Best of the Bunch (June 2025)

Today I'm sharing the best book I read in June.

Of the six books I read this month, I had three 5-star reads:

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski

Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli

It was an amazing reading month, and it's so hard to choose between these! I think Amelia, If Only is great but especially top-tier for those who have read Imogen, Obviously, and while I loved Come As You Are and would recommend it for everyone, my thoughts are so deeply personal I didn't even write a comprehensive review like I typically would. So that leaves one crowdpleaser to be my Best of the Bunch for the month!

The Final Empire was just fantastic. I don't read a lot of fantasy, so when I do pick it up it's generally because it's been highly recommended by multiple people, and this definitely lived up to its reputation. The heist-like plot was compelling, the world-building was stellar (always a tough bar to clear in my eyes), and the plot twists were satisfying. The story's tragic moments had a purpose, and the climax felt earned. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get through the 25-hour audiobook in the three weeks I had it checked out from the library, but in actuality I blazed through it in just over a week. I have the next book on hold (another 5 months' wait), but I appreciate that this one had a satisfying conclusion rather than a cliffhanger, with just enough elements unresolved to make me interested in the next installment. I'm really happy I gave this one a shot.

What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Jessica, Influencers, and To Night Owl from Dogfish
Five years ago I was reading: For the Love of Men and You're Not Listening
Ten years ago I was reading: Jesus Calling, Clockwork Angel, The Crossover, and Pippi Longstocking

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Top Ten Books on My Summer TBR

I'm linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl for another Top Ten Tuesday.

It's time for another seasonal check-in! I finished all the books on my Spring TBR, and now it's time to think about summer. Here are ten books I'm planning to read this summer.

1. Catfish and Mandala by Andrew X. Pham
I started reading this memoir a few months ago, but I wasn't in the right head space to dig into the story, and it went back to the library before I got very far. I'm hoping to give it another go this summer.

2. Jamie by L.D. Lapinski
I'm trying to learn from last year and not load up on queer romances, but I do want to read something queer in honor of pride, so this middle grade novel about a nonbinary kid and their friends fighting for inclusion at school sounds like a great option.

3. The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater
After devouring the Raven Cycle series and subsequent Dreamer trilogy, I'm looking forward to picking up Stiefvater's latest, which is her first book for adult readers. I subscribe to her newsletter and have enjoyed hearing her reflections about the writing process and writing for a different audience.

4. Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
I was spellbound by the first two books in this mystery series, and I'm very excited for this third book that was just released.

5. Master Your Attachment Style by Scott A. Young
I feel like I got the basics of attachment theory from Polysecure (and just, like, the corners of the Internet I frequent), but this is one that my partner has read and said was a good basic overview and a quick read, so I figured it would be good to read this and be able to have the same vocabulary.

6. No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister
I was perusing my "books-about-books" tag on my might-want-to-read list, and this one jumped out at me because I've enjoyed some of Bauermeister's previous work. I'm interested to see what this one is about!

7. The One-in-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood
The hype on this 2016 book has now died down, but it still has good ratings and reviews, so it seems worth finally picking it up!

8. The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson
I'm hoping to mix in some engaging nonfiction this summer, and this one continues to sound interesting to me!

9. The Resilience Myth by Soraya Chemaly
This was recommended by someone at work, and it looks like a really valuable read. I had some issues with the book Grit, and I wonder if this will address some of those concerns.

10. We Have Never Been Woke by Musa al-Gharbi
This book was featured in an article recommended by a friend of mine whose perspectives I greatly value. As I've been trying to get news in as unbiased a way as possible (primarily through listening to Left, Right, and Center and reading the daily Tangle newsletter), it has helped me better distinguish between what is substantive and actually creating change and what is performative and even counterproductive in the progressive movements I care about. I'm looking forward to seeing how this book tackles hard truths about societal inequities actually being reinforced by social justice movements.

What do you plan to read this summer?

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Jessica, Tiny Beautiful Things, The Scarlet Shredder, and To Night Owl from Dogfish
Five years ago I was reading: The Color of Compromise and Women, Race, & Class
Ten years ago I was reading: Jesus Calling, Angle of Repose, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, The Tale of Despereaux, The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, and Little House on the Prairie

What I've Been Reading Lately (Quick Lit)

Today I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy's Quick Lit to bring you some short and sweet reviews of what I've read in the past month. For longer reviews, you can always find me on Goodreads.

I was back on the reading train this past month after my little reading break at the end of April. It was a pretty good reading month, with a couple excellent reads and the rest solidly good.

Money for Couples by Ramit Sethi: I'd recommend for any monogamously married couple who shares a home (of any kind), especially those who are solidly middle class or above. I think Sethi struggles to envision what life is like for anyone outside of that model, but within it, he has concrete advice for talking about and using your money wisely to create the life you want.

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler: This sequel to Parable of the Sower is centered primarily on the reality of growing a new religion, which made it more like a thought experiment or extended world-building than a compelling plot.

The New Bottoming Book by Dossie Easton and Janet W. Hardy: This definitely gave me a much better understanding of what people get out of kink (which was my goal in reading it). I'm not sure it's the best general intro to kink as that's not exactly its intent, but if you already experience interest in anything that could fall within the category of "bottoming" but aren't personally experienced in kink, this would probably be a good book for you.

Dream More by Dolly Parton: This was a sweet little audiobook narrated by Dolly Parton herself, an extension of a commencement address she previously gave, so it's framed as inspirational life advice, but it's primarily a collection of autobiographical stories grouped into four main themes. I liked the memoir-ish aspects of it; I struggled a bit with her downplaying her minimal need for sleep (and not being a parent/caregiver) as contributing to her accomplishments on top of her determination, commitment, etc.

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson: This was just fantastic. The heist-like plot was compelling, the world-building was stellar, and the plot twists were satisfying. The story's tragic moments had a purpose, and the climax felt earned. I'm really happy I gave this one a shot.

Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski: This affirmed my love of Emily Nagoski and her ability to translate science into a compassionate, conversational tone. Everyone should read this.

Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Jessica, Tiny Beautiful Things, and To Night Owl from Dogfish
Five years ago I was reading: Sadie and Women, Race, & Class
Ten years ago I was reading: Jesus Calling, Angle of Repose, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, The Tale of Despereaux, and Little House on the Prairie