Best books of 2025

Written By J.D. Pearring

Fran Lebowitz quipped, “Think before you speak. Read before you think.”

That’s not a bad way to live.  The best leaders are consistently reading, growing, learning and stretching to be all God wants them to be.

Margaret Fuller added, “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” -

What is the best book you read this year?

“Show me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world.” - Napoléon Bonaparte

And Charlie Munger summed it up well: “In my whole life, I have known no wise people who didn’t read all the time – none, zero.”

In 2025 I set a goal to read 27 books.  And by “read” I meant finish, get all the way through, not simply “retinize.”  I’m gratified to admit that my reading goal was one of the goals I actually achieved.  I also set a goal to read 27 summaries on the “Blinkist” app, and I just hit that goal too.

HERE IS MY TOP FOUR:

  • Flawed Follower: Hope For Imperfect, Inconsistent, Confused People Who still Love Jesus, by Rene Schlaepfer  https://www.flawedfollower.com/

  • Forgive, Pre-Forgive, Re-Forgive: Freedom from the Toxic Poison of Unforgiveness, by Brad Brucker

  • Always More Ambitious: Living More in the Present, by Dan Sullivan

  • Coaching the Other Way: How to Effectively Coach and Be Coached, by JD Pearring and Brian Burman  Brian’s part is great!

     

That’s my list. What’s yours? I’ve upped my goal for reading in 2026. Happy Reading!

Here are some of the “Best Books” sent in by contributors:

Jamie East, Missions Director, Covenant Church, Bossier City, Louisiana

I’m at 73 books for the year 🎉 so it is hard to choose, but here are a few favs:

  • The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

  • Lead with Prayer by Skoog, Greer, and Dolittle

  • How To Lead When You Are Not In Charge by Scroggins

  • Stop the Spiral Devotional by Jennie Allen

  • A Little Theology of Exercise By David Mathis

  • The Culture Code ... okay, I’ll stop 🤪

 

Kasey White, Crossridge Church and Expand Financial, Sherwood, Oregon

2025 was not a good reading year for me. Something about our lives being in total chaos. Regardless here are my top two:

  • Running to the Fire by Ken Isaac’s (What God can do in the worst of circumstances)

  • Die with Zero: Getting All You Can From Your Money and Life by Bill Perkins

     

Excited to get back into my reading rhythm in 2026.

Tricia Chen, Intervarsity Canada, Associate Director of Spiritual Direction

I read over one hundred books this year! Here are some of my favorites:

  • How to Tell a Story by Meg Bowles

  • Wintering by Katherine May

  • A Heart on Fire by Danielle Balfour

 

Scott Pearring, Seek First Foundation

  • Not Being Bothered by Dan Sullivan

David Bennett, Expand Financial and Excel Leadership Network Board

I try to read what people give me or recommend, something business related, health related and God related. 

  • The Secret: What great Leaders Know and Do by Ken Blanchard

  • Tim Keller on the Christian Life by Tim Smethurst

  • Lead with prayer by Ryan Skoog

  • Coaching the Other Way: How to Effectively Coach and Be Coached by JD Pearring and Brian Burman 

Ben Finney, Teaching Team, Journey Church, Elk Grove, CA

My top three (in no particular order):

  • The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

  • ADHD is Awesome by Penn Holderness

  • The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger

 

John Pearson, Management Coach and friend of Excel

2025 BOOK-OF-THE-YEAR

  • Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlund

The author affirms: “This book is written for the discouraged, the frustrated, the weary, the disenchanted, the cynical, the empty. Those running on fumes. Those whose Christian lives feel like constantly running up a descending escalator.”

OTHER TOP BOOKS:         

  • Reset: How to Change What's Not Working by Dan Heath

  • Superhabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life by Andrew V. Abela

  • The 10-Second Rule: Following Jesus Made Simple by Clare De Graaf

  • Speak, Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience by Bill McGowan and Juliana Silva

  • How Leaders Lose Their Way: And How to Make Sure It Doesn't Happen to You by Peter Greer and Jill Heisey.

  • Time To Stand Up by Bill Hull

 

Jake Pearring, Teaching Team, Light Church, Encinitas, California

 My reading was a little rough this year. Busy times. BUT! I reread the full Chronicles of Narnia in 2025 -- so unbelievably good.

  • The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

  • The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

  • Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

  • The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

  • The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

  • The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

Tim Pearring, Lead Pastor, Journey Church Elk Grove, California

  • Ruthless Consistency:  How Committed Leaders Execute Strategy, Implement Change, and Build Organizations That Win by Michael Canic

 

Paul Taylor, Lead Pastor, Rivers Crossing Church, Mason, Ohio

  • The Scandal of the Kingdom:  How the Parables of Jesus Revolutionize Life with God by Dallas Willard

 

Thanks for reading our list!  Add your favorites here in the comments, we’ll try to keep the catalogue updated.

 Happy New Reading Year!

J.D. Pearring

JD Pearring’s leadership experience includes planting churches, growing congregations and helping church planters and leaders take the next step on their journey. He also currently serves as the Director of the Excel Leadership Network; Church Planting Lead for the Pacific Church Network, the Rocky Mountain Church Network; Venture Church Network of Northern California; and Teaching Team Coach at Journey Church in Elk Grove, CA. JD is a graduate of UCLA, Denver Seminary, and he has a PhD from California State Christian University in Missional Leadership. He has written three books: Leading the Other Way; Preaching the Other Way; and Expecting the Unexpected. JD and his wife, Lori, have four children, fourteen grandchildren, with another on the way

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