Best Books I read in 2025 (and perhaps your next favorite is in the list)
Here’s my annual listing of the Top Ten books I read in 2025, with some honorable mentions and a few more page-turning details. I hope you’ve got the spine to continue reading. I’m sure you’re bound up with suspense and your excitement speaks volumes to me. This post is one of a series (see below for past years’ entries). If you’re a reader and enjoy book recommendations, these posts may help you stumble upon your next favorite book!
A word to you, my subscribers, if you’ve read a book that was recommended in the past, or if you find posts like these valuable, please let me know in the comments!
Goodreads
If you are a reader and don’t use Goodreads, you need to pause this entry and click over and set up an account now! It’s a fantastic way to track your reading and receive recommendations as well as see what your friends are reading. I’ve discovered some wonderful reads as a result of finding books that friends on Goodreads have read.
Always Leave a Review
Also, I encourage you to always write a review (2-3 sentences) on good books you’ve read! It helps the rest of us, and reviews from friends go a long way. They also encourage self-published authors! (nudge nudge, wink wink).
Here we go…
I set a goal of 40 books this year. Here’s the pretty graphic from Goodreads (link here lets you see each individual book), but keep scrolling for my top 10 books of 2025 and commentary about them.
Here’s my top 10 books I read (with 1 being the best):
You can click on the titles for a link to Amazon. Add the ones that interest you to your “to-read” list!
Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama by David Garrow
I reviewed the book here. But here’s an excerpt from my review:
While Barack Obama remains stunningly popular to many, he offers little in the way of a resume of accomplishment other than spit and polish. The subtitle of the book, “The Making of Barack Obama,” while understandable, is not really fair. I walked away from Garrow’s book with a sad appreciation of Obama. He had more to offer. He could have been truly great as a President. It was the corrupting influence of power and money that deflated him even as his vision became little more than getting what he thought he deserved. After a lifetime of struggling with money, the Obamas now live the lifestyles of the rich and famous.1
Organizational Leadership: Foundations and Practices for Christians by Jack Burns, John R. Shoup, Donald C. Simmons Jr.
I read this book for professional/ministry development. Our church has experienced significant growth in the last five years. The book was thoroughly biblical and practically helpful. The Leadership River metaphor they used in chapter 4 was a bit… dumb, but it didn’t detract from the rest of the book at all. Just skip chapter four. I appreciated how it examined the why to lead in order to assure a genuine spiritual calling in ministers.
Leadership and Emotional Sabotage: Resisting the Anxiety That Will Wreck Your Family, Destroy Your Church, and Ruin the World by Joe Rigney
Whew. This was a direct, bold challenge to men. It was an easy book to read but not easy to receive, only because it exposed some people-fearing proclivities in me. I highly recommend it to leaders who unwittingly may be abdicating their responsibilities to lead based on the unperceived emotional manipulation of others.
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777, by Rick Atkinson
I love history. This first volume in a trilogy about the American Revolution was fascinating! Atkinson was a good storyteller/historian and kept me engaged, even though the book was a chunk.
Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion, by Allie Beth Stuckey
This book could have made the top three, but it just got displaced by books that kept me turning the pages with greater interest. However, Stuckey’s deeply Christ-centered book is truly a need-to-read for church-goers. She helpfully and gracefully exposes how the culture seeks to preach a twisted gospel to Christians that we all too often fall for. If you’ve heard “love your neighbor” from mainstream media or a political pundit, you will want to read this book.
Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World’s Most Contested City, by Andrew Lawler
My goodness. This book was fascinating! It read like an Indiana Jones novel. If you’re remotely interested in Jerusalem (I was since I will be going in April 2026), you will love the archaeological story and drama behind/under Jerusalem’s past. When you Jews, Muslims, Christians and secular factions all fighting over who has rights to dig, things get unholy quickly.
The Last Flight, by Julie Clark
I got this book as a free one for my Kindle and needed something to read on a trip. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. The wife of a rich/famous politician decides to leave her husband. She does it by disappearing, hoping to erase her tracks/identity. The entrance of another character enables her to fake her death, until she can’t. It was a compelling read. It’s one of those mystery-intrigue types that I think most would classify as a “beach read.” I found myself thinking about the plot and characters long after I read it.
