Some years stroll by. This one sprinted. I blinked and suddenly we were hanging Christmas lights again.
Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s life’s relentless pace, but that old saying keeps hitting harder: the days are long, but the years are short. And I keep finding myself daydreaming about a magical 27-hour day.
2025 was a wild ride – new projects, big adventures, and plenty of “wait, how did we end up here?” moments. It also brought its fair share of challenges (because apparently that’s part of the subscription to adulthood). So I leaned heavily on one of my favourite mantras: Obstacles Make Me Stronger – OMMS for short. And yes, I repeated it often enough that it deserves its own motivational poster.
As we wrap up our family Year Book with all the big, messy, beautiful moments (our newest Christmas tradition, and one I hope sticks forever), I’m also closing my own personal loop – my annual reading reflection. This ritual feels like opening a time capsule of thoughts, lessons, worlds I visited, and ideas that changed me.
Back in January, I set a gentle goal of 20 books. Classic me – I read only 11 from the list. But thanks to Audible, Kindle, and some long runs where I pretend I’m training for something, I squeezed in 10 more. Plus an uncountable number of kids’ books that could practically earn me an honorary degree in Children’s Literature.
So, without further ado, let’s get to the good stuff – the best books I read in 2025.
The Best Books of 2025: Parenting, Mindset, Productivity & Self-Growth
10 to 25 by David Yeager
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If I had to crown one book King of 2026, this is it. Yeager blends cutting-edge studies with the kind of stories that make you whisper, “Oh… that’s how teenagers work.”
It’s a guidebook for anyone who cares about young people – parents, teachers, coaches, mentors. Spoiler: most of us misunderstand what drives them. This book fixes that, and shows how to actually help them grow into their fullest, most capable selves.
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
This is the book with the power to kickstart a long-overdue societal reset. Haidt lays out how smartphones and social media are rewiring kids’ brains and stealing their resilience. It’s not fear-mongering. It’s science.
And his solutions? Bold enough that you might need to sit down. (Yes, they include delaying phones and banning social media for under-16s.) A must-read for any parent wondering, “Is tech really affecting my child?” The answer is: yes. And here’s what to do next.
The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman
Todd Herman has spent over two decades coaching elite performers – athletes, leaders, artists – and now he hands us the playbook. His message in the book is simple and liberating: you don’t need to “be more confident.” You just need the right identity for the moment.
Using an alter is choosing which version of you steps onto the stage. And honestly? Playing with my own alter ego this year was way more fun than therapy.
4 Best Parenting Books
Free-range Kids by Lenore Skenazy
Lenore Skenazy is the voice we all need when our parenting anxiety starts shouting nonsense. She reminds us that kids aren’t fragile ornaments – they’re humans who grow through experience, not bubble wrap.
Her message: our fear is often the real danger. If we want confident, capable kids, we have to slowly, bravely loosen the grip. Independence starts with us.
Hold On To Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté
This book hits like a quiet truth bomb. It explains peer orientation: what happens when kids look to friends – not parents – for guidance, identity, and belonging. The result? Emotional chaos. Behaviour issues. Disconnection.
Neufeld and Maté show why attachment to us is still the anchor they need, even in the teenage storm. It’s validating, grounding, and a reminder that our presence matters far longer than we think.
Smart But Scattered by Peg Dawson & Richard Guare
Executive skills: those invisible brain tools that make life either smooth or… a struggle. This book helps you figure out which executive skills your child has naturally, which ones need support, and how to coach them through everyday struggles – homework battles, forgotten PE kits, procrastination marathons.
It’s practical, compassionate, and full of “Oh my god, this is my kid” moments.
The Gardener and The Carpenter by Alison Gopnik
Gopnik drops one of the most freeing truths in modern parenting: your child is not a product you assemble — they’re a person you grow beside. She contrasts the “carpenter” mindset (control, perfection, blueprints for who your kid should be) with the “gardener” approach (curiosity, trust, and creating the conditions for kids to become who they already are).
It’s a compassionate but straight-talking reminder: parenting isn’t about engineering outcomes. It’s about tending the soil so your child’s potential can actually take root. Grounded in science and full of big, beautiful ideas, this book is pure nourishment for any parent who wants to raise a thriving human without losing themselves in the process.
3 Best Productivity Books
Deep Work by Cal Newport
Attention is the new currency. And most of us are broke.
Newport argues that the ability to focus deeply is a superpower in a distracted world – and he gives you the roadmap to reclaim it. If your brain feels like 47 tabs are open all the time: read this book.
