Yesterday I shared the books I read in 2025 and today I’m excited to share my Top 4 Favorite Reads from 2025.
As I looked through all the books I read in 2025, these four books stood out to me most as ones that impacted me They challenged me, encouraged me, and were the ones I kept coming back to in conversation and recommendations. I share more why I chose each one in the reviews below.
Book #1 – The Fight For Us
I chose this book as one of my top reads because of how it impacted our marriage. The section on a lopsided marriage really deeply challenged me as I realized we definitely had a lopsided marriage — meaning that our marriage was unequally in favor of me. A lot of decisions were made around me since I’m the bread winner and the one who works full-time. Jesse is quieter and less assertive than me and so he oftentimes was the one who was making a lot of sacrifices for my schedule and needs.
A lopsided season in a marriage can happen when one partner’s work or business begins to take up more space than the relationship itself. In our case, my role as the breadwinner and the demands of my business had slowly tilted the balance, even though that was never the intention. Over time, that unevenness created distance between us that neither of us even realized. We’d slowly slipped into a pattern where Jesse had been carrying a lot of the load of serving behind-the-scenes and adapting his life to mine instead of us both carrying the weight equally.
(Note: Some imbalance is natural for a short-term, but it had become the norm for us.)
As a result of reading this book (and having the authors on my podcast – listen to their episode here), I apologized to Jesse and we had some really honest conversations and I started being super intentional about making changes so that our marriage was more equal instead of lopsided. It took a lot of work and discussions and trial and error and practice, but we are ending the year in a much different (and healthier!) place as a result of this book!
Book #2 – Habits of the Household
I had avoided reading this one for a long time — mostly because I was sure it would make me feel like I wasn’t doing enough or would feel like a legalistic list of do’s and don’t’s. I finally read it because so many people recommended it and I instantly understood why!
It was packed with encouragement and inspiration that felt very doable and grace-filled. Instead of making me feel like I wasn’t doing enough; it gently motivated me with simple ideas of ways we could make discipleship such an integral part of our daily lives.
The most surprising part of reading this book was that it actually made me realize how many habits and rhythms we already have in place that happen so naturally I didn’t even realize we had so many positive “habits of the household” already in place! That was so encouraging to me!
Also, I was in the very beginning stages of writing my next book when I read this and it completely changed the path and structure I decided to go with for the book. You’ll understand why when you hear what my next book is about!
Book #3 – The Many Lives of Mama Love
This book is very different than any of the other three books I chose, but it made my Top 4 list because it was so well-written and so raw and honest. As someone who has had the privilege and heartache of watching a mama walk through having her child in foster care and seeing her break free from addiction and work so hard to reunify with her child, I have had a front row seat to just how complex and complicated this journey is. I feel like until I had walked with someone closely, I honestly had a really judgmental spirit. It’s so easy to point fingers of criticism when we don’t know someone’s story and haven’t walked in their shoes.
This story is a vulnerable, it’s not tied up in a neat bow, and it will break your heart. But it also shows the power of a mama’s love and it may give you a very different perspective on the foster care system, how hard parents usually need to work for reunification, a look inside the court system and what it’s like to be in jail, how difficult it is to break free from addiction, and the many mixed emotions involved.
I know this is just one person’s story, but from the small window I’ve had into the foster care system and breaking free from addiction, I felt like many of the things Mama Love experienced are also similar to what others have experienced. And I hope that it can help us have a different perspective, more empathy, and less criticism.
Note: This book is very honest and contains a lot of strong language and talks about a lot of adult topics. However, it is also a powerful story of hope in the darkness. It is not an explicitly Christian book though there are some religious and faith undertones in parts.
Book #4: Is Your Daughter Ready?
I loved this book and would highly recommend it to every parent — even if you don’t have daughters — as I thought the advice in it was so valuable for all teens. Kari Kampakis did such a great job of tackling the tough topics with grace and truth.
If you want to get a taste of what the book is about, listen to the podcast episode I recorded with the author. The book dives into so many relevant topics and helps parents have wisdom and guidance for how to address things, handle difficult conversations, when to let go and stay quiet and when to speak up.
I love that the author is the mother of four daughters and has experienced so many different challenges as a result, She shares really honestly about their struggles and successes. This book would be a great springboard to have conversations with your kids and might even be one to read with your daughter to get her thoughts and input on!
What were your top reads for 2025? I’d love to hear more and maybe add them to my TBR list for 2026.
