A Mid-Year Reading Check-In
How I'm doing with my reading goals, plus the 12 best books of the year (so far)!
I’m back! I missed you! We’re going to talk all about the retreat and Provence in the coming weeks, but today? A mid-year reading check-in.
So far, in the first half of 2025 (Jan-June), I have read 53 books. That’s a lot!!! I don’t really set reading goals, but it’s nice to hit more than 80 books in a year. In 2024, I read 102 books, which is the most I’ve ever read. Today I am sharing my top twelve books of the year (so far!). I really did try my hardest to narrow it down to 10, but couldn’t help myself. It’s going to be really hard to choose just ten when I do my year-in-review in January.
These are not ranked, but know that they are all a must in my book. As always, longer reviews can be found in The Library. If you’re new here, that page has every book I’ve read in the past 10+ years, and you can search, filter by genre, and sort by rating.
PS - my top 10 reads of 2024!
Thrillers
Everyone is Lying to You, by . This is a delicious, fast-paced thriller surrounding two former college best friends. When mega-famous tradwife influencer Bex (now Rebecca) reaches out to Lizzie (now a journalist), offering her the opportunity to write her profile, the two reconnect. Then Bex’s husband winds up dead, and she disappears, leaving Bex to figure out what happened. (Links to buy on Amazon or Bookshop)
The Ghostwriter, by Julie Clark. Olivia Dumont is a professional ghostwriter (and one of the best in the business) but has found herself in serious hot water (and debt) thanks to a lawsuit. On the verge of financial ruin, her “Hail Mary” comes in the form of writing the memoir of a famous author. The only problem? That renowned author is her estranged father, Vincent Taylor. Also, he might be a murderer. (Links to buy on Amazon or Bookshop)
The Safari, by Jaclyn Goldis. Goldis’ thrillers consistently rank for me (and they’re always set somewhere dreamy. This one is set on a luxury safari in Africa, where we have the 64-year-old head of a major fashion label about to marry her (much younger) head fashion designer. They’re on vacation with her whole family. And then she turns up dead. Who did it? (Links to buy on Amazon or Bookshop)
Wild Dark Shore, by Charlotte McConaughey. A gorgeous literary slow-burn thriller. A woman washes up on the shore of an island off the coast of Antarctica. She has secrets, but so does the small family living there. As they work together to stay alive + tend to the island, there are many twists and turns. Besides being a thriller, this is also a meditation on nature (especially plant life and seeds), a family story, and a redemption. (Links to buy on Amazon or Bookshop)
Non-Fiction
The Tell, by Amy Griffin. This is Amy Griffin’s memoir, and it’s incredible. On paper, Griffin had the “perfect” life. Always pushing herself to be the best, to please her parents and those around her. As an adult, she uncovers a horrible trauma that she’d hidden from herself. I’m grateful to Amy for having the courage to share her story; it was unputdownable and will help many people. (Links to buy on Amazon or Bookshop)
The Friday Afternoon Club, by Griffin Dunne. Another memoir; this one was a lot of fun to read. Dunne is Joan Didion’s nephew and has had such an interesting life. The stories about his family’s famous friends are amazing. The parts about his sister’s murder are horrible. This book will make you laugh one minute and cry the next. (Links to buy on Amazon or Bookshop)
Didion & Babitz, by Lili Anolik. An unputdownable look at the lives of (and friendship between) Joan Didion and Eve Babitz. I didn’t know very much about Eve Babitz until I read this, but her story is fascinating! I loved this so much, and learned a lot, too. (Links to buy on Amazon or Bookshop)
Other Fiction:
This is a Love Story, by Jessica Soffer (contemporary fiction) Abe and Jane have been together for 50+ years. Now, Jane is dying of cancer. It is the account of their love and remembering their younger years (both the good parts and the bad parts). It’s also a love story to Central Park. As someone who misses New York every day, I loved those parts. At times, it breaks your heart. The writing is both beautiful and tender, as is the way Soffer captures the various stages of romantic love. (Links to buy on Amazon or Bookshop)
Set Piece, by Lana Schwartz (romance). I don’t generally read a lot of romance, but I cannot get enough of 831 Stories under 200-page romance novels. This one is maybe my favorite of all of them. Perfect for those who love the famous person/normal person trope. A set designer and a heartthrob actor have a steamy night and then reconnect years later, working together on a project. (Links to buy on Amazon or Bookshop)
Broken Country, by Clare Leslie Hall (contemporary fiction). This book is a real heartbreaker! It’s set in the English countryside, where a woman (married) reconnects with a former flame. The book opens, and we know there’s been a murder, but we don’t know much else. The writing is beautiful, and it’s that rare literary novel that reads like a thriller. (Links to buy on Amazon or Bookshop)
The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali (historical fiction). A beautiful story of friendship and family. This was described to me as The Kite Runner meets My Brilliant Friend, which instantly grabbed my attention. It follows the friendship of two women from 50s Iran through modern day. It’s a beautiful friendship story, but it’s also about feminism, political activism, and wealth. (Links to buy on Amazon or Bookshop)
Sunny Side Up, by (contemporary fiction/romance). Something light and fun. This book left me in the best mood. It’s the perfect NYC story and beach read. Steamy, fun to read, a killer ending. Sunny Green is killing it. A gorgeous Chelsea apartment (and her two dogs), great friends... running her PR firm with a successful newsletter to boot. Newly divorced and getting back on the dating scene, she has to choose between two men. (Links to buy on Amazon or Bookshop)
If you have a minute to share, I’d love to hear your favorite books of 2025 so far — I tend to shop the comments section for my next read!
I’m having a great reading year so far, partly because I’ve belatedly discovered reserving books from the library so have been getting so many new releases that way.
I’m currently listening to a really fascinating book called Murderland by Caroline Fraser which looks at the history of serial killers in the pacific northwest and investigates the links between their crimes and the pollution from heavy industry that they grew up with. It’s really interesting.
Fiction wise I just read and loved Ordinary Saints by Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin which is about a queer woman whose brother dies in a freak accident and is later put forward to become a literal saint. Unlike anything I’ve ever read!
I also really enjoyed The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce which has a gorgeous Italian setting so a good summer book.
I loved Broken Country too although as a Brit I must point out it’s set in England not Ireland 🤣
I love this round up - you always have such excellent curation across a wide swath of genre. Thanks for the nudge to move “This is a Love Story” up to the front of my never ending TBR!
As someone who does read a lot of romance - I concur that what 831 Stories is doing is both unique and very good. I, too, have read everything they’ve put out so far and while not every one has hit, the majority of them have, such that I’ll auto buy anything they put out. They, more than anyone right now in romance, have really captured a modern urban feeling that I think eludes so many authors in the broader market - I think because many of their authors all live in cities and often do things other than write romance novels full time. That might seem like a trivial factor but it adds a texture to these novels that truly differentiates them. The readable in one sitting length is also something that I think forces authors to write sparely and efficiently at a time when KU is encouraging bloat.
I literally just got the ARC yesterday for Erika Veurink’s Exit Lane and am looking forward to diving in.
One book that I didn’t see on your list that you might enjoy was The Road to Tender Hearts. Despite the fact that I predominantly read romance, it may have been my personal favorite read all year.