I’m excited to build my Summer TBR 2025! While I haven’t been the best at sticking to my TBR and haven’t made a big enough dent in my physical TBR. I’m hype that this summer I’m going to finally find the perfect balance between reading books from my physical TBR while also enjoying new releases, library books and books on my Kindle Unlimited. So, let’s talk about the 15 books I’m seeking to read this summer.
Summer TBR 2025
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah | Historical Fiction
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
A heartfelt story about the enduring beauty of friendship across time weathering the challenges of growing up and becoming adult women. Tully and Kate have been inseperable through it all. Until a betrayal threatens to break the bonds of their friendship. Purchase from Bookshop.org
We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizel | YA Fantasy
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
Hunter Zafria must disguise herself as a man hiding her gender as she hunts in the forest to provide food for her community. Prince Nasir is an assassin who enforces his father’s commands executing anyone who defies his father the sultan. With war brewing in the land of Arz a lost artifact may be their only hope. Zafria embars on a journey to find this artifact in hopes to restore the lost magic to her land. Meanwhile, Nasir is on a similar mission- to retrieve the artifact and kill the hunter. Yet, as their stories unfold the truth of an ancient evil may pose a greater threat than they could ever imagine. Purchase from Bookshop.org
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston | Contemporary Romance, Magical Realism
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
Clementine is trying to keep her heart safe and is intent on focusing on working hard and finding someone decent to love as she’s trying to overcome an unexpected life circumstance as she’s navigating her way to moving forward. That’s until she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. And not just any man but a stunner with kind eyes, an impeccable knack for lemon pies and a sultry Southern drawl. Clementine could easily fall head over heels if it weren’t for the fact that he’s seven years in the past and she’s seven years in the future. Clementine a future with this man is all but impossible. In this magical apartment Clementine dicovers the slip in time that exists making this situation possible as she navigates this occurence hoping to keep her heart in tact. Purchase from Bookshop.org
House of Ash and Shadow by Leia Stone | YA Fantasy
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
Seventeen-year-old Fallon Bane hides a terrible affliction where touch causes excruciating pain, and is convinced she’ll live a lonely existence starved for touch. When her father falls ill, she travels to the magical Gilded City in search of a healer fae to save him. When handsome Ariyon Madden agrees to help, Fallon’s life changes when he accidentally touches her and she doesn’t feel pain; she believes an alternate future awaits her. That is, until Ariyon learns of her curse and reports her existence to powerful fae seeking her harm. She’s sent to a magical academy where she learns the truth about her family history and dark magic. With her life and the future of the fae hanging in the balance, all Fallon can think of is her next encounter with the handsome healer fae Ariyon. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica | Mystery Thriller
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
Nina’s husband, Jake Hayes is missing. And, while she believed he was cooling down after their fight, she now feels different as it’s been five days and Jake hasn’t come home, and he’s nowhere to be found. Nina’s friend and co-worker Lily Scott may have been the last person to see Jake before his disappearance. However, after she confesses to her husband, Christian, they decide no one needs to know what happened leading up to Jake’s disappearance. Yet, Nina is determined to uncover the truth and won’t stop until she gets the answers she’s looking for. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver | YA Contemporary
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
Twins Dara and Nick were inseparable until the tragic accident that left Dara’s face scarred and the sisters estranged. Yet, when Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick refuses to take it seriously until nine-year-old Madeline Snow goes missing, leading Nick to believe the two events are linked. Now, Nick becomes determined to find out what happened to her sister before it’s too late. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter | YA Contemporary
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
This is the continuation of Wes and Liz’s story following the two into their early college years. If you haven’t read the first book in this series, Better Than the Movies, I highly recommend you check it out before diving into this one. The story begins with Liz and Wes, who have a mild rivalry where Wes incessantly picks on quirky Liz throughout their childhood. But Liz only has eyes for Michael until he moves away. But now he’s back, and Liz is determined to make him fall for her and satisfy all her romantic dreams by taking her to prom. Since Michael is close with Wes, she enlists his help in winning him over. But she discovers that Wes is more than what he appears and finds herself with conflicted emotions, questioning whether achieving the perfect happy ending is what she’s truly imagined. Purchase from Bookshop.org.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas | Classic Literature
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
The ultimate revenge story following Edmond Dantès, who finds himself imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. After learning of a mysterious treasure on the isle of Monte Cristo. He becomes determined to escape and begins plotting revenge against the men responsible for his incarceration. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Oathbound by Tracy Deonn | YA Fantasy
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
My current favorite YA Fantasy series. I’ve been putting off reading this book off but hopefully I’ll be able to catch up this summer. This series follows Bree Matthews as she struggles with grief over the loss of her mother in an accident. She decides to attend UNC-Chapel Hill’s program for Gifted Young Students to get away from her grief. Until she witnesses a demon attack and discovers a world made of the Legendborn, who are sworn to protect humans from evil. After one of the order’s mages tries to mesmer her to make her forget what she saw. A memory is unlocked from the night of her mother’s accident of another mage trying to mesmer her. She believes that her mother’s death may not have been an accident. And enlists the help of a reluctant Legendborn member, Nick, to infiltrate the order and find out the truth. Purchase from Bookshop.org
The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna | YA Fantasy
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
