Monday, December 29, 2025

My 2025 Favorites


As another year comes to a close, I’m continuing a tradition I started in 2009, listing my favorite books I read during the year and my favorite albums and movies of the year. I make these lists to help me remember what I’ve enjoyed, and I share them in case they help someone else discover something meaningful and good.

Favorite Books I Read in 2025


This year felt like a real abundance of good books, several of which came out of a book club I’m in, where we pick one work of fiction to read and discuss each month. My three favorite books I read this year came from it: Theo of Golden, Island of the World, and Watership Down. Through these stories, I was drawn into fascinating worlds and met strong but flawed characters who called me toward something better.

This year, I also made my way through all of Wendell Berry’s Port William stories. I’ve loved the journey and plan to revisit them often.

I’ve also tried to shift some of my reading habits based on sound advice from Alan Jacobs (from The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction). He encourages us to enjoy the book in front of us instead of reading simply to have read (I'm often guilty of this), to reread favorites instead of always chasing what could be great (I loved rereading East of Eden and Harry Potter this year), and to give up on books occasionally rather than forcing our way through (even though I'd heard great things, I gave up on Red Rising and Little Fires Everywhere about halfway through). 

Leaning into this has brought more freedom and enjoyment. Maybe one day I'll be able to heed his advice and stop making lists. Until then, these were my favorites I read this year:

Fiction

  1. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (2023) - brief review
  2. Island of the World by Michael O'Brien (2007) - brief review
  3. Watership Down by Richard Adams (1972)
  4. The Wild Birds by Wendell Berry (1986) - brief review
  5. 11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011)
  6. The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson (2011)
  7. The Warden and the Wolf King by Andrew Peterson (2014)
  8. A Place in Time by Wendell Berry (2012) - brief review
  9. A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin (1991)
  10. Stoner by John Williams (1965)

Nonfiction

  1. The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner (2004) - brief review
  2. Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe (2021) - brief review
  3. The Mythmakers by John Hendrix (2024)
  4. Steps by John Ortberg (2025) - brief review
  5. Rembrandt Is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey (2022)
  6. On Writing by Stephen King (2000)
  9. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (2005)

Favorite Music of 2025


Like reading, I also found this year to be really good for music. My two favorite albums this year came from Jon Guerra and John Van Deusen. I’ve loved both artists for a while, but they've both outdone themselves.

Jon’s album has been such a gift to me since it came out earlier this year. It’s simple and beautiful, and the album as a whole carries a message I need: Do not worry or fear, for God loves you, will provide for you, is with you now, and will be with you always. And getting to see and connect with him at a small house show in April was a delight.

Then John Van Deusen dropped his latest in early October, and I’ve been listening to it nonstop since then. A review I highly recommend reading calls it “a unique, valuable, and tremendously earnest work of worship, one that stands out starkly from its peers.” I very much agree.

I created a playlist of my favorite songs of the year (Apple Music and Spotify). Below are my favorite albums and EPs:

Albums:

  1. As Long As I Am In The Tent of This Body I Will Make A Joyful Noise, Pt. 1 by John Van Deusen
  2. Jesus by Jon Guerra
  3. Everything Must Go by Goose
  4. m us eum by Citizens
  5. This Is Not The End by The Gray Havens
  6. 77 (Pt. 1) by Colony House
  7. RUSHMERE by Mumford & Sons
  8. When the War Is Over by JOHNNYSWIM
  9. The Way of Love by Tenielle Neda
  10. All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade by Of Monsters and Men

EPs:

  1. Miracle Service by Andy Squyres
  2. MATIN: Home by Jess Ray
  3. Living is proof. by Citizens
  4. The Great Exchange by Will Carlisle
  5. Asaph’s Arrows II by Kings Kaleidoscope

Favorites on the Screen of 2025


I didn’t watch much TV this year, with the exception of the second season of Severance, which was pretty good. Below are my favorite movies and docs I watched from this year:

Movies:

  1. The Ballad of Wallis Island
  2. Hamnet
  3. One Battle After Another
  4. Train Dreams
  5. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
  6. Superman
  7. Souleymane’s Story
  8. David
  9. A Minecraft Movie
  10. I'm Still Here

Docs:

  1. Billy Joel: And So It Goes 
  2. It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley
  4. Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?

Favorites from 2024
Favorites from 2023
Favorite Books from 2022
Favorite Content from 2021
Favorite Content from 2020

Posted by at
Labels: , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)