Normally during the last week of the year, maybe sliding into the first few days of the new year, a post appears on 27gen related to reading and books.

Sometimes it’s about reading in general; others it’s about specific books that I’ve read during the past year.

That’s “normally” – the last few weeks have been anything but normal!

You can read more about it here (with a follow-up on 1/22), but the bottom line is that the last three weeks have been pretty much a blur, and a post in development since mid-December is just now ready for publication.

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We have closed the book on 2024, and we are several weeks deep into 2025.

I find myself, like many book lovers, taking stock of the stories that have shaped my year. As someone who devours 2-3 books weekly, my life is measured not just in days and months, but in the volumes that have kept me company through seasons of change.

“Reading is a passport to countless adventures,” wrote Mary Pope Osborne, and indeed, each book opens a portal to new worlds, fresh perspectives, and unexpected revelations. This past year, through the pages of countless books, I’ve walked the bustling streets of distant cities, unraveled mysteries in moonlit manor houses, and contemplated the deepest questions of human existence – all from the comfort of my favorite reading chair.

Toni Morrison once said, “Books were my pass to personal freedom.” In a world that often feels increasingly fragmented and fast-paced, reading remains our sovereign territory, a space where we can pause, reflect, and truly be present. It’s a form of meditation, really – a way to quiet the endless notifications and urgent demands of modern life.

Looking back at 2024, I’m struck by how the books I’ve read (acquired 117, borrowed 174 from the library) have served as faithful companions through both ordinary days and extraordinary moments. They’ve been there during early morning tea rituals, afternoon coffee shop visits, late-night contemplations, and those precious stolen moments between responsibilities. As Neil Gaiman beautifully put it, “A book is a dream that you hold in your hand.” These dreams have sustained us, challenged us, and helped us make sense of an ever-changing world.

A special part of the AdamsFamilyExperience at Christmas (when all of our kids and grandkids were with us for 5+ days) was seeing parents and kids alike sprawled over a chair or on the floor, reading a book. That sight warmed my heart!

But reading is more than just escape or entertainment. Research consistently shows that regular reading improves empathy, reduces stress, enhances cognitive function, and even helps stave off cognitive decline as we age. In essence, every time we open a book, we’re investing in our mental and emotional wellbeing. As Maya Angelou wisely observed, “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” The same holds true for adults.

As we look ahead to 2025, there’s something deeply comforting about the towering stack of books waiting to be read – the “to-be-read” pile that seems to grow taller despite our best efforts to keep pace. Each unread book represents a promise of discovery, a future adventure waiting to unfold. Italo Calvino captured this anticipation perfectly: “The more you read, the more you realize you haven’t read. The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.”

In this coming year, I encourage fellow readers to embrace both the familiar and the unknown. Perhaps it’s time to venture beyond our comfort zones – to pick up genres we normally bypass, to seek out voices we haven’t heard before, to challenge our preconceptions through literature that pushes us to think differently. As Frederick Douglass reminded us, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”

Reading isn’t just a solitary pursuit, either. Book clubs, online reading communities, and literary social media have created vibrant spaces where readers can connect, debate, and share their love of literature. These connections remind us that while reading itself may be solitary, the joy of books is meant to be shared. As C.S. Lewis noted, “We read to know we are not alone.”

If you prepare a reading resolution for 2025, remember that there’s no “right” way to be a reader. Whether you prefer physical books, e-readers, or audiobooks; whether you read one book a month or one a day; whether you annotate meticulously or simply let the words wash over you – all approaches are valid. The only requirement is the willingness to open yourself to the transformative power of stories.

So here’s to another year of reading adventures. Here’s to dog-eared pages and highlighted passages, to late nights spent promising ourselves “just one more chapter,” to the books that will make us laugh, cry, think, and grow. As we stand at the beginning of 2025, let’s remember what Susan Sontag said: “Reading sets standards. When we read, we want to read more, better, deeper.”

May your 2025 be filled with wonderful books, quiet reading moments, and the joy of discovering new favorite authors.

When people ask me, “Do you collect books?” I always say, “No, books collect me.”

Nicholas Barker, in At Home with Books