This year, my list is dominated by literary fiction, Henry Cloud, Bible and theology, “guilty pleasure” fiction, a few business(y) books, and several standouts that fall into the miscellaneous category because they are hard to classify. The first two categories probably deserve a little explanation.
Let’s start with literary fiction.
I’ve primarily gravitated toward non-fiction books, but that changed this year when I intentionally set out to read more fiction… but especially literature. (I was going to include a cool chart comparing and contrasting genre fiction with literary fiction, but then found this and this, so I decided the time I saved by linking to others could be better used reading!)
A lot of people avoid literature because the complex writing style, depth of characters, and intellectual demands make for a more challenging reading experience. Personally, I’ve gotten a few chapters into some books unsure I knew what was happening or why it mattered.
My solution was to join a book club. Close Reads advertises itself as “a book club podcast for the incurable reader.” That hits because, while I’m not the best reader, I am certainly an incurable one. It’s what I love to do. If I have free time, there’s usually a book involved. If you’re reading this, we share similar interests or you’re looking for gift ideas for the incurable reader on your Christmas list.
The only thing I love to do more than reading is discussing good books with other people. But I’ve never joined a book club because I’m afraid it won’t live up to my admittedly unrealistic expectations. For example, there’s nothing worse than showing up ready to discuss a book only to find others haven’t finished it. Plus, it’s hard to find a time your book-loving friends can get together. Finally, and I know this sounds ridiculous, but if you’re a part of a book club, you must read books other people choose but that you don’t really want to read. I want to join a book club with people who are better readers than me but always let me choose the books we discuss.
This is silly and unrealistic, which makes it that much more surprising that Close Reads exceeded my expectations. The hosts are super smart and offer great insights into both the craft of writing and the ideas central to the book. Every episode leaves me not only feeling smarter but with the hope that I can become a better reader. Since it’s a podcast, I can listen to the discussion whenever it’s convenient and I just skip the books I’m less interested in. After ravaging the back catalog for a few months, I joined their Substack, giving me access to even more book discussions.
If you want to challenge yourself by reading literary fiction, I’d suggest browsing their feed and choosing a book that they’ve discussed and that interests you.
With my focus this year, I’ve become convinced that, other than the Bible, literature is the best place to go to learn about human nature. If you want to learn why people do what they do or to uncover your personal motives or to develop empathy, read more literature! It opens your heart and mind in a way that non-fiction doesn’t. Plus, it’s enjoyable.
Now a quick note explaining my Henry Cloud fixation. For several weeks, I focused on reading books by the Christian psychologist. His most well-known book is Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life, which he coauthored with his business partner John Townsend who is also a Christian psychologist. When I find an author with exceptional insight, I just keep going back to get everything I can. You’ll notice his books have their own category.
So here are the best books I read in 2025. You can select a category from the list below to jump down to the topic of books you’re most interested in reading, or you can scroll to see all my favorites.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Set in Korea in the early 1900s, this award-winning book follows Sunja, a Korean woman who unknowingly has an affair with a wealthy married man. When she discovers she’s pregnant, she breaks off the relationship and marries a traveling evangelist heading to Japan. Her decision has generational impact.
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
Two 15-year-old Jewish boys, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders, grow up in New York City with very different familial expectations. Their friendship forces them to wrestle with what it means to keep their faith in the modern world.
Trust by Hernan Diaz
If perception is reality, then the one who tells the story controls the “truth.” Benjamin and Helen Rask are at the center of this Pulitzer Prize winning novel, which leaves you wondering whether any of our stories are reliable. (Trust was so good, I read it twice, listening to the Close Reads episodes the second time through.)
The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family by Joshua Cohen
Like The Chosen and My Name is Asher Lev, both of which appear on this list, The Netanyahus wrestles with what it means to be Jewish in the modern world. This time, the setting is Corbin College in upstate New York at the end of the 1950s. This is one of the books that I probably wouldn’t have made it through without the Close Reads episodes. But am I ever glad I stayed with it. Profound and funny.
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
Asher is a young Jewish boy with extraordinary artistic talents growing up in New York’s Hasidic community. Will his Rebbe and his father give him their blessing to pursue his art at the expense of following religious law and custom? I loved this book so much that I persuaded (or badgered?) several in my family to read it so we could discuss it at our weekly family dinner.
