Midyear Reading Round-Up
I don’t know about you, but I don’t know how we’re halfway through 2025 already. To be honest, I don’t like it. But like many of you, I also do the Goodreads reading challenge, and this year I set a goal of 35. Currently, I am at 24. Two of these include comic series.
It’s weird, I was always annoyed before that Goodreads didn’t count comics but now they count individual issues and I don’t like it. It usually takes me less than ten minutes to read an issue. So I’m only including comic series runs I’ve finished; it’ll even out in the end.
My best year was 2020 when I was unemployed for the entire freaking year and the world shut down. I read 87 books. I also still had a pool, and I liked to use my pool time to float with my Kindle!
But probably the best self-care habit I keep for myself is reading before bed. Once I’m reading on the Kindle, it means no more phone time. So it gives me time to wind down without the blue light in my face. And I look forward to it pretty much every day. I do think it has a positive effect on my sleep habits.
I am trying to read more fiction this year, I am typically more likely to read nonfiction. But I’m currently working on a fictional novel and want to read more fiction to expose myself to more styles. I do realize that overwhelmingly the fictional novels are Star Wars novels, and that’s just how my life goes. But I have a bunch of non-Star Wars novels on my Kindle waiting to be read.
This list is presented in no particular order.
There may be spoilers. You have been warned.
*Note: I reread The Hunger Games trilogy as well. This list is all first time reads.
**Another Note: If you buy a book from one of these links I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
The Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins: Finally, we have the story of the Second Quarter Quell, the 50th Hunger Games, where Haymitch Abernathy becomes the second victor from District 12. Overall, I really enjoyed it. I did think at times it relied too much on fan service which can be really easy to fall into. But at the same time, Suzanne Collins doesn’t miss a beat. Her writing remains awesome. I did like seeing some of our old friends, probably Plutarch most of all. Now I don’t want just a Plutarch novel; I want a Plutarch trilogy. But this novel rocks. You can check out my full review here.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins: This wasn’t my first attempt at reading this novel. I just couldn’t get into it before. But after enjoying The Sunrise on the Reaping so much, I decided to give it another go. And this time I finished it. I appreciated the opportunity to take a glimpse into a young Snow’s mind and it was really interesting to see the early days of the Hunger Games and how they weren’t always the outrageous, complex events that the entire country was forced to partake in. Like, Snow and the Games seemingly go “started from the bottom now we’re here” (if you already have a leg up). Snow is nuts and crushes everyone around him.
11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King: It’s safe to say all King novels are interesting, but I really thought this had a cool premise. What if you could prevent JFK’s assassination? How would the world change? I am not a fan of time travel typically unless we’re talking about Doctor Who where that is the entire premise. But King really captures the unpredictability of time travel and how significant the consequences can be. How many of us have wanted to go back in time and change something, believing it would be for the better? We don’t think about whether it would lead us into a worse situation, or even what the cost would be to get to that moment. It is something to think about. As someone who tries to practice mindfulness, I found it insightful.
Ground Truth by Rebecca A. Miles: I was really looking forward to reading this and honestly was disappointed. This was the most difficult novel for me to get through so far this year, and I was adamant that I was finishing it. I wasn’t a fan of Miles’ writing style and also felt like I was dropped in the middle of a series while it was apparently the first novel in the series. It was like I was missing part of an inside joke that I was expected to know. There were also a surprising amount of editing mistakes. The novel does take place in Pittsburgh though. The story had a lot of potential, but I think it tries to check too many boxes.
You Belong: A Call for Connection by Sebene Selassie: So I actually bought this accidentally, thinking it was a different book, but I really enjoyed it. Selassie takes the sensation of not belonging and works it back to explain how you do actually belong. It also recognizes that belonging can be complex and provides strategies to work through those feelings. I really enjoyed the meditative aspect of the novel and the exercises she explains. Very insightful.
Likewar: The Weaponization of Social Media by P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking: So, I’d say it would be universally agreed that things just aren’t great in the world currently and that social media amplifies that. The world being so connected makes it a much smaller world, and the bad is typically more eye-catching than the good. In Likewar, Singer and Brooking examine how social media is constantly used to influence us, in times for actual nefarious purposes. It’s sobering and disturbing but I think it’ll resonate with a lot of people. Social media is basically just a bog of attempts at influencing the user. It’s crazy to think about ISIS or Hamas using social media to fight their wars, but it happens more often than I think the majority of us realize.
Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire by Chris Kempshall: This is an actual Star Wars history book, and if you’re a nerd like me, it is amazing. A dream. It is written by a historian from the POV of an in-galaxy historian, Beaumont Kin (Dominic Monaghan in The Rise of Skywalker. His character is also featured in the novel Shadows of the Sith). There really weren’t any groundbreaking Empire revelations, but it was more like putting puzzle pieces together. They even include citations. Reading this after watching Andor season 2, however, makes me wish the novel hadn’t been written until after season 2 because there were definitely some interesting things to pull from there.
Star Wars: The Acolyte: Wayseeker by Justina Ireland: Really enjoyed this prequel to the Acolyte series and the first novel with High Republic characters that takes place after the Nihil crisis. It features Vernestra Rwoh, who was central to the High Republic series, and Indara, who is a young Knight and not the calm and collected Master we see in The Acolyte. It gives us some Yaddle, which is always a plus. It does give some spoilers on who survived after the Nihil crisis. One thing I found interesting was that it hints at a Master and Padawan relationship that wasn’t great, which I feel like hasn’t really explored. There’s actual dislike there. There are also some hints about Vernestra’s failure with Qimir/the Stranger, the bad guy in the Acolyte series. We’re starting to see the changes in Vernestra leading to the coldness we see in the Acolyte, although there are still a lot of gaps. My biggest question, however, is why did the Jedi Order get rid of the Wayseekers? That would’ve been perfect for someone like Dooku and maybe helped prevent Palpatine’s rise.
Star Wars: The Mask of Fear by Alex Freed: This is the first novel in the Reign of the Empire trilogy which takes place beginning the first year of the Empire’s rule and spans up until sometime prior to A New Hope. It focuses on Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Saw Gerrera, all enemies of the Empire and architects of the Rebellion to bring it down. It’s so, so good. Bail Organa is off the freaking rails in this story. Like, this was Benjamin Bratt Bail Organa, not Jimmy Smits. We get to see a different side of Mon Mothma, especially concerning her relationship with Perrin. And Saw is Saw, meaning who the hell knows.
Star Wars: Into the Light by Claudia Gray: This is the last YA novel in the High Republic series and focuses on the spread of the Blight, now seemingly spread to the Wookie homeworld of Kashyykk. It features characters such as Reath Silas, Burryaga, Kelnacca, Azlin Rell, Affie Hollow, Leox Gyasi, Geode, Nan, Avon Starros, Cohmac Vitus, and a few more. I really enjoyed Reath’s role in Phase 3 and his relationships with characters like Cohmac, Azlin, and Nan. The novel also features lots of Wookies, which is always a plus to me. There’s an interesting mix of the scientific and mystical with the Blight and the role of the Force. Zadina Mkampa was a fun villain.
Star Wars: Trials of the Jedi by Charles Soule: The end is here! We finally are at the end of the Nihil crisis, and it delivers. Two words: Porter Engle. Resistance against the Nihil on Eriadu was great. I feel like there are still some things I don’t understand about the Nameless and Blight, and honestly, I feel like part of that stems from there just being so much media. I’ve tried to keep up with the comics, but after listening to a podcast with author Charles Soule, I realized I needed to read a manga series for a bit more context. But that’s an entirely different topic. I did think that some of the characters had really interesting, if not really unexpected ends. I can’t help but wonder if somehow, some way there’s going to be more that goes back to Mortis. But the Nameless ended up having more depth than I could have ever expected, and one revelation about them literally made me gasp out loud. Although as far as I know there hasn’t been any announcements concerning new stories with High Republic characters, this ending definitely sets up great opportunities. I’m sorry to see this phase of Star Wars ends, but I think there’s plenty of potential for prequels and sequels for these characters! (More Loden Greatstorm, anyone?)
The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke: This was such a tough read because it is so horrifying what Shari and her siblings went through. Many of us have heard the story of Ruby Franke, Jodi Hildebrandt, and the abuse they inflicted upon Franke’s children, of which Shari is the oldest. Both Franke and Hildebrandt are serving prison sentences currently. The Franke family had achieved fame as family vloggers with Ruby’s YouTube channel 8 Passengers. During their time as vloggers, they were met with controversy, like Ruby not providing her son with a bed as punishment. Family vlogging is super controversial, and Shari has since become an advocate for children in those situations. But man, Shari and her siblings were failed by damn near every adult in their lives. It is heartbreaking. After reading the book, I couldn’t watch the Hulu special she recently did with her father and brother. I do highly suggest this book if only as a testament to Shari’s strength and resolve. She deserves to be heard.
