We can get quite busy throughout the year and forget about our “To Be Read” pile. Some books find themselves sitting in the back of your nightstand with a bookmark in the middle of a chapter. Other books are brand new but covered in dust and begging to be opened. However, the New Year has begun, which means you have the perfect chance to tackle those lingering books. Introducing seven tricks to complete your TBR stack of books in 2025!
1) Spots to Keep Your Books
Grab the books you intend to read and place them in an easy-to-grab spot. If your bookshelf has a candle or a mirror sitting on top of it as decor, put the books behind them. Or put your books in the back of your nightstand drawer. Even better, throw them underneath all the clothes you don’t wear sitting in your closet. If you’re thinking that you’re going to forget about them, I promise you won’t. These places are just super comfy and cozy for them to chill in while you work on beginning them. Plus, if someone is plotting to steal your books, they won’t be able to because they’re perfectly tucked away in the safest places! It’s a win-win situation!
2) A Genre You Despise
Add a few books from a genre you hate into your “To Be Read” pile. You may be thinking that it’s your least favorite genre for a reason, but give it a chance! Maybe it’ll prove you wrong and unexpectedly become a genre you love. Plot twist! It becomes your new favorite genre that you can’t get away from. If you hate horror, pick up Stephen King’s book. If you despise mysteries, try Agatha Christie. If you loathe romance, start a Nicholas Sparks book. If you detest poetry, dive into Rupi Kaur’s Home Body. It’s 2025, which means it’s time to put your pride aside and go for it! You know what they say … don’t judge a book by its cover!
3) Fascinating Books
You should definitely add some spice to your “To Be Read” stack by adding Math for Electricians by Rob Zachariason. Let’s face it: you haven’t tackled this pile of books because they’re boring and lame. However, if you add this cheeky book to your list, you’re 100% guaranteed to open the front cover ASAP! It’ll be your favorite part of the day. This book will make you beyond eager to learn about the math concepts used by electricians. You will undeniably look forward to getting into bed and cuddling up with this book just before you nod off. You may even find yourself staying up just to read it because you’ve been overcome with excitement. These pages will keep you up all hours of the night!
4) Reading Locations
Find the perfect reading spot. Sometimes, an ideal reading location can motivate you to read non-stop. Finding a perfect reading spot can be quite difficult. However, we are here to help you out! Take one of your books into a sauna. You’ll feel yourself one with the moisture while you sink into the book’s pages. Take one of your books with you on vacation! So what, you’re in front of the Colosseum? You’ve seen the Great Pyramids of Giza on Google! Don’t bother staring at Christ the Redeemer. And I’m sure you’ll stand on the Great Wall of China at another point in your life. Lastly, try starting one of your books while you take a shower. You’ll surely have time to flip the page between lathering yourself in soap.
5) Utilize Free Time
Dive into your “To Be Read” list while you have free time from your job. We can get quite busy throughout the year and forget how much we love books. Therefore, it’s important to rekindle that passion in 2025! So, whenever you have free time while at work, make sure to pull out one of your books and read. For example, if you’re a surgeon who is in the middle of surgery and you just feel like you need to take a break! Get your book out, take a seat, and get to reading. The patient definitely won’t object. Or if you’re a lawyer in the middle of court. Maybe the case sparks some passion, and you just need to take some time to read your romance novel. You can even inspire everyone in the court to read, too!
6) Learning Languages
So, one of your New Year’s resolutions is to learn a new language. Perfect! All your books should be in the language you are trying to learn! Read every single book in your “To Be Read” pile in your aspired language. Your books will be in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, or Japanese! It doesn’t matter that you don’t know the language, you’ll totally learn along the way. And don’t even think about using Google Translate. This is a legit trick that’ll make you read 500 pages within five hours. If you plan to learn French, you can start this bookish language journey by reading Et Si Je T’aime, Je Fais Comment by Anastasia Seguin. I can’t tell you what it’s about, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out! I have all the confidence in you!
7) Moody Lighting
Everyone always says how lovely it is to read under candlelight. This is a great idea that can totally get you in the mood to read! Turn off your bedroom lights and light one singular candle. And those three-wick candles don’t count! Get one candle with one wick and light it. To really set the mood, place it far away from you. If you don’t have candles, don’t worry! Turn off your lights, grab a flashlight, and place it on the floor next to you. The flashlight will definitely provide you with enough light to see the words on the pages. If you really want to set the reading mood, then completely turn off your lights and try to read without any lighting! It’s not like lights are necessary!
Now that you have these seven tricks and tips to complete your “To Be Read” list, you can conquer the rest of 2025! Your year will be full of enjoyable reading experiences and you’ll fall in love with books all over again. Enjoy the best bookish year you’ll ever have!
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