A Burden for the Times
Book Episode
The 2025 Book Recommendations
These are the books from our 2025 reading list that we thought were worth sharing.
How many books did you finish?
Aaron: 113
Erin: 208
Which book made you laugh out loud?
Aaron: Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from A Simpler Mind by Nate Bargatze
Erin: The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone by Jaclyn Moriarty
Which book was the most formative?
Aaron: The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb: Searching for Jesus’ Path of Power in a Church that Has Abandoned It by Goggin & Strobel
Erin:
The Bible ; )
Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America by W. Caleb McDaniel
Which book was the most forgettable?
Aaron: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
Erin: Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins
Which book would you recommend to a friend?
Aaron: Reconnected by Carlos Whittaker
Erin:
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
Which book surprised you the most?
Aaron:
The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear
Anatomy of an Affair: How Affairs, Attractions, and Addictions Develop, and How to Guard Your Marriage Against Them by Dave Carder
Erin: Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump by Kate Brower
Which book did you think about long after finishing?
Aaron: Living Life Backward by David Gibson
Erin:
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Hinton
The Lynching: The Epic Courtroom Battle That Brought Down the Klan by Laurence Leamer
Which book would you reread?
Aaron: Scrolling Ourselves to Death by Brett McCracken
Erin: Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling
Which book was outside your usual genre?
Aaron: Captured: The Secret Behind Silicon Valley’s AI Takeover by Christopher Wylie
Erin:
A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City by Drew Philp
Crime and Punishment by FyodorDostoyevsky
Which book(s) did you not finish?
Aaron: Mark Twain by Ron Shernow
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The Way of the Dragon or The Way of the Lamb by Goggin and Strobel
Reconnected by Carlos Whittaker
Get Your Life Back by John Eldredge
Nothing is Wasted by Davey Blackburn
The Charles Jenkin Series by Robert Dugoni
Honorable Mention:
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For 2026, I gathered twelve photographs that mean something to me—images filled with color, quiet moments, and scenes that remind me to slow down and pay attention. This classic wall calendar brings those moments into your home with full-size monthly prints you can enjoy long after the year is over.
Each month showcases a different photograph—winter light, spring blooms, summer sunsets, autumn color—printed with rich detail on high-quality paper. Whether it hangs in your kitchen, office, or studio, it adds a touch of beauty and calm to your everyday routine.
Thank you for supporting my work and choosing to bring a piece of my photography into your home for the year ahead.
Beautiful note cards: choose between folded cards (with a blank inside) and postcard style (front and back only with no fold). Both styles include envelopes and are 4.33 inches x 5.59 inches.
For 2026, I curated twelve of my favorite photographs—images filled with light, color, and moments that made me stop and breathe. This desktop calendar is more than a way to keep track of dates; it’s a small piece of art for your workspace. Each month brings a new scene: winter stillness, spring blooms, summer skies, autumn color. Printed on sturdy cardstock and built to stand upright, it’s perfect for your desk, a friend’s office, or as a thoughtful gift.
Thank you for supporting my work and bringing a little of my photography into your everyday moments.