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey: I enjoyed this classic mystery. But - and I’m hesitant to admit this - I don’t understand why it’s considered the greatest crime novel of all time. It is a fascinating premise and is executed well. The crime, which was committed centuries earlier, is examined and researched when the investigating detective is literally flat on his back. In that sense, it’s extremely well-written. I’d consider it one of the greatest in that sense and extra points for the uniqueness. But the crime of the story is a real crime and mystery. As I read it, I wasn’t trying to solve it. And I think that is pretty central to the mystery novel reading experience. Also, as this was an actual event, it’s not necessarily difficult to counter her explanations. Still a solidly good novel.
The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros is the story of Violet Sorrengail at the Basgiath War College, where her mother is the commanding General. Violet has trained to join the scribe quadrant (one of four) at the school like her father, but her mother commands that she attempt to join the Dragon Rider quadrant - despite Violet’s physical weaknesses. As Violet faces various dangers, she soon learns that everything she thought she knew is not as it seems - including what she knows about her own family and kingdom:
Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, Onyx Storm - While these are three separate books, I am going to review them overall. Onyx Storm came out not long after I had read the first two, so that was kind of lucky for me. Two more novels are expected. I knew this romantasy series was immensely popular. I’ll start off by saying I’m not a huge fan of spice or, more so, the enemies-to-lovers trope, so, while I did enjoy these novels, it didn’t quite reach the hype for me. Spice in a story is like an extra add-on for me; it doesn’t need to be the focus. But, it was still bingeable. In that sense, it’s an easy and solid read. However, as I got to each new novel, it seemed like Yarros was trying to do too much and put everything on a bigger scale. Iron Flame and Onyx Storm have very similar and frustrating cliffhanger endings. Once works, twice falls flat. There was so much going on in Onyx Storm and so many new characters - it was hard to keep up. I did enjoy seeing how the different factions worked against each other, and then together. There was definite evolution there. I also love the dragons. They are probably my favorite part. I think the dragons might have the most distinctive voices. Undoubtedly, however, I can’t wait to read the next installment, because I have no idea where the hell this story is going.
The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver: I’m prefacing this by saying I know nothing about the movie or show. I just randomly found this on Amazon. I enjoyed most of this novel until I felt like one too many reveals were for pure shock value instead of moving the plot forward. This is the first in the Lincoln Rhyme series. Lincoln Rhyme is a brilliant investigator, but an accident caused him to become a quadriplegic, which, naturally, has changed who he is and his mindset drastically - to the point he is considering suicide. However, he is brought back into the fold after a disturbing murder. The novel covers the investigation and the perpetrator’s continued attacks. A warning - this novel is extremely graphic. Again, Deaver drops, in my opinion, too many plot twists for shock value and I think that’s why the novel is so graphic. So I’d say I enjoyed it, but I’m not really inclined to continue the series.
The Myth of Making It: A Workplace Reckoning by Samita Mukhopadhyay: Samita Mukhopadhyay is the former editor of Teen Vogue and provides an analysis of the women’s roles in the corporate world and specifically within capitalism. I don’t think it was necessarily groundbreaking, but I do think it is informative. It’s written well; she is an excellent writer. Her greatest strengths in the book are her own personal anecdotes. I was looking at the Goodreads reviews and saw several commenting that this would’ve been better as a long form essay. Maybe. I think it might’ve been better as a memoir of her experience and how the myth of making it fits in, rather than her experiences supporting the rest. Regardless, I think it is both interesting and intriguing.
The Mother Next Door by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber: Andrea Dunlop hosts a podcast I really enjoy, Nobody Should Believe Me. She discusses Munchausen by proxy, also known as factitious disorder imposed on another, a mental health condition and form of child abuse where a caretaker makes up fake symptoms or takes actions to cause real symptoms in a child. It is both extremely complex and dangerous. In The Mother Next Door, Andrea examines three cases investigated by her co-author, Detective Mike Weber. Each case had many similarities but each had very different outcomes. It also gives insight into the difficulties investigating and successfully prosecuting medical child abuse cases, in part due to lack of knowledge, disbelief, and honestly just how baffling it all is. It’s not a feel good read, but a very informative one.
Buying books is a vice for me at this point. Definitely some unnecessary spending. And if you’re like me and pretty much exclusively read ebooks, check out the Libby app. I hadn’t been to a library in years (honestly the last library I was in was probably at Robert Morris!), and I was easily able to get a library card online for the Carnegie library system.
For the second half of the year, I have a full lineup of reading. My Kindle is full with books waiting to be read covering a modpodge of genres.I have a couple Star Wars books pre-ordered. And, I know I’m a nerd, but I really enjoy reading about writing. I have a few books that I’ve been perusing on topics like writing mysteries, rhetoric, and copywriting to name a few.
I’d love to know if you read any of these novels, what you’ve read so far this year, and what you plan on reading next!
