One of my favorite posts every year is my Best Books list. I love to read, and when I say I love to read, I mean I’ll read pretty much anything! This year has been such a good reading year, that I decided to go ahead and give you some insight into my favorite books so far. I hope, if you’re in a reading slump, that you can find something here that will pull you out.
- A Fine Sight To See: I love Sophie Hudson’s writing. She also has a podcast, the Big Boo Cast, and she writes exactly like she talks. This book is a deep dive on Moses (from the Bible) and is a masterclass on leadership. It was so good!
- Dinner for Vampires: I was a little bit too young to be a fan of Bethany Joy Lenz on One Tree Hill, but when she started making her podcast rounds to discuss this book, I knew I was going to read it. This memoir follows her time in a difficult marriage and a religious cult, just as she was becoming famous. It was fascinating, and I can see how people get sucked into cults and abusive situations.
- Decluttering at the Speed of Life: With 6 people living in this house, I feel like all I do is declutter and clean out closets. This book was helpful, organized, and motivating, so if you need a little push to get going with your summer clean outs, grab a copy and get started!
- The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife: Okay. This book was the absolute sweetest thing and unlike anything I’d read before. It follows an elderly man who has recently lost his wife and is suffering from depression. We meet him as he’s at the end of his rope, and then the unexpected begins to happen. I don’t want to ruin it for you – let’s just say that I think you will love it!
- Good Girl, Bad Blood: This sequel to A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder will keep you guessing. If you liked the first one, you’ll love this one!
- 40 Day Sugar Fast: I’ve read through this book and completed the corresponding sugar fast a couple times now. If you’re addicted to sugar and want to change your habits so that you rely more on the Lord than on food, give this a try. I won’t lie – it’s not easy but it’s so worth it.
- The Diamond Eye: I had never heard of the Diamond Eye until someone mentioned this book to me. The Diamond Eye was a female Russian sniper in World War II, and this book is a historical fiction account of her life. I love anything set in that time period so this was a fascinating read for me.
- James: This book is a compelling retelling of the story of Huck Finn told from the perspective of Jim, the slave. I highly recommend this one!
- The Secret Book of Flora Lea: This book is also set in World War II and follows the story of a child who goes missing. Again, I don’t want to give the story away, but it definitely kept me hooked and I didn’t see the ending coming.
- The Things We Cannot Say: Hey, guess what? Another WWII novel! This one is set in present day but switches time periods as it tells the current story of a granddaughter and the past story of her grandmother. This book has all the elements I love – a child with nonverbal autism, a difficult marriage, World War II references, and switching from past to present. A definite contender for Best Book of the Year!
- Something Needs to Change: This was an amazing and convicting read! David Platt treks the Himalayan mountains as he discovers the great need for Jesus all over the world. Every Christian should read this book!
- Sunrise on the Reaping: If you’re a Hunger Games fan, you need to grab a copy of this book. It’s Haymitch’s backstory – and you know I love a good backstory. This one did NOT disappoint!
- Broken Country: Another contender for Best Book of the Year, this story follows a farmer and his wife and they attempt to keep their past secrets buried. I gasped my way through this one!
- The Berry Pickers: A story about a young Canadian Indian girl who goes missing and the people who love her.
- Here One Moment: I absolutely loved this one! This book begins on a plane with an elderly woman prophesying how each passenger is going to die and at what age. I had no idea how the author was going to wrap this one up but it was so good! Highly recommend!
And that’s a wrap on the best books for the first half of 2025. I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading and loving lately!
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