It’s December 31st. The clock is ticking. Somewhere outside, people are chilling champagne and planning to wear sequins. But me? I am currently hunched over a 400-page thriller like a gargoyle, reading at the speed of light.
Why? Because I’m at 49 books. My Goodreads goal is 50. And I refuse to let a little thing like "socializing" or "the end of the calendar year" stop me from hitting that digital dopamine button.
The New Year’s Eve Reading Taxonomy
On this final night of the year, every reader falls into one of three categories. Which one are you currently inhabiting?
The Finisher: You are 80% through a book and you will finish it before the ball drops. You are reading while brushing your teeth. You are reading during commercials. You might be reading under the table at a party. We see you. We respect the hustle.
The Stats-Padder: You realized at noon today that you were three books short of your goal, so you’ve spent the day reading 30-page graphic novels and children’s poetry books. Is it cheating? No. It’s strategy.
The "Clean Slate" Romantic: You finished your last book on the 28th and refuse to start a new one until January 1st. You want that "Date Started: Jan 1" to look pristine. You are currently staring at a wall, vibrating with the need to read, but holding out for the aesthetic.
Looking Back: My Top Reads of 2025
Before we flip the calendar and pretend we’re going to read more non-fiction (we aren't), let’s look at the "Best of" from this past year. These are the books that stayed with me long after I turned the lights out:
Best Plot Twist: That one thriller where the narrator turned out to be an unreliable houseplant. (Okay, not really, but it felt that wild.)
Most Tears Shed: A historical fiction that made me cry so hard I had to explain to my mailman that I was "just mourning a fictional 19th-century blacksmith."
The "I Can't Believe I Waited This Long": Finally reading that classic everyone raves about and realizing... wait, this is actually good?
New Year’s Resolutions (That We Might Actually Keep)
Forget the gym. Forget the kale smoothies. Here are the resolutions for the true bibliophile:
I will stop buying new books until I finish at least three from the "Tower of Shame" on my nightstand. (Valid until Jan 2nd).
I will actually return that book I borrowed from Sarah in 2022.
I will DNF (Do Not Finish) books that don't spark joy. Life is too short for bad prose and boring protagonists.
A Midnight Toast: Here’s to the stories that kept us company when the world felt too loud, the characters who felt like friends, and the authors who stayed up late so we could do the same.
Happy New Year, everyone! May your 2026 be filled with crisp pages, perfect tea-to-chapter ratios, and absolutely zero spoilers.
How close did you get to your reading goal this year? Tell me your final count!
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