Reading is lots of fun. It feels a bit more difficult, in our video and social media saturated age, to quiet my heart and mind enough to settle into a good book. But once I do, I’m always glad. Reading is also serious business. As the poet Mary Oliver describes, “literature is the apparatus through which the world tries to keep intact its important ideas and feelings” (A Poetry Handbook, p. 108). So, as is now my custom, I list here my favorite reads of 2025 in philosophy, theology, apologetics, spiritual formation, and non-fiction. A little bit of fun. And a little bit of seriousness. All mixed together. This year I read 43 books. I list title, author, and one sentence description, as recorded in my book journal. Here are my favorites:

As is now my custom, I am excited to list my favorite reads of 2024, in the categories of philosophy, apologetics/theology, spiritual formation, fiction, and non-fiction. I read 44 books in 2024. For each book read, I enter the date completed, title, author, and a one sentence summary of the book in my book log. Here are the top three books for each category.

Fueled by the conviction that stories sustain us because we were made to be nourished on the good, the true, and the beautiful, I determined to read one fiction book a month for this past year. And I read some very good stories! In addition to fiction, I have benefitted greatly this year from some solid works in philosophy, theology, biography, and spiritual formation. Without further ado, here are my favorite books read in 2023. As is custom, in my book log, I record the book title, author, and date completed, along with a one sentence description. This has been my practice since 2009. My book log now includes 635 entries. This year I read 43 books.