Books I Read in 2025

Happy New Year! 2025 marks the 7th year since I started tracking my reading, and the first year that I found the admin of that tracking onerous. Somewhere around the 200-per-year mark it got more burdensome and less enjoyable to track trends, notice patterns, discover a diversity of authors. This year, I re-read a lot - some of the Discworld books were listened to 3x or more! And it's not very interesting to just note that I'm reading Pratchett and Greenwood for the eleventy-seventh time.

There were certainly some gems to be found this year. I read quite a lot of Palestinian poetry, as well as some really thoughtful Jews writing about how we move forward as human beings after the destruction of Gaza. I discovered a great new mystery series in Miss Fisher. I was entirely convinced by Katherine Center's passionate defense of the rom-com as an important genre that oughtn't be brushed aside as frivolous or just for women. But as I look back on the year, there's nothing I read that makes me think "wow, I'm so glad I read that!" It's just a wave of overwhelming numbers.

Noting that, I guess the question I have for you, dear readers, is: Do you still enjoy this newsletter? For 7 years I have loved not only the act of reading, but also sharing what I've read, having interesting conversations with fellow readers. Many of you have recommended some of the favorites of recent years - Amy brought me to Discworld and particularly convinced me to think more deeply about Tiffany Aching, Rhiannon recommended Katherine Center. But I will admit I have found this format much less engaging and enjoyable than my old Facebook posts. Just listing the next few in a series of light fiction doesn't seem to spark the same conversation among fans of one of my reads, or someone recommending something similar they think I'll enjoy.

Anyway, my 2025 list is below. I hope 2025 was an enjoyable year of reading for you, and that 2026 will re-inspire the old joy in me in not only reading but sharing my reads.

Favorite fiction: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik and All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker (tie)

Favorite non-fiction: Perfect Victims by Mohammed El-Kurd

Biggest surprise: Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Biggest disappointment: How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days by Sophie Irwin

Greatest joy: Learning to love Tiffany Aching and her witchcraft that I would call priestcraft

Greatest sadness: Thomas King, of course

Books I'm reading as the year turns: Katabasis by R.F. Kuang and The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman (audio, re-read)

Books read in 2025

January

1. The Wedding by Gurjinder Basran 
2. All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
3. Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik
4. Jesus of Nazareth by José Comblín
5. Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett
6. Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez
7. Black Ice by Thomas King
8.  The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
9. Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett (audio)
10. Why Did You Leave the Horse Alone? by Mahmoud Darwish
11. Soul Music by Terry Pratchett (audio)
12. Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova
13. Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service by Tajja Isen
14. Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church by Barbara A. Holmes
15. The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World by Sharon Brous
16. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
17. This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher
18. Into the Mess and Other Jesus Stories: Reflections on the Life of Christ by Debie Thomas
19. Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett (audio)
20. Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane
21. The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark
22. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
23. The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters 
24. Seeing the Lord: Resurrection and Early Christian Practices by Marianne Sawicki
25. Once the Smudge is Lit: Poems by Kelsey Borgford and Cole Forrest

 16 fiction / 9 non-fiction

11 white / 2 Asian / 4 Latine / 3 Indigenous / 1 MENA / 4 Black

1 Sikh / 1 Muslim / 4 Jewish

2 LGBTQ+

 February

1. Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett (audio)
2. Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok
3. The Search Party by Hannah Richell
4. When Angels Speak of Love: Poems by bell hooks
5. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear
6. The Jane Austen BBC Radio Drama Collection by Jane Austen
7. Strength to Love by Martin Luther King, Jr.
8. The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
9. Living Disability: building Accessible Futures for Everybody by Emily MaCrae
10. Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths
11. Paul Among the People: The Apostle Reinterpreted and Reimagined in His Own Time by Sarah Ruden
12. Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for Turn of the Century Culture by Marva Dawn
13. Maskerade by Terry Pratchett (audio)
14. Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear
15. Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch
16. Slow Horses by Mick Herron
17. The Last Word by Elly Griffiths
18. Rifqa by Mohammed El-Kurd
19. Songs of Suffering: 25 Hymns and Devotions for Weary Souls by Joni Eareckson Tada
20. More Than Numbers: The Ways Churches Grow by Loren B. Mead
21. Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea by Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor
22. My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding by Sajni Patel
23. Jingo by Terry Pratchett (audio)
24. Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Agatha Christie
25. Truly the Community: Romans 12 and How to Be the Church by Marva Dawn

