Hi bookworms, how are you? Happy Memorial Day weekend for those in the States. Are you going to the beach? Summer is about upon on us now in this hemisphere, yay! We’ve been dodging rainstorms here and have been out gardening, mowing, planting, and putting in the annual vegetable patch. It’s still very green outside, which is great to see.
Recently when I was in California, I battled a maze of traffic to get to downtown Los Angeles to the Central Library and paid for a nonresident library card. Woohoo, this is great to have. It allows me a broad access to reserve ebooks and downloadable audiobooks from afar, which I can’t get here since we live rurally outside the city limits. I can get print books at my city’s library but not audios or ebooks due to something they say about copyright.
So I’m now actually a paid member of four libraries (!) — two of them are local to me in Canada and two are in the States. The Houston library is phasing out nonresident memberships so that will expire in December. As we all know library access is essential since it allows us less reliance for books on Amazon or Audible (both owned by Jeff Bezos), though it’s still good to support indie book outlets when possible. I rely on the library more since we have collected too many books over the decades.
And now it’s time to reveal my 2025 Summer Book List for the reading challenge put on this year by Emma at the blog Words and Peace and Annabel at AnnaBookBel. I had over 30 books that I was considering for my list and then cut that down to 15. I decided that I would pick recently released books for the list and move my backlist reading to the fall. I chose 13 novels and 2 nonfiction and I tried to pick books that would be highly readable and less dense for summer. I aimed mostly for page-turners that you could read at the beach. I hope to read these from June until September. So here it is …. drumroll please …
- Atmosphere — is a novel from the popular author of Daisy Jones & the Six that is coming out June 3 about a woman who gets involved in the space program in the 1980s and finds unexpected love too.
- Broken Country — Set in a small English farming community in the late 1960s, this novel is said to be a doozy that involves a love triangle that unearths a couple of twists and deadly secrets from the past.
- The Death of Us — is a crime novel about a London couple that struggles with the aftermath of a violent crime and an upcoming trial.
- Tilt — is a novel about a pregnant woman’s journey across Portland, Oregon, in the aftermath of a major earthquake.
- Juice —is a survival tale set in a future Australia devastated by climate change where two fugitives — a man and a child — take refuge at an abandoned mine site but they are not alone.
- The Lion Women of Tehran — is a novel starting in the 1950s that chronicles the decades-long friendship of two Iranian women whose lives are upended by their country’s political upheaval.
- Heartwood — is a novel about the search and rescue that ensues after an experienced hiker mysteriously disappears on the Appalachian Trail in Maine.
- The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus — is a poignant coming-of-age story about a woman who while attending the University of Edinburgh in 2006 is taken in by an enigmatic family as she discovers secrets about her own.
- So Far Gone — is a novel about a reclusive journalist forced back into the world to rescue his kidnapped grandchildren in an increasingly divided America.
- Nesting — is a propulsive novel about a Dublin-based mother who, after years of emotional and sexual abuse, decides to leave her husband.
- Rabbit Moon — is a novel about a young American woman in Shanghai who ends up in a coma after a hit-and-run … and her estranged parents and close sister who become involved.
- Dream Count — is a novel about four African women and their joys and disappointments over time on both sides of the Atlantic.
- Audition — is a novel about a mysterious relationship between a middle-aged woman and a young man as they struggle to grasp who they are to each other.
- A Marriage at Sea — is a nonfiction true story (coming out July 8) about a young couple shipwrecked at sea, which is said to be “a mind-blowing tale of obsession, survival, and partnership stretched to its limits.”
- The Last Secret Agent — reveals the untold story about the last surviving World War II spy operating in Nazi France and her time as a secret agent.
So there you have it. I decided to go with 15 instead of 20 to leave a little wiggle room in case I meander with other books. It’ll keep me busy. What do you think of these picks? Do you see any you might like?
Cheers. Talk to you next week.
