Surprise! I am thrilled to share the books I read in the first half of 2025 and explain why I picked each one up along with my really quick thoughts. Enjoy!
January
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon: Now one of my all-time favorite books! It was a wonderful way to kick-off my year of reading. Since this was for my in-person book club at Rakestraw, I had fun discussing this one with others. I also highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction.
Forever Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I am almost a TJR completionist and this was my last one of her earlier works. Get the full list here and check out her recent release!
Weyward by Emilia Hart: Not one I would normally pick up, but Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club convinced me to borrow the audio from my library. It kept me entertained while I was taking down my Christmas decorations! Read my takeaways from the author interview here.
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood: Another MMD Book Club selection. This was cute about how books can bring us together!
February
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang: This one sat on my TBR for so long and my only regret is that I didn’t pick it up sooner. If you are interested in the publishing world and social media, you have to read this one. Another favorite of the year!
Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig: This is a non-fiction book with really short sections and chapters. I started reading this one in Fall of 2024 as a slow read and focused on just one page per day.
March
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio: Delightful. I was in the mood for a light-hearted audiobook and this one was available via Libby. I loved the concept of “infinite husbands in the attic” and I thought the ending was perfect.
How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang: A cute and romantic behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood and book to screen adaptations. A fun read!
A Bit Much by Lyndsay Rush: Stop what you are doing right now and start following @maryoliversdrunkcousin on Instagram if you aren’t already. Lyndsay Rush is an Instagram poet and this is her debut collection of poems. I bought all my girlfriends this book for Christmas presents last year!
April
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel: Definitely one of my non-fiction favorites of the year. If you are a fan of historical fiction, museums, and reading about white collar crime, this book is for you. Read my full review here.
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan: Annabel Monaghan’s debut about a book to screen adaptation (I’m sensing a theme here). Short & sweet on audio. I am excited to read her recent release!
The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave: Mystery is not my usual genre, but I liked the family dynamics in this one.
Love & Saffron by Kim Fay: Once again, book club is having me read books outside of my comfort zone. After finishing, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to learn to cook or find a pen pal to write letters to.
May
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt: When I learned that Shelby Van Pelt was going to be in town for an author event, I bought tickets and picked this one up right away. One word to describe this book: heartwarming. Read about my experience seeing Shelby in-person!
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: I saw that it is The Great Gatsby‘s 100 Year Anniversary this year and decided that maybe I should read this Great American Novel again. I had to go find my copy from the back of my bookshelf – I had annotations from high school written! I also listened to it on audio at the same time which provided even more depth to my reading experience.
Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell: I am also a Malcolm Gladwell completionist. I read The Tipping Point about 10 years ago so knew I had to listen to this follow-up on audio.
The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer: I first heard of this one in MMD circles and when I saw how short it was on audio (under 2 hours!), I figured I could listen in a single house-cleaning. I loved the part about Little Free Libraries!
June
The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand: I downloaded this book from Libby when I was on a girls’ trip at the beginning of June. (I regret to report that we did not have a champagne shower like on the cover of this book, but I’m adding it to my list of things to include next year.) Elin Hilderbrand never misses and really does provide the perfect beach read!
I hope you enjoyed my mid-year reading report. It’s always fun to reflect back on how we spend our time doing things we love – even if it’s listening to an audiobook that I have to start and stop a million times because…life. I’m energized for the next 6 months of reading – lots of great options are on my own TBR and I know I’ll enjoy upcoming book club selections at Rakestraw and MMD! Stay tuned for my weekly newsletter where I plan to dive into what I’d like to start, stop, and continue in my reading life for the second half of the year.
A few questions for you:
- Have you read any of the books above? What was your favorite? (Let me know if we are book twins!)
- If not, are any on your TBR?
- What new releases are you looking forward to?
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