Books to Read in 2025

I tend to vacillate between planning out what books to read over several months or a year and simply reading whatever strikes my fancy, meets a need, relates to my research, or just looks like a good book. I tend towards the more spontaneous rather than a detailed yearly plan for reading. I usually set a goal for how many books I’d like to read each year, but that’s about it.

I’ve decided, for several reasons, not to set a reading goal related to the number of books I want to read in 2025, but rather the kind of books and the type of reading I want to do. When I have a numerical reading goal, it at times informs how I read, and not always in a good way. I need to be somewhat intentional about reading, and I think suggestions like those offered in the “Bob on Books 2025 Reading Challenge” (“read a book slowly,” “read a book of poetry,” and “read a book published before 1900”) are goals that will keep me reading, but in a deeper and more reflective manner.

So here are several books that I’m planning on reading in 2025, using some of the goals suggested by the “Bob on Books 2025 Reading Challenge”:

• Read a book slowly: I’m slated to write a book review of Living Accountably, by C. Stephen Evans, for the journal Faith and Philosophy. A perfect fit for this goal.

• Re-read a book that has been meaningful to you at some point in your life: For Christmas I received copies of The Hobbit and of The Lord of the Rings that include drawings done by Tolkien himself. I’ve read LOTR once before, and look forward to re-reading this classic this year.

• Read a book published before 1900: I've wanted to read Augustine’s The City of God for a while now, so this year I’m planning to dig into this important work in Christian political thought.

• Read a book of poetry: I’m not sure what I’ll read here, but I’ve found that I lack the patience or perhaps the motivation to read poetry. So I’m going to read at least one book in this category in 2025. I’d welcome any suggestions!

• Read a book (or several books, ideally) from a marginalized author: This category isn’t in the Bob on Books list, but it is one I’ve been intentional about the past several years. There is wisdom in seeking out people whose voices tend to get ignored. It can even function as a spiritual discipline of sorts, as I have argued in my book on humility. For this category, I’m reading Jesus and the Disinherited, by Howard Thurman. I also recently purchased several books by James Cone that I’d like to at least start working through, and am interested in reading something from one of my heroes of the faith, Oscar Romero, perhaps The Scandal of Redemption or The Violence of Love. Finally, for this category, I plan to read something by or about Dorothy Day.

Here are a few other books on my to read list this year:

• The Wood Between the Worlds, Brian Zahnd

• Being God’s Image, Carmen Imes

• Where Prayer Becomes Real, Kyle Strobel and John Coe

• The Scandal of the Kingdom, Dallas Willard

If you’d like, share some books you plan or hope to read in 2025 in the comments. One of the good things about social media, and about Substack, is that we can learn about books we may not know about, and perhaps find books we enjoy, are challenged by, or even a book or two that change us!

I hope your 2025 has started well!