Top Ten Tuesday-My top favorite books I read in 2025

Happy Tuesday my bookish friends!! I hope you all are doing well. Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: My Favorite Books I Read in 2025. I added 66 books to my favorites shelf on Goodreads, so this is going to be kind of hard to narrow down. I am not going to count the books that were rereads, which makes the number a little lower. Also, a huge thanks to Erin at Cracker Crumb Life for sending me Strawberry Fields for Never by Kate Watson. I can't wait to read it!! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can head over there to see what our other bookish friends are up to today. 

Top Ten Tuesday-My top favorite books from 2025

Nonfiction:

 

The Intentional Year by Glenn Packiam and Untangle Your Emotions by Jennie Allen

Cotswold Holiday

Title: Cotswold Holiday Series: Christmas Escape 

Author: Kasey Stockton

Source: Kindle Unlimited

My Review:

Cotswolds Holiday is a fun, cozy romance.

That Time We Kissed Under the Mistletoe

Title: That Time We Kissed Under the Mistletoe

Series: Abieville Love Stories #4

Author: Julie Christianson

Narrators: Amanda Friday and Andy Harrington

Publisher: Independently Published

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary Romance, 

Source: Hoopla

My Review:

That Time We Kissed Under the Mistletoe is the fourth in the series, but can easily stand alone. I have read the first two books, but not the third.

An Unconventional Christmas Love Story

Title: An Unconventional Christmas Love Story

Series: Falling Into Happily Ever After

Author: Ellie Hall

Publisher: Independently Published

Genre: Christmas, RomCom, Contemporary Romance,

Source: Kindle Unlimited

My Review:

While An Unconventional Christmas Love Story is part of a series, it easily reads as a standalone novel (I have not read any of the others in the series).

Analyzing my 2025 Reading Goals and Stats

At the beginning of the year I listed my 2025 Bookish goals. I am very much a type A personality. When I set a goal I have every intention of getting it, and I feel this internal pressure to finish what I started. This year I started having to let things go, which isn't easy for me, but there was already so much stress, I didn't need it from my fun hobby.

December Reading Wrap Up 2025

November and December had me moving (literally), so I did not do a November reading wrap up. However, I did read 25 books (didn't know it was that many until just now, (4 were children's books) DNF'd 2. It looks like I had a record number of 5 star reads as well: 11!! For December I read 18 books. One was a 2-star read. Click on the cover of the book if you are interested in reading my review.

5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

My Merry Mistake

Title: My Merry Mistake

Series: Holidays with Hart #3

Author: Courtney Walsh

Publisher: Independently Published

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Christmas, Sports Romance,

Source: Own

My Review:

My Merry Mistake is the third book in the Holidays with Hart series, but can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. However, I highly recommend reading them all to gain a better understanding of the Hart family dynamics.

Top Ten Tuesday-Most Recent Additions to my Bookshelves

Happy Tuesday my bookish friends!! I hope you all are doing well. Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf. It is always fun to do this one and see what everyone has added to their shelves (and add to our TBRs!!). Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can head over there to see what our other bookish friends are up to today. 

Top Ten Tuesday Most Recent Additions to my Bookshelves

  

Top Ten Tuesday-Christmas wishes 2025

Happy Tuesday my bookish friends!! I hope you all are doing well. Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: Books I hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. I am going to tweak it a bit, and go with Christmas wishes. You might recall that we moved this past weekend. The best way to describe it is that it has been an ordeal. We have been pulling 14-hour days with a lot of frustrations. The movers put some things in places they shouldn't be, the dishwasher is broken, there is no stopper for the sink for hand washing dishes, the floors are impossible to clean, I aggravated my carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve which led to a sleepless night and excruciating pain (Saturday night), then dropped my computer on the marble floor, breaking it, punctured my puffy coat on a box, Matt had to fix the pantry in order for it to be usable and I could go on, but you get the picture. So, I have a list of things I wish for this season. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can head over there to see what our other bookish friends are up to today. 

Unwrapping the Names of Jesus

Title: Unwrapping the Names of Jesus

Author: Asheritah Ciuciu

Publisher: Moody Publishers

Genre: Christmas, Devotional, Nonfiction

Source: Own

Top Ten Tuesday-Winter 25/26 pile of possibilities

 Happy Tuesday my bookish friends!! I hope you all are doing well. Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: Books On My Winter 2025-2026 to-Read List. I have not thought about this at all, so let's see what our possibilities are 😂. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can head over there to see what our other bookish friends are up to today.  

