2025 Summer Reading Guide Preview

I hope you enjoy this Preview of my 18-page printable 2025 Summer Reading Guide. The full guide contains over 60 reading recommendations including books from spring and summer 2025 as well mystery series recommendations, fiction/nonfiction pairings, fall 2025 titles that I love, backlist titles and some fall most anticipated reads. I have read every page of over 90 books and sampled at least 40 more to find the ones that really resonated with me and that I can personally recommend. Not every book is for every reader, so I have included a quick summary and what I liked about the particular book to give you some guidance about whether it would be a good fit for you. All of these will make great reads for this summer, and many are books you won’t see other places and on other guides. I star the authors that I have interviewed on the podcast or will be interviewing as summer progresses.

The guide is a labor of love for me, and each spring I spend countless hours vetting a plethora of books for it. If you are a Patreon member (join here), you receive this year’s guide automatically. If you would rather make a one-time contribution, fill out this Google form and submit a tip of your choosing. I want to make sure anyone who wants to get the guide can so submit what you are comfortable paying.  Feel free to send any questions my way. And enjoy!

For those who want just a few recommendations, here are 6 titles from my 2025 Summer Reading Guide:

Fun and Frothy

Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood* (July 1, 2025)

This charming novel follows Hollywood actress Cynthie Taylor and her annoyingly handsome co-star, Jack Turner Jones. 13 years earlier, they co-starred in a blockbuster film, and then swore never to work together again. Now, the rivals reluctantly agree to film the sequel, and are pulled into a fake PR relationship to help generate buzz. I am a huge fan of Laura’s rom-coms, and this one is fabulous. I loved the brilliant characters, the relationship between Cynthia and Jack, the Hollywood setting, and all of the humor she infuses into the story. For fans of smart rom-coms and happy ever afters.

What a Thrill

Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess* (June 10, 2025)

After her estranged mother passes away, Cath is cleaningout her mother’s belongings and stumbles across two tickets to England for a murder mystery week. On a lark, she decides to attend, and while there Cath meets two other Americans who she teams up with to solve the fake murder mystery and determine why her mom wanted to attend the mystery week. Bibliophiles will revel in the literary references sprinkled throughout this delightful book, and the quaint English village setting and its entertaining residents make this a highly enjoyable read. For fans of light mysteries, a strong sense of place, and thoroughly engaging characters.

All the Drama

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner (April 8, 2025)

The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits follows two sisters, Cassie and Zoe, whose 2003 meteoric rise to musical fame occurs when they are just out of high school. Not even a year later, the duo mysteriously splits, and the two women fade back into their everyday lives. This family saga explores thehigh cost of fame, what happens when secrets are kept, and the deep bonds of sisterhood and motherhood. Weiner addresses the music industry’s obsession with appearance, and its focus on insisting women must be thin. For fans of books about music and familial relationships.

Delightful Debuts

Tilt by Emma Pattee (March 25, 2025)

Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland, OR. With no way to reach her husband, no phone or money, and a city left in chaos, she realizes there’s nothing to do but walk. As she walks, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, her disappointing career, and her anxiety about having a baby. This is a fabulous book club pick – there is so much to discuss and unpack. I was particularly interested in the societal response, climate and technological issues, and how such an event will impact a city. For fans of climate fiction, slow-burn tales, and compelling reads.

Notable Nonfiction

Valley So Low: One Lawyer’s Fight for Justice in the Wake of America’s Great Coal Catastrophe by Jared Sullivan (October 15, 2024) 

Valley So Low details the tragedy of the 2008 Kingston coal ash spill and the subsequent cleanup,while relaying the stories of the workers and everyday people who were directly impacted by the coal ash. This is such a compelling and heartbreaking read, and one that sadly seems all too familiar—it reminded me of how the tobacco industry and DuPont behaved when confronted with  their malfeasance. This is my favorite nonfiction book that I have read in a while—I truly could not stop listening to the audio until I was finished. For fans of stellar nonfiction and timely issues.

Next in the Series:

The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos (July 8, 2025)

The Porter Beck series is set in rural Nevada and begins with The Bitter Past. Book three, The Blue Horse, publishes this summer, and in it, Sheriff Beck is tasked with investigating a helicopter crash that occurs at the beginning of a wild hore round-up. The pilot was shot and a blue toy horse is found at the site. With his personal life in turmoil, too many suspects and too many secrets, one wrong step could be deadly for Beck. In addition to the main mystery, Borgos delves into Beck’s relationship with his girlfriend, lithium mining, COVID-19, and environmental issues. The characters are very well crafted, and I always enjoy trying to unravel the mystery but never manage to. There are a few violent scenes that can be easily skipped over if that bothers you as it does me. For fans of smart mysteries and rural/nature settings.

Happy Reading! And if you want the full Summer Reading Guide you can get it here.