There is no reading for me quite like summer reading. I find myself running out to read by my pool every free minute I get, even if I’m only squeezing in 15 minutes of reading before a summer rainstorm starts or I have to dash to meet up with friends.
And you know what I enjoy almost as much as summer reading? Recommending books for friends to add to their summer reading lists! So I loved putting together my list of 2025 summer reading recommendations. It was also so fun to look back at old blog posts and realize I’ve been sharing my favorite summer reads right here, on and off, for eight years!
This wasn’t my greatest reading month ever. I wasted a decent amount of time reading books I felt like I should read, and not as much time reading books that I was totally in the mood for. For example, I had it in my head that I’d read a lot about space this month. I read two books on the topic and DNFd a third and none of them really hit the spot. So going into July, my goal is to read only what I’m super excited about. Maybe re-read some old favorites, too.
That said, my June reading wasn’t a total bust because I did read what is hands down my favorite read of the year so far, Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein. Find my review of that below along with reviews of the other 14 books I read this month!
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein
Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein is my 92nd book of the year, and my favorite so far. And you know I’m a tough reviewer, so that’s saying something.
It’s about sisters Cricket and Mia, raised by a young single mom, and their lifelong effort to make Cricket a professional soccer player. But it’s also about ambition, family, dating, and love. You don’t have to like sports to fall for this story – I certainly don’t!
The structure is excellent. It starts in 2028, then flashes back to 1989, working forward to show how the sisters got there. I love books that span decades, and this one pulls it off beautifully. There are twists, too (more than you’d expect in a contemporary novel) and each one works perfectly.
Bighearted may be an overused word, but it fits here. So does “must-read.” I’ve loved watching Beck Dorey-Stein grow as a writer, and this book cements her status as an auto-buy author for me.
Note: Thank you to The Dial Press for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy.
Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross
Hazel Says No opens with Hazel, a high school senior, being propositioned by her principal on her first day at a new school in Maine. Her family just moved from Brooklyn. Her dad Gus has a new job at a local university, her mom Claire is lost without New York, and her younger brother Wolf is stuck in the middle.
The first half is bleak. Hazel reports the principal’s behavior, and the town turns on her family. They become social pariahs and targets of antisemitic hate. I kept rereading the cover blurb that described the book as “exuberant and big-hearted,” wondering if I’d picked up the wrong novel.
But halfway through, the tone shifts. The story turns warm and tender. Fans of Amy Poeppel, The Wedding People, and heartfelt, character-driven fiction will love this … if they can push through the tough first half. The payoff is worth it.
Note: Thank you to Hanover Square Press for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy.
Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie (out July 8th!)
Bring the House Down follows Sophie, a junior culture writer covering the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She’s staying with Alex, a fellow critic who hooks up with a comedian after slamming her show in print. The comedian then turns her show into a nightly takedown of Alex, and Sophie has a front row seat to watch it all play out.
It’s a character study in the vein of Dolly Alderton. Sophie’s fixation on Alex’s mess might be a way to avoid thinking about her own flailing relationship. The book explores cancel culture, ambition, and the role of critics which is especially relevant and well done since the author used to be one herself.
It felt more like a sketch than a fully finished novel, but I still enjoyed it. Theatre lovers, character-study fans, and Alderton readers will find something to love here.
Note: Thank you to Doubleday for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy.
The Nantucket Restaurant by Pamela Kelley
The Nantucket Restaurant follows three sisters who discover that their grandmother secretly owned their favorite local restaurant. When she dies, her will stipulates they must run the place for a year before they can sell it. The sisters move to Nantucket, dive into the restaurant business, and slowly reconnect as adults.
The book will draw inevitable comparisons to Elin Hilderbrand, especially The Blue Bistro. While it’s a pleasant read with a fun setup, it doesn’t match Hilderbrand’s writing quality or sense of place. Some stylistic choices feel off—like the un-ironic love for Rosa Mexicano by two NYC-based characters. The grandmother’s diary interludes also felt too convenient.
