Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Bookish Promises for 2025

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.    

Welcome back to Tuesday! Here we are at the second Tuesday of the year. How is your week going so far? 

Today, we are sharing our Top Ten Bookish Goals for 2025. I've always liked the word "Promises" better, because it kind of tricks my brain into completing more of them. Mom always told me not to break a promise. I'm all for some brain trickery if it helps me feel more productive. Here are my...

Top Ten Bookish Promises for 2025

Complete my Goodreads challenge

This year, I set my goal at 80. Goodreads is kindly telling me that I am two books behind schedule. What it doesn't know is that I am actually three reviews behind schedule. This promise might be aggressive considering the real estate year I plan to have and the other promises I am declaring, but I love working toward this challenge each year.

Read 15 books from my TBR Pile.

This is the same promise as last year. I tend to read more review books throughout the year, but I would love to whittle down my TBR Pile. I read 16 from my TBR Pile last year, so this seems manageable.

Read 4 leadership books.

Having read three last year, I plan to dedicate more time to these skills in 2025. 

Read 2 personal or professional development books.

Audible makes it easier for me to read these books, some of which I don't want to own in print. Like leadership skills, consistently developing these skills is a focus in 2025. 

Read a book in a genre I don't usually read.

This is a standing promise to expand my horizons each year by reading a book in a genre that I don't tend to read often or at all. 

Complete Amelia's Mission.

If I do nothing else with my writing in 2025, I want to complete my middle grade historical. It will still need a ton of work, and I will need to brush up on my market research, but this is the year I either hide it in my digital drawer or write the end.

Complete Sheltered Hearts.

This is the second book in the series I started with my 2023 NaNoWriMo project, Home for the Heart. I'm impatiently waiting for news on that one. If the agent accepts it, then this promise will move to the top of the list.

Invest in a new author website.

It's time. My knowledge has taken this website as far as it can go. I'm hiring a professional to redesign my author website. The wallet won't be happy, but the site needs a more professional look than I can give it. 

Plot the last book in the series.

I already know which character will be the focus of the last book in the series, but I don't know her story yet. Some ideas are tumbling around in my head, but until I finish Sheltered Hearts, it will be challenging to plot out another novel. 

Complete NaNoWriMo.

If I am able to plot out the last book in time, then I should accomplish this. 

I would add in that I would still like to make room in my schedule for two to three paid editing jobs. Not sure how feasible that is. 

What are some goals/promises on your list? Which one is your top priority this year? 

Book Review & Giveaway: 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner, Volume III by Mariëlle S. Smith

 

Are you tired of not meeting your writing goals? Do you desire to have a sustainable writing practice? Are you ready to get out of your own way? Then pick up a copy of 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner, Volume III by Mariëlle S. Smith. 

In the third volume of the 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner, the author brings you an updated book that reflects tweaks she made to her coaching practice. While this book is no substitute for a coach, it does a fine job of helping you to set up the systems that will move your writing career forward.

Each week starts off with an inspirational quote from successful people in a variety of fields, but many of them writers whose names you would recognize. The 52 weeks program starts off speaking about clarity. Then you set goals, plan to see if they are realistic goals and what you can do to achieve them, and have a weekly day-by-day fillable worksheet broken up into Morning, Afternoon, and Night. Each week ends with a writing prompt. By Week 2, you are tracking your progress and repeating the planning stage for the new week. Once you reach each three-month milestone, you celebrate and go back to seeking clarity again. 

What I feel is the great power behind the 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner is the discipline and consistency it creates. In addition, the author's insightful questions allow you consider if you are setting goals that really work for you and that help you learn more about yourself and your writing along the way. 

This is a fabulous resource for writers who truly want to take their careers to the next level. It's about putting the systems in place that increase your productivity, celebrating your achievements, and inspiring you to bigger and better things. So glad I requested this book. 

BOOK EXCERPT

WRITING PROMPT 

Each writing prompt is optional. If, for whatever reason, it does not speak to you, let it be. Who knows? It might make more sense to do the prompt later in the process. 

Most writers are introverts and dread the visibility that comes with success. This might not be you, but to some of us this fear is what stops us from finishing our work. Because what if people read it and want to talk to us about it? What if we're forced to leave the privacy of our desks and go out into the world, into the spotlight, with nowhere to hide? 

If this resonates with you, know you're not alone. Grab your journal or open a new document on your computer and set your timer to ten minutes. Now list all the good that could come with success. 

If this is a fear you recognise all too well, keep this list close once you've finished it.

All purchase links can be found on https://mswordsmith.nl/journal 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Weeks-Writing-Author-Journal-Planner-ebook/dp/B081Y6ZMPY/

Mariëlle S. Smith will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour. 

 ENTER BELOW

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a free digital copy from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.