Best Books of 2025

Reading continues to be a tremendous gift in my life, a portal to wonder, self-reflection, mystery, and growth. I used to read mainly non-fiction books that were supposed to teach me something. To teach me about theology, or how to parent, or how to be married. The last few years, I've realized that what really changes us are stories- the stories we believe and the stories we believe ourselves to be living out. Reading helps me savor my own life, and trace the lines of the epic story God is narrating through my own ordinary days. A book really had to "wow" me to make it to 5 stars - a totally subjective reflection of my enjoyment of what is written about, but also how it is written.

5-Star Books

A Father's Tale by Michael O'Brien

One of the few books over 1,000 pages that is so transfixing, you can't put it down. The main character journeys to Russia - and beyond - searching for his missing son, and in the process, comes face to face with himself. Despite deep suffering, he ultimately meets God, and finds the healing he didn't know he needed. I felt thrown back into my own travels in Russia, which feel like they happened in another life. I loved getting to share with my book club about some of my memories and experiences from those travels.

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese 

This expansive work tackles over a century of Indian history as it traces several main character's life paths until they finally align in a spell-binding climax. Devastating, complex, beautiful, and deeply humanizing. I listened to this on audio, which helped me with all of the unfamiliar names and words, but I would love to read a hard-copy version next.

The Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard

This is the book I'll come back to again and again (I already have several times since I finished it this summer). I find it hard to capture how radically impactful Willard's writing was for me this year. It gave this crystalized vision of a life formed into the likeness of Jesus: surrendered, generous, nonanxious, unhurried. While reading this book, I had to reckon with this question: "Do I really want to give up the vices that serve my idols?" On most days, no, I really don't - but the deepest part of me does. I think my life in Christ grew in great depth thanks to these challenging reflections as I began to grasp what the onward journey of sanctification might look like in my life.

The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs

Gutting account of a young mom with terminal cancer - kids the same ages as mine... She brilliantly wove in the writings of her great-great-great grandfather, Ralph Waldo Emerson, as she reflected on her mortality, the meaning of life, and how dying can teach you how to live. 

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

I will read anything Strout writes. She's a genius at humanizing the most offensive of characters until you truly empathize with them and see the beauty in them, too. 

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Verghese has this incredible way at seamlessly weaving medical language and explanations typically only found in a medical journal into epic stories about betrayal, family, love, and redemption. Fascinating. Bravo!

Giants in the Earth by Rolag

One of my favorite book club reads yet, this tells the fictional account of a Norwegian settler family who pioneer in the Dakotas in the early 1900's. The tension between hope and despair, the anthropomorphization of the weather, and  the deep faith journey of each character kept me awake far later than I usually read! Whiskey cider paired well with our book club discussion of the long winter nights!

Hannah's Children by Catherine Palkuk

This book made me laugh and cry and feel so seen. Palkuk shares the stories of many women who have chosen to have large families and why they have done so. There is just nothing quite like the love of a mother. All of them in their own way acknowledged how the trials of motherhood is the refining fire through which they are being made into the person they were meant to be. Suffering, redeemed. Made me want about 10 more babies!

As always, Mary Oliver poetry

4-Star

Relaxed by Marshman 

Family Unfriendly by Carney

The Pearl by Steinbeck

My Antonía by Cather

Enjoying Jesus by Chester

Oh William by Strout

Blue Sister by Mellors

My Name is Lucy Barton by Strout

Sandwich by Newman - I didn't love the protagonist, but it was a sweet look at a family with adult children and an expansive, mature marriage. 

Careless People by Wyn-Williams - Fed my existential despair about Big Tech and our society's future.

Persuasion by Austen 

Lila by Robinson - Love transforms us.

The Tech Exit by Morell - Burn the iPhones!

Taking back my brain from the internet, one musty book at a time

King Lear got 1 star, but that's on me, not him lol

Far and away the most impactful paragraph of the year