2025 in books! (4 months late)

I just realized I never shared my 2025 reading wrap up in this space! Even though it’s four (ok, almost five) months late, I like to have it documented, so here you go.

One of my favorite annual traditions is looking back on the books I read throughout the year. Reflecting on my reading habits helps me notice what I was drawn to and what I prioritized, any themes that emerge, and some clarity around what I might like to carry forward, leave behind, or start anew in my reading goals for the coming year.

In 2025, I prioritized books that had been on my TBR (“to be read”) list for four or more years. Being “2025 Lindsay,” reading books that “2020 Lindsay” added to her list, was a sort of exercise in revisiting my former self. It was interesting to notice which of them I would still have chosen to pick up in 2025 if we were newly acquainted and which ones I have outgrown.

I’m sharing several categories of books because I can’t ever seem to narrow it down to just a few, and I will still feel bad about many of the books that didn’t make the cut for this post. To see them all, check out my Goodreads here.

Affiliate Disclaimer: The links to individual books below are affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for any purchases made through the links, at no cost to you.

Without further ado, here are some of the books I journeyed with this year:

Favorite Nonfiction of 2025

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson – This ties with The Will to Change for my favorite nonfiction read of the year. I listened to the audiobook and found the stories spellbinding, which is not easy to do in a nonfiction book about a difficult topic. Wilkerson seamlessly weaves micro and macro levels of a historical event (the Great Migration). The writing is beautiful, and Ilearned so much.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander – Since this is an older book, I appreciated the updated version in which the author helps provide more up-to-date context for the important and compelling argument she shares about mass incarceration.
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn – 1 read this for book club (do not do this to your book club—600+ pages is too long ha!), but this book has stayed with me and made probably the greatest impact of anything I read this year. It launched me into a period of grieving that was important to grieving that was important to experience and move through as I make connections to present-day U.S. politics. Bottom line—it’s not left vs. right but top vs. bottom (to quote James Talarico). The way it is, is in some sense the way it has always been. Ooph.
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder – This is a very short little book but the writing is a bit dense, packed full of strategic advice based on lessons from the 20th century. Snyder is a former professor at Yale University and a historian of fascism. Sobering yet hopeful, this is a super important read for this political moment.
The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks – This tied for first place in my favorite nonfiction book this year. I love bell hooks’ writing, especially because she quotes and builds on the work of contemplatives. She does a brilliant job of explaining how patriarchy harms boys and men, and her ideas fit well with the concept of contemplative activism. The deep inner work she calls us (people of all genders, fighting patriarchal systems together) to is essential for the healing and flourishing of all people.
Sabbath as Resistance by Walter Brueggemann – Another paradigm-shifting book! Brueggemann demonstrates that the practice of Sabbath keeping is crucial for Christians as an act of resistance to a culture obsessed with production and consumption and an alternative that enables us instead to live in a culture of neighborliness. This was a perfect read for Lent and moved me into a space of lament.
Holy Hurt: Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing by Hillary L. McBride – I’m a huge fan of Hillary McBride, and this one did not disappoint! This was helpful to me personally and professionally. McBride’s writing is insightful and accessible, situating trauma in the larger context of the systems in which it occurs. I highly recommend this for people who are healing from spiritual/religious trauma or those who are companioning them on the journey (pastors, therapists, spiritual directors, etc.).
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer – It’s easy to recognize that something has gone badly wrong with capitalism run amok and oligarchy becoming more and more prominent. This book helped cast an indigenous vision for a new (but ancient) way of being in community based on a gift economy that values reciprocity, relationship, gratitude, and care for others and the earth. Beautiful, wise, and hopeful!
Open Mind, Open Heart by Thomas Keating – This is the most practical, accessible, helpful teaching I’ve read/ heard on centering prayer. It helped me fill in some blanks on the topic with writing that is clear and relatable. I absolutely loved this book and will probably come back to it!
Listening for God: A Minister’s Journey Through Silence and Doubt by Renita Weems – I recently posted, “This morning I was trying to take a moment to center before the hustle and bustle of the week with extended family… while my sensory-seeking kiddo was jumping on the trampoline (that will only fit right here and kicking her feet toward my face. We really need more books and teachings by contemplative moms (thank you, Renita Weems!) because Thomas Merton could never😂” Enter Renita Weems—an intelligent, wise, well-studied scholar and minister with her feet planted smack in the middle of the chaos of womanhood and motherhood. Refreshingly honest, this is a great companion for the doubters, the questioners, and the hangers-on.
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell – I was drawn to this book because of its relevance to my work with folks in spiritual direction who are considering leaving, or have left, fundamentalist and high-control religious communities. Montell employs highly engaging storytelling and research laced with dark humor. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning about what makes us susceptible to the impact of cultish language, as well as to folks who have left high-control religion and the people who love and/or work with them.
The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage by Richard Rohr – Richard Rohr is one of my most influential wisdom teachers and has greatly impacted my life. Any time I read a newer book of his, I have learned to expect that some parts will resonate so deeply that I will think it’s the best thing I’ve ever read, and other parts will leave me scratching my head. I appreciate the blend of consolation and challenge I encounter in his work, and this one is no exception.

