Reading in 2025: Finding Your Path

Planning a Reading Year

Whether you keep a formal list or note titles as you browse the library, we all accumulate a hefty "to-be-read" list.

Inspired by a library's extensive reading challenge, you might find inspiration in categorizing books, exploring genres you don't typically read, and sharing recommendations.

However, not all reading journeys are best shaped by someone else's arbitrary rules.

"Man is the creature who cannot escape from himself, who knows other people only in himself, and when he asserts the contrary, he is lying." - Marcel Proust

Good Intentions and an Ever-Shifting Pile

Despite the plethora of books we want to read, life can get in the way, leaving our stacks untouched, our reading lists abandoned.

Last year, many books were started but not finished. The lure of the perfect book yet to be discovered remains.

Memories fade, nostalgia beckons, and our shelves fill with books we can't recall reading.

A Long Read

A new year offers a fresh start for reading, the promise of sinking into something profound.

Perhaps it's time to tackle a long-desired project, like finally reading Proust's In Search of Lost Time.

Months ago, the idea emerged from nowhere, and it has taken hold, despite the daunting reputation for difficulty.

The Art of the Book Stack – Postcard No. 4

Capture your reading journey on a postcard this January.

Draw the cover or spine of your current book, or create a stack of titles that await you.

You might include a quote, let your lettering skills shine, or sketch a scene from the book.

Consider using this postcard as a reading tracker, or making it a habit to create a postcard representation of each book you read this year.

Reading Lists

Looking for inspiration? Explore these resources:

• A Year of Postcard Connections: A monthly postcard art challenge that encourages connection through the mail.
• Illustrated Life: A Substack by writer Amy Cowen, featuring essays on illustrated journals, memory, and the importance of creative habit.

Stay Curious

Our reading choices reveal much about ourselves. Whether you follow a structured challenge or forge your own path, make this a year of literary exploration and self-discovery.

Who knows what hidden gems or transformative experiences might lie just a page away?