Happy 2025!

I was going to start this post off by talking about the new year, but seeing as it is now mid-February, scratch that. January is the perfect time to talk about books, especially as people set resolutions and search for inspiration on what to read next. Before I dive into my reading goals and TBR (to-be-read) list for 2025, let’s take a little trip through my reading history.

I always read books in school, but I first started reading for pleasure in fourth grade. My love for books truly took off when I started reading Twilight. Yes, Twilight! I know—it’s a divisive choice—but that’s where it all began for me, and I have zero regrets. After that, I moved on to young adult books in general, especially contemporary and fantasy. I devoured series like The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot and Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan.

I spent countless hours each week at my local public library, browsing the shelves for anything that caught my interest and participating in a book club. I vividly remember our first book had time travel elements, similar to A Wrinkle in Time,and we spent so much time debating the logistics of time travel in the story—which I absolutely loved. That experience sparked my love for book clubs, and I was lucky enough to join another one in high school. Being part of a book club exposed me to books I wouldn’t have picked up on my own and helped me appreciate details I might have otherwise overlooked.

And then—plot twist! After years of devouring books, I just… stopped.

I don’t know exactly why my reading slump happened, but after graduating high school, I completely stopped reading for pleasure. Maybe it was the stress of college, adjusting to new responsibilities, or just life changes in general. Shrugs Who knows? But my reading slump turned into a full-on hiatus that lasted five years.

A surprise to no one, the book that finally snapped me out of it was Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer. For those who haven’t heard of it, it’s essentially Twilight retold from Edward’s perspective. On a whim, I picked it up—and I fell headfirst back into my love of reading. I finished it in one day and was at the bookstore the next, eager to grab more books.

After that, my reading preferences shifted. I found myself gravitating toward romance novels, with some literary fiction mixed in. I think there’s something about the comforting, formulaic nature of romance that really pulled me in. For a while, I was reading a book a day before I slowed down to a more sustainable pace. Some of the books I picked up during that phase included The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan, and The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren.

More recently, I’ve been dipping back into fantasy, which has been so exciting. I’ve mostly been picking up whatever is available at my local library—which, if you haven’t noticed, I love libraries. Seriously, if you have the chance, please support your local library! They’re such vital community resources, making books and information accessible to everyone.

Let me know if you’d be interested in book reviews or monthly reading wrap-ups—I’d love to share more of my reading journey with you!

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