Happy Memorial Day weekend! I wish I was going to the beach. And yay for libraries! What would we do without them? I hope you let us know if you like Tilt because I’m really curious about that one. And happy summer reading!! 😀
Hi Lark, thanks. Libraries rock, lol. I have a copy of Tilt. Now I need to squeeze reading it in with the others I have going. It’s a short book so I should be able to. I will let you know. I hope you had a nice long weekend. Cheers.
I once visited the LA Public Library with two tiny tots in tow. (They are now college graduates, so LONG ago!) What a wonderful place! I like your photo.
I enjoyed seeing your book list…
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thanks Mae. Yes I was pretty taken with the LA Central Library, wow! Quite a major collection there. Interesting to hear you visited there long ago.
I think the book list will keep me entertained this summer. Hope you had a nice holiday weekend. Cheers.
Excellent list! Still a lil too chilly for the beach here in Michigan 🙂 Hopefully soon! I did order a couple of cool chairs for sunbathing today.
Hi Becki, thanks I hope the book list is a bit fun. And we have an early heatwave going on in Alberta … it’s expected to be 90 tomorrow?! I hope your chairs will be comfortable for sunning and reading! And that you warm up there. Happy summer.
Beach? It is so cold I still have the electric blanket on my bed. I am a once-a-month substitute librarian so I volunteered to work today. There are usually two of us at the Reference Desk so I hope it is someone congenial and not the woman who purses her lips at me.
So Far Gone sounds very interesting! I just put it on hold at the library. I am still working on my Summer Reading list. I think my mother has one of my books so need to retrieve it from her.
My best work friend was in Los Angeles for a conference earlier this week and stayed across the street from the library so she went to visit and sent me texts saying how impressed she was. When my book group read Susan Orlean’s book about it in 2019, I think that was what propelled me to enroll in an online MLIS program.
Hi Constance, it sounds like you’re back home now after your lovely trip abroad. It seemed awesome. We have a heatwave going on in Alberta — so maybe you’ll get that soon. I look forward to seeing your summer list. I heard about So Far Gone from PW I think. I hope it’ll be good.
I’m glad you reminded me about the Susan Orlean book about the LA Library. I think I might want to return to that after visiting the Library. It was a pretty cool book and library! I didn’t realize that book propelled you to do a MLIS program. Wow! I think Susan Orlean would be thrilled to hear that. I saw her speak here shortly after the release of her book. Enjoy your week.
I am eyeing both Dream Count and A Marriage at Sea for summer reading. Of course, for me, for both of these, it all depends upon when the books actually arrive at the library.
I looked around at libraries that used to offer free library cards, but I’m finding that has greatly changed. I’m glad you were able to find a place you could get a library card that will work for you at your home.
Thanks Deb, I am thrilled to have found the LA Library & get a card. The Houston library has been good as well. I’m willing to pay from afar … since it’s sad to see library funding being cut, so I can’t blame them. The wait lists of some of these current books are very long, so we will see if they’re available. Have a great week.
When I was in my twenties, I used to buy a Houston Public Library card each year. It was lovely to be able to get books that were not available in my smaller county library system.
That’s great to hear. Yes some of these small libraries don’t have the inventory that the big city libraries have. So it’s good you were able to pay for a Houston card then.
And I’m glad you talked about the Houston Library and its library pass. I had never heard about nonresident library memberships before you posted that. It’s a good service and it really helped me for 2 or 3 years there. I’m sad to hear they are discontinuing it, but I’m glad to have found another. What a relief.
Good for you for braving the LA traffic. That’s no mean feat! Your summer reading list looks tantalizing. I have two of those books in my TBR list already. I’ll look forward to your reviews on the others.
Hi Olivia, now I’m curious which two books on my list are on your TBR. I hope they’ll be good. LA traffic is really daunting. I wasn’t going to do it, but then I figured I had to. So I figured which highways to navigate. What a zoo!
