Ahh, reading, one of my motivations for FIRE. Between work and kids, basically limited to time on the train right now. Would love to have a solid hour or two every day just to read, uninterrupted. Reading and listening to (or playing) music could probably fill up 90% of the time freed up by FIRE'ing.
Anyway...
Recently finished Early Retirement Extreme by Jacob Fisker, The Stand by Stephen King, and Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely.
Currently reading Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. So far I like it, but what bugs me, is where did I get the suggestion to read this? I use Amazon's wish list as an easy way to track my "want to read" list. E.g., somebody on a blog or forum will mention something that sounds good, and I'll add it to the list. 99% of the time, when I go back and review that list, I can remember what caused me to add that book... but not in this case! Anyway, so far I like it, so I can't complain.
Next in the queue: The Millionaire Mind by Thomas Stanley and A Dance With Dragons by George RR Martin.
Interesting to see a heavy representation of Thomas Stanley and William Danko's work in this list.
I was kind of lukewarm on the previous Song of Ice and Fire book, so I'm not in a huge hurry to dive into another 1000-page book... Depending on how Oryx and Crake treats me, I might have to dive into the sequels ahead of Dragons.
As for top 25... impossible to say. It might be cliche, but Frank Herbert's Dune comes to mind right away. The first time I attempted it (high school I think?) I quit early on, because it was too complicated. Later I gave it another try and it blew my mind. I've since read it multiple times, loving it no less with each subsequent re-read.
Contrast with The Lord of the Rings trilogy: the first time I read it, it blew my mind. I re-read it all again recently, and while I still enjoyed it, the second read-through didn't have the same effect. I still love it, and would probably include it in my top 25, but it will likely be a very long time before I pick it up again. Whereas, e.g., Dune, I'll likely read a few more times before I die.
Other favorites that come to mind:
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
All Creatures Great and Small, James Herriot
Isaac Asimov's Foundation series
Your Money or Your Life - kinda "meh" on the prose itself, but the message was a life-changer
Have to think about this some more...