The Best Books I Read in 2025

written by Pastor Bob DeAngelo

In a letter written in 1815 to John Adams, Thomas Jefferson famously wrote,

“I cannot live without books.”
Thomas Jefferson

I love to read because I love to learn.

It is extremely satisfying to me when I come across a fresh idea or a new way of looking at things. It is

entertaining
challenging
a source of my personal growth
and it increases my connection with people.

In 2025, I set a goal of reading 45 books.

In late December, I finished my 53rd book, meaning I truly finished a book a week. (My habit is to read three different types of books at one time, moving back and forth to keep my reading mind engaged and energized.)
* One note – In 2025, I also became a published author (well…a contributing author) of a book called Pastors on Mission. I have not yet read my “own” book, but I plan to do so early in 2026!

In no particular order, here are the books that most encouraged, challenged, and fascinated me this year.

The Gospel According to Matthew (The Bible)

I spent most of my personal devotional time in 2025 studying the Gospel of Matthew, especially chapters 17-23. Jesus of Nazareth is my personal Savior, my Lord and my God…but in studying His life and the narrative leading up to His crucifixion and eventual resurrection, my adoration for Jesus grew as well.

As I both worshipped Jesus and simultaneously found myself, at times, confused by Jesus, I was repeatedly reminded that

Jesus was and is God; I am not.

One nugget – In Matthew 21, Jesus enters Jerusalem riding a donkey, and the people of Israel greet Him, calling Him the Son of David and worshipping Him as the Messiah. Jesus dismounts the donkey and does not attack the hated Romans…but rather “attacks” the Jewish religious leaders, His own people.

He enters the temple, instigates chaos, and unleashes His fury on the hypocrisy of the Jewish religious leadership. Surely to the disciples’ dismay, Jesus tells a series of parables that expose those who were supposed to be leading God’s chosen people.

Less than a week after welcoming Jesus as their Messiah, the Jewish people of the first century, working together with the Romans, crucified the God-Man… “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” because of God’s infinite love for you and me.

Absolutely fascinating!

Evidence Not Seen

by Darlene Deibler

Our pastor’s wife shared this book with my wife, Kelly, who encouraged me to read it.

I am very glad that I did.

Darlene Deibler and her newlywed husband, Russell Deibler, served as pioneer missionaries in Papua New Guinea in 1938. Not long after, the Deiblers and their teammates were captured by the Japanese in connection with World War 2.

Evidence Not Seen is the story of God’s hand on Darlene’s life that is a page turner, and that you have to read to believe, as Darlene endured incredibly difficult circumstances and God used her in amazing ways.

Share Jesus Without Fear

by William Fay and Linda Evans Shepherd

This book was written back in the 1990s, but it is such a powerful book for Christians when it comes to sharing Christ. I think that for someone trying to get started, a simple approach will prove beneficial.

Bill Fay was a “Type A” businessman, consumed with making money, legally and illegally, regardless of the questionable ethics he engaged in.

Fay eventually landed himself in jail, where he became deeply concerned about his future.

Through this rock-bottom experience, Fay found Jesus Christ, and since that time has repeatedly sought and embraced opportunities to compassionately share his Savior with those God places in his life.

The value of this book lies in its very simple approach to connecting with people and sharing the Gospel.

Fay’s first question is,

“Do you have any spiritual beliefs?”

And then this springboards into a simple method that I would encourage you to read.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you will find this book to be both encouraging and practically helpful as you seek to share the greatest message anyone has ever heard—the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Evangelism Is…

by Dave Earley and David Wheeler

Years ago, Charles Spurgeon wrote,

“Christian people, your one business in life is to lead men to believe in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, and every other thing should be made subservient to this one object.”

Every chapter of Evangelism Is starts with “Evangelism is” and provides an applicable truth about evangelism.

Most of us probably need to read less about evangelism and do more evangelism, but this book will challenge you and put practical tools in your hands for the work God has called you to do as a believer.

Spurgeon is also quoted in Evangelism Is, saying,

“If we had to preach to thousands year after year, and never rescued but one soul, that one soul would be full reward for all our labor, for a soul is of countless price.”

With Christ in the School of Prayer

by Andrew Murray

I would suggest that one of the keys to a beneficial (and fresh) reading practice is to read a variety of types of books, to broaden the scope of what you read. Colleen Chao, in her book Unremarkable Women, advises,

“If our spiritual nourishment consists largely of blogs and books written by modern-day men and women who have lived a mere three, four, or five decades in affluent America, we risk spiritual malnutrition.”

If you are familiar with Christian literature, you know that this is a classic.

Andrew Murray pastored in South Africa in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I will say, I did not read a book this year (besides the Bible) that was as Christ-focused, as Holy Spirit-centered, and full of God as With Christ in the School of Prayer.

Thirty-three straight “chapters” (more like short devotional articles), each concluded by a “Lord, Teach Us to Pray” section, where we read a heartfelt prayer of Andrew Murray, certainly blessed and benefited me.

And one more thought—Murray’s final chapter, “George Muller and the Secret of His Power in Prayer,” was my favorite chapter of the entire book.

