14 hours ago
I had a hard time getting into a groove with fiction this year - my fiction reading was mostly overshadowed by my unsuccessful attempt to finish Anna Karenina before January 1st. Anna Karenina is so good, it’s just so long. I occasionally found myself binge-reading a lighter fiction book on the side, and that’s how I read all of these. Cheers for good fiction to get a person out of a Tolstoy-induced reading slump!
Yes, the photo does not match the books actually mentioned in this post. I’m sorry.
The Vanishing At Castle Moreau by Jamie Jo Wright
This was my first book by this author, and wow! If you want a creepy mystery that will keep you on your toes, look no further. Cleo, mysteriously on the run at the beginning of the book, is hired by a millionaire to help his grandmother with her hoarding - in a castle, no less. However, creepy noises around the castle and sightings of a ghostly lady make this more than a decluttering project. What exactly is going on in the castle? The pacing of this book was just right, and everything comes out okay in the end. I recommend it.
Blue Shoes And Happiness & The Good Husband Of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith
These are the next two books in the No. Ladies’ Detective Agency series, which is an ongoing reading project for me. The events in these two specific books don’t matter too much - all the books in this series are similar to me in that the characters charmingly tackle not-too-serious mysteries, with all their foibles and quirks and bits of wisdom thrown in. These are my nighttime comfort reads, and I’m sure I’ll be reading more in 2026.
Ecochondriacs by Douglas Wilson
I got this Kindle book for free in November, and started reading it on a whim, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A climate scientists accidentally reads an email thread from her superiors which reveals man-made climate change as a massive scam. A hit is put on her once her bosses realize what happened, and she must go on the run with her Christian neighbor. Through the book she is forced to rethink everything she believes. Wilson’s voice in this novel is really unique among fiction books, as he writes as an omniscient narrator with a good dose of humor thrown in. He also writes Christian characters in a non-cheesy way, and I really appreciate that.
The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson
This book was a fluffy read for me at the tail-end of the year. Bryony has written a book that she hope will save the immigration center her Grandmother founded, but she can’t get a publisher to pick it up…until Jack, a literary agent, says he’ll take her book on if she will ghost-write for another one of his authors. Bryony finds herself writing best-selling books for this other author, while her book languishes. This was just a fun read, especially for anyone who is interested in the publishing industry. I think Ferguson included some of her own publishing experiences and insights in these pages. I will say that the book felt a little wordy or wandering in places, and I do wonder if the immigration aspect was prompted by recent political issues (if so - annoying). But overall it was cute.
That’s it for my 2025 books - I will be sharing a stats post soon, along with my reading hopes for 2026!
Let me clarify that these are not all the history books I read in 2025, but these are the ones I read in the last quarter of the year. Keep an eye out for a reading analysis post soon to get the bigger picture of what I read, but for now, here are a few historical books I enjoyed!
Once again, disclaimer that the books in the photo do not match the books in this post! It would take me too long to request the books from the library and take the pictures again, so please just tolerate my mismatched photos.
Everest, Inc. by Will Cockrell
I have an ongoing interest in the topic of mountain climbing, even though I have never even climbed a 14-er myself. I especially am fascinated by the conditions when climbing Mount Everest - how the early mountain climbers accomplished that incredible challenge, and how the experience seems to have been cheapened or tainted in more recent years.
This book was an overview of the history of climbing Everest, but taken from a sympathetic perspective to those who still feel called by the mountain today. I thought the author struck a really nice balance in presenting the problems with the industry today, but also honoring the accomplishments of those who have climbed the mountain. I tend to lean toward the view that it seems like any Joe-schmo with enough money can climb the mountain these days and that cheapens the accomplishment, but this book challenged some of my biases (though it also confirmed others).
Christian History 101 by Sinclair Ferguson
When I ordered this book I expected to receive a massive tome - imagine my surprise when I realized it was just over a hundred pages! This is an excellent and accessible overview of church history through the centuries, and I really appreciated the length. This year was more difficult than I would have liked, and as a result I didn’t read as much history as I would have liked - it was nice to get some history reading in through this very approachable book.
Meet Martin Luther by Anthony Selvaggio
Our family celebrates Reformation Day, so October was a great month to pick up this little biography of Martin Luther. I’ve attempted a massive biography before and was never able to finish it in this busy season - this one was a perfect length. I was so glad I read it when we watched the Luther movie in October, because I understood all the events the movie alludes to! Highly recommend for a balanced overview of Luther’s life, including his strengths and weaknesses.
The Freedom Of The Christian by Martin Luther
I picked up this book in October as well, the first book I’ve read actually written by Martin Luther himself. The length of this book was perfect if you are intimidated, but it still packed a punch. It was interesting to read some of the thought processes that led to the Reformation from Luther himself, and I found various parts not just academically interesting but personally encouraging.
The Year 1000 by Robert Lacey
I finished this one up during the last week of the year after taking a long break in reading it. This book goes through the months of the year and tells how people living in medieval times would have been living through the different seasons. I found it very engaging and interesting. This was a recommendation for my son’s high school history curriculum next year, and while I mostly think it would be a great read, I would have him skip the “November” section, which had to do with the relationships between men and women. Other than that, I very much enjoyed it and would recommend it as an approachable book about the social history of the Middle Ages!
Next up: the fiction books I read to finish out the 2025 reading year!
You may notice that the books in these photos are not actually the books I’m sharing in this post. A few weeks ago I took photos of the books I still needed to write about, but I ended up combining them into different posts than the photos. If I wait until I can regather all the books from the library and re-take the photos, these posts will never get published, so please just view the books in the photos as previews for what is to come, and not necessarily for the particular post!
At the start of 2025, I created some reading goals and categories. I am going to revisit that post soon, but one category I did not include was reading about fashion and clothing. Maybe I thought it felt too frivolous for Substack at the time, but one of my unspoken goals was to read books to help me rethink how I shop for and wear my clothes. I’m sharing two of those books in this post.
One category I did not include, and indeed would probably never include, in my reading goals is to read books about philosophy. It’s just not my jam. But that’s what I accidentally did end up reading a couple times this year. So there are two books that dip into philosophy below as well.
How To Dress Your Best by Ellie Jean Royden
This book was great for helping me to analyze my personal style from a different angle. Royden has created her own systems for developing personal style, the most original of which is her “style roots” system. I really resonated with this method of thinking about style, and it has helped me understand the common themes I am drawn to in my clothes.
I also really appreciated her way of explaining “dressing for your body type”. She has broken down body lines by width, length, and curviness, and her advice has given me a new understanding of why I like certain silhouettes on myself and dislike others. Her approach is very body-positive in that she doesn’t want you to think of one body type as superior of another (this is disconnected from weight). Overall, I found it very helpful.
Note: There is one sort-of nude picture in the middle of the book - all critical areas are covered, but I was careful when reading that page around my kids.
Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline
I listened to this book over the summer, and what stands out to me as I reflect on it now is the historical information about how fabrics were produced in the past vs. now. The author explores how clothing has become more and more disposable. She focuses on the impact to the environment and the conditions for factory workers in developing countries. A great book to make you think about the clothes you buy.
Shop Class As Soul Craft by Matthew Crawford
This is one of those books that is impossible to absorb upon the first reading - I feel like I need to read it again even to explain it well. This is a philosophy of work, particularly the trades and the value of working with your hands in some way. My takeaways from this book are that the trades have been branded as being for the people that are not “smart enough” for college, but in reality require a ton of intelligence, creative-thinking, and problem-solving skills - and are often more intellectually satisfying than many of the desk jobs that require a college degree.
One of the chapters stands out in my memory because it made me think about how as everything has become more computerized, we have lost a tangible, physical connection to our belongings. People no longer understand how to fix basic machinery, as they once did, and indeed it is sometimes impossible for an average person to fix their own appliances because we have computerized too many things. It has made the world more disposable in our minds.
Those two things are just a sampling, there was so much in this book. I need my own copy the next time I read it so I can annotate and highlight to my heart’s content.
The Kingdom Of Cain: Finding God In The Literature Of Darkness by Andrew Klavan
I was interested in reading this book because I have picked up some of Klavan’s fiction books and enjoyed them, and I’ve also put down some of his fiction books because of overly graphic content. In this book, he talks about being a writer of crime stories and his philosophy behind doing that as someone who considers himself a Christian (as an aside, I can never figure out whether he is Catholic or not). I was expecting a little more literary analysis in this book - instead it’s a lot more about analyzing movies inspired by real-life murders, and the trail of evil philosophies behind them. He discusses several real life murders as a jumping off point for some of his philosophical and moral points, weaving his own conversion story into the book.
