My best books for 2025

I have always been a big reader. In this age of distraction and clickbait viral videos, reading a book has become somewhat of a revolutionary act. Reading is far rarer than it should be. It is in reading books that we think deeply about a topic or enter the world through someone else’s perspective.

If you are heading into a quieter time in this Christmas – New Year period, consider the following books as ways to make you think in a different way. I have appreciated all of these books during 2025. Not all of them are new releases this year. I have read many more than these, but some are forgettable, and not all are worthy of being recommended.

General Christian

• Five lies of our anti-Christian age by Rosaria Butterfield

I appreciate Rosaria Butterfield and have read all her previous books. This one is a larger tome and deals with some of the big hot button issues Christians face. Seems like a big ask, but it is an interesting and useful read.

• Mental health and your church by Thorne and Midgely

Written by a two experienced Biblical counsellors, one a pastor with a background in Psychiatry. If you’ve wondered about how to understand the help those you know who struggle with mental health issues, this is a great place to start. It is warm and applied while dealing with the issues it needs to.

• Do you feel called by God? By Michael Bennett

This is now an older book I’d been meaning to read for years. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “called by God” before. The question in the title is commonly asked of people entering vocational ministry. Michael Bennett does us a great service by asking what the Bible teaches on this, and finds the Biblical truth far less subjective than we often think.

Non-fiction

• Lost Connections by Johann Hari

Johann Hari is a great investigative journalist. As someone who has suffered from depression and had been on medication for this for many years, he explores the science behind medication and other ways to help those with anxiety and depression. It is enlightening, personal and very helpful. Warmly recommended.

• The War on the West by Douglas Murray

Douglas Murray often writes and says things that others are afraid to. He asks questions about Western cultures and other options that would be taboo in polite conversation. Why is it that so many young Americans, for example, think their own country is desperately racist and unjust while holding up Palestine as the example of an ideal country? Worth reading, even if parts might make you uncomfortable.

• Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

We would all like to think we make smart, well-reasoned choices. Yet life is more complicated than that. We are influenced, intentionally and sometimes not, by advertisers and price points. Dan Ariely is a behavioural psychologist, and this little book is highly entertaining while also being a fascinating look into what really influences our decision making.

Fiction

• Engineer Trilogy by K.J. Parker (Devices and Desires, Evil for Evil, The Escapement)

I am not usually a big fantasy reader, but I have always enjoyed K.J. Parker. This trilogy is very cleverly plotted; unlike so many books, I often couldn’t tell what would happen next. His protagonist is compelling and unusual, and the world is consistent and immersive.

 

Happy reading!