Like many bloggers, I post a list of my favorite books each year (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). I try to read broadly across multiple theological traditions. In my general reading, the genres typically include fiction, nonfiction, biography, memoir, and fantasy.
Here’s the list of my ten favorite books of 2025. I don’t agree with everything in all of them. They did, however, encourage me, fill me with joy, and strengthen my love for Jesus, his people, and his mission in the world.
1. What Is Wrong With the World?
This is the latest from Timothy Keller, published posthumously. Once again, Keller shares the gospel in simple and profound ways. There’s nothing in all the world as freeing or precious as the gospel of grace. This book will tell you why.
2. The BFG
Surprisingly, I’m new to the world of Roald Dahl. I’ve been catching up on his storytelling, and this little book is simply delightful. It’s pure imagination.
This book, written by Dr. Joseph Dodson, reframes Romans 7 for the Christian life. The author’s ability to capture the biblical and theological issues on both sides of this historic debate while remaining readable is noteworthy. He writes with scholarly precision yet manages to avoid sounding overly academic. This book tipped me toward the position that Paul’s discussion of the wretched man in Romans 7 is about the pre-Christian life, not the normative experience of all Christians.
Admittedly, I don’t know much about Philip Yancey. I’ve never read his books, though I’m familiar with his work as a Christian author. This book tells his personal story about growing up in a fundamentalist home. His story has similar vibes to the one in Tara Westover’s book, Educated.
This book lived up to the acclaim. Lots of insightful research about how social media and smartphones are rewiring the brains of young adults, causing an epidemic in mental illness. If you’re curious about how our world became so anxious, this book delivers some sobering claims and provides a way forward.
We’re living in exciting times! According to the research in this book, loads of people are open to faith in ways I haven’t seen in my lifetime. There’s no telling how long this window of curiosity will stay open, but the church has a real opportunity in this hour to introduce people to real hope, the hope we have in Christ.
7. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
If you like world-building and fantastical plots, look no further than this work by Andrew Peterson. I’ve only read the first book in this four-book series, but my daughters assure me each book gets better.
Here’s a graphic novel about the friendship between two literary giants, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. This one inspired me to live the life God has called me to live and do the work he has called me to do. A remarkable gift to the church.
I read several Leif Enger books this year. I very much enjoyed each one. Enger crafts sentences in ways that make me believe I’m staring at a beautiful work of art. He’s a master of words. Though all his stuff is great, this book left a unique impression on me. I returned to its images and themes over and over this year.
10. Sacred Fire
This is the best book on discipleship I’ve ever read. Hands down. At a few points, Rolheiser’s Catholic theology comes forth, such as praying for the dead, but don’t let that deter you; if you can get past that stuff (and there’s not a lot of it), you’ll find some great insights—wisdom I rarely see in modern, more popular books. This book is simply fantastic!
Daniel Seabaugh 
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