University of Kwazulu-Natal

Ten Tips For Reading More In 2025 By Mandi Gerth

Bonisiwe Shabane
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ten tips for reading more in 2025 by mandi gerth

Lots of articles are floating around right now about books read in 2024 and reading plans for 2025. I don’t believe in magic when it comes to habits, just diligence and good advice. I managed to finish 62 books in 2024 while writing my own and beginning three new jobs. Reading is part of my life, “as familar as my coat and shoes, as my body.”* I cannot go without. This is how I do it, no matter what happens to me and around me. I share it as advice, for what it’s worth.

Pay attention to what you feel like reading. Years ago, I realized that I preferred to read certain types of books at different times of the day or on different days of the week. When I realized this about myself, I intentionally started to structure my reading to match this rhythm. I leaned into it, rather than forcing it to be what it was not. For example, I read devotional books in the morning after prayer. I read novels in the evening before bed.

I read nonfiction or classic literature on Sunday afternoons as a part of my Sabbath rest. I try to read aloud to my family after dinner and to my daughters before bed, although that’s harder and harder to do. Have multiple books going at the same time. Once you have figured out your rhythm, match books to the type of reading you find easiest to do at different points of the day and at different points in the week. Having multiple books going at the same time helps you get more reading done, not less. Choose your reading categories and then start a book in each category.

When you finish a book in that category, pick up a new one to fill its place. Don’t wait to finish all categories before you start a new book. Just keep replacing the ones you finish in each category as you complete them. When I was a younger mom, I used to make lots and lots of book lists: grade-level required summer reading for school, recommended books for boys from older moms, books I enjoyed as a... I spent a lot of time looking for the good books, and then tracking all the summer reading minutes so that my kids could win prizes. As summer vacation opens before us and warm temperatures whisper promises of leisure, I want to encourage you to hit pause before you begin making all those lists and aiming for all the prizes.

Perhaps this summer, unlike those before, you should focus first on your own summer reading. Doing so models for your children what it looks like to make classical education something you do all year long while also fostering your own spiritual and intellectual growth. I managed to finish 62 books in 2024 while writing my own book and beginning three new jobs. Reading is part of my life, “as familiar as my coat and shoes, as my body.”* I cannot go without. This is how I do it, no matter what happens to me and around me—may these suggestions help you to increase your own reading as well! Need ideas for how to start a classical reading plan?

Start with your school’s book list! Or, start your own rotation of categories with a few of my favorites: The Republic by Plato The Odyssey by Homer The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Frankenstein by Mary Shelley The Death of Ivan Illych by Leo Tolstoy Some common sense thoughts on how to read more in 2025. https://lnkd.in/grq3w8Vd Headmaster, Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Victory (Centennial, CO)

This made me feel better about currently reading four books: one non-fiction, one novel, one devotional and one classic. Great advice! In between those New Year's Resolutions to eat healthier and exercise more, why not give your brain a bit of a workout too? Regular reading leads to positive impacts on your mental and emotional well-being, including slowing down cognitive decline, bolstering empathy and curiosity, improving your vocabulary and reducing stress. Reading can also help you get better sleep. Like any habit or skill, you'll benefit from being consistent and prioritizing reading in your life.

There’s no magic solution, but there are hacks to help you up your reading time in 2025. Between trying new formats, knowing when to put down the book and the best time to pick a new one up, these seven suggestions will benefit any reader – seasoned or rookie. For tips, I asked Al Woodworth, a senior editor at Amazon Books who reads hundreds of books a year, and Ryan Carr, a book influencer who read almost 70 books in 2024, almost double... Take a moment to reflect on why you want to read more in 2025. Is it because you want to join in on the BookTok fun? Need to get off your phone more?

Is there a subject you want to learn about? Have you found yourself staring at your TBR pile, wanting to read… but just not feeling it? You’re not alone. Even as someone who loves books and talks about them daily, I’ve been in a serious reading slump lately. Between doomscrolling, life stress, and feeling overwhelmed, reading started to feel like a chore. But I’ve slowly found my way back—and today, I’m sharing 10 low-pressure, joyful ways you can do the same.

Whether you’re trying to finish your first book of the year or get back into a daily habit, these tips will help you build a sustainable and fun reading life again. Let’s start with the pressure point: reading goals. If you’ve been aiming to read 100 books a year and falling short, maybe it’s time to scale back. Start small: try one book a month, or even one book every two months. The goal is consistency, not volume. And if you’re having a great reading month?

Celebrate it! But don’t let a bad month derail you.

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