In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books that published in April through June 2025.
Our shared top reads:
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
This American Woman by Zarna Garg
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan
Kelly’s remaining top reads:
Abigail & Alexa save the Wedding by Lian Dolan
The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin
The Names by Florence Knapp
The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram
The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby
Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin
The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison
The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley
Cindy’s remaining top reads:
The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper
Heartwood by Amity Gaige
The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer
No More Tears by Gardiner Harris
The Eights by Joanna Miller
Park Avenue by Renee Ahdieh
We Don't Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry
What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess
The Whyte Python World Tour by Travis Kennedy
Kelly's Favorites of 2025 (so far):
Dead Money by Jakob Kerr
Seeking Shelter by Jeff Hobbs
The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens
Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
This American Woman by Zarna Garg
The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
The Names by Florence Knapp
Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin
The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley
Cindy's Favorites of 2025 (so far):
What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
Dead Money by Jakob Kerr
Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell
Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
Heartwood by Amity Gaige
No More Tears by Gardiner Harris
The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
This American Woman by Zarna Garg
What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
The Whyte Python World Tour by Travis Kennedy
Looking for some great summer reads? Check out my printable 18-page Summer Reading Guide here for a tip of your choice or for a set price here via credit card with over 60 new titles vetted by me that will provide great entertainment this summer - books you will not see on other guides. I also include mystery series recommendations, new releases in a next-in-the-series section and fiction and nonfiction pairings.
Connect with Kelly Hooker on Instagram.
Donate to the podcast here or on Venmo.
Want to know which new titles are publishing in June - October of 2025? Check out our fourth Literary Lookbook which contains a comprehensive but not exhaustive list all in one place so you can plan ahead.
Looking for something new to read? Here is my monthly Buzz Reads column with five new recommendations each month.
Link to my article about stories set on school campuses.
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