Essentialism by Greg McKeown
This book is a permission slip wrapped in a slap of clarity. McKeown argues that the goal isn’t to do more – it’s to do less, better. It’s saying no. It’s choosing your best yes. It’s realising that a meaningful life isn’t crammed; it’s curated.
If your to-do list is running your life, Essentialism will help you take the wheel back.
The One Thing by Gary Keller (with Jay Papasan)
A deceptively simple question drives this book: What’s the ONE thing that would make everything else easier or unnecessary?
Keller shows how focusing ruthlessly on what matters most boosts productivity, reduces overwhelm, and keeps you from living on the hamster wheel. It’s the kind of book that makes you put it down halfway through and reorganise your entire life.
3 Best Mindset Books
It Takes What It Takes by Trevor Moawad
Moawad introduces “neutral thinking” – a mindset that cuts through drama, catastrophising, and toxic positivity. Neutral thinking is basically emotional adulthood: see what’s in front of you clearly, then act.
It’s simple, powerful, and wildly useful for parents whose daily sport is managing chaos.
Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
This is Goggins’ origin story – trauma, resilience, reinvention, and a level of grit that makes you rethink your own limits. His core message: your past doesn’t define you; your patterns don’t own you. With the right mindset you can achieve anything.
It’s raw, uncomfortable, inspiring – and the perfect antidote to a victim mindset.
The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robins
Mel Robbins turns action into something embarrassingly simple: count down from five, then move. It interrupts overthinking, hesitation, and fear – the three horsemen of self-sabotage.
If you want a tool that actually works in real life (like getting out of bed, speaking up, or finally doing the thing), this is it.
3 Best Self Development Books
Love 2.0 by Barbara Fredrickson
This book gently dismantles everything we think we know about love.
Fredrickson shows that love isn’t a grand, cinematic feeling. It’s micro-moments of connection – eye contact, shared warmth, tiny flashes of presence. It’s accessible, grounded in biology, and instantly usable in daily life. One of the best books I’ve read this year!
The Power of Character Strengths by Ryan M. Niemiec & Robert E. McGrath
Your strengths aren’t just personality traits – they’re tools. Once you know how to activate them, everything from stress to relationships to meaning becomes easier.
This book walks you through the 24 VIA strengths with stories, reflections, and practical exercises you can use right away – for yourself or your kids.
The Element by Sir Ken Robinson
A joyful kick-in-the-pants reminder that life works best when your talents and passions overlap. Robinson argues that the world desperately needs people operating in their Element – and he makes you actually want to find yours.
It’s inspiring, funny, and full of the kind of stories that stick.
4 Other Great Books
Grit for Kids by Lee David Daniels
If you loved Angela Duckworth’s Grit, this is the practical manual you’ve been waiting for. Short, clear, and packed with real-life examples, this book helps you teach perseverance without turning into a motivational poster.
Each chapter ends with coaching questions – perfect for dinner conversations or car chats.
The First National Bank of Dad by David Owen
This book is gold for parents who want their kids to be financially savvy before adulthood forces the issue. Owen shares how he created a family “bank,” taught his kids to save and invest, and let them make mistakes early, when the stakes were low.
It’s practical, funny, and refreshingly doable.
Algorithms To Live By Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths
A surprisingly human book about… algorithms. It explains how computer science principles can help us make better decisions: from organising your home to choosing a partner to deciding when to stop searching and finally commit.
It’s nerdy, delightful, and full of insights that make everyday life make more sense.
Why We Die by Venki Ramakrishnan
Ramakrishnan takes one of the most uncomfortable topics – aging and death – and turns it into a surprisingly grounding, empowering read. He walks us through the biology of why our bodies break down, but he does it with a level of clarity and humanity that makes the science feel personal, not clinical.
At its core, the book is a gentle gut check: we can’t stop aging, but we can understand it, make peace with it, and live more intentionally because of it. It’s thoughtful, honest, and the kind of book that quietly shifts how you see your own life – and the lives of the people you love.
The Bottom Line
Thank you for reading all the way to the end – I hope at least one book here made its way onto your 2026 reading list (or five, no judgment).
As for me, I’m keeping my reading goal steady at 20 books again next year. A few titles from 2025 are getting a well-deserved second chance, and the rest will come from the ever-growing stack I definitely didn’t plan to buy but somehow own anyway. (Book lovers, you know the struggle.)
Here’s to a year full of great stories – on the page and in real life.
With love,
Irina
P.S. If you’re looking for more reading inspiration, here are my previous annual reviews:
