My Year in Books - 2025

At the first writers conference I attended in the late ’90s, I recall an author stating emphatically, “If you want to be a writer, you need to be a reader.” This writer went on to describe his reading habits, explaining how he kept a book on his bedside table, in his car, in his briefcase, and in other strategic locations so he could fill every spare moment with reading.

Despite being inspired by his example, another decade would pass before I decided to become an intentional reader. I had enjoyed reading since childhood, but I had not prioritized reading as an adult. In 2010, I finally catalogued my first list of “Books Read” in my Notes app, which included a dozen titles split evenly between fiction and non-fiction.

While working on “The Five Lists” this morning - an end-of-year reflection practice I learned from Suleika Jaouad, I included my 2025 reading roster in my list of things I am proud of. This year marks the first time I have read over 100 books. Most days, I am reading a book in print while also listening to an audiobook. (I don’t read books electronically, since I spend enough time on screens as it is.) Of the 107 books I read in 2025, 77 were audiobooks.

In choosing books to read, I rely heavily on recommendations from writers I admire. The Canadian writer and ravenous reader Sarah Bessey regularly introduces me to titles I might have otherwise missed or ignored; she read over 160 books in 2025. (Check out her favorite books of 2025 and you will likely find inspiration for your own reading wish list.)

One of my strategies for being an active reader is to keep a running list of books I want to read, which I update regularly. This year I intentionally included several Native American writers on my list, including Robin Wall Kimmerer, Kaitlin Curtice, Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, and Steven Charleston. I also read First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament, which helped me to hear old stories with a fresh perspective.

Recognizing that my early “Books Read” lists were populated primarily by white male authors, this year I sought out more books written by women. I also chose to reread several favorites that appeared on past lists, including The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans, and Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bowler.

As you look at the cover images of the books I read in 2025, you will undoubtedly notice that I read over a dozen chapter books that are classified as children’s literature or young adult fiction. In a 2020 essay in The New York Times, the acclaimed novelist and independent bookstore owner Ann Patchett encouraged adults to abandon the misconception that such books are inappropriate for them to read. In her essay, Patchett shared how she became a fan of award-winning children’s author Kate DiCamillo. Because of that essay, you will find covers of seven of DiCamillo’s books among my images from Goodreads.

How did I miss reading The Bridge to Terabithia and Anne of Green Gables when I was growing up? Those stories were gems discovered during my reading journey last year. Revisiting Louis Sachar’s Holes - a book I read alongside my son when he was in middle school - was also time well spent.

Although Goodreads informs me that memoir and biography, non-fiction, and historical fiction were my preferred genres in 2025, five works of fiction - all by authors who were new to me - topped my list of favorites:
James by Percival Everett
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood

I am fortunate to have several friends who are writers, and I am pleased to recommend their books for your consideration:
Joy Jordan-Lake - Echoes of Us: A Novel
Terry Roberts - The Devil Hath a Pleasing Shape
Shadow Family - Wayne Caldwell

Do you plan to make a reading list for 2026? I already have several new titles on my “To Read in 2026” list, including Sue Monk Kidd’s Writing Creativity and Soul and Maggie Smith’s Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life. I will undoubtedly reread several books from prior lists. I will also search for additional titles by my favorite authors.

If you want to read more and scroll less in 2026, begin by setting an achievable reading goal. Decide how you will keep track of the books you have read. (I plan to make the switch from Goodreads to The StoryGraph this year.) Ask people you respect to share their favorite titles with you. Choose an author and read everything she has written. Join a book club. Recall books that captivated your attention in the past - as far back as your childhood - and commit to read them again. And if you get bogged down in a book, don’t feel like you have to keep plowing through the pages. Put it down and pick up a different title. You have plenty of options!

Consider Kate DiCamillo’s advice: “Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.” Allow me to paraphrase: “Reading should not be presented to adults as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.”

The gift awaits.