Life Is Hard, God Is Good, Let’s Dance: Experiencing Real Joy in a World Gone Mad, by Brant Hansen
I have no idea how I wound up with this book. If you’re reading this and you gave it to me, I’m sorry for forgetting. However, it was a delight to read, deeply Jesus-centered, and also funny. As in laugh out loud funny. I’ve given this now as a gift to others. You may find it on your favorite list. It definitely makes me want to read more by Hansen.
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, by Erik Larson
I was not prepared for this book to make it to my #2. It was a recommendation from a friend, and I could not stop reading it. It was both a historical tour of the 19th Chicago World’s Fair and a thriller about a serial killer. You won't be disappointed.
And the #1 book I read in 2025?
Leading Major Change in Your Ministry, by Jeff Iorg
You may have noticed that this is the third book on leadership that made my top 10 list. I read others as well. The season I’m in is one in which I’m needing to grow and learn in organizational leadership for my church. This was a fantastic book. It may be one of those that just “hit right” for me in the days I was reading it.
Honorable Mention
Here are a few more that are also compelling and fantastic reads, but just didn’t make the Top 10 list.
When People Are Big and God Is Small, by Ed Welch. I completed this on December 31, barely making it for last year’s “read” list. Some chapters were deeply encouraging. The book recenters you on the vital importance of not fearing people (or being motivated by earthbound opinions/desires). It consistently points you to Jesus and pleasing Him alone. While I might quibble with a few of his points, I highly recommend.
Mississippi Blood, by Greg Iles. It’s #6 in the Penn Cage series about Natchez, Mississippi. The entire series has been really good. Caveat: the last two have sprinkled a bit of racy sexuality in them. With that said, however, this installment is may be the best yet. Taking place almost entirely in the courtroom, it can outpace Grisham’s legal thrillers.
The Softer Side of Leadership, by Eugene B. Habecker. This leadership book was more about being a good follower. Its premise was the importance of emotional intelligence and spiritual humility in leadership. People skills matter. Ultimately, if you’re not able to follow others, you won’t make a good leader.
Turtles All The Way Down: Vaccine Science and Myth, by Anonymous, Mary Holland (Editor) The authors explain upfront why they chose to remain anonymous. I was satisfied with their reasoning. I was shocked by the book’s well-documented claims. It seeks to shine a light on the childhood vaccination schedule and issues a strong warning to parents to do their research. It’s very readable. I first heard about the book after Senator Ron Johnson recommended it.
Here are some series that I read:
Some of the following could have made the Top 10 list (Mississippi Blood made the Honorable Mention list above), but normally, I track them here. If you enjoy reading good series, I’d encourage you to check some of these out.
I enjoyed the Jeremy Winter thriller series by Tom Threadgill so I read #1 in the Alma Alvarez series - Collision of Lies. Not sure if I’ll read more, but Threadgill is a great writer.
David Baldacci writes the Memory Man series, which I enjoy. I read The 6:20 Man #1 this year. It’s in the thriller genre and also really good. Anything by Baldacci is worth it.
In addition to Mississippi Blood, I also read Natchez Burning and The Bone Tree by Greg Iles (Penn Cage #4, 5 and #6). This legal thriller series set in Natchez, Mississippi, demonstrates great writing, sober handling of issues of racism in the south, and truly wonderful characterizations.
Death of Kings and The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell (The Last Kingdom #6 & 7) These books about King Alfred and Uhtred set in the mid-8th century are so good. Many believe Alfred was the basis for the King Arthur legends.
The fantasy series Codex Alera by Jim Butcher is really good. I read #2 & #3 this year - Academ’s Fury and Cursor’s Fury.
Executive Power by Vince Flynn (Mitch Rapp #6) Working outside the CIA to solve terror crises before they happen, this continuing saga of Mitch Rapp is riveting.
Along Came a Spider, by James Patterson is the first in the Alex Cross series. Carolyn found a slew of these books in a garage sale. I remember seeing the movie way back (with Morgan Freeman as the star). The book was good enough that I’ll be reading the next installment.
The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man, by Mark Hodder is #2 in the Burton & Swinburne series. It’s a fascinating sometimes sci-fi/alternate history series set in 19th century England.
On What Grounds, by Cleo Coyle. It’s the first in the Coffeehouse Mystery series, “where caffeine and crime are always brewing...”
What did you read and love?
I’d love to know of your own book loves and likes! If you decide to read any of the above, please let me know!