Have a great week.
We’re back in CT now, so no beach yet… I’m wearing my smartwool socks today! This is a great summer reading list. I have Audition on hold and have been eyeing The Lion Women of Tehran, too. Will look forward to hearing more about the rest of them as you read them.
Hi JoAnn, that’s nice that you’re back in CT! Such a pretty place where you are. I’ve heard great things about the Lion Women of Tehran … that it is a must read. I liked her earlier book The Stationery Shop too and might revisit it again someday. The whole Iranian revolution is an intriguing setting … and Lolita in Tehran is another great read. Have a great week.
No sunbathing at the beach today (not that I do that anymore), but I will get out for a walk later on. There have been a lot of whales just off our bluff, so the tourists will be happy. I spotted a pair of eagles a few days ago, which is always a thrill. I went on a short hike with a friend yesterday, which was fun, but it was in the forest so new views of the ocean. Temps are beginning to creep up (low 60s) so I might even put on a pair of shorts. 🙂
Great summer reading list! I’ve only read Tilt, but have several of the others on my radar. My mom read Heartwood and said it was quite good. I plan to post my list later this weekend.
Enjoy your weekend!
Thanks Lesley, it’s great to hear that you liked Tilt (you were one of the first to review it) and your mother liked Heartwood. This helps me.
I would love to see your eagles and whales there. Are there any blue whales? Years ago on my dad’s sailboat off Newport we saw blue whales close to the boat and it was a magical day as we followed them for a while.
Hope you had a great weekend. Enjoy your hikes & walks. Cheers.
I’ll bet that was a thrill to see the blue whales! None here that I know of, just grays. We also get the occasional pod of orcas, but I have yet to see any of those! The following is from our local state park website:
In the winter we watch thousands of gray whales from mid-December through mid-January as they travel south to the warm lagoons of Baja Mexico.
Spring watching begins in late March as the gray whales travel north on their way towards Alaska. The first surge swims past Oregon around the end of March, and we watch the north-bound whales all the way until June.
Summer and Fall bring Oregon’s resident Gray whales close to shore to feed. These are the approximately 200 whales that remain in Oregon’s coastal waters during the summer migration. The central coast in particular is a hot-spot for whales from June to mid-November.
That’s so cool Lesley. I would love to see the whole migration of the gray whales. And the resident grays. You have it great right in your area. So envious! How wonderful to watch & see them all the time.
I remember one summer day years ago I went on a whale watching boat in the Puget Sound north of Seattle. I was lucky to be on the boat the day in which we saw three pods of Orcas converge and it was unbelievable to see that many at once and so active. It was like a frenzy. So glad I didn’t fall overboard! The boat operators said it was so rare to see. If I ever go back, I’ll do that again.
Lucky you!! I did see some (two) in the far distance when we were on Vancouver Island. I took a tour boat out from Telegraph Cove and we saw dozens of humpbacks, but only a pair of orcas. Fun times!
That looks like a good list for summer. Happy reading!
Thanks Joy, I hope it’ll be an entertaining list. Much to get started on.
Enjoy your summer too.
I once worked Downtown in the gorgeous Pacific Mutual building next to the Biltmore so the central library was right across the street. Loved being able to walk over there on my lunch break. Sigh…
I want to read Tilt and it better live up to my expectations!!! lol Let me make sure it’s on my TBR.
Hi Jinjer, wow I didn’t realize you once worked Downtown there. The Central library was certainly impressive! And the workers there were super nice and helped me get a card. They seem to have a great collection. What happened to your job across the street?
Tilt is a short book so I better get to it. No excuses, lol. I need to see your summer list. Cheers.
Hmmm…it’s hot here for sure. A little too hot according to our weather people, but it’s been like that in the past at times too. We’re definitely heading into summer. Glad you are able to be part of several libraries. I am as well. Your ‘Summer Reading’ list looks good. I am interested in several of them and then several are new to me. Hope you enjoy all that you try. Have a nice weekend!
