2 min read Books

Favorite Books of 2025

books on desk

One of my greatest pleasures is reading. Here are a list of the best books that I enjoyed in the past year, along with a list of favorite reads from blogs that I follow.

A Light on the Hill by Caleb Morell

This book is like a biography of a church. I love seeing how God worked in this church from its earliest days until now through both good times and hard ones. We often only see a short part of a church’s life; it was encouraging to take a step back and learn about the complete 150 years of a remarkable church’s history.

The Spiritually Healthy Leader by Dave Wiedis

Every leader will face landmines in ministry. Wiedis helps us identify what he calls “ruling passions” and provides a practical plan for transformation. Pastors and other leaders must be intentional in pursuing spiritual health, and this book will help you do so.

The Clay Pot Conspiracy by Dave Harvey

The world values strength, but God often uses weakness in the life of a leader. According to Dave Harvey, our weakness + God’s power = resilient ministry. Harvey shares from Scripture and his own experience and encourages weary leaders to encounter God’s power in their weakness.

Connecting Scripture by G.K. Beale and Benjamin Gladd

This resource helps readers connect the New Testament to the overall story of the Bible by highlighting Old Testament quotations, allusions, and parallels. It includes book introductions, study notes, articles, charts, and infographics. I knew I wanted this New Testament tool the minute I saw it, and it hasn’t disappointed.

Reagan by Max Boot

I listened to all 32 hours of this biography of the life of Ronald Reagan. It’s a fascinating look at a very likable but imperfect president and a very different time than the one we live in today.

Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Goals are fine, but sometimes it helps to lean into other approaches like curiosity and experimentation. I enjoyed this book as a counter-intuitive guide to getting stuff done.

The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher

This book is a guide to managing yourself and having difficult conversations with others. It’s a remarkably practical and interesting book.

Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson

If Erik Larson writes a book, I read it. This one’s about the deadliest hurricane in history. Fascinating and disturbing at the same time.

Gales of November by John Bacon

On November 10, 1975, the Edmond Fitzgerald went down on Lake Superior, taking all 29 men onboard down with her. I’d grown up hearing about this ship, but I never knew the details until now. What a fascinating and sad book.

Try Hard by Max Kerman

I was surprised by this one. It was written in a local coffee shop by the lead singer of the Arkells. It’s part memoir and part guide to the creative life. A good book for writers and musicians everywhere.

Here are a list of recommendations from other bloggers I read:

Here are the books that received multiple recommendations among these lists:

Darryl Dash

Darryl Dash

I'm a grateful husband, father, oupa, and pastor of Grace Fellowship Church East Toronto. I love learning, writing, and encouraging. I'm on a lifelong quest to become a humble, gracious old man.
Toronto, Canada