Welcome to my annual roundup of my favorite reads from the past year! As usual, I am linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for her Top Ten Tuesday at the start of the new year. Also, as usual, I'm doing two lists: my top ten favorite new-to-me reads and my top ten favorite rereads.
1. Before the King by Heather Kaufman -- Christian fiction, Biblical fiction, marriage of convenience, personal transformation (PG-16)
2. Woman in Shadow by Carrie Stuart Parks -- Christian fiction, suspense, PTSD, murder, forensic linguistics, limb loss (PG-16)
3. The Golden Road by L. M. Montgomery -- classic, coming of age, slice of life, humorous, friendship (G)
4. The Adventures of Elizabeth in Ruegen by Elizabeth von Arnim -- classic, humorous, travel stories, epistolary (G)
5. The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens -- classic, Christmas, family, friendship (PG)
6. The Silent Night by Sarah Beran -- YA, fairy tale retelling, fantasy, Christmas, romance (G)
7. Shadows of the Valley by Britt Howard -- Christian fiction, suspense, fugitive, found family, romance, limb loss, PTSD (PG-13)
8. Of Clockworks and Daggers by Sarah Everest -- Christian fiction, YA, steampunk, fantasy, redemption (PG)
9. A Run at Love by Toni Shiloh -- Christian fiction, contemporary romance, friends-to-more, horse racing (PG)
10. Hear the Falling Snow by Storm Shultz -- Christian fiction, contemporary romance, Christmas, loss of parent, baking (G)
My Ten Favorite Rereads of 2025
1. The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery -- classic, personal growth, the outdoors, romantic love (PG)
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen -- classic, second-chance romance, friendship (G)
3. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell -- classic, enemies-to-more, he falls first, friendship, class strife, loss of parent (PG)
4. The Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett -- classic, culture clash, found family (G)
5. The Railway Children by E. Nesbit -- classic, middle-grade, family, slice of life (G)
6. The Ark by Margot Benary-Isbert -- YA, family, Germany post-WWII, animals, farming, growing up, ingenuity (PG)
7. Rowan Farm by Margot Benary-Isbert -- YA, family, Germany post-WWII, coming of age, animals, farming, first romance (PG-10)
8. Eldest by Christopher Paolini -- YA, fantasy, dragons, coming of age, war, friendship, found family (PG-13)
9. Eragon by Christopher Paolini -- YA, fantasy, dragons, friendship, found family (PG-13)
10. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare -- YA, Christian fiction, Biblical fiction, coming of age, found family (PG-13)
How about you? What books stood out to you in 2025?
I've been thinking that I should reread Persuasion, too! The books by Margot Benary-Isbert sound really cute. <3
ReplyDeleteHere's my list!: https://moviesmeetmatch.blogspot.com/2026/01/books-i-read-in-2025-in-which-i-care.html
Ah, you did Persuasion again. : )
ReplyDeleteI have been meaning to read North and South! Thank you for visiting earlier. :)
ReplyDeleteNorth and South is really high up my classics TBR!
ReplyDeleteHear the Falling Snow was on my 2024 list! I'm surprised I haven't read more on your list. There are a few I'll have to check out.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I've never read an L.M. Montgomery book before, and I really need to. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI want to reread Blue Castle, too, one of these days. What a lovely read that was!
ReplyDeleteIt's been so long since I read Persuasion! I think I also saw The Blue Castle on someone else's list this week–I still need to read that!
ReplyDeleteI have Woman in Shadow and A Run At Love on my physical shelves and I need to read them! I read The Blue Castle this year for the first time, and enjoyed it as well.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE The Blue Castle but I have not read The Golden Road. I will add it to my list!
ReplyDelete