Favorite Fiction of 2025

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (YA) – I couldn’t put this down, and my teen loved it too. In 1986, two misfit 16 year olds fall in love as they grapple with their own identities, finding belonging, and difficult family dynamics (CW: domestic violence). The writing is exquisite. Rowell captures first love spectacularly and uniquely. The story is funny yet serious, dreamy yet gritty, and unique yet relatable. I fell in love with these characters in this magical story!
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry – Originally written in 1959, this play made history as the first play by an African American woman to be staged on Broadway. I’m so glad I finally got around to reading this classic. I immediately gave it five stars and also wrote no review because sometimes, you just have no words. What a marvelous work!
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett – Darkly comedic and absurd but tender, this reminded me a little of the movie Big Fish. I was totally sucked into the wacky plot and the quirky, endearing characters. The author said that she wanted to put all of the worst things she could imagine into the story and also make it her funniest book yet, and as it turns out, that combination really spoke to my Enneagram six heart!
You Are Here by David Nicholls – This was funny and sweet, and I loved the main characters. The dialogue and development of their relationship is impeccable. I kept reading humorous snippets of dialogue out loud to my husband. I wanted just a little more from the ending but overall, it’s one of the best feel-good books I’ve read in a while.
I See You’ve Called in Dead by John Kenney – Darkly humorous (are you noticing a theme??), sad, sweet, and heartwarming. Lots of content warnings for this one around death, self-harm, depression, suicide attempt and suicidal thoughts, and terminal illness.

Favorite Books of Poetry/Prayers/Blessings in 2025

365 Days of Peace: Benedictions to End Your Day in Gentleness and Hope by Jessica Kantrowitz – Each daily reading in this book offers a moment of calm, comforting respite. The words are rich with meaning and depth, conveying so much wisdom, compassion, and warmth in just a few words for each day.
The Wilderness that Bears Your Name: Poems by James A. Pearson – A stunning invitation to notice, ponder, and savor. I love reading Pearson’s poetry to my directees in spiritual direction.
A Rebellion of Care: Poems and Essays by David Gate – Gate’s poetry has been a balm to me on Instagram, so I was eager to read his new book. I appreciate how his poetry makes room for the full spectrum of human emotions with tenderness and a fierce commitment to honoring them all—anger, anxiety, joy, sadness, quiet reflection, and lighthearted playfulness. His writing has little jewels of insight, dropped quietly and briefly, without pretension. Just lovely.
Above Ground: Poems by Clint Smith – I fell in love with Smith’s poetic writing when I read his earlier book (which was nonfiction/history, not poetry, How the Word is Passed. His poetry “wrestles with how we hold wonder and despair in the same hands, how we carry intimate moments of joy and a collective sense of mourning in the same body,” which, I believe, is the one of the greatest challenges of this moment in history.
When We Talk to God: Prayers and Poems for Black Women by Sharita Stevens – Just beautiful! Intimate and honest while remaining hopeful. The artwork is gorgeous. This will be a blessing to all who read it and perhaps help us find the words we weren’t sure how to express as we draw near to God in prayer.

Favorite Memoirs in 2025

The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin – I flew through this audiobook in two days! I was completely absorbed in the story of Mama Love, who “recounts her slide from soccer mom to opioid addict to jailhouse shot-caller and her unlikely comeback as a highly successful ghostwriter.” Love Hardin is a gifted storyteller, using a combination of humor and sobering, heartbreaking insights about her life, inner world, and wounded-then-healing sense of self. Lots of content warnings for this one too – substance abuse, trauma, incarceration, and mental health struggles.
Eloquent Rage: Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper – I loved listening to the author read this audiobook that centers Black women and Black feminism through Cooper’s personal storytelling. She shares powerful, nuanced insights about the intersection of Blackness and womanhood in this powerful memoir.
Where the Light Fell by Philip Yancey – This year was actually my second time reading this (for book club), and I enjoyed it even more the second time. Part of my personal interest in this story is that my dad relates a lot to Yancy’s religious upbringing and the evolution from a very dualistic worldview to one that is more non-dualistic, open, and flexible.

Share your favorites!

1 would love to know-what were some of your favorite reads this year? What books will you read to kick off the New Year? Even better, as a nosy bibliophile, I would love to see a shelfie or book stack picture! Here’s one of my recent stacks of new-to-me books:

Healing Resistance by Kzau Haga
How We Heal by Alexandra Elle
The Deepest Well by Nadine Burke Harris
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell

A Bookish Blessing for 2026

May you enter the New Year with a sense of your unshakeable belovedness that grounds you and keeps you. May the felt sense of your belovedness equip you with courage to face your true, authentic self with honesty and compassion. May you experience enough Holy unrest to lead you into good trouble. May you be companioned by good, true, and beautiful books that open your heart and mind to new things waiting to be born in you and in your communities.

Be well, friends.

Lindsay L. O'Connor