Here’s my annual annotated list of all the books I read in 2025. Due to some major life events I did not read much this last year. Looking to change that in 2026.
1) Common Grace vol. 1 by Abraham Kuyper
In this massive 3 volume project, Kuyper takes volume 1 to lay a firm theological foundation. Here he explains why common grace exists, exploring particularly its origins and distinctiveness from saving grace. It is a dense read, though not necessarily a difficult one. This is easily one of the most robust treatments of the topic and it’s only volume 1!
2) Justification: An Introduction by Thomas Schriener
The Short Studies in Systematic Theology series is excellent and this volume is no exception. Dr. Schreiner provides a concise survey of the doctrine across Church history, the Old Testament, and the New. Of specific importance is his discussion of the doctrine of union with Christ as the “overarching category into which these other esoteric realities should be placed” (3). A wonderfully accessible and yet full treatment of a vital doctrine of the church.
3) The Loneliness Problem: A Guided Workbook for Creating Social Connection by Susan Reynolds
A wonderfully helpful tool for giving people some practical guidance in navigating loneliness. This workbook does not provide the important theological categories and Biblical wisdom that a Biblical Counselor would want to supplement and ground their counselee in, yet it does give some really helpful tools and offers some important self-reflection exercises for a sufferer.
4) Finding God in My Loneliness by Lydia Brownback
While there are aspects of this book that I appreciate, ultimately I found the book too simplistic and not theologically robust. At times Brownback seems to suggest that if we have God then we won’t need others, which is Biblically false. She does share her own struggles with loneliness which are incredibly encouraging, but the book left a lot to be desired in my opinion.
5) Loneliness: Connecting with God and Others by Lou Priolo
A short and helpful look at loneliness. It provides a good theological framework for thinking through the topic. Due to it’s size it lacks the depth to provide detailed guidance on addressing various challenges and roadblocks to navigating loneliness that I feel are important, but it is a really good introduction to the topic from a Biblical perspective.
6) Waiting Isn’t A Waste: The Surprising Comfort of Trusting God in the Uncertainties of Life by Mark Vroegop
I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I had never studied the subject of waiting from Scripture and Mark Vroegop does a tremendous job of guiding readers through the riches of the Bible’s teaching on the subject. I was surprised by how frequently it comes up in the Bible and the ways in which we are encouraged and challenged to wait. This is a much neglected spiritual discipline in our culture, but for those willing to learn it there is tremendous blessing.
7) The Reciprocating Self: Human Development in Theological Perspective by Jack O. Bailiwick, Pamela Ebstyne King, and Kevin S. Reimer
A rich theological work on a unique topic within doctrinal discussions. Combining theology and psychological study, the authors explore the idea that human beings, as image bearers of God, are created specifically to be relational and responsive. This is the core of the book and it is rich. We may rightly critique the work for having an underdeveloped doctrine of sin, and for perhaps overextending their analogy of the Trinity, but there’s a lot here to dig into and appreciate. It is an academic work, to be sure, and some knowledge of psychological and theological categories would help the reader, but it is worth the read for those willing to dig into it.
8) Attached to God by Krispin Mayfield
This was a book that started out strong for me but progressively became more disappointing. He argues that how we relate to God is deeply impacted by the attachment patterns we develop in childhood. I think that’s a strong statement and one that reflects the experiences I have had with a number of counselees. Whatever one believes about attachment theory (and there’s definitely room for critique), it is true that our experiences of parents and guardians shape our perception of God. Mayfield, however, tends to make psychological categories hermeneutically dominant. So, for example, psychologizes sin to the point that it looks quite distinct from the Bible’s language of sin. He does similar things with spiritual disciplines, making them seem more like tools for emotional regulation and less like ways to connect with the living God and respond in obedience to His call on our lives. There are things a I really appreciated about the book but it’s overall theology falls short of what I see in Scripture.
9) Confessions of a French Atheist: How God Hijacked My Quest to Disprove the Christian Faith by Guillaume Bignon
This was absolutely one of the best books I read last year. A modern day Case for Christ, Bignon tells his story of conversion. The beautiful storytelling weaves doctrine, apologetics, and personal testimony into a compelling biography. This is a book that I will recommend to anyone curious about the Christian faith or on the fence about following Jesus!
10) Attachments: Why You Love, Feel, and Act the Way You Do by Tim Clinton and Gary Sibcy
This book was just okay. There were definitely some useful tools in it but like many Christian counseling works, it allows psychology to be the dominant interpretive lens when approaching people, problems, and even Scripture. I wish more Christian psychologists were trained in theology.
11) Systematic Theology, Volume 2, The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity: Processions and Persons by Katherine Sonderegger
I haven’t yet finished this book but I found it to be so insightful and thought-provoking. Sonderegger has done inspiring and theologically creative work in this volume. Her contention, while not necessarily novel, will strike many as a innovative. In truth she is trying to recapture an emphasis that seems to have been lost in much modern Trinitarian work. Her argument is that our doctrine of the Trinity needs to prioritize the ontology of God over the economy of the Trinity. In so doing, she pushes back on some of the main ways in which people develop their doctrine of the Trinity today. This is a groundbreaking and breathtaking work, thought it is highly philosophical and geared towards the theologically educated.
12) Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
I have loved dinosaurs since I was a kid. Even still I have an amateur interest, reading news about fossil discoveries and books about dinosaurs. I have been a huge fan of the Jurassic Park film since it released but I never read the book. Man, I am so glad I did! As is often the case, the book is better and tells a more gripping and compelling story.
13) The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D.A. Carson
A short but throughly engaging read on the doctrine of the love of God. Each chapters explores an aspect of the love of God and the particular challenging questions that arise from it (love and sovereignty, love and wrath, etc.). This is such a theologically rich book for being so short, but I would highly recommend it to all Christians wanting to wrestle with a foundational doctrine.
14) The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
What a fantastic work! The book follows the lives of both Jewish immigrants and African Americans in the small town of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. In a gripping, witty, and warm narrative, James McBride shows us that the true America isn’t found in a sanitized myth or isolated identity, but in the messy, beautiful tapestry of diverse peoples and cultures. The true America is one composed of black, Jewish, immigrant, and disabled people. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is a story about justice, community, and the heart of true America!
15) The Steadfast Love of the Lord: Experiencing the Life-Changing Power of God’s Unchanging Affection by Sam Storms
I was so grateful to work through this book this year. One of Storms main points is that the love of God, as described in Scripture, is not simply a doctrine to be understood but a truth to be experienced. God wants you to know and experience His love. Storms does a great job of helping readers see that and develop ways in which to grow in that experience. I needed this book and found it to be a spiritually encouraging resource for a hard season of life.
Sparrow & Heart Soul Care 