My reading life in 2025 was the best year so far, in my opinion. 2025 sure brought its own surprises, but it was probably my favorite reading year hands down, and I’ve closed out December with 130 books finished for the year (WHAT??!!), and no less than 34 five-star reads on my list for the year!
Let me tell you—narrowing 34 down to 10 is hard! It was so much fun going through my lists and remembering all these books that delighted, encouraged, especially touched me, and/or stayed with me long after I read “the end.”
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Here they are, in the order I read them in (ranking is impossible, y’all):
1. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Spunky, determined to see beauty wherever she can find it, and equally determined to help those around her, Anne quickly found a place in my heart this year, and it does not surprise me that every. single. one. of the five books in this series that I read this year ended up being a five-star read for me!
2. The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox
Deep character arcs, a complex plot, a heartrending situation, an adopted child…this book reminded me all over again why I love well-done Christian fiction.
3. The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp
Our favorite family read-aloud this year, this story told with much self-deprecating humor, a surprisingly strong faith element, and a lot of heart and hope, was quite possibly my favorite memoir this year.
4. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
I’ve put off reading Austen way too long. This one took me quite a while to get through, but I loved this story (especially Elinor!), and am already looking forward to rereading it!
5. To Love a Sunburnt Country by Jackie French
This is one of those books where even though I disagreed with the author on some things, the story itself swept me away, and now, six months after finishing it, I still think about it frequently. The characters were not given a break for a single moment; the portrait of what the Pacific War looked like was heartbreaking; yet the story also contained unexpected moments of hope. Definitely a bittersweet read, but the journey was amazing.
6. Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
I was unprepared for this story on so many levels. I feel like I’m still reeling, in some ways. This heartfelt story of a foster brother with a broken past, this story of family, friendship, and love, touched my heart, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
7. Endurance by Alfred Lansing
This is the only true survival story that made it onto the list this year, but it’s a doozy! The things these men went through…absolutely incredible! Fascinating history, too.
8. When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin
Slow burn, deep internal conflict, a bit of a medical drama, a sweet little girl in a picture-perfect setting…I don’t know quite how to quantify this book, but it’s the kind of book I love from start to finish.
9. The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
(Seeing as I could easily have four more Montgomery books on this list, I’m doing well to have just two, right? Haha!) I connected with Valancy right away (OK, maybe I do feel old-maidish sometimes), and loved watching as her dreams slowly came true. A sweet, heartwarming read.
10. Enjoying God by Tim Chester
This is one of 5? 6? devotional/Christian living-type books I read this year. Each was good, but this one spoke directly to my heart. Throughly encouraging, very gospel-oriented, this was balm to my soul.
Have you read any of these books? What were your top ten books from last year? (Bonus points if you share the link to your post about them! 😀 )
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