Thanks Kay, I don’t know how you handle all that heat in Texas. Head for the shade, lol. I’m glad you’re into a few libraries too. Libraries rock. I’ll give the list a go.
Hope your weekend was nice too. Happy reading.
Oh, The Lion Women of Tehran and Dream Count are both very good. I look forward to seeing what you think of them.
Hi Helen, That’s great to hear about those books. Yay. I look forward to them. So glad you liked them. I also liked her book The Stationery Shop and for Adichie Americanah. So that bodes well. Have a great week.
Temps have been up and down this spring, so no beach yet; I went last on October or November. I placed a hold at the library for Heartwood; I’m currently #1 in the wait list. I will also be reading Nesting, though I don’t know if this summer or later. I hope Nesting makes it to the Booker longlist; there were many enthusiasts online who were betting on it making the Women’s Prize shortlist, but alas, it didn’t happen. Those are the only ones I’m interested from your list. I had my eye on Tilt for awhile but got discouraged when I read comments that it’s not about the disaster but about the pregnant woman, so it’s a no for me, unless you read it and love it, and I reconsider. Happy summer reading! Hope all those books surpass your expectations!
Hi Carmen, thanks. I hope Heartwood and Nesting will be good. Some on this list perhaps are just entertaining kinds of books … and maybe not too deep but we will see. I have to finish my May reads before I can start my list. I’m reading Ferrante’s book 2 but it’s long. Will I get through it?! About at 60%.
Temps might hit 90 here this week. Crazy it went from like 45 to 90 in a week, eek! I hope you are liking your reads … and can get back to the beach sometime, lol. Enjoy your week.
That’s a great list. I don’t really plan my reading in advance, preferring to just read whatever grabs my attention at the moment, but I see several on the list that I will likely be reading in coming months.
Hi Dorothy, thanks. I hope the list will be entertaining. Good to know you might read some of these. Let me know if you get to any … perhaps you might read one first. Cheers. Have a great week.
Your list looks great! I am planning to join in this year and will reveal my list in early June!
Have a great week!
Thanks Marg, making the list was a process, lol. And I’m glad to hear you’re joining in. I look forward to seeing your list. Have a great week too.
So cool you are member of all these libraries!
I’m not familiar of any of your books, but enjoy and have fun with the challenge!
Thanks Emma. I will have fun with the book list challenge. Glad you are co-hosting & participating too. Good luck with your list. Happy reading!
Hi Susan,, Congratulations on your new library cards. They are so important. Do they have Libby in Canada because it’s made such a positive difference in my reading life since I joined last year.
A nice list of books for the summer challenge. The Lion Women of Iran, Dream Count and Heartwood sound good. Stay cool for the summer!
Hi Kathy, thanks. Libraries rock! And yes luckily we have Libby up here too. And I have been using it a lot. I like how it is able to tell which library has the book copy the soonest. I have all my libraries entered on Libby and it tells me where to reserve it. Yay. And it’s particularly good for audios. I’m glad you found it.
Sorry to hear your comment went missing and you had to re-do. Not sure why it did that. It can be frustrating. Hopefully it won’t happen again.
Enjoy your week & reading!
Impressive that a library in California allows Canadians to sign up – that is a great service. Hopefully, you can continue to use libraries one way or another. I use my local library via libby for ebooks and audiobooks.
Your summer reading looks great. I haven’t read any of them, but heard good things about Nesting. Personally, I am too much of a mood reader to create reading lists, but I enjoy seeing lists from other readers.
Happy Memorial Day weekend!
Thanks Stargazer, yeah having these libraries is very helpful … especially using Libby. I hope you have a good inventory there.
I think making the summer list can be fun and came mostly from my TBR lists & preview posts. So far Nesting is getting a lot of comments from others. So I guess I will be expecting more from it. It sounds a bit dark? We’ll see.
