Planning for 2025? Don’t Forget to Have a Little Fun, Too!


Hey Reader,

What's already on your 2025 reading list? Are you heavy in a particular genre or author?

My 2025 book folder is a mix of biographies, fiction, and an ambitious literary classic or two. Some are about personal growth, but most of what I read next year will be just for fun—because I've learned that a lot of growth happens when I stop trying so hard. Especially when it comes to reading.

Studies show that reading for pleasure reduces stress by up to 68% (University of Sussex, 2009) and improves empathy (Science, 2013).

In 2024, I pretty much ditched personal and professional growth titles. In fact, next week I'll share a list of books I paused or said, "Nope. Not finishing this one."

And in the coming year, I’m aiming to add a couple of growth and productivity reads, while still maintaining a more relaxed approach — allowing curiosity to lead my reading choices.

What about you?

I’m curious about whether or not you're casting a vision for your 2025 reading choices.

Are you more interested in escaping into fiction or exploring real-world stories next year?

Hit reply with 'fiction' or 'non-fiction'!

Your insights will help me create content that speaks to what you want most from Unhustled in the coming year.

What I've been reading:

Thanks to reader recommendations from a couple of weeks ago, I just finished re-reading To Kill A Mockingbird. I'm hip-deep in the 1861 run-up to the Civil War, by way of Demon of Unrest. Soooooo good!

Looking forward to hearing from you!
—Tracy

P. S. about next week:

I'll share a list of books I hated, paused, or didn't finish in 2024.

I hated one book so much I took vicious (for me, anyway) and snarky notes. And it's a well-known author! 😬

P. O. Box 224, Lavaca, Arkansas 72941
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Unhustled Books

This isn’t BookTok. It’s not productivity porn. It’s just one reader—thinking out loud about what stories do to us. Unhustled is where you go when you want the reading part of your life to feel like yours again.

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