Another YA Fantasy series I’m excited to get back into. This series follows Dekka, a sixteen-year-old who’s nervous about her upcoming blood ceremony. This ceremony will determine whether she’s pure, her blood runs red, or impure, her blood runs gold. Through a series of events, it’s discovered that she’s impure and will face the death mandate. That is, until a mysterious woman offers her an alternative. To serve the emperor as an elite warrior known as the alaki to fight against the death shrieks a threat to the villages in Otera. Left with no option, she agrees. What happens next is her discovering the truth of her identity and lineage while confronting her fears. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir | YA Fantasy
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
It’s time to visit the dark world of The Martial Empire as we follow Laia’s and Elias’s next steps on their journey. This series kicked off with a bang. We follow Laia as she tries to understand the trouble her brother Darin has landed himself in. When the Martial soldiers invaded their home, shattering their small family and taking Darin prisoner for treason. Desperate to save Darin from certain death, Laia works with the Resistance to become a spy for the Commandant of the elite military academy. Elias has witnessed the barbarism and corruption of the Martial Empire and doesn’t want to become a soldier. He plans to desert when he’s pulled into the running to become the future emperor. Laia’s and Elias’s story intertwines as they become destined to shake up the Martial Empire from the inside out. Purchase from Bookshop.org
For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga | YA Fantasy
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
This YA Fantasy standalone is a Pakistani reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo. As we meet Dania, who’s imprisoned for three hundred and sixty-four days after being falsely accused of a crime by her lover, Mazin. After discovering a lost djinn treasure, she becomes fixated on breaking free and seeking retribution on the ones who ruined her life. Filled with dark magic and a new identity, she begins to enact her plan of bringing down those who plotted against her and her family. Yet, the complicated game of cat and mouse between her and Mazin threatens to be her undoing. Purchase from Bookshop.org
The Grapes of Wrath by James Steinbeck | Classic Literature
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
An exploration of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl migration, where the Joad family begins their journey from Oklahoma to California in search of a new life and new opportunities. As they encounter the stark reality of the new realities that exist within America. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi | YA Fantasy
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
The first installment of the Legacy of Orïsha, where Zélie Abedola is struggling with the loss of her mother, the reaper, the summoner of souls, and the disappearance of magic in her community. This happens after the King issues orders leading to the murder of the maji. Now, she must find a way to bring hope and magic back to the land. With the help of a rogue princess, she comes against the crown prince as he works to end magic for good. Purchase from Bookshop.org
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig | Contemporary, Magical Realism
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
A poignant story that ponders the meaning of life. After a lifetime of disappointment and regret, Nora Seed has reached the end of her rope and knows that something has to change. After an event, Nora finds herself in The Midnight Library, where she’s given the opportunity to make things right. With the help of an old friend, she goes through her life and works to undo her regrets and create the perfect life. Yet, things aren’t as she’s imagined, and her choices place the library and herself in grave danger. Purchase from Bookshop.org
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien | Fantasy
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
“One ring to rule them all.” The ultimate epic high fantasy trilogy. The Lord of the Rings begins with The Fellowship of the Ring, where we meet Frodo Baggins in the whimsical village of the Shire , who is entrusted with the immense task of journeying through Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom to destroy the Ring crafted by the Elven-smiths and the Dark Lord Sauron in an attempt to rule all of Middle Earth. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Caraval by Stephanie Garber | YA Fantasy
Add to Goodreads | Add to Storygraph
This fairy tale-esque exploration of an annual legendary game and the two sisters who become swept away in its thrall. Scarlett and Tella Dragna live on a tiny and isolated island with their sadistic father, who has secured a marriage for Scarlett. And struggling with living trapped on the island and the threat of her freedom being taken away, as she dreams of attending the night carnival, Caraval. As luck would have it she receives her invitation and with the help of a mysterious sailor, she and Tella escape to attend the carnival. However, things go awry when Tella is kidnapped and becomes a part of a game in which participants must find her to win. Scarlett must do all she can to find her sister before the five nights of the game are over or face dire consequences. Purchase from Bookshop.org
The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda | Mystery Thriller
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
A tragic accident that occurred a decade ago, in which two vans filled with high school seniors on a school service trip crashed into a Tennessee ravine, claiming the lives of multiple classmates and teachers and leaving behind nine survivors. After being emotionally and mentally changed from this tragedy, one of the survivors commits suicide on the anniversary of the accident. And the remaining survivors make a pact to meet on the anniversary of the accident each year and stay in touch. Yet, at the tenth anniversary, Cassidy Bent is working to distance herself from the tragedy and the other survivors. However, upon learning that another survivor has committed suicide, she plans to attend the reunion and see what’s up. When the lead organizer, Amaya, slips away and stops answering her phone with a dangerous storm rolling in, she begins to worry, questioning everything. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Dare to Lead by Brenè Brown | Nonfiction, Self-Help
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
A book exploring the dynamics and qualities that make an ideal leader. Brown goes about defining leadership, stating the qualities that make a good leader and provides rich examples and actionable strategies to become the kind of leader that blazes forth with compassion, courage, and bravery. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lysa TerKeurst | Nonfiction, Self-help
Add to Goodreads | Add to StoryGraph
TerKeurst explores the dynamics of boundary setting in a Christian, Faith-based context. She combines the knowledge she’s acquired in counseling intensives and extensive theological research to understand the basics of what healthy relationships look like. And, from this information, she shares how to implement healthy boundaries in a faith-based way. Purchase from Bookshop.org
These are all the books from my physical TBR that I’m seeking to read over the summer. What books are you looking to get into this summer? Let me know, and as always, happy reading!
