Read for mood, not goals.

I didn’t mean to make an annual book goal last year – it sort of happened by accident. By the time I realized what was happening, I was counting down the books to reach 50 by the end of the year. I was doing the math each month, thinking: “if I read four books this month, I’ll be on track to meet my goal.” Knowing full well that I’d have to pick four reasonably sized books to meet four books a month. Basically one book a week.

At the end of 2024, I did end up reaching 50. But I definitely picked up books that were short or easy to read. I ended up making it more about the quantity of books, rather than the quality.

You see, no matter how “loose” or “relaxed” your reading goal is, the pressure to meet it is still there. I kept telling myself that it didn’t actually matter if I reached it, but subconsciously I still stressed out about it. And occasionally, forcing myself to pick up a book to reach my quantity goal actually blocked me from reading at all.

In 2025, I decided to take a more intentional route for my reading. I chose to fully embrace following my mood when picking my next book.

Here are five tips to help you slow down and choose your next read more intentionally.

Follow your rhythm and energy.

If you’re in a season where your energy is depleted by the end of the day, look into books that aren’t so difficult to digest. During those seasons, I look for books that I’ve read already and loved, or books that are fluffy and low stakes (cozy fantasy is a favorite genre of mine during those chapters of my life). If I have more energy, I look into books that are more complex or require more concentration to read. That’s when I look into high fantasy, science-fiction, or something that was written in a different era, like Dune or Tolkien.

Choose your next book based on what your energy levels are like, and go from there.

Don’t force a book you’re not into.

Remember what I said about forcing myself to read last year? Completely blocked me from wanting to read at all.

Make a rule to put a book down if it doesn’t hit with you. Some say 50 or 100 pages. Some recommend reading as many pages as your age. Or perhaps it’s a couple of chapters. Whatever your personal rule is, give yourself some grace and let yourself be okay with not finishing (or DNFing – “did not finish") a book. Let go of the guilt that you need to follow through on any given book when you could be using that energy in more productive ways.

What piques your curiosity?

What books or ideas do you find yourself peeking at now and then? For me, it’s books on psychology. I love reading about how brains work and why we think what we think. I don’t read them often but they’re fun to go back to once in a while.

Consider the topics you find yourself googling and maybe check out a book from the library on the subject. You might find a genre you didn’t know existed.

Read a genre are you really interested right now.

Try leaning hard into a genre you love right now! I’m diving deep into fantasy - epic fantasy, classic fantasy, romantasy, cozy fantasy, you name it. I certainly haven’t been bored with the variety that this genre has to offer.

If you’re reading from a topic that you’re particularly interested in, you’re allowing yourself to curl up into a genre and not have to stretch too far to understand different styles or concepts. Sometimes it’s nice to read a book knowing that you don’t have to think too hard about how a new genre is written.

Read something you own.

I’m really into reading what I own right now. Last year I went through a phase where I was buying most of my books based on what was trendy on Instagram at the time, only to let them sit and gather dust on my shelves. My to-be-read (TBR) list is insanely long. So this year, I’m reading only books that are either on my shelf already, or borrowed from the library.

Right now I’m reading The Hero Of Ages by Brandon Sanderson. It’s a book from a series that I’ve had on my TBR for a year and I’m finally prioritizing it.

Don't read for anyone else. Or for metrics.

Read what you want to read because you’re interested in it.

Some people like the challenge of having a goal to meet, but more often than not you find yourself stressed out, you feel bad when you fall behind on your goal, and you read books that “fit” your goal but aren’t actually interested in reading.

Take the pressure off yourself and leave your annual reading goal behind. By not forcing your way through a book, following your energy levels, thinking about what you’re curious about, reading a genre you’re really into, and checking the books on your shelf before you hit the bookstore, you’re more likely to find a read that feels more intentional and allows you to slow down. Give yourself some grace and let your mood guide your reading list this year.