My Top 2025 Reads
And an easy low key bookclub with recipes to share.
read whatever you want and come and talk about a book you read.
At the start of last year, one of my friends started the easiest, most low key book club that I’ve heard of and it is by far my most favorite activity I did last year. I know women are always looking for a community of people and sometimes it is really hard to find it, especially when you are a mom in your 30’s. If you are looking to make more friends, let this be your sign to start one.
Ours is born out of church friends, but anyone is welcome. We have a GroupMe for messaging about upcoming dates and sign ups for food as well as book banter through out the month. We meet once a month and here are the “rules”: read whatever you want and come and talk about a book you read. Give it a rating. Talk about why you liked it or why you didn’t. You don’t even have to share anything if you don’t want to, you can just listen, or talk about a good book you read awhile ago.
I have been influenced to enjoy books I would have never picked up before. Would you believe that Moby Dick is on my to be read list for my next book? The other thing I’ve loved about book club is it is multi-generational. I’ve loved hearing about great books like Moby Dick from the generation below me and ones above me.
One thing I’ve also learned is that I am not in the season of life for sitting down and reading a physical book, plus I’m getting 40 eyes. Audio books are my best friend as a kinesthetic learner. I love cooking or cleaning while listening to a good book and my absolute favorite thing to do is needlepoint while listening. If my hands are moving, my ears are listening. Don’t be afraid to lean into your learning style. I personally like using libro.fm for audio books because you actually own the file, they are much cheaper and you support a local bookstore of your choice. You can get a free audiobook when you sign up with my referral link here.
Before I list my favorite books, let me give you some ideas of treats you could share with a book club. All three have been big hits at gatherings. I have a few more muffin recipes that I’ve brought to book club that I’ll be posting in my new paid subscription on here in the future.
My TSITP Dirt Bombs: these are perfect because they are literary themed to begin with! I brought these after the finale and they were a hit.
On to my favorite reads for 2025:
Little Women.
If you have not read Little Women as an adult, I beg you to please read it. It is so much richer as an adult, especially part 2: Good Wives. If you didn’t realize it, Little Women was published in two parts: Little Women, and Good Wives. Most modern copies publish both volumes under one title now. I had not read the book since I was a kid and honestly, I only think volume one “Little Women” is really for children. Good Wives speaks much more to adults and I laughed and cried at this book. There is so much timeless advice given. In a day where “romance” novels are taking over the literary world, I urge you to read a beautiful story about sisterly love. It’s also so funny to see how you might have changed your view on which March sister you see yourself as if you read it as a child. I thought it used to be Jo, but now I will say Amy. I love her character arc.
Wheel of Time: Eye of the World.
Before I had kids, I loved reading in the fantasy genre. Not going to lie, but this book stretched me to read. It was long and complicated for my tired brain. However, I did really enjoy it. It’s in the high fantasy genre and I wanted to tackle a book in that genre because I know I enjoy that type of book. What I discovered is that, this is not the season for me to read high fantasy novels. I get constant interruptions or chattering in carline while I’m listening, and it is really difficult for me to focus on the world building, old nomenclature and complexity of characters right now.
I’m putting this series on the back burner, for right now, and will revisit it when I have a little less interruptions and can focus a little deeper. I am so glad that I challenged myself to read it though and grateful to my young friend who piqued my interest in it.
The Count of Monte Cristo.
If you don’t know, The Count of Monte Cristo was originally serialized and published in 18 parts over several years. Personally, I think this makes the book feel like multiple books in one with constant cliff hangers motivating you to keep reading despite its length. (It’s also ranked on PBS’s Top 100 Books of All Time.)
Do not be discouraged by the size of the unabridged book. It is by far one of the best books that I have ever read. The unabridged audio book is around 43 hours, so think of it as a lot of bang for your buck with an audio book credit. It feels like several books in one.
The reason I loved it so much was the plot and character development. The book takes you through so many twists and turns. I don’t think there would be anyway to bring this book to film and do it justice. I also love a book with morals and character development that makes you think. The ending is not neat and tidy, but it’s just in some ways. I truly hope you’ll give this book a chance.
Persuasion.
Jane Austen loves naming her books after the core conflict in her writings and Persuasion is a really interesting read in contrast to her magnum opus Pride and Prejudice. (Pride and Prejudice is my all time favorite Austen novel, but I realized I had not read some of her shorter books.) If you’ve never read a Jane Austen novel, this is a great one to start with. It’s a very short, quick read with a strong female lead. (Although no one will ever top Elizabeth Bennett for me.)
One thing I loved about this novel that is different is that the main character already knows her mistake. It was someone else who allowed prejudice to persuade her at a young age. I think this book shows us how important the company we keep is. Who we invite speaking into our lives matters. Additionally you see pride also get in the way of overcoming a mistake.
The reason I love Jane Austen novels is because they are filled with wit, strong female leads, and displaying how character matters in a time when marriage was often a means of survival for women. Her romances are a far cry from today’s “romance” categories but I think they are far superior because of the dialogue and character development of her characters.
I also want to add that C.S. Lewis, one of my other favorite authors, was a fan of Jane Austen. I really enjoyed reading his essays on her works here. Also check out this Substack post his thoughts.
The Hiding Place.
I have actually read this book before but I was in the fifth grade. I remember reading this story and it having a profound impact on my faith as a 10 year old. A friend mentioned reading it in book club, and I’ve loved revisiting books I’ve read as a child now as an adult. It was a short quick read after consuming the Count of Monte Cristo.
I truly believe that if you are a Christian, this is a book that you absolutely must read. It will deeply encourage you in your faith. Without spoilers, there are several stories that will bring you to tears in the book on God’s sovereignty and answering prayers. I also love how each sister’s unique traits are highlighted. I often could not relate to Betsy in the book, but her optimism and reliance on scripture really impacted me.
I also just loved reading how their family operated even before WW2. I loved how each sister uniquely operated in the family business. I read this book in a weekend, so I hope you’ll give this one a chance.
What were your favorite reads of last year? I would love to hear them to add to my list for this year. Comment on the post.