While there was a lot I agreed with, there were many points that I disagreed with. He at times veers toward a touch of sacrilege, and he comes off somewhat cavalier toward certain serious sins (getting involved with dark subjects to research books, for example). There were also theological points he made that I don’t think are biblical. This review would get far too convoluted if I tried to address every point that I took issue with. I’ll just give one example – Klavan suggests that death did not come into the world as a result of sin. He speculates that perhaps Adam and Eve would have died anyway, but that may be death wouldn’t have been such a terrible thing if not for their knowledge of good and evil that came as a result of the Fall. This is not in line with what Scripture teaches. Of course Klavan takes one of the very verses I would cite and abandons the plain meaning of the text, interpreting it in a way as to support his own thinking on the subject. I generally urge caution with Christian writers who treat Scripture that way.
When Klavan shares about his journey from being an atheist to coming to faith in God, that is where his writing really shines. Some passages were really beautiful. So whether I agreed or disagreed with various parts, this book was at times inspiring and gave me plenty to think about.
Content Notes: Several murders are described in all their depravity, though Klavan tries to be delicate in explaining certain details.
Every Believer Confident by Mark Farnham
This book is a “philosophy” of evangelism in a way, but at the core it is a very practical book about how to engage unbelievers in spiritual conversations. Notice I didn’t say “how to present the gospel” - the author does cover that, but he doesn’t believe in beating people over the head with the gospel whether they like it or not. Farnham promotes having real conversations with people about what they believe, in order to fully understand them, and then includes how to naturally move the conversation toward the truth of the gospel. I love his emphasis on gentleness and also on clarity. He explains how to be clear about the gospel and warns against phrases or techniques that will leave the listener feeling ambushed, or leaving the truth of Scripture muddied. I learned alot from this book that I hope to be brave enough to put what I learned into practice. I will be having all my kids read this at some point in high school. I highly recommend it as a bridge between learning about apologetics and actually practicing it!
I have two more book posts to share in the queue, so stay tuned!
In the old days of blogging, this sort of year-end summary was ubiquitous, and I think we need to bring it back. It’s a great way to share highlights and ideas! My old blog buddy, Michelle, borrowed this format recently, and I am borrowing it from her.
(Photos courtesy of our New Year’s Day winter hike.)
BEST ADVENTURE:
Our travel this year was almost entirely to see friends, and I can’t choose between those trips, so I’m going to say my favorite was our camping trip to Wyoming. We saw 4th of July fireworks in Cody (which were very good for such a small town); visited Yellowstone National Park; walked through geyser pathways with a death-grip on our clumsy kids’ hands; shook our heads at tourists we saw chasing down bears and buffaloes for a picture; almost entirely skipped the Grand Tetons because the traffic was absolutely nuts; had an electrical glitch in our van in Jackson, and held our breaths for the entire ten-hour drive home, but we made it.
BEST MILESTONE:
I have five kids with all their own milestones, but this year we officially have a high schooler. I am a mom to a high schooler. He could technically start driving within about a year on a learner’s permit. It is hard to wrap my mind around it.
BEST FAITH GROWER:
As I’ve mentioned vaguely many times, the beginning of this year was taken up with a health scare. I would like to say I reacted in a perfect, faith-filled way, but I didn’t. I mostly dealt to the anxiety by zoning out with meaningless podcasts or videos, and completely failed in my Bible reading plan. I didn’t pray nearly enough. I couldn’t see my own mismanagement of the situation until I started reflecting on the year over the last month or so, and realized this whole thing was one big spiritual attack, and it was working! The Lord really opened my eyes to the fact that I had been letting go of the most important things, and that was hurting me more than the health issue and anxiety. It has been really humbling, and has reminded me how gracious God is to give me eyes to see anew how much I need Him.
FAVORITE BLOG POSTS WRITTEN:
These were my best posts, in my opinion:
BEST TREND YOU TRIED:
I actually have been trying hard to disconnect my style from trends this year. One thing that is trendy right now, but that I am trying to make more of a normal thing for myself, is to thrift for more of my clothes instead of buying new. I am looking for clothes that are harmonious with my own style (not driven by trends), and that are made with more high-quality fibers, because I would like my clothes to feel less disposable. I have found a “good” thrift store, and I always find something there!
One “trendy” thing that I have been purchasing new is western-style boots - and I have given myself a looser hand with this trend precisely because it is NOT a trend to me! I live in a western state, one of the defining words of my style is “mountain-ish”, and cowboy boots are never out of style here.
