We created the Great 2025 Refine Reading Challenge to send you on your way.

And the response has been overwhelming! But here’s the thing… you wanted book lists to go with it (who doesn’t?)!

We’ve obliged, and we hope you grow to love these books as much as we do!

~ Erika Ahern, Managing Editor

How it works

For each month in 2025, we’ve provided two theme challenges along with 2–3 suggestions for your reading adventure. You can choose books from one or both themes as time allows! 

We’ve also included a downloadable version of the entire challenge so you can easily keep track of your literary progress! 

The booklist

• Book 1: A novel or story about a character starting over, reinventing him or herself, or embracing change. This could be a fresh start in life, a career change, or finding purpose.
  • Stephen – Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen
  • Erika – The Dry Wood by Caryll Houselander
  • Rosie – The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

• Book 2: Read a book that motivates you to be your best this year. It could be a memoir, self-help, or personal development book that explores habit-building, self-discovery, growth, or mental well-being.
  • Stephen – The Intellectual Life by Father A.G. Sertillanges
  • Erika – Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales
  • Rosie – Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass
  • Sarah – 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson

• Book 1: Read a book that explores love in its many forms—romantic, familial, and platonic.
  • Jessica – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  • Erika – Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
  • Stephen – Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Sarah – Hideaway by Nora Roberts

• Book 2: Not just a rom-com, read a book that explores the challenges that come with love and relationships, especially in marriage. Whether a cautionary tale or a wholesome romance.
  • Jessica – Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh 
  • Erika – Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
  • Stephen – “Lispeth” and “Three and – an Extra,” from Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling
  • Sarah – The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

• Book 1: A book on being pushed to the limit to improve or grow in virtue and discipline. Look for themes of self-denial, discipline, and sacrifice to attain a greater goal.
  • Jessica – Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by JRR Tolkien
  • Erika – Island of the Lost: An Extraordinary Story of Survival at the Edge of the World by Joan Druett
  • Stephen – “Thomas Carlyle,” an essay by G.K. Chesterton
  • Sarah – Hillbilly Elegy: Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by JD Vance

• Book 2: A story about an unlikely hero—someone ordinary who rises to do something extraordinary, defying expectations.
  • Jessica – A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
  • Erika – All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
  • Stephen – Diary of a Country Priest by George Bernanos
  • Sarah – George Washington’s Secret Six by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yeager

• Book 1: A book set in the wilderness or outdoors, where nature plays a significant role. It could be a fictional or scientific journey into nature or a poetic exploration of the natural world.
  • Erika – Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
  • Stephen – That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis

• Book 2: Dive into the deeper meanings of life through a spiritual work. This could be a book on faith, a conversion or religious journey, or something based on transcendence and searching for a higher good.
  • Stephen – Vita Nuova by Dante Alighieri
  • Erika – Transformation in Christ by Dietrich von Hildebrand
  • Sarah – Unbroken: A World War II Survival Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
  • Rosie – Holding the Stirrup by Elizabeth von Guttenburg

• Book 1: A book about adventure, exploration, or a quest—whether in a fantastical world, across a vast landscape, or in the pursuit of knowledge or treasure.
  • Stephen – Perelandra by C.S. Lewis
  • Erika – Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin
  • Sarah – Spartan Gold by Clive Cussler

• Book 2: A coming-of-age story that focuses on personal growth, the transition from adolescence to adulthood, and the challenges of finding one’s purpose.
  • Stephen – The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
  • Erika – Emma by Jane Austen
  • Rosie – The Story of a Soul by Therese of Lisieux
  • Sarah – Eternal by Lisa Scottoline

• Book 1: A feel-good, lighthearted book—something funny, quirky, or joyful. This could be a romantic comedy, humorous fiction, or a story full of heart. It’s a great opportunity to read a Comic book or graphic novel.
  • Erika – Growingold with BC: A Celebration of Johnny Hart by Johnny Hart
  • Stephen – Thank you, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
  • Sarah – A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

