In this bonus episode of A Burden for the Times, Aaron and his wife Erin Burden sit down at their kitchen table for a fun, honest, book-lover’s conversation. Together, they walk through ten questions about their 2025 reading year — with twenty very different answers.

You’ll hear how many books each finished (spoiler: the numbers are wild), which stories made them laugh, what shaped them spiritually and personally, and which titles didn’t make the cut. From leadership and spiritual formation to historical fiction, juvenile fantasy, and social issues, this episode is a relaxed, thoughtful look at what they loved — and what they didn’t — in 2025.

In This Episode:

• How many books did Aaron (113+) and Erin (218+) finish this year?
• Which book made them laugh out loud as a family?
• The most formative books — from church leadership to marriage, justice, and race.
• Which popular books they completely forgot they read.
• Book recommendations they’d gladly hand to a friend.
• The biggest surprises (good and bad).
• Books they kept thinking about long after finishing.
• What they’d reread again… and again.
• Titles outside their usual genres — from Russian literature to tech & AI.
• The rare books Erin didn’t finish… and the ones Aaron quit without hesitation.

Plus: each shares their Top 5 Books of the Year, bonus honorable mentions, and a few great audiobook tips.

Whether you love reading or just want some next-read inspiration, this episode is a warm, real conversation about books, growth, marriage, and what shaped their year.

Get the full list of books here:

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