The foodie element didn’t quite work for me either. The food descriptions didn’t sound particularly appealing or true to upscale dining, making it feel like someone without real culinary knowledge wrote them.
Still, if you’re looking for a stand-in for Hilderbrand’s annual summer release, this will do the trick—just lower your expectations.
Note: Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy.
Romance
Fan Favorite by Adrienne Gunn
In Fan Favorite, our 35-year-old, never-married protagonist Edie gets dumped and then finds out her childhood best friend and ex, Charlie, is the lead on a Bachelor-style dating show. What does she do? She drunkenly tweets the producer and ends up cast on the show herself. As the oldest contestant.
She’s not even sure if she’s into Charlie or the hot divorced showrunner, Peter.
I devoured this book. It’s exactly what a summer read should be: fun, flirty, fast-paced. The plot is a little ridiculous. Some side characters don’t get enough time. But honestly? I didn’t care.
I’m picky about romance, and this one worked. It reminded me of One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London, one of my favorite romances of all time. Highly recommend for fans of The Bachelor, thirty-something single women, or anyone who loves a lightly spicy reality TV romance.
Note: Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy.
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
I waited a year to read The Paradise Problem for two reasons. One, Christina Lauren books are pure treats that should only be read when you’re in exactly the right headspace to enjoy them. Two, I dislike fake dating and one-bed tropes.
And yes, this plot is bonkers. Liam Weston must stay married for five years to inherit a fortune. Anna, his brother’s friend, can’t afford campus housing. So they get married to take advantage of subsidized family housing. When Liam’s family insists they attend a wedding on a private island years later, the charade begins for real, and so does the romance.
Much of it makes no sense. But I didn’t care. The chemistry sizzles, and the story moves fast. Fans of Christina Lauren and semi-spicy romance will find lots to love.
MYSTERY/SUSPENSE
Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman
I’ve been a Laura Lippman fan for years, but Murder Takes a Vacation is my new favorite of her books.
In it, Muriel Blossom—a widowed millionaire, lottery winner, and former private investigator—sets off on her first European river cruise with her best friend Elinor. On the way, she meets a charming stranger, Allan, who sweeps her off her feet. Then Allan dies mysteriously, and another stranger, Danny, shows up, gives Muriel a makeover, and tells her he’s investigating a mystery that Allan was involved in.
Suddenly, Muriel, Elinor, and Danny are navigating odd characters and suspicious circumstances aboard a luxurious river cruise.
This cozy mystery was a blast. I don’t usually gravitate toward the genre, but Muriel felt so warm and real. I was hooked. The last 10% got a little confusing, but not enough to detract from the overall joy of the read. There’s frequent discussion of Muriel’s weight, but it’s handled with care and didn’t feel exploitative.
This is a short, charming mystery perfect for when you need a low-stress read. I hope it’s not the last we see of Muriel. This book would make a delightful TV series.
Note: Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy.
I Did Warn Her by Sian Gilbert
I Did Warn Her is what you’d get if Below Deck met And Then There Were None.
Set on a super-yacht charter, the story unfolds through the perspectives of several nearly identical blonde stewardesses and one guest, all chosen to match the yacht owner’s tastes. None are especially likable, and some are so thinly drawn that I struggled to keep track of who was who.
But if you’re a Below Deck fan looking for a juicy, escapist mystery, this one delivers.
Note: Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy.
Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon
In Our Last Resort, Gabriel and Frida, childhood friends who were raised in a cult as if they were siblings, spend time at a luxury resort as adults. The narrative flips between present-day vacation and their traumatic past.
While at the resort, a woman dies. It’s not the first time someone close to Gabriel has been killed. But did he do it? Did Frida? Someone else?
The dreamy, abstract writing style made it hard for me to engage. Settings felt vague, and the characters didn’t come into focus. The cult angle was underdeveloped too.
