Mid-Year Reading Wrap-Up: 2025
When I started this blog, it was with my writing in mind. But reading and writing are obviously deeply connected. The books I read shape the way I think about character, pacing, emotion, and even the kind of stories I want to tell. So I’ve decided to start sharing monthly reading wrap-ups here, not as a distraction from writing, but as part of the process and simply for the love of books.
Since I didn’t start in January (and I’m not about to fake it), I’m kicking things off with a mid-year check-in. I’ve read 17 books so far in 2025, and while I haven’t reviewed every single one, I want to highlight the standouts, the surprises, and the stories that made me feel something.
Starting in July, I’ll post regular wrap-ups, but for now, here’s what’s stuck with me from the first half of the year.
Top Tier Favorites (5 Stars)
📘 Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz
A sharp, surprising memoir about life in a cult (while acting on a cult TV show). It’s honest, layered, and managed to be both deeply unsettling and darkly funny. One of the most compelling reads of the year. I highly recommend listening to this one, as the author narrates.
📗 Little Prisons by Ilona Bannister
A quiet powerhouse that explores the emotional cages women live in, sometimes invisibly. It’s beautifully written and painfully real. What stuck with me most was how it showed the way our lives, even when they only overlap for a moment, can have a lasting impact.
📕 Pines, Wayward, & The Last Town by Blake Crouch
The Wayward Pines trilogy caught me off guard in the best way. What starts as a small-town mystery slowly unravels into something much bigger. Something eerie and unsettling, but deeply human too. It’s about survival, yes, but also about connection, control, and what people are willing to accept when the truth feels impossible.
Excellent Reads (4–4.5 Stars)
📓 Down the Drain by Julia Fox – Bold, unflinching, and insightful. It strips away the glamour and gets real about fame, addiction, and identity. Raw without being self-pitying, vulnerable without losing its edge. Another one I recommend listening to (love when an author reads their own memoir).
📙 The Fall Risk: A Short Story by Abby Jimenez – A quick read, but a gut-punch in what? 50 pages? This one’s small but mighty. The characters were so cute and surprisingly well-developed for such a short format.
📘 Meet Me on the Bridge by Sarah J. Harris – Far more emotional than I expected with just enough surprise to keep me engaged. I may not remember a lot of the details in hindsight, but it was a fun ride while I was on it.
📙 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab – A gorgeous concept with beautiful writing. The middle dragged a bit for me, but the themes around identity and being remembered really stuck. I actually appreciated it more after talking it through with book club.
📘 A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard – This was one of the hardest audiobooks I’ve ever listened to. Hearing Jaycee tell her own story of abduction and years of abuse made me physically sick at times, but also deeply moved. Her resilience is unbelievable.
📕 The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons – Soft and profound. It’s a quiet book, but it stayed with me. Eudora’s story unfolds gently, with moments of humor, heartbreak, and unexpected connection. It made me think about aging, choice, and the ways people show up for one another.
📗 The Chain by Adrian McKinty – The concept—your child is kidnapped, and to save them, you have to kidnap another child—was so intriguing I’ve thought about it more than once since finishing. I didn’t completely love the ending, but the setup was strong enough that I might actually revisit it someday. It definitely stuck with me.
Solid Reads (3–3.5 Stars)
📘 In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren – The Groundhog Day-style time loop was fun at first but got old pretty fast. Still, I was in the mood for something easy and lighthearted, and this fit the bill. I didn’t fall in love with the romance, but it was a decent holiday escape.
📕 Sunlight by Devney Perry – A pleasant small-town romance with a steady, reliable arc. It didn’t blow me away, but it didn’t disappoint either. I kind of dug the pregnancy trope in this one more than I expected, and I can’t help but enjoy a western horse ranch setting… easy read.
📗 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – An interesting character study of young President Snow. Not as gripping as The Hunger Games, but a thought-provoking prequel.
Not My Favorites (2–2.5 Stars)
📙 Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune – This one hurt a little. I adored the first book (a solid 5-star for me), so I came into this with high hopes. But the magic didn’t translate. It felt emotionally flat and overly sentimental, like it was written more out of obligation than inspiration. It still had heart, but not the same spark. The first book felt genuine, this one felt a little forced. Disappointing, but I’m still glad I gave it a shot.
📘 Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier – The premise hooked me—a woman is arrested for her husband’s murder, and her dark past starts to unravel—but the execution lacked depth. I never really connected with the characters, and the suspense didn’t build the way I wanted it to. It had potential, but was just kind of “meh.”
The Book I Didn’t Finish (But Might Someday)
📕 The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
I can see why this one is beloved, but it didn’t work for me right now. There were a lot of characters early on, and I found myself getting lost instead of swept up. I’m not counting it out forever, though. Just not the right book at the right moment.
Looking Ahead: July TBR
📗 Saltwater Sunrises by Nikki Chartier Corell
My in-person book club pick. I’m going in completely blind, which is honestly kind of fun!
📘 The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
This one caught my eye before it was even chosen for the thriller book club I joined on Fable. I’ve heard it’s a gripping, layered read, and I’m looking forward to diving into the twists with a group.
📙 A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (Audiobook)
I’m finally tackling this one as part of my ongoing mission to read the books I’ve bought on Audible. I know it’s a heavy one, but I’m ready (I think).
📕 My Murder by Katie Williams
A speculative thriller with a chilling hook… a woman is cloned after her own murder and begins to investigate her death. I mean, what?! Love a good unique, genre-bending story.
📘 Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
I’ve heard nothing but praise for this one, and I’m ready for a cozy, summer romance between a couple of those heavier reads.
So that’s the plan… for now. I’m sure something unexpected will sneak its way in (it always does), but I’m excited to dive into these!
“A good book is an event in my life.”
