Best of 2025 Books

As I reflected on the list of books I read this past year, three things came to mind. First, a reminder that time seems to fly when you look back at memories. The second is a recognition that books can shape, sharpen, and time-stamp those memories over a given period. And the third, a reminder that you can accomplish just about any goal you set if you keep showing up.

It’s often said, “the days are long, but the years are short.” When you look back on life, especially with memories that are sequential in nature, it’s fascinating how moments reading a book can mark the time it took to get from A to B to C and so on. Those moments can seem to take forever while you live them. Then you look back and see how one thing led to the next…and the next thing you know, you wonder where the time went. It feels like just yesterday I went there, did that, saw them, read that…and in some cases it was 12 months ago already!

Books are full of surprises. As author Stephen King says, they “are a uniquely portable magic.” They transport us back in time, they introduce us to people and places we’ve never seen, and they can sharpen life’s greatest lessons. The magic starts and stops when we open a book, hit pause, or close it for the night. Then we start it all over again when the time is right. Time slows down while reading a book. You can picture the trip, the train, or your particular season of life. Maybe you can even recall the chair, the clothes, or the mood you were in. The investment of time spent in a good book will shape your thoughts and actions, and the impact of that experience becomes evident when looking back.

For my entire adult life, I never read more than 6 or 7 books a year. I had so many excuses. Hoping to change that, in 2022, I set out to read a book a month. I read 13. That was a big win! The next year, I had the same goal, and I read 14. In 2024, I planted a flag. It was time to do what I really wanted to do. The goal: run, read, rite…every day. With that kind of commitment, I decided 52 books for the year would be a solid goal. I read 53. I accomplished this by limiting TV time, replacing podcasts with audiobooks, and always having 3 books going at a time. One for the car, one to carry, and one with the kids. This year, the same goal: a book a week. I knocked out 55. I’m as busy as ever, I’m just better at making time for the things I want to make time for. Mark Twain once warned of distraction, saying, “Civilization is a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.” What I’ve learned about setting goals is that they need you to show up to get them done. Progressing toward a goal is often incremental, and I think best when ignored. Don’t focus on the result, enjoy the process, and keep showing up.

If I’m preaching to the choir, keep singing. You got this! If you need a kick in the pants for 2026, keep reading. You got this!

Either way, read on, reader…there is always room for growth. I like what Coach John Wooden had to say about wisdom: “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

If you are looking for some book recommendations, here are my Best of 2025 Books:

Note: I organized my reading this past year into six categories: Fiction, History, Kids, Life, Running, and Writing. This “best of” list comes from what I read in 2025 only; it’s not a compilation of my favorite books of all time.

Fiction: Top 3 of 6 Total Read

Don Quixote

The oldest and longest book (992 pages) of the year, this 1615 classic is a beast! I listened, and read, and listened while I read to maximize the available time I had. There is just too much in this story to comment on, but this knight’s errantry is packed with loyalty, love, and laughter. You will seek adventure and strive to be more chivalrous after you read it. There are so many stories within the story; I plan to take Yale’s free online course to learn more about the impact of this epic masterpiece.

Ben-Hur

I don’t know how it took me so long to read this. It’s wonderful. As a historical fiction, I was bummed it left out one major life event among the others, but the entire read is a fascinating exploration of a tale set in Biblical times. Written in 1880, it’s a classic that adds color to the corners of a picture you’ve probably looked at your whole life.

A Gentleman in Moscow

Amor Towles has a way with words. This book started a little slow for me, but then I got sucked into this story. The characters and the conversations are so clever. Who knew a lifetime set in one building could be so interesting?

History: Top 3 of 9 Total Read

A Drive into the Gap*

If you like baseball, you’ll love this book. The shortest book (66 pages) of the year, don’t let its size fool you. It’s packed full of history, heart, and whodunit. It’s an amazing example of how compelling good storytelling can be.

American Flannel

We used to make the majority of our clothing in the United States. Most of that industry is now overseas. Jobs, and in some places, whole towns, were lost in that transformation. This book is about a few entrepreneurs trying to change that. Good, quality flannel is extra difficult to make, which is why it’s the centerpiece of an effort to blend “old-fashioned craftsmanship to cutting-edge technology and design to revive an essential American dream.”

Zabar’s

A rags-to-riches story about a family who fled persecution in Ukraine and immigrated to the United States in the early 1920’s, creating the iconic Zabar’s grocery store in New York City. The cool part is they have maintained their hard-working, humble nature (and building on Broadway) since they started in 1934. Sticklers for quality, especially in their coffee and fish selection process, they aim to serve the best. The book is about a food business, and it even shares recipes, but the thread that weaves the whole thing together is family.

Kids: Top 3 of 12 Total Read (Voted on by the Kids)

The Warden and the Wolf King*

It’s fun, exciting, and it’s a little sad. (long pause)

This is a really good book. (said in a soft, thoughtful voice)

What! Daaaad! Did you just type “what?” Please don’t tell me you are keeping that… (laughing hysterically)

Fine. I like this book because I have an older brother and a younger sister, and that matches the three main characters in the story.