 15 fiction / 10 non-fiction

22 white / 2 Black / 1 MENA / 1 Asian

1 Buddhist / 1 Jewish / 1 Muslim / 1 Hindu

2 LGBTQ+

 March

1. Home Truths: Fixing Canada’s Housing Crisis by Carolyn Whitzman
2. Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear by Mosab Abu Toha
3. Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn’t Have to Heal From by Meredith Miller
4. To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters (audio, re-read)
5. Enfleshing Freedom: Body, Race, and Being by M. Shawn Copeland
6. A Nest of Vipers by Harini Nagendra
7. Content Warning: Everything by Akwaeke Emezi
8. Dead Lions by Mick Herron
9. We Drink From Our Own Wells: The Spiritual Journey of a People by Gustavo Gutierrez
10. Water and Salt: Poems by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha
11. The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett (audio)
12. Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear
13. Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
14. Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price
15. To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters (audio, re-read)
16. Gay Girl Prayers: Poems by Emily Austin
17. Sleepless in Dubai by Sajni Patel
18. The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime by Vicki Delany
19. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally
20. Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett (audio)
21. Vanishing Act by Thomas Perry
22. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
23. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
24. Real Tigers by Mick Herron

 14 fiction / 10 non-fiction

16 white / 2 MENA / 2 Black / 2 Asian / 1 Latine / 1 Indigenous

2 Muslim / 1 Indigenous / 2 Hindu

3 LGBTQ+

 April

1. Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch
2. The List by Mick Herron
3. Performing the Faith: Bonhoeffer and the Practice of Nonviolence by Stanley Hauerwas
4. Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (audio) 
5. The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto by Tavis Smiley and Cornel West
6. Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (re-read)
7.  “On Vocation (1) – The Call to Be Oneself” in Open to Judgment: Sermons and Addresses by Rowan Williams
8.  Theology of Money by Philip Goodchild
9. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers (re-read)
10. The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett (audio)
11. Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice
12. Torture and Eucharist: Theology, Politics, and the Body of Christ by William Cavanaugh
13. If God Still Breathes, Why Can’t I? Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority by Angela N. Parker
14. A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear
15. The Truth by Terry Pratchett (audio)
16. Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers (re-read)
17. Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao
18. The Thinking Heart: Essays on Israel and Palestine by David Grossman
19. Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope by bell hooks
20. To Woo and to Wed by Martha Waters (audio, re-read)

 12 fiction / 8 non-fiction

15 white / 4 Black / 1 Indigenous / 1 Asian

2 Jewish / 1 Indigenous

1 LGBTQ+

May

1. Scars and Stars: Poems by Jesse Thistle
2. Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers (audio, re-read, re-listen)
3. Coconut by Nisha Patel
4.  The Whispers by Ashley Audrain
5. 77 Fragments of a Familiar Ruin: Poems by Thomas King
6. Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII
7. Lakewood by Megan Giddings
8. Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett (audio)
9. Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear
10. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
11. An Excellent Thing in a Woman by Allison Montclair
12. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (audio)
13. A Death in Diamonds by S.J. Bennett
14.  The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett (audio)
15. Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
16. Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory
17. I and Thou by Martin Buber
18. Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett (audio, re-read)
19. How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith by Mariann Edgar Budde

 13 fiction / 6 non-fiction

1 Indigenous / 13 white / 1 Asian / 3 Black

1 Indigenous / 1 Hindu / 1 Jewish

3 LGBTQ+

 June

1. Famous Last Words by Gillian McAlister
2. Spook Street by Mick Herron
3. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett (audio)
4. A Way Out of No Way: An Approach to Christian Innovation by Stephen Lewis and Kimberly R. Daniels
5. Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin
6. Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman
7. Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera
8. London Rules by Mick Herron
9. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (audio)
10. The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
11. Unspeakable: Preaching and Trauma-Informed Theology by Sarah Travis
12. The Big Melt by Emily Riddle
13. The Love Haters by Katherine Center
14. Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett (audio)
15. Confessions by Augustine (Ruden trans.)
16. A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin (audio, re-read)
17. The Marylebone Drop by Mick Herron

13 fiction / 4 non-fiction

12 white / 2 Black / 2 Asian / 1 Indigenous / 1 MENA

1 Muslim

1 LGBTQ+

July

1. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad
2. Maskerade by Terry Pratchett (re-read)
3. A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett (audio)
4. Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett (re-read)
5. Joe Country by Mick Herron
6. In This Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear
7. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
8. The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann
9.  Going Postal by Terry Pratchett (audio)
10. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett (re-read)
11. The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai
12. Jingo by Terry Pratchett (re-read)
13. Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
14. Thud! by Terry Pratchett (audio)
15. Lost: Back to the Island by Emily St James and Noel Murray
16. The Other Side of the Wall: A Palestinian Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope by Munther Isaac
17. Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett (re-read)
18. Meet Me at the Crossroads by Megan Giddings
19. Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria
20. The Catch by Mick Herron
21. To Die but Once by Jacqueline Winspear
22. Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett (audio)