Top Ten Tuesday-Possibilities for what I will read this winter

 

The Q by Beth Brower and Illusion by Ginny L. Yttrup

Her Christmas Redemption

Title: Her Christmas Redemption

Author: Toni Shiloh

Publisher: Love Inspired

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary Romance, Christian Fiction

Source: Own

My Review:

Her Christmas Redemption is a quick read about Vivian, who has recently been released from prison. She is a baby Christian and is desperately trying to put her past behind her, while being embarrassed by the circumstances she is in.

Later On We'll Conspire

Title: Later On We'll Conspire

Series: Christmas Escape

Author: Kortney Keisel

Narrators: Amanda Friday and Andy Harrington

Publisher: Independently published

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary Romance

Source: Hoopla

Stacking the Shelves #196 Sunday Post #193 Sunday Salon #187

Hey my bookish friends!!  How are you all doing? Between working and appointments, we have been busy looking for a place to live, and packing up our house. The movers come on Friday!! Here is the housing update for those who want more details (spoiler alert, we do have a place to live). My son had his wisdom teeth pulled yesterday, and is doing alright. This weekend will mostly be packing, cleaning and running some errands. I also have a meeting with my functional medicine doctor, she cancelled on me yesterday. Odds are good I won't be posting next weekend, think of me as I moving/settling into a new house!! I can't wait for the whole process to be over and things to settle back into a normal routine (please, Lord, make it so). What are your plans for this weekend?

More Than A Tiara

Title: More Than A Tiara

Series: Christmas in Montana #1

Author: Valerie Comer

Publisher: Greenwords Media

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary Romance, Christian Fiction

Source: Kindle Own

My Review:

More Than a Tiara is a quick read. 

Christmas with a Crank

Title: Christmas with a Crank

Author: Courtney Walsh

Publisher: Sweethaven Press

Genre: Christmas, Contemporary Romance,

Source: Hoopla/Kindle Unlimited

My Review:

I started listening to this book on Hoopla, but it was returned, and I couldn't check it out again. The narrators were fine. I ended up checking the book out from Kindle Unlimited to finish it.

Planning for Nickie

Title: Planning for Nickie

Series: Holidays in Hadley Springs #2

Author: Tasha Hackett

Publisher: Independently Published

Genre: Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance, 

Source: Own

My Review:

Planning for Nickie is the second in the Holidays in Hadley Springs series by Tasha Hackett. While it could be read as a stand-alone novel, I HIGHLY recommend reading Waiting for Gilbert first.

Top Ten Tuesday-Let it snow!

Happy Tuesday my bookish friends!! I hope you all are doing well. Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is: Books Set in Snowy Places (If snow isn’t your thing, pick another kind of place and share books set there!) I don't have the brain capacity to figure out where books are set and I thought about just doing books with snow on the cover, but instead I think I will go with my favorite Christmas books so far this year...and if they have snow on the cover=bonus! I have read/listened to 17 books and currently am reading one and listening to one, so I have a total of 19 to choose from. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and you can head over there to see what our other bookish friends are up to today.  

Top Ten Tuesday- Favorite Christmas books of 2025 (so far!!)

Let in the Light

Title: Let in the Light: 50 Devotions to Confidently Know God is Good and Guiding Your Steps

Author: Proverbs 31 Ministries Team 

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Genre: Christian Nonfiction, Devotional

Source: Publisher provided

My Review:

When Let in the Light: 50 Devotions to Confidently Know God is Good and Guiding Your Steps came to my email as an opportunity to review it, I jumped on it. I love Proverbs 31 Ministries, and I knew if they put the book out, it would be good. Plus, in a world that often feels dark, who doesn't want more light?

Waiting for Gilbert

Title: Waiting for Gilbert

Series: Holidays in Hadley Springs #1

Author: Tasha Hackett

Publisher: Independently Published

Genre: Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance, 

Source: Own

My Review:

I have finished this book for the second time and I loved it just as much as the first time I read it last year!! I HIGHLY recommend it!!!

Original review below:

Waiting for Gilbert is the first book I have read by Tasha Hackett, but it will not be the last. I was in the middle of reading this book when I knew I would want to reread it. I am not a huge re-reader, but I want a physical copy for my keeper shelf!