The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
When the affair ends, the story takes an unexpected turn that reveals how our guilt can lead us to grace. Makes for a great discussion. See also Greene’s book The Quiet American, which tells the story of an American sent by Washington on a mysterious mission to Vietnam in the 1950s.
O Pioneers, My Antonia, and Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
To be honest, I’d never heard of Willa Cather this time last year, which is either the fault of my education or my fault for not paying attention in school since Cather is on the short list of best American literary novelists. All three books are episodic, covering large swaths of time. O Pioneers and My Antonia are vivid accounts of early pioneer life on the plains of Nebraska.
The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
Percy is one of the mid-century (20th) Catholic novelists who write compellingly about faith in the context of human struggle. The Moviegoer follows the life of Binx, a stockbroker in New Orleans who is disconnected and looking for meaning and purpose.
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
The main character is a judge in 19th-century Russia. The story begins with his funeral, revealing the indifference of those who knew him and then rewinds to tell the story of his terminal illness. Along the way, Ivan comes to grip with the emptiness of materialism and the need for human connection.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
You may have read this one in high school. Guy Montag, the main character in this dystopian novel, is a fireman whose job is to burn books. The themes include censorship, freedom of intellectual thought, and the danger of apathy. It made for a great discussion at our family dinner.
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
This short novel describes one day in the life a Soviet prisoner in a labor camp in the 1950s.
A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor
If you’ve never read this Catholic novelist, this is a great book to start with. It’s the story of a family road trip to Florida with a manipulative grandmother. Granny leads the family into danger when they encounter an escaped convict called The Misfit.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Nick Carraway tells the story of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby, who wants to rekindle a romance with the now married Daisy Buchanan. This classic American novel wrestles with wealth, love, social class, and the elusive American Dream.
East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath, Cannery Row, The Winter of Our Discontent, Of Mice and Men, and The Pearl by John Steinbeck
My favorite novel of 2025 is East of Eden, and my favorite novelist is John Steinbeck. Each of these books tell the gritty story of the working class during a season of economic hardship. And even though Steinbeck was antagonistic to the Christian faith, these novels are full of biblical themes.
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thorton Wilder
The story begins with a bridge collapse that kills five people. Brother Juniper, a witness to the tragic event, investigates the lives of the victims to determine whether it was part of God’s divine plan.
The Old Man and the Sea and A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
The first book tells the story of Santiago, a fisherman who hasn’t caught a fish in over two months. When he finally snags a marlin, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to land him. The second book is a love story set in World War I between an American ambulance driver and a British nurse. Both novels highlight Hemingway’s sparse but powerful prose.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
In this philosophical novel, Dorian Gray is willing to trade his soul for eternal youth and physical beauty.
The Stranger by Albert Camus
A philosophical novel about whether there is any meaning in life and what, if anything, separates right from wrong.
I already explained that Cloud is a Christian psychologist with unusual insight. I think many of his books are great ways to get some cheap counseling. No, it’s not personal, but there’s no waiting list! Seriously, these books are full of good insights that anyone can learn from. Also, with his long subtitles, who needs descriptions!
After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters by N. T. Wright
This book explains what God expects of a Christian. The emphasis is on character and virtue rather than technique or spiritual disciplines.
Into the Heart of Romans: A Deep Dive into Paul’s Greatest Letter by N. T. Wright
Wright does more than walk through this chapter verse by verse. He uses it as a springboard to reinterpret what Paul is doing in the entire book.
The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’s Crucifixion by N. T. Wright
What does Paul mean when he writes that Jesus died for our sins “according to the Scriptures”? Wright puts the cross back into the Bible’s storyline of creation, fall, redemption, and new creation.
The Vision of Ephesians: The Task of the Church and the Glory of God by N. T. Wright
Here, Wright argues that if the Reformers (mainly Luther and Calvin) had focused on Ephesians instead of Romans, the last 500 years of church history would have been substantially different. Ephesians focuses on how the cross reconciles all people to God and each other and restores us to become like Jesus, the ideal human.