Have a great week.
I’m so glad you were able to get to the LA library. I don’t know what I’d do if I didnlt have access to Kindle borrowing priviledges.
Some great books for your summer reading. I have Heartwood, The Last Secret Agent and Nesting on my list. I had started Tilt but got distracted so turned it in. Probably just me and the wrong time for it.
Hope Stella and Willow are well!
Thanks Tina, the dogs are good. Though Stella is having some bathroom issues getting out of the house in time. We are watching her like a hawk!
I’m excited to have the LA Library card. Libraries are really key, more than ever.
I need to finish Ferrante. I’ve been dawdling along a bit too much. I want to start my summer reads. So must get on with Ferrante. I hope you read & let me know about some of these, lol. Email you later, Cheers. Have a good week.
I read Dream Count and liked it a lot. As an unabashed liberal I found some of the comments about the liberal’s attitudes toward issues in Africa to be almost jarring. But as i’ve sat with them, I understand where they came from. See what you think when you read the book.
I haven’t read any of your other picks, though a few are on my TBR: THe Lion Women of Tehran and Nesting.
Good luck.
Hi Anne, thanks. I’m so glad you let me know about Dream Count and now I’m curious and will see what she says about liberal attitudes. She has stirred up some controversy I’ve heard … among the LGBTQ community about comments she made once, though I don’t know too much about what she said. We will see about the book.
I think Nesting and Lion Women of Tehran are musts for me. I’ve heard many good things. Good luck with your list as well. Cheers.
All of your books are relatively new to me. I may have read some about them, but not really familiar with them. Your brief descriptions were useful. And I will enjoy seeing your reactions to them if you share them with us. Some of the covers are just gorgeous.
I am happy to hear that you got a nonresident library card from the LA library. Very cool.
Hi Tracy, thanks. My adventure to the LA Library was quite something. Just getting there was a battle but worth it. It’s a neat place and must have a great inventory, which I’m excited about exploring online.
My summer list is pretty recent new books so I don’t know them too well either. But I’ve liked what I’ve heard, so I hope they’ll be entertaining.
Good luck with your summer list too. Many good ones on it. Enjoy your week.
I didn’t think to add Nonfiction to my list, but i think that was smart. Good luck and happy reading!
Thanks Cindy, yeah I don’t normally read much nonfiction but I’m glad I put these two on my list. I look forward to seeing your summer list and will stop by soon. Cheers!
I visited that library when I lived in Southern California to see Aussie author Melina Marchetta. She did an author event and I love her books. The library was beautiful! I still have a Los Angeles library card but I got at a little library outside of Eagle Rock which was on my way home from work at the time. It’s one of the best for audios and e-books. I also have access to a few Texas libraries, thanks to my daughter and one in Contra Costa county from when my daughter lived in East Bay San Francisco. I rarely buy audiobooks anymore. Libraries are such a gift!
I read *listened to* Heartwood. I’m interested to hear your thoughts. I’m also eyeing that Taylor Jenkins Reid you mentioned in your newer post. Tilt sounds really good, too. Hope you get to all on your list and you enjoy them!
Hi Rachel, that’s wonderful to hear your LA library story — it is a great place! And their digital collection seems top-notch. Good to know you have various library memberships as well. Audios can be expensive, so it is a real gift to have good libraries despite the current WH occupant trying to defund them. Ugh.
I’m glad you liked Heartwood and I’m looking forward to it. I liked her earlier novel Sea Wife so I’m hoping for good things. Once I get done with May reads, I want to jump on my summer list!
Hope all is well there. Enjoy your garden & books!
I am planning to participate in this event this year. Will announce my books over the next couple of weeks!
First ten will be up tomorrow!
Yay Marg! I will stop by your site to see what you’ve picked. Making the list seems half the fun. Though it’s hard to cut a long list of books to make it more doable. Cheers. Happy reading.