12 Books, 12 Months: My Ambitious 2025 Reading Plan

[@b00ksaras]

Good to see Gerard Reve on here! I read it in Dutch and loved it. Good luck with the plan!

[@DrCrankyPantsReads]

Thank you! I’ve heard so many wonderful things about The Evenings, and I’m really excited to finally read it. And thank you for the good luck-I’ll definitely need it to stick to this plan!

[@anenthusiasticreader]

Hi! I heard about your channel on EveningReader's latest video. Welcome. Like Priscilla, I love Two Girls, Fat and Thin. It's...energetic. Love all the plans you've made.

[@DrCrankyPantsReads]

Hi! Thank you so much for stopping by-and a big thanks to Evening Reader for the shout-out! I’m so excited to hear you love Two Girls, Fat and Thin too. I’ve heard such great things about it, and now I’m really intrigued by your description of it as 'energetic'... care to elaborate? I’d love to hear more about what you mean! And thank you for the kind words about my plans-I’m cautiously optimistic about sticking to them this year!

[@anenthusiasticreader]

@@DrCrankyPantsReads Without giving too much away, I'd say that the main characters of TGFandT are depicted as having nothing to lose and few filters, so when they interact, they're playing off each other's bad energy and the story goes from there. Here's a sample sentence from Gaitskill that I wrote in my goodreads review back when I read it: "Her voice held a tea party in the garden while a child was murdered in in the house." It's been a while since I've read it, but I remember how unconventional it felt. I think you'll have a good time in that world.

[@DrCrankyPantsReads]

This makes me even more excited to dive in!

[@pleasereadyourbook]

The Evenings sounds interesting, I love Amsterdam and also introspective books. Just found your channel and subbed!

[@DrCrankyPantsReads]

Thanks for subscribing! If you love Amsterdam and introspective books, The Evenings should be right up your alley. I’m slated to read it in January-unless my TBR pulls its usual tricks

[@AlRaven43]

this is such a mood, ive been working through my 134 book long tbr this year, 46 books this year thus far, (and 16 annotated) hopefully ill get another one done by the end of the year, good on you for trying to get through the cursed pile

[@DrCrankyPantsReads]

Wow, 46 books this year-and 16 annotated? That’s seriously impressive! It sounds like you’ve been making amazing progress through your TBR, even if it feels cursed sometimes (and let’s be honest, all TBRs do). Here’s hoping you knock out another one before the end of the year. Cheering you on from one TBR warrior to another!

[@book-ramble]

Pitifully small pile of books... lol. Wow. Great shot! Heeeere's Nick!! What an intriguing set of books - very erudite! It will be a journey for sure. Buckle up! Here's to great 2025!!

[@DrCrankyPantsReads]

That shot took way more work than it was probably worth. What got edited out was my hand hitting one of the books and sending it all toppling. Not because of the hand, but because of the language I used. Not very erudite, not very demure.

[@book-ramble]

@@DrCrankyPantsReads LOl... but the end result was very good. Bravo, sir.

[@EveningReader]

Oh, the tumbling TBR! 🤣 I love that cover on The Evenings. (An Amsterdam book--I must read it.) Two Girls Fat and Thin is one of my favorite novels of all time. The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay has been on my TBR forever. Oooh, Cheever bio! I've been wanting to start the Rivers of London series. Love Kate Atkinson. I've got Shrines of Gaiety for next year (hopefully). The last two are both on my TBR. Excellent list!

[@DrCrankyPantsReads]

Ah, the tumbling TBR indeed! It feels so true sometimes. 🤣 When I visited Scheltema this summer, the bookseller insisted The Evenings was 'quintessentially Amsterdam,' so I had to pick it up. I’ll be reading it in January (according to this very video), and I’ll report back! I’m so excited to hear Two Girls, Fat and Thin is one of your favorites-Gaitskill really feels like she’s having a moment, and I can’t wait to partake. Same with Kavalier and Clay-it’s been staring at me forever, but this is the year. And Shrines of Gaiety! I absolutely loved it-Kate Atkinson never misses. I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know your thoughts when you finish. Can’t wait to hear what you think!

[@eriebeverly]

Good luck with the reading year. If it were me I'd substitute Mr. Lear by Jenny Uglow for the Cheever. Mr. Lear is one of those books you start and think this is the best thing ever. And then you're on page 12 and exhausted with how well-written it is. And Uglow isn't as problematic as Bailey.

[@DrCrankyPantsReads]

Mr. Lear sounds good! I love books that balance brilliant writing with that 'this is incredible but exhausting' feeling. I’ll definitely add it to my TBR. As for Blake Bailey…yeah, he’s such a frustrating figure. He’s undeniably problematic, and the allegations against him are horrifying. At the same time, it’s infuriating how talented he is as a writer-he really knows how to craft a compelling biography. I bought The Cheever Biography way before the allegations came to light, and as a remaindered copy, not to support Bailey, but because I was fascinated by Cheever’s life. That said, Bailey can absolutely go away, which is why I always refer to it as The Cheever Biography and not by his name. Separating the art from the artist while still acknowledging the harm they’ve done is freaking exhausting.

[@ravent3016]

Good luck following the plan. 🐞 I am hoping to knock off 25 in 2025 from my physical TBR - I am still mulling over the final books but they will include lots of 2024 book acquisitons that I did not read. Some were gifts, so I have to try them at least. The titles I did select - 3 manga (several vols to finish those series but counted as one title - Heartstopper, Honey and Clover, and Spy x Family ) Radioactive - Lauren Redniss (graphic novel) Vagabond Vol 1 - Takehiko Inoue (graphic novel) March: Book One - John Lewis and Andrew Aydin (graphic novel) Digger - Ursula Vernon (graphic novel) Olivetti - Allie Millington Thornhedge - T. Kingfisher A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World - C. A. Fletcher Day Zero - C. Robert Cargill Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells (partial series re-read, two are new) Thursday Murder Club series #2 - Richard Osman Half a Soul - Regency Faerie Tale 01 - Olivia Atwater Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries - Heather Fawcett Four Thousand Weeks - Oliver Burkeman On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong America - Stephen Fry

[@DrCrankyPantsReads]

Wow, this is such a fantastic list! March is ridiculously powerful-one of those books that stays with you long after you close it. And Olivetti was a recent read for me, too-I found it so enjoyable and surprising in the best way. I always love spending time with The Thursday Murder Club crew (Richard Osman never disappoints), and On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is one of my all-time favorites. Ocean Vuong’s writing just hits. And Four Thousand Weeks-I’d love to hear what you think once you get to it! It completely shifted how I think about time and priorities. I’m so impressed by the ambitiousness of 25-braver than I am! Just a little reminder: gift books have already served their purpose-they conveyed the giver’s affection for you. If you’re genuinely not interested in a book, that’s okay. I’m sure the gifter wouldn’t want it to feel like another thing on your to-do list. Reading should bring joy, not guilt! Best of luck with your 25 in 2025 plan-I can’t wait to hear how it goes. You’ve got such a great mix of graphic novels, fantasy, and literary fiction here!

[@justink5000]

Ooh, you use Storygraph? What's your account name, I'd love to follow you there 🤗

[@DrCrankyPantsReads]

Yes, I use Storygraph! My account’s a bit of a mess right now, but I’m in the process of getting it organized. I’ll be sharing it in my next long form video, and I can’t wait to connect there-looking forward to being Storygraph friends!