way through ATM. I will get to them... 

Classics and Re-Reads   

I wasn’t ‘planning’ on reading THAT many classics this year but then I bought TWO Penguin short classics boxsets... To be honest they’re a great way of expanding my reading range in a number of directions, so I’m more than happy with that. Plus, being short (under 60pp) they’re really starting to plump up my review pile. 

Deep Dives   

I haven’t done that many ‘deep dives’ lately (3 or more books on a narrow subject) but I have a few lined up that’ll be completed before the end of the year – with more to come after that. 

Ukraine – and More   

I keep meaning to read about the Ukraine war and the Middle East but have singularly failed to do so – and it's not because I haven’t the material to read. Of that I have plenty. It is coming, but not right away. The good news is that I’ve managed to squeeze in ONE book on Palestine in the unexpected 6 additional non-fiction care of the Book Gods. 

BIG Project   

My Big (or indeed Last) Project is being delayed until next year – pushed back by other projects (not quite as big maybe) that have managed to gain my attention. One of these, coming before the end of the year, is a look at the 20th Century from 1914-1983 with each book covering one of those momentous years. But the original BIG Project is coming, and I think it’ll be a LOT of fun. 

Coupling  

One of the (many and ever-changing) ways I decide what to read next is what I’ve labelled ‘coupling’ where I mash two books together that have some connection – be it the same subject from two different viewpoints or something as simple as having similar titles. I’ve already had a few of those this year and there are MANY more in the pipeline. 

BIG event   

Towards the end of the year this Blog will hit a significant milestone. As part of that I’ll be instituting ‘A Year of Reading Radically’ which, I hope, will push at my reading boundaries and give me moral assistance in extracting myself from my many reading comfort zones that I’m (generally) reluctant to leave. It’ll be an effort, but I’ll see what I can accomplish.  

The other avenue I’ll be exploring is a bit more personal. I started looking at my ancestry some time ago but haven’t been giving that subject the attention it deserves. So, from towards the end of the year I’ll be looking a little inward at my own personal history. This will mean reading more about 20th Century England (specifically, at first, post 1960) especially focused on Northern England and even more specifically on the city of Liverpool. Later on I’ll widen this ‘investigation’ to my parents' generation and look at the same geographical areas – extending to Ireland – from the 1920’s and 30’s onwards. That should be both interesting in itself and might (hopefully!) help me understand some of the data I’ve acquired about my ancestors...  

As usual I’ll be surprised if I get anywhere near 50% of this even started – but what’s a Heaven for, right?