BEST BEAUTY PURCHASES:
A couple years ago I actually put myself on a makeup buying ban, because I had a stockpile from various sales already. I finally broke the ban this year and bought a few new non-essential makeup items. These are the ones that have been the best:
This blush has the perfect amount of pigment and looks really natural! Just blend it properly. It’s also a great price!
I rediscovered how a good highlighter can give such a refreshed look. I like these Grinch-themed highlighters - there is a subtle pink one, and a goldfish-white one.
My old standby foundation, and I am on my last tube, so I will be buying more soon. It’s the most precise match I have found for my very-pale skin, and I like the “illumination” variety best.
I am picky about face sunscreens, because if I pick the wrong one I will get acne. This sunscreen is a great base for makeup and not oily!
BEST HABIT YOU CREATED:
This year I started making sourdough bread, which is somewhat of a habit - I can’t let the starter languish too long. A habit I have struggled with and re-established, and which I highly recommend to homeschool/stay-at-home moms, is waking up well before your kids for a cup of coffee and Bible.
BEST NEW RECIPE:
This Christmas I combined this sourdough cookie recipe with this frosting recipe, and added some lemon flavoring to both, and it got great feedback from kids and adults alike! And for the sake of not losing recipes…every year I make thisjalapeño bacon cheeseball for Christmas (my family would stage a mutiny is I didn’t), and this marshmallow frosting-filling recipe is the most perfect one for any variety of sandwich cookies.
BEST LIFE HACK:
I can lay no claim to this hack, as I was actually the beneficiary of it, and it’s not technically a “hack” since it doesn’t make life nicer for yourself but for someone else. But here it is: I think we have lost the art of hostess gifts, and we should make an attempt to bring them back.
I invited a friend’s boys over to our house this fall for an afternoon, and she actually sent them with sunflowers. Just for a little playdate, that I suggested! Then I hosted a last-minute cookies and cocoa event for our co-op because we couldn’t have the party at the church where we usually meet - and this same friend brought me a jar of homemade raspberry jam! In our casual mountain community I’ve never encountered someone who brings hostess gifts, and never thought to bring one myself. While I would never expect a gift as a hostess, it was such a lovely surprise. It made me want to make it a habit to bless others the same way when they host.
BEST NEW TRADITION:
It’s hard to say whether something is a tradition until you’ve done it a few years, and then it isn’t “new” anymore - but I think I can say with confidence that a new tradition this year is having all the kids stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve. This is the first year all my kids made it to midnight without falling asleep!
BEST LITTLE LUXURY YOU’VE ENJOYED:
I have been enjoying wearing earrings every day, and the more sparkly the better. I always have worn earrings, but over the last couple years I have added more sparkly earrings to my collection. They instantly make any outfit just a little fancier, and I feel more put together with a little sparkle.
BEST BOOKS:
My top five books would be:
-My Dear Hemlock by Tilly Delahay
-The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
-Everest, Inc. by Will Cockrell
-Every Believer Confident by Mark Farnham
-The Road To Roswell by Connie Willis
I have three book review posts to share in the next couple weeks to finish off all my 2025 books, so watch for those!
BEST MOVIES:
I didn’t see many new movies, but remembered again how much we like these.
Eagle Eye (Re-watched with the kids.)
Jurassic Park (The kids were introduced this year.)
Single On The 25th (A well-done Hallmark movie).
Carry-on (A Netflix thriller that was pretty good).
Oklahoma (Introduced to the kids, and now we all have “Poor Judd Is Dead” stuck in our heads.)
BEST TV SHOWS:
All Creatures Great And Small (Watching with the kids and enjoying it.)
Downtown Abbey (A re-watch).
Shark Tank (Another one of our family shows.)
Outlast (A survival competition show that alternated between fascinating and infuriating us.)
Deal Or No Deal Island (A spin on the old game show. We watched with the kids, and all enjoyed it together.)
BEST ALBUM OR SONG:
Farther Along by Josh Garrels was the top song for me this year, because I found the mood and message comforting after a tough year and sad events this fall.
Here are my top five:
BEST DAY OUT:
My husband booked tickets for my girls and me to see the Nutcracker performed by a big city ballet. I have seen amateur productions before, but seeing a professional performance was a whole other experience! It was worth the ticket prices. I also got into a whole conversation with an older lady while waiting in line, and she told us all about how she has been taking her daughters to the Nutcracker since they were babies. It was neat to be surrounded by so many people who loved the Nutcracker and have made it a tradition, and it was a perfect festive outing for the girls. (My sons got to do a boys camping trip with my husband in the summer, so I didn’t feel bad leaving them out on this one.)