• Book 2: A memoir or a novel that uses humor while exploring deeper themes of life, offering both laughter and insight into the human condition.
  • Erika – Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank and Ernestine Gilbreth
  • Stephen – Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy
  • Sarah – Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

• Book 1: Read a book that explores a pressing social issue from the past, present, or future. It can be fictional or a commentary on our present day.
  • Jessica– Primal Screams: How the Sexual Revolution Created Identity Politics by Mary Eberstadt
  • Stephen – Psychological Seduction by William Kilpatrick
  • Erika – Primal Loss: The Now-Adult Children of Divorce Speak by Leila Miller
  • Sarah – Code Girls by Liza Mundy

• Book 2: A suspenseful story with tension-building, whether it’s a classic whodunit or a book that keeps you guessing until the last page.
  • Stephen – Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
  • Erika – Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
  • Sarah – The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

• Book 1: A fantasy novel set in an entirely new world—think magic, mythical creatures, or epic adventures. Let your imagination soar.
  • Stephen – The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
  • Erika – Charis in the World of Wonders: A Novel Set in Puritan New England by Marly Youmans
  • Rosie – My Father’s Dragon Trilogy by Ruth Stiles Gannett (a children’s series)
  • Sarah – Foundation by Isaac Asimov

• Book 2: A book about exploration into unknown territories, from world travel to scientific discovery, or exploring a different culture. Perhaps dive into works related to your own cultural heritage, or explore the world of great art and architecture.
  • Stephen – Making Peace by Adam Lane Smith
  • Erika– In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton Sides
  • Sarah – Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

• Book 1: Discover how the past shapes the present through reading about a historical event. This could be either a standard history book or a dramatic novel based on a true story.
  • Stephen – Memoir of a Revolutionary Soldier: The Narrative of Joseph Plumb Martin by Joseph Plumb Martin
  • Erika – Mayflower: Voyage, Community, War by Nathaniel Philbrick
  • Rosie– Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

• Book 2: Keep forming your worldview of the past from a personal level by learning about a historical icon or hidden figure. This could be a biography of a great thinker or icon, an eyewitness account of a historical event, or a novel from a real-life experience.
  • Stephen – Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
  • Jessica – A Song for Nagasaki by Paul Glynn
  • Erika – Exiles: A Novel by Ron Hansen

• Book 1: Read a mystery book, which could be a novel or from real life. A psychological thriller, crime, or mystery novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat with complex characters and endless plot twists.
  • Jessica – A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor
  • Stephen – The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
  • Erika – The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers

• Book 2: As the seasons change, read a book on the concept “Memento Mori” to “remember your death” and how all things eventually fade in this life but are made for an eternal purpose.
  • Stephen – Viper’s Tangle by Francois Mauriac
  • Erika – The Glories of Heaven by St. Anselm of Canterbury
  • Rosie – Meditations on Death by Thomas á Kempis

• Book 1: A story that revolves around community, relationships, and the interconnectedness of the human experience. This could involve family, friendships, or social bonds.
  • Stephen – The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • Erika – Jayber Crowe by Wendell Berry

• Book 2: Pick a book that plays on themes of gratitude, reflection, or thankfulness—whether it’s a novel about learning to appreciate the small things or a nonfiction piece on the benefits of cultivating gratitude.
  • Stephen – A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
  • Erika – Middlemarch by George Eliot

• Book 1: Read a book about endings whether it’s a story about a chapter in someone’s life coming to a close, or a novel about facing closure, loss, or finality.
  • Stephen – The Last Gentleant by Walker Percy
  • Erika – “Michael,” a pastoral poem by William Wordsworth

• Book 2: Finally read a story about new beginnings, embracing change, stepping into the future, or discovering new opportunities. End the year with a sense of hope and renewal.
  • Stephen – Mercury Falls by Robert Kroese
  • Erika – Caroline: Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller