My 2025 Reading List
After a very successful 2023 list (20/24, by far the closest I’ve come to completing one), I faltered a bit in 2024, finishing 16 of 24. Part of that was due to the library holds system – The Power of Moments just arrived, and I’ve been waiting weeks for Delicious! and The Measure to be delivered – but I suspect I also fell victim to a defect I noticed in 2022: placing books on the list that I wasn’t absolutely chomping at the bit to read.
That’s the bar I’m using this year (absolutely chomping at the bit to read), and I’m also making one other change: I’m putting some of the books I’m most eager to tear into in the last quarter. If I get to them sooner? That’s quite alright. I’m guessing I’ll just be grateful to have read them at all :)
(If you’re new, this is the very lowest-key of book clubs: I consider it a delightful exercise in thoughtfully planning my reading a year at a time (12 fiction, 12 non-fiction), and though I’m often at the whim of my library holds (ahem, see above), it’s helpful to always know where to turn when I’m ready for a new book!)
Without further ado…

January:
The Unmaking of June Farrow | I love a well-done time travel escapade and this 2024 NYT bestseller, set in North Carolina and recommended by Janssen, has all the makings of a hit: “a woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old curse, solve her mother’s disappearance, and find love.”
Well-Lived | This is Sally Clarkson’s newest book, undoubtedly filled with her wisdom on family, hospitality, discipleship, and cultivating joy – and this time, accented by her time living in Oxford with her daughter’s family.
February:
Gilead | This Pulitzer Prize winner has come recommended from many different sources over the years, and not always ones that I’d guess would appreciate a book about a pastor in the 1950’s.
Adorning the Dark | As I’ve struggled with a crisis of confidence in my writing this past year, this book has been recommended a few times – most recently by my boss. I’m looking forward to reading my first offering from Andrew Peterson.
March:
The Wedding People | This one has been making the rounds of Articles Club to glowing reviews (Steph named it one of her top 8 books of 2024!). Although I can’t keep up with every buzzy novel, this one will scratch that itch – and I always love when a wedding is mixed up in a plot.
The Writing Life | Another book on craft recommended by someone I trust! It has been years (decades?) since I read a book on writing – likely since college! – and I’m looking forward to dipping a toe back in.
April:
A Prayer for Owen Meany | This was the favorite book of my high school best friend. At the time, I remember being intrigued by the vaguely religious and old-fashioned title, and surprised that he confessed it as his favorite — but never made time to read it in the midst of lab reports and term papers. Two decades later, I’m excited to read it and then discuss it with him at our reunion :)
Never Enough | This book is mentioned so often in podcasts and articles I come across in my work with TCF. While I wouldn’t say toxic achievement culture has its hooks in our family, I think it’s important for me to understand it a bit more as I continue to preach against it.
May:
Table for Two | Let’s add a short story collection to the list! And one by the author of one of my 2023 favorites, The Lincoln Highway, to boot. I’ve heard nothing but good things.
Sea Biscuit | Just in time for the Kentucky Derby. I think this 2002 novel will hit the same note as one of my favorite non-fiction picks from 2024, The Boys in the Boat.
June:
Run | “A crazy story with a plot that doesn’t stop and characters that are rich enough to make me care. I want to read it again right now,” says the Lazy Genius. I fear this one is going to keep me up too late at night.
Confronting Christianity | I’ve read another of Rebecca McLaughlin’s book and always appreciate her perspective – especially when it comes to questions my kids might ask me one day.
July:
Real Americans | The plot summary for this one practically has me salivating – I hope it lives up to its promise!
Romney: A Reckoning | Another fitting read for the month of our country’s birth. McCay Coppins is a writer for The Atlantic and so I’ve seen bits and pieces of this excerpted there already.
August:
Peace Like a River | It’s been over a decade since I read this extraordinary debut novel—a heroic quest, a tragedy, a love story, and a haunting meditation on the possibility of magic in the everyday world—but I’ve been thinking about it lately and am adding it here to ensure I dust it off our shelf.
The Self-Driven Child | Another re-read! When I gushed about this one three years ago, I wrote that I expected to return to it as our children grew. The children have grown, so here we are. I also promised to write a book review for it – perhaps I can follow through this time!
September:
American Wife | Curtis Sittenfeld’s novels can be a mixed bag for me – some land near the top of my favorites list, while others disappoint – but reader Katherine’s enthusiastic endorsement of this one landed it on this year’s list!
The Day the World Came to Town | “When 38 jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land at Gander International Airport on September 11, the population of a small town on Newfoundland Island swelled from 10,300 to nearly 17,000. The citizens of Gander met the stranded passengers with an overwhelming display of friendship and goodwill, leading to friendships they expect will last a lifetime.” Seems only appropriate to read this in September.
October:
Code Name Helene | As soon as I finished The Frozen River (one of my favorite fiction reads of 2024) this novel by the same author shot to the top of my TBR list, where it had been languishing for years.
The Many Lives of Mama Love | I mean, the description is certainly compelling: suburban mom turned opioid addict turned jailhouse shot caller turned celebrated ghostwriter. While I don’t expect it to stand up to Bryan Stevensons’ Just Mercy, I hope it will similarly open my eyes to a different life experience than mine.
November:
Little Women | A classic I’ve been meaning to read for years! Many of you have recommended reading it in a cozy winter month, so here we are.
Happier Hour | With a tagline of “how to beat distraction, expand your time, and focus on what matters most,” this book seems like required reading for my work at Cultivate. I’m sure it will spark ideas for life at home, too.
December:
Christmas with the Queen | A final pick I’ll read along with the Everyday Reading book club!
Liturgy of the Ordinary | Though it predates it, this one feels like it will hit many of the same notes as Habits of the Household, a book I cherish and that still encourages me to find the sacred in the ordinary.
Honorable mentions I’m hoping to squeeze in, as well: Small Things Like These; Belgravia; The Paris Agent; The Historian; The Name of the Wind; The Glassmaker; and Nora Goes Off Script.
I’d love to hear: Have you read any of these books? Would you like to read any alongside me in 2025? Let’s chat!
Affiliate links are included in this post!
“Little Women” is one of my all-time favourite books! I hope you enjoy reading it (and indulging in some of the film adaptations as well). I also recently finished “Christmas with the Queen” and it was a delightful read for the holiday season!
I’ve never seen the movie (any of the movies!), either – so a whole world is waiting for me! :)
I enjoyed the many lives of mama love.
Question, how do you organize articles you want to read on your phone? I’ll find news articles, cultivate articles, etc not have a chance to read them, and just leave the tab open on safari, but that’s not working for me. I thought you might have a better solution. Thanks for your time!
Oh man, that’s a great question! I don’t really read many articles on my phone, because I hate reading on my phone. If it came in in a text message, I’ll usually click on the link through Messages on my computer and read it on my desktop. Sometimes I’ll leave it unread as a cue to return to it, and sometimes I’ll bookmark it in Chrome. I definitely don’t have a perfect system!
Real Americans ended up being a lot more character driven (vs. plot driven) than I thought, but I loved it! The way the stories weave together is masterful. Love Curtis Sittenfeld, too — she has a new short story collection coming out this year!
Aahhh, I always love a good reading list. I‘ve tried Goodreads instead of posting a reading list last year – it didn’t go well, ha! I‘m finishing mine up and just added a couple of your recommendations :) So, thank you!!
Romney: A Reckoning is excellent! It was a rare book that I bought. I really enjoy McKay Coppins work in the Atlantic and he did a great job.
I’ve read Little Women, Sea Biscuit, Code Name Helene, and American Wife. I’d say Helene is my favorite out of that group. I’m also glad I finally read little women! I’ve added Run (always enjoy Crouch) and Table for Two (just finished Rules of civility, so might wait on this one) to my tbr! And I love to read seasonally so I’m excited to pick up Christmas with the Queen next November. I’m currently reading The Right Sort of Man which I’m enjoying so far. And I’m about to finish Tactics by Greg Koukl which I will definitely need to revisit frequently! I highly recommend Good Energy and Bad Therapy if you’re looking for non fiction.
Thank you for the recs, Stephanie!
Liturgy of the Ordinary and Little Women are two of my all time favorite books! And I agree that Sittenfeld can be a bit hit or miss but her books always tend to leave me thinking. American Wife is my favorite! I’ve actually been considering a reread.
And I forgot to mention Gilead – I think you will LOVE it!
I could have sworn the reason I knew about/read Never Enough was you mentioning it on EFM or TCF! All that to say, it aligns very much to what you’ve discussed previously, and I think the author does an excellent job of giving tactical ways to change things.
The Day the World Came to Town was made into a Broadway show (Come from Away), and it was so emotionally moving. I can only imagine the book is excellent as well!
I’ve heard the show is fantastic. Maybe seeing it will have to go on my bucket list after reading the book! :)
I so love and appreciate your January posts – and wait for each one with happy anticipation. Thank you for sharing your world with us, and inspiring & encouraging our journeys.
I’m cheering you on with the Power of Moments – it was a book I loved so much as a parent, and again, think you will love it!
I bought Self-Driven based on your recommendation, but haven’t got past the first chapter yet – it’s on my 2025 list.
Excited by the concept of Happier Hour & The Day the World came to town…may have to join you on those!
Also On my to-read list for 2025 are: The Coaching Habit, Made for People, Tonight (a cookbook), and Anne of Green Gables.
I’d love to hear what’s on your family read aloud list for the year ahead!
Yes, I’m working on our (loose) read-aloud plans for this year and may share them at some point! But – spoiler alert – Anne of Green Gables is on the list and I can’t wait :)
So many I am excited to hear your thoughts on! I loved The Wedding People, Gilead, and A Prayer for Owen Meany. Real Americans is a fun ride and definitely worth the hype in a lot of ways. Table for Two is on my short-list TBR as well! Excited for another year of reading and discussing books :)
I just requested The Wedding People from the library (even though it’s my March pick!) and I’m number 548 – ha!
What a great reading plan! American Wife is one of my favorite books of all time. I love Curtis Sittenfeld’s work though, check out Romantic Comedy by her sometime …
YES to this. Romantic Comedy is probably my favorite Curtis Sittenfeld novel – but American Wife is a close second. I think you will love!
Only a smidge related to this post, but when in the world do you have time to read The Atlantic? I was a subscriber a few years ago, and promised myself “Yes, definitely on this plane ride,” or “Most definitely on the beach tomorrow” when it came to getting through the stacks of magazines I’d received. All in the recycle bin, sadly. As for the subscription, they are constantly trying to lure me back. I’ve been reading the first three paragraphs of their articles every day since canceling. LOL I came across a printed copy in our bedroom the other day and shook my head. Do you get the print copy or do you mostly read online when they email you?
Hey friend! I get the printed copy and LOVE IT! I’m kind of obsessed, ha. I used to save the print copies for car rides/plane rides/vacation, but a few years ago I just started putting the issue on my bedside table when it arrived and reaching for it instead of my book at night. It usually takes me 2-3 nights of bedtime reading to get through an issue. I’ll sometimes read it while I eat lunch, too! I only subscribe to two magazines right now – The Atlantic and Our State – and I dearly love them both. They’re text-heavy, but with just two coming in each month, it doesn’t feel overwhelming!
You may have inspired me to resub! Curious to know what you thought about the most recent cover, the Anti-Social Century. I read that essay and listened to his interview on Fresh Air during my commute. Still figuring out what I think about the case he built. Was it too flimsy?
OK and on to a book recommendation. If you liked Just Mercy, I recommend The Sun Does Shine. These are NOT the kind of books I go for. I’m Black, and for me stories of injustice (especially true stories) are often to painful and upsetting for me to read. But I wanted to push myself, and recommended it as the first selection of the year for my book club. It was excellent.
Just an fyi, there is a chapter in There Are No Grown-Ups detailing her experience giving her husband a threesome for his birthday. I wish I could’ve thrown the book in the trash. I like Pamela Druckerman, so I hated that that tainted her writing for me.
Ack!!! No! Removing – thank you for letting me know!
Love that you share your list with us and I have added many of what you listed above to my ongoing Amazon list. The Lincoln Highway was SO GOOD! I’m putting Table for Two near the top of my to-read.