BEST FAMILY MEMORY:
We had alot of good family memories this year. I was going to say the hike we took on New Year’s Day, but then realized that would be a 2026 memory, so instead I’ll say the hikes we took this fall. All hikes are highlights for me for similar reasons. It feels so good to get outside and enjoy the beautiful colors and scenery. I felt driven to get out into nature more than in years past, and there is something healing about the brisk air and sunshine on our faces. We listen to modern hymns and favorite songs on the drive, we find some really pretty hidden glades and meadows together, and we top it off with candy or hot chocolate. The best memories are sometimes the simplest ones.
What were your “bests” of 2025?
This week my little family is still firmly ensconced in what I like to call “the Christmas bubble”.
Every year on Christmas Eve, I intentionally disconnect myself from the world. The rest of the year I consider it my civic duty to stay somewhat informed of the news, but not the week between Christmas and New Year’s. The rest of the year I fight the never-ending battle with dust and dirty laundry, but not this week. The rest of the year the to-do list hang’s over my head, but during this one week I shove it aside and do only things I really want to do. It’s the Christmas bubble, and I have a day or two left until it naturally pops.
So as you can imagine, I have never been one to rush into taking the Christmas tree down. The tree has always stayed up until at least January 1st in our house. I like to ring in the New Year snuggled on the couch with some sparkling cider and the tree winking in the background.
Over the last couple years I feel even less of a pressure to make a plan for packing away Christmas. I know many people keep their tree until Epiphany, when the wise men are traditionally said to have visited Baby Jesus. In my western state, there is a “tradition” of leaving up the lights until after the big stock show, in order to warmly welcome out-of-state visitors.
I could use either of those excuses, but the real reason I am find myself delaying the inevitable is more simple. The wind whistles outside, and the dark is still coming early, and why wouldn’t I want to keep the sparkle for a little while longer? Sunlight improves your mood, but I believe the same could probably be said of twinkle lights.
Eventually the tree will start to feel like a chore hanging over my head, but for now I’m pushing it out of my Christmas bubble and sitting next to the tree while I type. I don’t regret it.
Other things I don’t regret from the year:
Spending our vacation budget visiting friends.
Staying home more than usual.
Sending out birthday cards every month.
Thrifting more, buying new less.
Being more picky about when to click my shutter button, and less picky when looking at the back of the camera.
Occasionally visiting another church to get a fresh perspective.
Committing time to our home church.
Thinking and strategizing to be more faithful in prayer, which must be the first step to improvement, even if the execution still left much to be desired.
Eating too many Christmas cookies.
Things I do regret:
Letting an emotional rough patch derail me from my Bible-reading plan.
Not reading the quality books I had planned on.
Forgetting to cover my porch furniture for the winter.
Not being as consistent as I wish in reading to my kids individually.
Watching too many dumb videos and not enough audiobooks and sermons.
Letters not written.
Listening to Taylor Swift’s new album out of curiosity (I like it and hate it).
Getting myself too wound up over things.
Eating too many Christmas cookies.
I’ve always been a person of two minds when it comes to resolutions - I don’t like making them because I know that I won’t complete most of them. But every time January peeks around the corner, I feel the need to envision what I hope for the New Year anyway. This last year I made more solid resolutions, and as they say, “God laughed”. Our 2025 looked nothing like I hoped it would when we lit those sparklers at 12:01AM. I am closing this year wishing I had handled all the unexpected things a little better, been a little more faithful, a little more gentle and kind.
As I look ahead to 2026, my mind goes back to a recent, much-needed sermon. The text was Ephesians 5:13-17, used as the basis for planning for the New Year:
But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
That’s my hope for the New Year - to look more carefully in how I walk, particularly in the areas of eternal importance, which may also mean letting go of some of the things that are not important. To make the best use of the time, as some translations say, “redeeming the time” - and so to hopefully waste less of it. To not be foolish, to pray and seek the Holy Spirit to empower me to put away foolish things. To understand what the will of the Lord is by reading it in His revealed word - the Bible - and in understanding His will, to do it.
Happy New Year to you, friends! And my prayer for you is the same as my prayer for myself - may you each awake anew to the light of Christ shining on you.
Posts coming up in January:
Book Catchup posts (I’m still so behind in sharing reviews!)
How To Do Once-A-Month Grocery Shopping
Why Lighting Matters
Reading Goals For The New Year
(Note: I’d welcome any questions, or insights on what posts you want to read first!)
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