Books Lindsey Read in 2025
Welcome to my book wrap up for the year 2025! I always enjoy this post, and it’s fun to see all the book covers next to each other. It was a colorful year! I read 17 and have started 2 that will show up in the 2026 wrap. Enjoy!
I read 8 non-fiction and 9 fiction. I’m proud of myself for boosting my fiction reading. It really helps me relax and disconnect after busy days.
January to August
1) The Plan : Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi. I love her work! I have read all 3 of her books and listened to most of her podcasts. She is so kind and compassionate in helping us just be people, specifically women, in a society that asks a lot of us. If you are a woman and need help with organizing and planning, this book is amazing!!!
2) The Menopause Brain by Lisa Mosconi, PhD. This was a fascinating read and actually changed my perspective on menopause and peri-menopause. All I’ve heard before this book was negative. This highly-researched and seasoned woman doctor gives us tools and knowledge that absolutely blew my mind. I highly recommend it to any woman in their early 40s and beyond.
3) The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. This is re-read from many moons ago (as my father would say). It is sobering and revealing how Lewis paints a picture of Satan’s demons tempting humans, their tactics, their observations. It’s wild and shakes us awake to be on guard against the Enemy’s wiles.
4) Pourquoi la Tartine Tombe Toujours du Côté du Beurre : La Loi de Murphy expliquée à tous by Richard Robinson. This book was a gift from my father-in-law Christmas 2024. It is a fun and interesting insight into Murphy’s Law. I kept it in the bathroom, and it took me 8 months in the loo to finish it. Haha! It is originally in English. Reading in French is always so good for my vocabulary.
March to May
5) Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. I can’t remember where I heard about this author, but I wanted to try him out. This book received the most positive reviews. It was a heavy read with many tough themes, but the thread of grace throughout each story was beautiful. I tried starting one of his other books, “This Tender Land,” but I closed the book after too much disturbing content. I know real life isn’t all roses and happiness, but I can be quite sensitive, so I have to be careful what I read.
6) Every Home a Foundation : Experiencing God through your everyday routines by Phylicia Masonheimer. I really enjoyed how she encouraged our perspective shift. It is solid based on God’s truth. I did not enjoy her approach to routines. I found them too limiting and “do it just like me and you’ll be good” type of thing. I much more prefer Kendra Adachi for routine suggestions. But overall, a good book, especially for us mamas.
7) Le Chateau de Hurle by Diana Wynne Jones. Picked this up at the libray with the kids and thought it could be a fun challenge. It’s the first book in the “Howl’s Moving Castle” trilogy, translated into French. I really enjoyed it, and I’m proud of myself for reading in French. It’s always slower, but I learn vocabulary and verb tenses I never use in daily life.
8) Nevermoor : The trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It’s the first in a series of 4 or 5 books. So much fantasy and color and imagination. A part from a few small scary parts with wolves on the hunt, it’s a great kids book. I think the target audience was 10-12 years-old.
May to September
9) Lady Long Rider by Bernice Ende. My friend Leah came to visit us here in Nice with her whole family, and she left this treasure for me to read. The story of a woman who crossed states alone with her horses and dogs. Such a courageous tale. And, she was my friend Leah’s ballet teacher for a short season in northwest Montana. After reading it, I realized that we are definitely not created to be alone; we need others. Bernice had to find community “on the road.”
10) Le Wundereur : La Mission de Morrigane Crow by Jessica Townsend. The second book in the Nevermoor series. I read the first 5 chapters in French, but had to return the book before our trip to the states, so I finished it on my e-reader in English. My favorite of the 3 books I read in this series. I am a person with a playful imagination, and I loved how much the author embraced absolutely absurd and magical themes. There is a very clear distinction between good and evil, which I appreciate too.
11) Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. My friend Ivy recommended this book, and I’m so glad she did! It was my summer read while visiting my family in California. A beautiful story of 3 different main characters, one being an octopus. There is beautiful redemption when all three main characters come together in the end.
12) Loved to Life by Ann Voskamp. A gift from my friend Cheri. A 40-day devotional through the book of John. I started it in June, took a break for our trip to the US, then finished in August. I didn’t realize how much I needed this type of devotional. With space to journal after, I would write a nugget or two, sometimes a poem or haiku, but often just what God reminded me of through His word. Ann’s words are beautifully written to expound upon the rich text of the gospel of John.
13) Hollowpox : The Hunt for Morrigane Crow by Jessica Townsend. This was the 3rd book I read from the Nevermoor series. It was my least favorite of the 3, but it still kept me turning the pages each night as I read before bed.
September to December
14) The Body Keeps the Score : Brain, mind and body in the healing of trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk. I had heard about this book so many different places, so I wanted to read it. Though it is quite informative about how the brain is affected by trauma, I did not find it to be a helpful read, especially as someone who has lived through trauma. It is a scientific approach with many trigger warnings throughout. It was worse than a rated R movie to me, and I had to skip much of it to avoid nightmares. If you are not a sensitive person like me, you might find it fascinating, but I would not recommend this book, unless if it was for a training or something in a professional setting. I WOULD, however, recommend the book at the book at the bottom of this post, “Changes that Heal” by Dr. Henry Cloud, which offers a path to healing and not just triggering information that that left me wondering what I should actually do with the information.
15) Greenglass House by Kate Milford. This was a recommendation by Kendra Adachi, who reads many books a year. It was a cold, snowy hotel mystery that kept me SLOWLY turning the pages. I would recommend it as a winter read for sure. It is part of a series, but I’m not sure I will read more. There was not enough action for my taste.
16) Genes of Eden : Epigenetics, Transgenerational Sin, and Addiction by Luman R. Wing. My friend Jessica suggested this book to me, and we ended up reading it “together.” As we finished a chapter, we would write our thoughts to each other through WhatsApp. And the fun connection is the author is the dad of one of our mutual friends, Heather. It’s a very brainy book, but super fun challenge embracing the concept of original sin and how addiction might be passed down through generations. He links theology and science in a helpful and hopeful way. And a fun fact: My friend Jessica’s husband has nicknamed us the T.A.B.C. - Trans-Atlantic Book Club! I love it!!!
17) Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. This was another recommendation from my friend Ivy. I went in blind, and at first was thinking, this story is too simple and predictable. Then, wow. I was not ready for the ride of sisterhood, family roots, mental illness, pursuing dreams, heart ache, loss…ugh. It was a long ride, but Ann beautifully landed the story.
Coming in 2026! =)
These are 2 books I started in 2025 but will finish in 2026.
New Zealand by National Geographic. This was a Christmas gift last Christmas 2024, because my dream is to travel to New Zealand one day. I started reading this travel book (who does that?), and it’s the best anticipatory story. So many beautiful places to see. One day!
Changes that Heal : Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You by Dr. Henry Cloud. I am almost done with this one, and boy oh boy! It’s going to be my new recommendation for anyone who wants to keep growing. The best book combining the truth of God’s word and psychology. The tag line sounds cheesy, but it is far from cheesy. It is deep and insightful and challenging and encouraging. I’m so thankful my friend Michelle recommended this to me. I read “Boundaries” by this same author, who co-authored with John Townsend. “Changes that Heal” includes much about boundaries and tons more! I highly recommend if you are courageous enough to dig deep and ask curious questions that can lead to growth if you allow it.