It’s surprising at times, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s about a family that travels to escape the evil in their land. Along the way, they bond as a family to defend each other from harm. This book encourages kids to look after their siblings and appreciate their mom and dad. It’s one of my favorite books of all time.

(Written by my 11-year-old son.)

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

I liked the way the characters talked. The way that the author made it so that they each had their own unique style. The story is about a hobbit who is not very adventurous, but then goes off on a journey to a mountain to stop a dragon that had taken over their kingdom. It surprised me how he faced so many tough challenges and got through them all to save his friends. I think you should read this book because it’s adventurous and it will keep you entertained. The cliffhangers at the end of each chapter make you want to read more and more until the very end.

(Written by my 12-year-old son.)

The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall

I loved it, because it was a mystery and I like mysteries. I liked the girl named Pocket and the main characters, Arthur and Irene. I remember when they first got to school and met and became friends. It was kind of “hary”…happy and scary at the same time. I was also surprised by the ending. And my dad is a good reader.

(Written by my 8-year-old daughter.)

Life: Top 3 of 19 Total Read

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

This book was the nudge I needed, giving me a new perspective on hurry. Faith-based and fun, this will definitely be reread in future years. One won’t likely practice every idea in the book, but there are enough for all to find a way to slow down and be more present. Maybe you, as I did, will choose the checkout aisle with the longest line to get some ruthless reps in…

The Matheny Manifesto

Youth sports are broken. That’s my take, and many others agree with it. As a father of young athletes and a youth league coach myself, this book outlines solutions to problems that, sadly, are created mostly by parents. Sport is a beautiful thing. This book is a tool that will help us keep the focus on what matters most, winning kids through sport.

Designing Your Life

The authors have transformed a perennial favorite Stanford class they teach into an easy-to-read book for all to “build a well-lived, joyful life.” Designers solve problems with design thinking. The same concepts can be used to build your career and your life. The main theme in this book is “try stuff”…generate lots of ideas and solutions using practical tools like mind mapping, creating odyssey plans, and prototyping. Get curious, be creative, learn to have a bias toward action.

Running: Top 3 of 3 Total Read

I Hate Running and You Can Too*

“Competing against yourself is actually quite simple. The person you want to be would go for a run instead of sitting inside scrolling through their phone for another forty-five minutes. The person you want to be would not stop halfway through their run because they’re tired. The person you want to be would try hard and wouldn’t make excuses when things get tough. Whether you’re running 2 miles around your neighborhood or your first 10K, the only person you have to beat is the voice in your head that tells you you’re not a runner.” Decide who you want to be, set a goal, and keep showing up.

Never Finished

“I live with a day one, week one mentality. This mentality is rooted in self-discipline, personal accountability, and humility. While most people stop when they are tired, I stop when I’m done. In a world where mediocrity is often the standard, my life’s mission is to become uncommon amongst the uncommon.” Warning: the author’s colorful language may not be suitable for all, but his commitment to being uncommon hopefully is.

Showing Up

A story of another super hustler that will blow you away. Don’t be fooled into thinking the message is about lacing up your shoes to run across Australia, as the author did. It’s much more personal than that. The author’s website says it well, “We live in a risk-averse and self-focused world at the moment, and I hope that this book inspires parents, grandparents, and kids…to get more resilient, to do the hard things, to take on the next challenge, to give back and help others, and to get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

Writing: Top 3 of 6 Total Read

Bird by Bird*

Writers love this book. So, when I set out to be a writer, I knew I had to read it too. I found it so helpful that this year it became a reread. The author is a little woo-woo at times, just remember this isn’t a theology book. Her humor and detailed storytelling drive home the message to become a better writer. Like this quote on being patient with yourself: “Try looking at your mind as a wayward puppy that you are trying to paper train. You don’t drop-kick a puppy into the neighbor’s yard every time it piddles on the floor. You just keep bringing it back to the newspaper.”

On Writing Well

A classic guide to non-fiction writing that has sold over one million copies. The first half focuses on substance, while the second half focuses on style. I assumed it would read like a textbook, but it delivered its sound advice with a keen sense of humor. It’s been a helpful tool to balance what I like to call the “flow and pow” of a piece, keeping things relatable. “Remember: Your biggest stories will often have less to do with their subject than with their significance – not what you did in a certain situation, but how that situation affected you and shaped the person you became.”

On Writing

I’ve never read Stephen King before; his genre is not exactly my style, but he’s widely considered one of the great storytellers of our time. He must therefore have a thing or two to say about writing. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Part memoir, part writing coach, this book was pithy, punchy, and practical. “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”

*Reread (7 of 55 books were rereads, but as the saying goes, “nobody ever reads the same book twice.”)

It was an enjoyable year of reading, but I’m pumped for what’s next. With 485 books on my Goodreads “Want to Read” list, I have plenty to choose from in 2026. I typically have a handful on a shortlist that I’ll prioritize throughout the year, then end up reading others on a whim based on a reference, a recommendation, or some personal research. That being said, if you have any favorite books to share, I want to know…

Happy New Year…and happy reading, y’all!

AP