I really enjoyed reading about Muller and his experiences with passionate, persistent prayer and answers to prayer.

R. A. Torrey: Apostle of Certainty

by Roger Martin

I read this biography on my pastor’s recommendation, and I found it both edifying and enjoyable.

Torrey is a bit less well-known than some of the other giants of North American Christianity, but he was used by God in both his leadership of Christian organizations and his evangelistic efforts.

Torrey was D. L. Moody’s successor, and he embraced and handled this potentially intimidating role with strength and vigor. He followed Moody as the second president of Moody Bible Institute and as the pastor of Moody Church in Chicago. Torrey was also instrumental in the growth and stability of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (BIOLA).

While serving in leadership, Torrey, the evangelist, was used by God in large-scale, visible ways in Australia, Europe, and the United States.

Apostle of Certainty is an inspiring look at a servant of God in the late 1800s and early 1900s, while providing a glimpse into his theological views and personal and ministry practices.

5 Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age

by Rosaria Butterfield

Rosaria Butterfield was once a lesbian activist and tenured English professor at Syracuse University. But today, she is a wife and mother, married to a pastor of a Reformed Presbyterian Church. Rosaria is outspoken and believes that the truth needs to be communicated with compassion, but unashamedly.

She is a bit of a lightning rod because of her views on issues that are evidently controversial in our time and culture today. Rosaria is an excellent writer.

I did not work through this book quickly, but I will say that her clear writing ability kept me engaged throughout the book.

Whether or not you agree with her conclusions, you will encounter a well-reasoned argument for her position on the five issues she addresses.

Sincerely, I found the Afterword of the book to be potentially my favorite section of 5 Lies and the most edifying. The entire book was well written, but I thought the Afterword was especially good.

The Ride of a Lifetime

by Bob Iger

I find myself drawn more and more to biographies and fiction—I guess I love stories.

The Ride of a Lifetime is a leadership book, crafted in the form of a story. From 2005 to 2020, Bob Iger served as the CEO of the Walt Disney Company. Iger started his career as a studio supervisor at a local ABC affiliate, and ABC eventually merged with Disney.

Thirty-one years later, Iger found himself as the CEO, initially unenthusiastically approved by Disney’s board. The Ride of a Lifetime takes you through the backstory of Iger’s leadership at Disney. During his tenure, Disney purchased Pixar from Steve Jobs, Marvel from reclusive former Israeli military Ike Perlmutter, and Lucasfilm from the understandably possessive George Lucas, all fascinating figures.

My number one takeaway from The Ride of a Lifetime is that leadership involves often awkward, at times daring, and out-of-your-comfort-zone conversations.

That is what leaders do.

And that is true of leaders, whether you are the CEO of Walt Disney or whether you lead a relatively simple life like mine.

One nugget — Iger walks through his basic structure for framing difficult conversations. That piece of experience made the book worth the price I paid for it, although there were many more.

Redeeming Your Time

by Jordan Raynor

If you have read my favorite book lists in the past, you know I love to read books on productivity and focus. I typically read at least one per year.

Not every productivity book I read is written by a Christian, but this one was.

Raynor approaches time management and efficiency from a biblical standpoint, with the approach of Jesus as the central example.

Let me whet your appetite with a few quotes collected from Redeeming Your Time.

Martin Lloyd Jones: “A Christian is something before he does anything.”
Mister Rogers: “Just be quiet and think. It’ll make all the difference in the world.”
CS Lewis in Screwtape Letters: “Music and silence—how I detest them both!…We will make the whole universe a noise in the end….The melodies and silences of Heaven will be shouted down in the end.”
Raynor: “Jesus understood his purpose, and that allowed him to take the long list of things he could do and pare it down to the things he knew he should do to finish the work the Father gave him to do (see John 17:4). And with his work prioritized, Jesus focused relentlessly.”
Peter Drucker: “This is the ‘secret’ of those people who ‘do so many things’ and apparently so many difficult things. They do only one at a time.”
Raynor: “In our ‘hustle’ culture, this truth is easily overlooked. The world will often tell you that if you want to get more done, you must ‘work harder,’ ‘burn the midnight oil,’ or ‘sleep when you’re dead.’ I’ll propose that the opposite is true. In order to do more, most of us need to do less and rest more.”
And I love this one—New York Times columnist David Brooks: “Creative people think like artists…but work like accountants.”

Time is a gift of God.

If you would like to grow in using your time more wisely and biblically, then this book is worth reading.

The Dichotomy of Leadership

by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

I evidently like leadership books, and I find them helpful for people, whether your leadership involves guiding a large-scale organization or managing three children in the back seat of your minivan.

This is book two by Willink and Babin (their first book was called Extreme Ownership). Willink and Babin are former Navy SEALs who share leadership lessons, illustrated by their experiences in Iraq in the early 2000s.

Leadership so often involves walking a very thin tightrope, a balancing act between two concepts that, while both legitimate, produce a tension.

In Dichotomy’s preface, the authors write,

“Leadership isn’t black and white – it’s gray. Recognizing that there exists an infinite number of dichotomies that must be balanced enables leaders to find and maintain the equilibrium necessary to be successful at home, at work, and in every aspect of their lives.”

Some of the leadership dichotomies explored in the book (and these are chapter titles) are

“own it all, but empower others,”
“plan, but don’t over plan,”
“humble, not passive,” and
“when to mentor, when to fire.”

The Best Team Wins

by Adam Robinson

I understand that this book may not directly apply to everyone reading it—it is a well-written, detailed discussion of business recruiting and hiring practices. Recruiting and hiring are part of my world at the moment, and I found this book incredibly helpful, even down to providing sample scripts for conversations at various stages of the recruiting and hiring process.

But, even if hiring is not something you do, most people find themselves on the other side of these meetings as someone who participates in interviews. I will leave that with you.

This is a well-written book—the most thorough look at the interview process that I have encountered. Some wisdom and insight into both sides of this essential aspect of business and life might be worth a look. It certainly helped me in concrete and practical ways.

Confronting the Presidents

by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

I have enjoyed reading O’Reilly and Dugard’s historical accounts, biographies, and stories (many of which are in The Killing Series). Confronting the Presidents does not focus primarily on the political views of our nation’s presidents, but rather looks at the men, the human beings who occupied our nation’s highest office.

Confronting the Presidents does provide evaluations of each president’s leadership, the historical context in which they led, and how their leadership affected the United States, positively and negatively.

But more so, this book provides a “behind the scenes” look at the intriguing (sometimes) aspects of their everyday lives.

What did Thomas Jefferson eat for breakfast?
What was John F. Kennedy’s morning and evening routine?
What kind of marriage did Harry Truman have?
What did Abraham Lincoln do for fun?
What was life like for the president during the time of Theodore Roosevelt?

I love stories, and this book is full of stories about some of the most fascinating people in US history—who were also human beings.

The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger

by Lynsi Snyder

I live on the East Coast, so the only times I have been able to eat an In-N-Out burger have been during my travels to California, Utah, and Texas.

This is the fun story of In-N-Out as told by Lynsi Snyder, whose grandparents, Harry and Esther Snyder, started the massively successful burger chain. Lynsi recalls being around the restaurants as a little girl and tells the story of how she became the heir of In-N-Out Burger.

This is a story of humble beginnings, explosive growth, faith, and imperfect people, and I enjoyed it.

The Baseball 100

by Joe Posnanski

This past year, I entered the world of audiobooks. I ran my first half-marathon in October 2025, and this was the book I started as I trudged through my 13.1 miles.

I love the game of baseball, and this book is a literary countdown, from 100 all the way to 1, of the one hundred greatest players in baseball history according to sportswriter Posnanski.

Each of the 100 articles tells numerous fun stories about each player. It tells their numbers and statistics (which are very important in baseball), but also the narrative behind the numbers—how a player got started playing baseball, the personality of each player, and humorous tales about each ballplayer’s playing days.

It is a long book, but it is a lot of fun if you enjoy “America’s Pastime.”

Some Honorable Mentions:

When You’ve Been Wronged: Moving From Bitterness to Forgiveness by Erwin Lutzer
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
Babe: The Legend Comes to Life by Robert Creamer
The Go-Giver Leader: A Little Story About What Matters Most in Business by Bob
Burg and John David Mann
USA National Parks: Lands of Wonder (DK Eyewitness) – Lots of pictures!
Bible Translations for Everyone by Tim Wildsmith and Amanda Williams
1776 by David McCullough
Church History 101: The Highlights of Twenty Centuries by Sinclair Ferguson, Joel
Beeke and Michael Haykin

Final Reflection & Encouragement

Reading across a variety of genres—Scripture, theology, leadership, biography, and history—has been deeply enriching.

Each book contributed something unique:

Greater love for Christ
Stronger conviction and spiritual growth
Practical leadership wisdom
Fascinating historical perspective
Encouragement to live purposefully

I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from these authors and look forward to discovering more in the coming year.

I can’t finish a post like this without offering a gentle nudge:

Put down your phone.
Turn off the television.
Pick up a book.

Let me challenge you with this thought—if you say you don’t like to read, it may simply be that maybe you haven’t yet found a subject that truly interests you.

Don’t read books you think you should read. Read books you want to read.

Whatever subject sparks your curiosity, there are countless books waiting for you!

When you find the right one, reading stops feeling like a chore and starts becoming something you genuinely look forward to.

You may discover something new.
You may deepen your understanding.
You may even find a story you simply cannot put down.

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
— C. S. Lewis

I hope this blog encourages you to read many more books in the days ahead.

This article is part of an almost-annual series by Pastor DeAngelo. Here are the posts from previous years.

Friendship seeks to offer materials that will uplift, educate, and equip believers. We choose the resources we provide or recommend with care and ensure that they align with our doctrinal statement. However, we may not agree with every aspect of each resource, and we encourage you to evaluate everything according to the authority of the Bible.

Disclaimer: Friendship Baptist Church does not receive any compensation for books linked in this article.