My Favorite Reads of 2025

It's difficult to process that not only is 2026 here, but we are already in the second month of it! Once more, BookDNA.com (Formerly Shepherd.com) invited me to share my three favorite reads of the just completed year. I procrastinated much, not only because my schedule was so packed, but because it was so hard to choose!

But as I looked back over my reads of 2025, the top three rose to the top and asserted themselves. Each one of these books has been deeply impactful to me, from Mr. Knightley's non-flashy honor and quiet love to Sydney Carton's redemption and heart-rending sacrifice and his pondering of John 11: 25-26 "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die." to the end of Narnia as we knew it, (as Jewel the Unicorn said, "This is the end of all things,") and all the lies, deception, tragedy that come and ultimate triumph of Aslan and all who love him and the NEW adventure to come. "But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."

Love, admonishment, conviction, sacrifice, redemption, great darkness and great light, peace, and victory. Such are the themes of my 3 favorite reads of 2025. And if you want to read more of my thoughts on them, and what makes them such great books, then check out my article here.