Thriving In Motherhood Podcast | Productivity, Planning, Family Systems, Time Management, Survival Mode, Mental Health, Vision My Top 12 Books of 2025 (Fiction, Memoirs, Self-Help & Non-Fiction) [Episode 393]
As the year winds down, I love slowing things down a bit, opening my 2026 Thriving in Motherhood Planner, working through the vision section, and taking time to reflect on what actually stayed with me this year.
One of my favorite parts of that process is reviewing the books I read.
This year, I read over 60 books. When I sat down to reflect, I narrowed that list first to the ones that truly stood out, and then distilled it even further to my top favorites across fiction, memoir, nonfiction, and a small handful of self-help books that genuinely impacted how I live day to day.
In this episode, I'm sharing:
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The fiction series that gave me deep, genuine belly laughs at the end of long days
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The nonfiction and memoirs that expanded how I think about resilience, perspective, history, and human experience
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The self-help books that actually changed my habits, not just my ideas
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How I choose what to read in different seasons of life (especially as a homeschooling mom of five)
These are the books that shaped how I think, how I rest, how I parent, and how I move into a new year with intention, without pressure to read more, faster, or "better."
Resources:
Previous Book Lists
Top Books of 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLMNVWoyWxQ
Top Books of 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDU1QwZm0rM
Books I Read During My Tech Fast 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI7v_2DmlP8
Designing Your Personal Curriculum For 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyc-YCDjtfQ
Deep Dive Book Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK0Nd4dbVRA
Non-Fiction Books
An Immense World: https://amzn.to/3Mwtman
American Nations: https://amzn.to/4pFAUpR
Brave the Wild River: https://amzn.to/48TWI9Z
Empire of Pain: https://amzn.to/4s0S6aG
Memoir
Solito: https://amzn.to/4rWGJ3A
The House of My Mother: https://amzn.to/4s0RYIe
The Happiest Man On Earth: https://amzn.to/4oZxNrM
Semi Well Adjusted Despite Absolutely Everything: https://amzn.to/3XZrUzH
Self-Help Books
The Glucose Revolution: https://amzn.to/4j04dkf
The Power of Now: https://amzn.to/3YB8Ckd
Thrivers: https://amzn.to/4oQnmGF
Fiction Books
The Unselected Journals of Emma M Lions: https://amzn.to/3L21cn6