Reading Plans for 2025 and Beyond 

Following the Labels   

There’s still far too many label ‘buckets’ that aren’t getting the attention they deserve with more than a few languishing in single figures. I’ll see what I can do about that and might make a seriously targeted effort to increase their base numbers. That will also prompt me to get out of my UK/Europe/US country focus.  

The ‘Knowledge Streams’  

I’ll be continuing looking at what I’ve called ‘knowledge Streams’ - Britain Alone 1939-41, World War to Cold War and USA: WTF. Going forward I’ll be focusing on an issue I know many of us are scratching our heads about these days: WTF is going on with the (mostly western) world presently? This means I’ll be reading more post-1945 history and looking at works that prioritise analysis over simple narrative.       

Rolling the Dice 

To introduce some randomness into my sometimes too controlled/rigid reading I shall continue to roll a pair of dice after every finished book to see if I’ll be adding something ‘different’ to the mix by rolling a double. An even double will add a work of non-fiction whilst rolling an odd double will add a work of fiction.  

Finishing/Progressing Series 

There are still far too many series I’ve started that have stalled for some reason. I finished a few in 2024 and will be attempting to finish a few more this year. It will also give me an excuse, if I needed any, to read more science-fiction.   

Classics and Re-Reads 

I read a LOT of classics last year including 18 novels, 2 collections of short stories, 6 Sherlock Holmes books and a non-fiction! This year I’ll be easing back a bit and will be concentrating on reading my Imperial War Museum WW2 classics. I expect to manage at least 5-6 of them. There will be, naturally, other classics too but I doubt that the total will exceed 10-12 in 2025.    

Deep Dives 

I will, of course, still be deep diving this year. I have a few lined up already starting off with Bombs and Female Spies. There probably won’t be as many as last year as I have quicker more shallow dives lined up too.  

Ukraine – and More 

I’m sure that I’m not alone in hoping that the war in Ukraine would have been over by now. I’ve been accumulating books on the region and the conflict since it started and was hoping that I could look back after the war to discover exactly what it was all about. Hopefully it’ll all be over THIS year but even if it is (or isn’t) I’m going to schedule in at least a few books on the subject. If I’m feeling brave I’ll also read/review a few on Israel/Palestine I have waiting in a pile and if I’m feeling PARTICULARLY brave I might even read/review a book or two on Gender and Identity...!   

BIG Project 

I’ve been accumulating a number of books for a ‘Big’ project I’ve been thinking about for a few years now. It’s nothing really ‘amazing’ of anything and is much more just a bit of fun. I was hoping to start it early this year but that might have to be pushed back a bit. I expect that the ‘output’ should take about 5-6 weeks. 

Coupling 

As my TBR could be called, without too much hyperbole, IMMENSE I’m always looking for ideas of how to organise exactly what I’m going to be reading next. I find that too much random reading doesn’t satisfy something in my psyche so I need *some* organising principle to salve that need. So, I came up with the idea of ‘coupling’. This essentially means that I’m going to match two books together to be read sequentially. They may be two books on the same or similar topic. They may be simply two books with a similar (or sometimes the same!) title or plays on words. You’ve seen a few already with the last coupling being the two books on brains, music and mood altering “plants”. Definitely expect some more like that. Coming up will be 3 classics coupled with much more modern sequels or reinterpretations.  

BIG event 

Towards the end of the year the Blog reaches a significant milestone. I’m not exactly sure presently how I’m going to ‘celebrate’ that event, but one thing I am thinking of is instituting (from that point) a ‘Year of Reading Radically’. What that will *exactly* mean I’m still mulling on. Some thoughts are: more translated works, more reading about areas of the globe I know very little about and climbing out of any of my ruts into completely new areas. I expect to throw in some books that will surprise me as much as it should surprise me.  

I think that lot should keep me busy for another year!