Miracles Today: The Supernatural Work of God in the Modern World by Craig Keener and The Case for Miracles by Lee Strobel
Christians are often embarrassed by the miracles in the Bible. Sure, we believe they happened, but it’s difficult to argue that others should or that we should expect to see miracles today. If you doubt that genuine miracles happen today (not talking about you getting a parking spot close to the store), these books will challenge you to rethink the issue.
Unbreakable: What the Son of God Said About the Word of God by Andrew Wilson
Instead of starting with the Bible to show us how we should see Jesus, Wilson starts with Jesus and lets his view of the Bible shape ours. If Jesus saw the Bible as both authoritative and trustworthy, shouldn’t we?
The Anxious Organization: Why Smart Companies Do Dumb Things by Jeffrey Miller
Even though I’ve read it a few times and led a few discussions on it, I find this book difficult to explain in a couple sentences. But trust me. If you lead or manage a team, department, or an entire organization, it’s worth your time.
Ideaflow: Why Creative Businesses Win by Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn
Every problem is an idea problem in that it’s new ideas that solve current problems and lead to breakthroughs. This book helps individuals and teams increase the number of ideas and therefore the quality of their ideas.
The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
This book explains three effective management techniques: one-minute goals, one-minute praises, and one-minute redirects. The one minute isn’t a gimmick. It’s essential to effectiveness.
Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobs
We’ve lived with the threat of a nuclear war for so long that we are numb to its dangers. This narrative non-fiction book will bring you to your senses. It’s a fast-paced, minute-by-minute, telling of the standard operating procedure nations will go through as they destroy civilization.
The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life by Morgan Housel
Frankly, it drives me crazy that the author isn’t a Christian. This book is full of biblical values and wisdom that I’m afraid most people don’t have the power to live out apart from Christ.
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton
In 1985, the author was wrongly convicted of 2 capital crimes in Alabama and received the death sentence. Insisting on his innocence, he was exonerated and released 30 years later. It’s an amazing story of surviving injustice with your faith intact.
The Quest for Cosmic Justice by Thomas Sowell
Sowell, now 95 years old, is having another moment in the spotlight. He’s always had impressive credentials as an economist but hasn’t ever fit comfortably in either political camp. In Cosmic Justice, he argues that human beings can’t bring about a just world much less a utopian one. With uncomfortable bluntness, he demonstrates that peace movements often lead to war and that social justice movements often unintentionally lead to greater injustice.
Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom by Thomas Ricks
A side-by-side biography of two British men who saved the world from authoritarianism from the right and the left.
On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization by Douglas Murray
Murray, who is not Jewish and has no special links to Israel, puts October 7 in context, exposes the ideology of Hamas that led to the massacre, and explains why Americans of all political persuasions should be concerned with Israel’s national existence.
Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson
Of all the retrospectives on the 2024 presidential campaign, this is the best. Written by two political reporters, Tapper (CNN) and Thompson (Axios), with access to all the key players, this book gives us the backstory on one of the more dramatic campaigns in modern American history.
The Haves and Have-Yachts by Evan Osnos
In a collection of essays, Osnos shows how the uber wealthy live. It’s the life of superyachts, hiring famous performers for a son’s bar mitzvah, and luxury bunkers to protect themselves when the world devolves into anarchy.
Manhood: The Masculine Virtues American Needs by Josh Hawley
I get that the senator’s politics are controversial, but this isn’t a political book. At least not overtly. You won’t find either political party mentioned. But you will find a compelling and theologically astute vision of masculinity.
Earlier, I referred to some of the books on this list as “guilty pleasures.” That’s not because there’s anything immoral or embarrassing about them but because they allow me to turn off my brain and enjoy a story. (Maybe you’d call them beach reads?) It’s true that some of them contain a bit of sex and violence, so choose wisely according to your personal convictions. Theo of Golden is far and away my favorite on this list. My educated guess is the next four after that are the books that men will enjoy more than the rest of the list. But who knows? I’m a man and these books all made the cut!
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
The Hunter: A Novel by Tana French
King of Ashes: A Novel by S. A. Cosby
Billy Summers by Stephen King
The Passengers by John Marrs
Good Material: A Novel by Dolly Alderton
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Malibu Rising: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Seven Husbands of Eveyln Hugo: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
The Wedding People: A Novel by Alison Espach
Looking for more book recommendations from Keith? Check out his top books from the last few years: