Every year, to close out the year, I have identified the best books that I read throughout the year. And, turns out, these posts get the most traffic.
So, I am back at it again.
By the end of the year, I will have read 70 books during 2025.
I want to share the top books I have read across three genres and the value I have gained from reading them:
- Fiction (12/16)
- Non-Fiction (12/23)
- Business/Leadership/Self-Help (12/30)
And, in a shameless self-plug, let me recommend the book that I wrote that came out in 2025: Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation.
The Five Best Non-Fiction Books I Read in 2025
#5: Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth) by Markus Zusak
Markus Zusak is the author of the amazing book, The Book Thief. I fell in love with that book, and have given every book of Zusak’s a read. And, I always walk away from his books loving his writing. Honestly, I never would have picked this book up had I not already trusted the author, as this book is about the three dogs his family has had.
On the surface, that doesn’t seem very interesting to me. But, because of his great writing style, wittiness, and authenticity, I came to fall in love with his dogs and his family’s life journey with them. And, I’ll be honest, there were multiple times this book moved me to the point of bringing tears to my eyes.
It is rated 4.04 on Goodreads.
#4: Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle
This is also a book I wouldn’t normally pick up, but the title intrigued me. From the start, this book had me hooked. The author, Gregory Boyle, is a Jesuit priest who spends the book sharing stories from his decades serving in one of the poorest, most gang-impacted areas of Los Angeles. Early on, he explains that he’s been diagnosed with what seems like a terminal illness, and that context gives the book the feel of a heartfelt offering—almost like a farewell he wants to leave behind.
For added context, Boyle founded and ran Homeboy Industries, an extraordinary rehabilitation and jobs program for former gang members, and many of the stories flow through that work. What struck me most was how deeply human and tender these “hardened” lives become in his telling—without sentimentality, and without pretending change is easy. It reads like wisdom forged in real pain and real love. For the second book in a row, it brought tears to my eyes. This truly is a beautiful book.
It is rated 4.49 on Goodreads.
#3: Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering by Malcom Gladwell
Malcom Gladwell is probably in my top five for being the best and most clever writers I have read. He can make almost anything interesting.
This is a follow-up to his prior book, Tipping Point, and I loved the stories and examples he used as he articulated out how today’s massive “social contagions”—like COVID and the opioid crisis—can spread fast… and how they can be intentionally shaped. Honestly, my mind was blown by what he covered on the COVID pandemic and even epidemics of youth suicide.
The thing I like most about Gladwell’s books is that they are incredibly thought-provoking. And, this one fits the bill. But, if I have a mark of criticism, it is that I didn’t feel like the book ended with a “bang.”
It is rated 4.02 on Goodreads.
#2: The Tell: A Memoir by Amy Griffin
Once I read the premise of the book, I had to read it.
The premise is about a woman, who, in adulthood, began experiencing a variety of health problems and her life starts going a little sideways. In pursuit of trying to get back to a place of health, she engages with psychedelics, and, through engaging with these substances, comes to awaken to significant childhood trauma that her mind had repressed.
So, this is her book about awakening to that trauma, trying to reconcile with it, attempting to take action against her abuser, and healing.
I have seen in the press that the author is taking a lot of heat, largely questioning the actual veracity of her abuse and even her motives for writing the book. And, a lot of what I read in these critiques brings up good critical points about the book. In light of that, I do think we should be open-minded about the true veracity of this book. Nonetheless, I found it a very interesting read.
It is rated 3.98 on Goodreads.
#1: Running for My Life: One Lost Boy’s Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games by Lopez Lomong
Wow! This is an incredible story of a boy who grew up in Sudan, was kidnapped by rebel soldiers at the age of 6. Miraculously, he was able to escape and he landed in a refugee camp with no way to contact his family. He ended up spending almost a decade in that camp.
Believing his family to be dead, and in an attempt to get out of the refugee camp, he applied for adoption, and he was eventually adopted by a family in New York. Getting to adoption represents the first half of the book.
The second half of the book is about assimilating himself to the US culture, his experience starring in cross-country and track in high school, and ultimately his journey to become an Olympic athlete.
It is a very inspirational story that was well-paced and heart-warming. I couldn’t help but want to root for him.
It is rated 4.40 on Goodreads.
Best Books from Prior Years
- The Four Best Fiction Books I Read in 2024
- The Five Best Non-Fiction Books I Read in 2024
- The Five Best Business and Leadership Books I Read in 2024
- The Five Best Self-Help Books I Read in 2024
- The Five Best Non-Fiction Books I Read in 2023
- The Five Best Fiction Books I Read in 2023
- The Five Best Business/Leadership Books I Read in 2023
- The Five Best Fiction Books I Read in 2022
- The Five Best Non-Fiction Books I Read in 2022
- The Five Best Business/Leadership Books I Read in 2022
- The Five Best Non-Fiction Business/Self-Help Books I Read in 2021
- The Five Best Fiction Books I Read in 2021
- The Five Best Non-Fiction (Other) Books I Read in 2021