18 fiction / 4 non-fiction

3 MENA / 18 white / 1 Black / 1 Latine

1 Muslim

2 LGBTQ+

August

1.  The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett (re-read)
2. Flying Too High by Kerry Greenwood
3.  Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood
4.  Night Watch by Terry Pratchett (re-read)
5. Slough House by Mick Herron
6. Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano
7. Making Money by Terry Pratchett (audio)
8.  The Weavers of Alamaxa by Hadeer Elsbai
9. Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman
10. Before the Mango Ripens by Afabwaje Kurian
11. Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens
12. Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett (re-read)
13. A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin (audio, re-read)
14. Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood
15. Bad Actors by Mick Herron
16. The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity by Sarah Schulman
17. Standing by the Wall by Mick Herron
18. Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman
19. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett (audio)
20. Perfect Victims: And the Politics of Appeal by Mohammed El-Kurd
21. The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood

19 fiction / 2 non-fiction

18 white / 2 MENA / 1 Black

1 Jewish / 1 Muslim

2 LGBTQ+

September

1. Royal Gambit by Daniel O’Malley
2. Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
3. I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett (audio)
4. Sidewalks in the Kingdom: New Urbanism and the Christian Faith by Eric O. Jacobsen
5. How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days by Sophie Irwin
6. Value(s) by Mark Carney
7. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett (re-read)
8. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (audio, re-read)
9. Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible, and the Genocide in Gaza by Munther Isaac
10. The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett
11. Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (re-read)
12. Moral Conscience Through the Ages: Fifth Century BCE to the Present by Richard Sorabji
13. Snuff by Terry Pratchett (audio) 
14. Do Morals Matter? A Guide to Contemporary Ethics by Ian Markham
15. The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
16. Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning by Peter Beinart
17. Blood and Circuses by Kerry Greenwood
18.  Thud! by Terry Pratchett (re-read)
19. The Rook by Daniel O’Malley (audio, re-read) 

13 fiction / 6 non-fiction

16 white / 1 Latine / 1 Asian / 1 MENA 

1 Jewish

1 LGBTQ+

October

1. The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017 by Rashid Khalidi
2. Ruddy Gore by Kerry Greenwood
3. The End of Empathy: Why White Protestants Stopped Loving Their Neighbors by John W. Compton
4. Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
5. Urn Burial by Kerry Greenwood
6. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
7. Good Work: Christian Ethics in the Workplace by Esther D. Reed
8. Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett (audio)
9. The Trespasser by Tana French (audio, re-read)
10.  Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
11. Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix by Cherie Dimaline
12. Park Avenue by Renee Ahdieh
13.  Raisins and Almonds by Kerry Greenwood
14. Terry Pratchett: The BBC Radio Drama Collection by Terry Pratchett (audio)
15. Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley
16. Death Before Wicket by Kerry Greenwood

 13 fiction / 3 non-fiction

1 MENA / 10 white / 1 Black / 2 Asian / 2 Indigenous

1 Muslim 

1 LGBTQ+

November

1. The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett (audio)
2.  The Ethics of Human Rights: Contested Doctrinal and Moral Issues by Esther D. Reed
3. Away with the Fairies by Kerry Greenwood
4. Bad Indians Book Club: Reading at the Edge of a Thousand Worlds by Patty Krawec
5. Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett (audio, re-read)
6. Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin
7. Murder in Montparnasse by Kerry Greenwood
8. The Question of Palestine by Edward Said
9. The Difficult Words of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to His Most Perplexing Teachings by Amy-Jill Levine
10. Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett (audio, re-read)
11. The Castlemaine Murders by Kerry Greenwood

7 fiction / 4 non-fiction

8 white / 1 Black / 1 Indigenous / 1 MENA 

1 Indigenous / 1 Jewish

1 LGBTQ+

December

1. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
2. Jingo by Terry Pratchett (audio, re-read)
3. The Gospel of Matthew (Sarah Ruden, trans.)
4. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (audio, re-read)
5. Queen of the Flowers by Kerry Greenwood
6. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman (audio, re-read)
7. Clown Town by Mick Herron
8. Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
9. The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers (audio, re-read)
10. The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
11. The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett (audio, re-read)
12. Death by Water by Kerry Greenwood

12 fiction / 0 non-fiction

11 white / 1 Asian

0 interfaith

0 LGBTQ+