What I’m Reading in 2025!

Hey everyone! Today is going to be a short(er) post since I’m sharing what I’d like to read this year! Of course, this list could change (as it got massively wrecked last year) BUT I am hoping to stick to this list this year because several of these books I really want to read!

So without further ado, my 2025 reading list!

January Read: Hosting The Presence by Bill Johnson

 Let the Spirit live inside you!Are you hungry for an encounter with Jesus? Do you want to make an impact on the world? In this power-packed book, Bill Johnson discusses how you can be a person who hosts the Presence of God. Though all believers obviously have the Spirit of God within them, there is more that enables you to be so full that you overflow His Spirit into your world. Take a journey and meet many great prophets and kings from the Old Testament who were known as people of the Presence—people who, in Johnson’s words, “God wanted to be with.” In this succinct and powerful book, Johnson encourages you toward a pursuit of the Presence of God above all else. In this book, you will discover: How to pay attention to the Holy Spirit and respond to Him. How the Holy Spirit manifests Himself. Biblical figures who were hungry for more of God’s Spirit and learned to host Him. Stories of Presence-filled revivalists and personal encounters with the Presence! Bill Johnson writes: “We are enabled to partner with the Kingdom of Heaven and see it released here on earth! The Presence of God within us will bring reformation to the world around us—encountering a loving God!” Host more of Him today!

This is the first of my non-fiction reads this year, and the first reread. I first read this book for a college class a couple of years ago, and it was SO GOOD, thus I knew I had to read it again!

February Read: The Knight Captain is the New Princess-to-Be Vol. 2 by Yasuko Yamaru

In order to support Prince Leo, Chris agrees to officially take his hand in marriage. But the other nobles are not fans of the union, and to mollify them Chris gets sent to a boarding school to become more “ladylike.” Unfortunately for her, her fellow classmates are young ladies intent on marrying the prince themselves! Chris might be hot stuff on the battlefield, but is she prepared for this kind of warfare?!

I used an online number picker to pick which books I read for which months, and this book is a perfect choice for February, I think! Not only is it the shortest book for the shortest month, it’s also an adorable romance! I read and reviewed Book 1 of the series last year, which you can check out here!

March Read: Oath of the Brotherhood by Carla Laureano

When evil threatens, who will find the faith to fight it?

In an island kingdom where the Old Ways hold fast and a man’s worth lies entirely in his skill with the sword, Conor Mac Nir is a musician and a follower of a forbidden faith–problematic for any man, but disastrous for the son of the king.

When Conor is sent away to a neighboring kingdom to secure a treaty, he learns that his ability with the harp is a talent that traces back to the magical foundations of a once-united Seare. But his newfound home is soon placed in peril, entangling Conor in a plot that has been unfolding since long before his birth.

Only by leaving both kingdoms behind and committing himself to an ancient warrior brotherhood can Conor discover the part he’s meant to play in Seare’s future. But is he willing to sacrifice everything–including the woman he loves–to follow the path his God has laid before him?

I got this book for Christmas, and it looks like fun! I can hardly ever find fantasy with male main characters, so when I saw this one, especially since it deals with royalty, medieval-esque settings and allegorical faith, I knew I had to add this to the list!

April Read: Recruit of Talionis by C. J. Milacci

“Forget where you came from. Forget the life you knew. You are now recruits of Talionis!”

A teen with a dark past. A secret military force that kidnaps new soldiers. Can she survive as a Recruit of Talionis?

America has fallen.

Seventeen-year-old Bria Averton grew up in a small town of survivors near the ruins of Portland, Maine. It’s all she’s ever known — until she’s kidnapped along with hundreds of other teens and brought to the city of Talionis. A city no one knew existed.

The soldiers tell them the intense trainings are for the good of the survivors, and Bria resists being forced into a new life as a recruited soldier. But she soon finds the dangers in the city are greater than she imagined.

Escape is impossible, and Bria fears drowning in the evil of the city… and the guilt from her own past. But can she find hope, even here?

I actually got this book from a lady in my Bible study who judges for a Christian indie book group! Honestly, from the synopsis, it reminds me a bit of one of my military groups in one of my stories, so it caught my eye for sure!

May Read: The Illustrated History of Knights by Charles Phillips

This is the perfect reference book for all students of medieval history. The world of the knights is brought to life and placed in context with an expert, deeply-researched and accessible text and over 500 fine art images that richly illustrate the castles, quests, battles, literature, loves, tournaments, courts, honours and triumphs of these mounted nobleman warriors.