If you prefer literary mysteries with hazy narration, this may hit the spot. But I didn’t connect with it.
Literary Fiction
The Art of Vanishing by Morgan Pagers
I’ve followed Morgan Pager (@nycbookgirl) for years, so I was excited to read her debut novel, The Art of Vanishing.
Claire works the night shift as a janitor at the Barnes Collection, an art museum in Philadelphia. One night she meets Jean, a Matisse painting subject who’s lived for decades within the artwork. Claire has a rare gift—she can enter the paintings. A romance begins.
It’s a fantastic premise. Think From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler with a magical twist. But the book leaned too hard on concept and not enough on heart. The characters remained thin until nearly the end, and the pacing felt rushed. Also, it’s partially set in 2020, and COVID is part of the plot. Just a heads up.
I liked this book but didn’t love it. Still, it’s a great pick for readers who adore art, museums, or magical realism in romance. It’s wonderfully original.
Note: Thank you to Ballantine Books for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy.
Non-Fiction
MISCELLANEOUS Non-Fiction
You Wanna Be On Top? by Sarah Hartshorne
If you grew up watching America’s Next Top Model, You Wanna Be on Top? is a must-read this summer.
Sarah Hartshorne competed on Season 9 as a so-called “plus-size” model. She shares how the show distorted her body image and offers plenty of behind-the-scenes tea. One especially wild moment? The show brought in a dermatologist, not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or nutritionist, to coach contestants on body image.
The book doesn’t break new ground, but it’s tight, smartly written, and doesn’t try to be more than it is. Read it in one sitting then go binge watch vintage seasons of America’s Next Top Model.
The Six by Loren Grush
The Six tells the story of the first six American women astronauts, members of NASA’s Astronaut Group 8, the first group hired specifically for Space Shuttle missions. As someone who loves reading about trailblazing women and space, this was an obvious pick for me.
That said, I’d already read Meredith Bagby’s The New Guys, which tells the story of all 35 members of that astronaut class. So much of The Six repeated what I’d already learned. What it did better, though, was highlight the media pressure these women faced and how it affected them.
If you haven’t read The New Guys, this book is worth your time. But if you’ve read that one, you might find this a bit repetitive. Given a choice, I’d still recommend The New Guys—it also covers the first non-white astronauts and digs deeper into the Challenger explosion.
Memoir
Who Knew by Barry Diller
Barry Diller’s memoir Who Knew was a fun memoir by one of the most powerful people in Hollywood. He’s remarkably open about his mental health, sexuality, and complicated family dynamics. His Hollywood career and relationship with Diane von Furstenberg also make for great reading. (Yes, he’s gay, no their marriage isn’t a loveless charade.)
Still, the pacing feels off. The first 80% covers his early life. The last third speeds through decades and skips details. His reunion and marriage to DVF felt rushed, and some parts should’ve been cut altogether. A rant about the Biden administration and a story about cloning his dog stood out as particularly odd.
Despite that, this is a worthwhile read for fans of Hollywood or business memoirs. The audiobook is especially strong—Diller narrates it himself, and DVF even reads her old love letters aloud.
Biography
Sally Ride by Lynn Shore
Sally Ride by Lynn Sherr is the definitive biography of America’s first female astronaut. Ride was famously private, especially about her personal life and emotions. Only after her death did the public learn she had a female partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, for 27 years. Sherr, a friend of Sally’s, explores, among other things, what drove her reluctance to open up.
The book lingers a little too long on Sally’s early years and breezes through her post-NASA career, including her work on the Challenger and Columbia investigations.
Still, it’s a compelling read about a truly fascinating woman. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was great. I’d recommend the audio version over print.
In less than two weeks I’ll be at the beach for a week at my favorite place in the world, the spot where I always do my best reading. There are a number of books that I’ve been saving tor read there and I look forward to sharing reviews of those next month!
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