2025 Book Round Up

I'm going full book nerd in this post so if that is not your thing, you might want to pass on this post :) But if you are always looking for new books to read, then this will be your jam! I will be sharing my "25 in 25" list, my top non-fiction, and my top fiction too! To not make this forever long, I plan to do very little talking about each book but you can click the title to read my full reviews on each one. 

These lists are in no special order. The "25 in 25" is how they were written in my planner and the other two are in the order they were read this year. For any books that were in my "25 in 25" and made one of the other two lists, I won't talk about them twice. They will be discussed in the other list. 

25 in 25 

1. Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. I'm about done with "classics". 
2. Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Well... it was better than Tom Sawyer. 
3. That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs
4. Garden City by John Mark Comer
5. Facing The Mountain by Daniel James Brown. Not nearly as good as "The Boys In The Boat" which was disappointing. 
6. The Helper by Catherine Marshall. Cannot point-blank recommend, especially to new believers. I have theological differences and a few issues with how she puts things but it is an interesting look at the Holy Spirit. However, there are probably better books about Him out there. 
7. The Princess Bride by William Goldman. I was shocked at how different this is from the movie! It was frankly disappointing to someone who was raised on the movie as a family favorite. 
8. Into A Raging Sea by Bernie Webber. Michael J. Tougias' book is better but I'm glad I read it. 
9. Finding Hope by Heidi Goehmann. A good book but didn't help me with how to find hope in everyday life. 
10. Two Seconds Too Late by Dani Pettrey. Definitely needed to re-read book one before reading this one. 
11. Final Approach by Lynette Eason
12. Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn
13. Midnight On The Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin
14. The Collector Of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White. Really rough one and my first "miss" by an author who I absolutely LOVE! 
15. Triumphing Over Sinful Fear by John Flavel. A gift from a friend that I will need to read over and over again. The language is a little challenging but it was good. 
16. Moonscropt by H.S.J Williams. This book just wasn't for me. There's nothing wrong with it, but it just didn't interest me. 
17. Someone Like You by Karen Kingsbury. Would have been better if it hadn't been a Baxter book and instead had been like the movie adaptation. 
18. Hooked on You by Kathleen Fuller. Mixed feelings overall but the MC was very sweet and relatable and there was a Tigers connection!
19. Much Ado About A Latte by Kathleen Fuller. Sweet characters again but the romance levels were a bit much for me. 
20. The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay. That was intriguing. Literally. It felt like a spy novel in a way. Not suspense and not quite mystery. Intrigue.
21. Help, I'm Drowning by Sally Clarkson. Not what I was expecting or wanting but good for what it is. 
22. To Hell With The Hustle by Jefferson Bethke
23. The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron. Any book by her is beautiful and rich and this is no exception! 
24. Gelato At The Villa by Robin Jones Gunn
25. Adorning The Dark by Andrew Peterson

Top Non-Fiction of 2025

• That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs. Not what I expected but I enjoyed it still!
• Garden City by John Mark Comer. Everything I've read by him has been gold! Super impactful book that I'm still thinking about. 
• Every Home A Foundation by Phylicia Masonheimer. One of the most impactful books I read this year!
• To Hell With The Hustle by Jefferson Bethke. Next year I'm reevaluating my priorities and saying "no" more. 
• The God Of The Garden by Andrew Peterson. I'm still thinking about this book and it's making me see the world differently.
• Adorning The Dark by Andrew Peterson. Two of the best chapters I've ever read are in this book! Definitely will be re-reading in the future. 
  

Top Fiction of 2025

Because I read SO. MUCH. fiction, I am only listing here my 5 star, first time reads. 

• Driftwood Dreams by T.I. Lowe (#2 in the series). I love Lowe's books for their sweetness and hope even when dealing with rough things. 
• Midnight On The Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin. I was feeling so-so about this story but I was going to give it four stars for being very well done and set in Scotland with real Scottish talking (which I love) but then the end of the book really got to me and I had to go with five stars!
• The Burning Of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens. Delightful!!!! It feels wrong to say a murder mystery was fun but this one was. There are plenty of surprises and twists and though it’s a murder mystery it isn’t dark or spooky.
• Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn (#2 in the series) This is becoming one of my favorite series! I loved how the ending was not the usual thing. No spoilers but I liked how it was done.
• Where Dreams Reside by Heidi Chiavaroli (#5 in the series). Not what I was expecting from Bronson's story but it was excellent! 
• Final Approach by Lynette Eason (#4 in the series). An absolutely wild ride and end to the series!
• Prowl by Colleen Coble (#2 in the series). Definitely have to read the first one but I'm enjoying a series that is all connected. 
• The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter. A sweet summer/beachy read! I love books set in bookstores :)
  
• Secondary Target by Angela Carlisle (#1 in the series). New author knocked it out of the park!
  
• The Summer Of You & Me by Denise Hunter. Not what I think of when I think Denise Hunter and it was excellent!
  
• Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer (#5 in the series). I will eagerly read every single book she writes in this series!
  
• Gelato At The Villa by Robin Jones Gunn. I can't recall the last time a book relaxed me so much!
  
• The Mermaid's Tale by L.E. Richmond (#1 in the duology). SO GOOD! Unfortunately the sequel disappointed me. This ends on a TERRIBLE cliff hanger. You've been warned. 
  
• Of Silver & Secrets by Michelle Griep (#2 in the series). Even better than the first one!
  
• The Way Back by Heidi Chiavaroli (#1 in the series). Deep and beautiful like everything she writes. 
  
• Love In The Castle Library by Ann Swindell. (#2 in the series) A stunning addition to this series!
• Through Each Tomorrow by Gabrielle Meyer (#6 in the series) This one had me worried for a while but she pulls it all off beautifully :)
  

Book Stats

• TBR goal: 10   Actual:  16
• Non-fiction goal:  10   Actual:  12
• Total books read: 188
  
• Total pages read: 56.000+
  
• Longest book: Facing The Mountain by Daniel James Brown
• Shortest book: Torn Curtains by Tara Grayce
• Most popular: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• Least popular. Compilation of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer

Below are the fun graphics that Goodreads creates but they are from mid-December so the totals aren't up to date and sometimes conflict. 

Half of these here are re-reads :)