My second and last non-fiction book of the year is this knightly encyclopedia! Honestly, I’m discovering I actually like encyclopedias. A lot. If they’re on subjects I’m interested in, at least. Last year, I read the encyclopedia of the Kings and Queens of Britain (the review of which you can read here!) by the same author, and I absolutely loved it, shocking myself. As a sort of amateur medieval history geek, I’m super looking forward to this encyclopedia!

June Read: Dust by Kara Swanson

The truth about Neverland is far more dangerous than a fairy tale.

Claire Kenton believes the world is too dark for magic to be real—since her twin brother was stolen away as a child. Now Claire’s desperate search points to London… and a boy who shouldn’t exist.

Peter Pan is having a beastly time getting back to Neverland. Grounded in London and hunted by his own Lost Boys, Peter searches for the last hope of restoring his crumbling island: a lass with magic in her veins.

The girl who fears her own destiny is on a collision course with the boy who never wanted to grow up. The truth behind this fairy tale is about to unravel everything Claire thought she knew about Peter Pan—and herself.

Spoiler alert: I’m not a big Peter Pan fan. In fact, it’s one of my least favorite fairytales (I suppose we’d call it a fairytale?) But this book has gotten raving reviews from several of my friends and the synopsis itself looks quite intriguing, so I’m hoping I enjoy this book better than the actual story!

July Read: A Dance of Silver and Shadow by Melanie Cellier

A Retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses

When Princess Liliana and her twin sister set sail for new lands, Lily hopes to find adventure and romance. But the people of Marin live under the shadow of a curse—one powerful enough to destroy entire kingdoms. To protect them all, Lily and eleven other princesses are forced to participate in a mysterious and secret tournament.

Lily spends her nights competing in a magical underground realm and her days unraveling the dangers of this new court. Although she needs the help of the Marinese prince, Lily knows she can’t let herself grow too close to him. There’s no time for romance when the duchy is about to fall to the encroaching darkness and the winner of the tournament faces a terrible fate.

But Lily and her twin have a secret advantage. And Lily grows increasingly determined to use their magical bond to defeat the tournament, save the princesses, and free Marin. Except she might have to sacrifice true love to do it.

In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, there’s a lot more at stake than worn out dancing slippers.

One of my favorite “popular” fairytales is the Twelve Dancing Princesses, so the moment I saw this story, I had to put it on my to-read list! Not only that, I LOVE the dress on the cover (I wish I had one, though don’t ask me where I’d wear it!) And I actually have another book by this author, the Sleeping Beauty retelling, so I’m hoping I like her writing!

August Read: Mortal Queens by Victoria McCombs

“They vanish without a trace, disappear into the night . . .

Each year on the center island, one girl is chosen to be the next Mortal Queen of the idolized fae. The mortals praise these lucky girls, but their daughters are never seen again. 

The fae realm is eternal night, where disputes are settled by chess matches, power is acquired through the most devious kinds of trickery, and seven illusive kings roam. The fae hide their faces behind masks and guard their glass hearts to keep them from shattering. But beyond the veil of this luxurious paradise, a dark secret simmers, for their Queens have disappeared.

When aspiring artist Althea is selected, she is desperate to avoid the same mysterious fate. With no one to trust, she conceals messages in paintings and receives anonymous replies from a stranger who slowly reveals the tale of a girl who outwitted the fae. Only if she is clever enough will Althea survive the fate of the Mortal Queens. As long as the king who cannot love does not claim her first.”

First, I have to say, I love the cover, the reds and the golds! Second, I’m super looking forward to this book for two reasons: one, because the premise seems so fascinating, and two, because this is the first fantasy book about fae I’ll be reading and I have a fairytale retelling that fae play a large part in–so obviously I need to read books about them. (If you want to check out my fairytale retelling concept and read a snippet, you can do so here!)

September Read: The Peasant Queen by Aston

A king haunted by memories of his past…

A young woman fighting against her future…

Torn from her home and all that is familiar, Arabella of Caelrith finds herself as the unwilling bride of King Rowan of Acuniel–the man whose vengeful war stole her family.

