I’ve been in a reading slump for two years now and I’m sick of it! I used to love reading; I loved the escape from my real life that reading provided me. Back in 2021 and 2022, I’d reached my Goodreads reading goals of 10 books a year. I was so proud of myself. Now, I struggle to even start a book, let alone get to the end. You would think as an English major my nose would be in a book all the time, but I can attest that the stereotype just isn’t true. This year, I’ve set my Goodreads goal to just five books so I don’t overwhelm myself, and to give my reading-slumped self a chance at actually reaching my goal. Here are some of the contenders for my five books of 2025.
- Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen
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This book was actually gifted to me by my cousin for Christmas. Don’t Believe Everything You Think is a self help book that guides readers in overcoming their anxiety, self doubt, and self sabotage. I’ve never read a self help book, but I think this could be a good genre debut for me, especially as someone who’s spent a huge chunk of her life plagued by anxiety. When researching this book, I read that in the expanded edition (which is the one I have) there’s original poetry! Poetry is one of my passions so I’m even more excited to read this book.
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
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The beloved 1813 novel, Pride and Prejudice is the second book published by Jane Austen. Not only is it a piece of classic literature that’s been a page turner for generations, but Pride and Prejudice has been on my TBR for ages. The English major in me has the strong desire to read the classics and I’ve always seen the Pride and Prejudice edits on TikTok and wanted to get the hype! I am, however, the kind of person who likes to read the book before watching the movie. It was this fall when I finally picked up a copy of Pride and Prejudice — back when I still thought I would be able to pull off USF’s 2025 Study Abroad in London (spoiler: I couldn’t afford it this year). One of the classes offered through the program is ENG 4955: Jane Austen in London. I thought, what better way to get ahead than to start familiarizing myself with Austen’s work? However, disaster struck when my school schedule got too overwhelming. This year, I am really looking forward to finally reading it!
- Funny Story by Emily Henry
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Funny Story follows Daphne, a children’s librarian living alone in stunning Waning Bay, Michigan. Her now ex-fiancĂ© left her for his childhood best friend, leaving her all alone in Waning Bay with no family or friends. That is, until she finds herself entering an unlikely roommate arrangement with the ex-boyfriend of the woman her fiancĂ© left her for.
Emily Henry is my favorite author. Just like so many others, I fell in love with her writing after reading People We Meet on Vacation when it was all over BookTok. Unfortunately, I’ve been in my book slump since before the release of Funny Story! I’ve heard so many good things about this book, even my mom says I’m missing out. I think if I want this re-entry of my reading era to be successful, I’ll have to start with Funny Story. Emily Henry never fails to pull me into one of her books.
- Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
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Great Big Beautiful Life is set to release Apr. 22, 2025 but, of course, being that it’s another Emily Henry book, it’s already on my TBR!
Great Big Beautiful Life is about two writers, Alice and Hayden, competing for the opportunity to write the biography of Margaret Ives, a former tabloid princess who the public hasn’t seen in several years. The two are invited to participate in a one month trial period and at the end, Margaret will decide which one of them she will entrust in writing her story. However, Margaret is only conveying half the story to each potential author, who are unable to convene and connect loose ends because of their air-tight NDAs.
As a writer myself, I love reading books and watching movies that follow writers. This may have something to do with why I love Emily Henry; all of her books have either the main character, love interest, or both as writers. On Apr. 22 this year, you’ll find me with a signed copy glued to my hands.Â
- The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir by Kelly BishopÂ
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In September 2024, Kelly Bishop, who is best known for her portrayal of Emily Gilmore in Gilmore Girls, released her memoir, The Third Gilmore Girl. The Third Gilmore Girl is a reflection on Bishop’s life: the good, the bad and everything in between. This memoir focuses on both career and personal topics in Bishop’s life as well as her aspirations for the future!Â
As a Gilmore Girls fan and someone who 75% of the time identifies as an Emily Gilmore apologist, this one has been on my TBR since its September release. In Goodreads, The Third Gilmore Girl has a 4.4 star rating, which compared to a lot of other books I’ve searched in Goodreads, is impressively high! I think the lives of actors are fascinating and I look forward to reading about Kelly Bishop’s journey!
Reading is like a cheap vacation and I miss it. I miss getting lost in a good book in the morning, then coming out of the trance and realizing I’ve spent my entire day reading. A day reading is always a day well spent in my eyes! This year my goal is to get back into reading. While I’ve set five book goals, getting back into a consistent reading flow will be a win for me!