Bitter and confused, Arabella struggles to find her place in this new life. That is, until someone tries to kill the king.Despite repeated warnings to stay out of the matter, Arabella investigates the attempt on Rowan’s life, and his parents’ long ago murder, unconcerned with the potential cost of her interference. But when tragedy strikes, the seriousness of the situation becomes all too clear. Is the price of knowing the truth higher than she is willing to pay?

When the fate of the kingdom and all that she holds dear is at stake, will Arabella have the courage to stand up against the evil endeavoring to destroy them all? Did God really abandon her when He left her to this fate? Or was she put in the king’s palace… for such a time as this?

This book looks like such a fun Esther retelling, and the cover is quite pretty! I really love second chance romances or romances between married couples as well, so I have high hopes for this story!

October Read: The Reckless by Marylu Tyndall

Captain Reena Charlisse Hyde always gets what she wants. She wanted to be the best female pirate on the Caribbean and she is. She wants to find the mythical Fountain of Youth and she knows the location of the map. And now after searching across the Caribbean for the man she intends to marry, she has found him. There are only two problems. He doesn’t want to be found, and he’s on board a Royal Navy frigate—the last place a pirate should venture. 

Frederick Carlton thought he was finally safe from the woman who held his heart. But her attempt to rescue him labels him a deserter from the Royal Navy. He’s turned his life over to God and plans on being a preacher, but every moment he spends with Reena drives him deeper into a past he longs to forget. 

Mutinies, deserted islands, treasure maps, battles, traitors, and villains send the couple sailing on a tsunami of adventure throughout the Caribbean in search of the Fountain of Youth. Frederick longs to escape the lure of the woman he loves. Reena longs for Frederick to love her again. But in the end, they will both have to choose between eternal youth or the lives of everyone they love.

I’ve read the first three books in this series and I’m SO excited to read this one, finally! Reena looks like such a fun character and the adventure sounds spectacular. Marylu Tyndall writes awesome Christian pirate stories, and she’s super sweet to talk to as well! I know she has some other fantasy novels out there as well which I may try in the future, but I’m eagerly looking forward to this book!

November Read: A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes

How would you live if you knew the day you’d die?

Three hundred sixty-four days, seven hours, and sixteen—no, fifteen—seconds left to live. Like everyone else on the east side of the Wall, Parvin Blackwater has a clock counting down the days until her death. At only seventeen, she has only one year left.

When the authorities find out she has been illegally sharing a clock with her twin brother, she is cast through the Wall—her people’s death sentence. What she finds on the other side about the world, about God, and about herself changes Parvin forever and might just save her people. If she can get the word to them before her time runs out

Last year, I planned to read this book in November. However, I didn’t actually get around to it. This year, I’m going to have another shot at it! I’ve heard a lot of good things about Nadine as an author, so I am excited to give one of her books a try!

December Read: Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer

The kingdom of Kandala is on the brink of disaster. Rifts between sectors have only worsened since a sickness began ravaging the land, and within the Royal Palace, the king holds a tenuous peace with a ruthless hand.

King Harristan was thrust into power after his parents’ shocking assassination, leaving the younger Prince Corrick to take on the brutal role of the King’s Justice. The brothers have learned to react mercilessly to any sign of rebellion–it’s the only way to maintain order when the sickness can strike anywhere, and the only known cure, an elixir made from delicate Moonflower petals, is severely limited.

Out in the Wilds, apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade is tired of seeing her neighbors die, their suffering ignored by the unyielding royals. Every night, she and her best friend Wes risk their lives to steal Moonflower petals and distribute the elixir to those who need it most–but it’s still not enough.

As rumors spread that the cure no longer works and sparks of rebellion begin to flare, a particularly cruel act from the King’s Justice makes Tessa desperate enough to try the impossible: sneaking into the palace. But what she finds upon her arrival makes her wonder if it’s even possible to fix Kandala without destroying it first.

This is my last reread and read of the year! I read this book last April/May, and honestly, it’s now one of my favorite books! I wanted to reread it again this year, not only because it inspired my (now) main work-in-progress, but also to write a content review of it here on the blog, since I actually didn’t do it last year. Ironically enough, my randomizer chose this book to be the last of the year, so I’ll definitely be going out with a fun one!

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So there you have it, my 2025 reading list! Are you reading any of these books this year? What is your reading list for the year? Do you have a set number of books you’d like to read this year? I set my reading goal on Goodreads, but usually it’s only one or two books a month. You can follow me on Goodreads here to keep up with everything I’m reading, if you’d like! Thanks again for reading! ~ Kay Adelin