July 2025’s newsletter: “2025 Mid-Year Read Ranking”
We’re halfway through the year, so it’s a good time to pause and see what books I’ve been reading.
(Spoiler alert: it’s mostly the Stormlight Archives.)
Since I’m not very good at ranking things, I’ve decided to try a new approach this year. Instead of ranking every book I’ve read in 2025, I’m grouping them in star ratings. I’ll see if I like this system better.
I’m only including the books I finished, so there are no DNFs on this list. I’m also not including the ongoing Manga series I’m reading. Manga volumes are short and feel like a continuous story rather than individual books, so I’m not ranking them until I finish reading the entire story. I am ranking stand-alone Manga, though.
Here we go!
Fiction
(Disliked. Forced myself to finish.)
(Fine. Passed the time.)
(Enjoyed! They were fun. Would recommend.)
“Don’t Let the Forest In” by CG Drews
Lyrical writing.
Lush, vivid descriptions.
Gothic, creepy pacing.
There are two reveals. I guessed the truth about the monsters before it was revealed, but the other twist caught me by surprise. It was well seeded— I can look back and see the foreshadowing throughout, now I know what to look for. In fact, the book is full of great foreshadowing and callbacks.It also has you questioning Andrew’s sanity. Is he reliable? We know some of the horror does exist, but how much of the monsters and invading forest is real, and how much is in his head? We follow him down into his spiral. It’s the love he and Thomas share that holds them together.
“The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy” by Mackenzi Lee
So apparently this is a sequel, and I never read the first book. Whoops.
Luckily, while the beginning refers to events and introduces people from the previous installment, it has a new plot.
One of my favorite things about this book is the variety of powerful women. We have Felicity, the spirited and intelligent main character who prefers science and wild adventure to gowns and balls. Sim is an action-ready pirate. And Johanna is sweet, feminine, and stubbornly determined. Johanna is comfortable hiking across the wilderness and dazzling a ballroom.
Felicity is unusual for her time period for wanting to be a doctor. But she also has to recognize her own internalized misogyny, and that Johanna can be brave and competent while still enjoying beautiful dresses. Johanna doesn’t have to be masculine to be strong or deserve to be taken seriously.
Of course, feel free to read “A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue” first, rather than diving straight into The Lady’s Guide like I did.
“Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom” by Sangu Mandanna
Have you ever dreamed about visiting your own imaginary world?
For Kiki Kallira, it isn’t a dream, but a reality. We get to follow Kiki into the city she drew, and follow her as she learns to believe in her own strengths and become a hero.
Kiki’s very relatable for anyone who’s struggled with anxiety and self-doubt. Kids can recognize themselves in her. And when she finds her own strength and uses it to defeat the monster– and the monster in her own mind– she proves any kid can do the same.
“Is Love the Answer?” by Uta Isaki
This Manga was too real.
Now, I didn’t relate to everything the heroine Chima experienced— not every asexual’s experience is the same, after all. I’ve never had people shame my identity and I’ve never been called an alien.
But I could relate to that awkward moment when people are sharing their romantic experiences and the whole room turns to you and expects you to have a story. Or having to tell a guy that you may never be interested in going out with him and you can’t even say why. Or how so much as holding hands feels uncomfortable.
The story’s message is that there isn’t any such thing as “normal.” Even for heterosexual people, everyone has their own ideas and needs when it comes to love. It’s important we each find our own connections and make our own kinds of love that feels right for us, whether we’re aro-ace, gay, straight, or any other sexuality.
“Cattywampus” by Ash Van Otterloo
“Cattywampus” gave me strong “ParaNorman” vibes, with a spooky/whimsical feel that only middle grade can capture.
“Cattywampus” is a story about outcasts who find themselves in their familial heritage and the healing friendships they make with each other. As a stand-alone, it’s a short time commitment for a great story. I’m a big believer in giving kids diverse books. It’s important we can all see ourselves in the heroes we read about and the stories we tell.
I did a full book review of “Cattywampus” that you can read here.
(Even better than the 3 stars, but not quite a 4 star)
“The Magic Misfits” by Neil Patrick Harris
I had no idea Neil Patrick Harris wrote a series!
And it’s a ton of fun, too. Follow our young hero Carter as he meets a cast of lovable characters and is welcomed into a heartwarming group of friends— a place for misfits who love magic!
The story has a hilarious, Lemony-snicket-type narration that pulls you in right away.
And it actually teaches you magic!
Clearly Neil Patrick Harris is not only a master of magic, but also loves the art. The story is full of the joy of performance and sharing that joy with others.
This book is meant for kids (and anyone young at heart!) who likes learning tricks and figuring out puzzles and ciphers. And it’s a story about misfits who find belonging in each other. What could be better than that?
(Loved it! Would definitely recommend! You should pick these up!)
“The Adventure Zone: The Suffering Game” by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, Carey Peitsch
I’ve been reading this series over the past few years, but somehow the previous five graphic novels haven’t made it onto my ranking lists. I’m not sure how that happened. I guess I forgot to add them?
This is the sixth book of “The Adventure Zone” series, based on the popular D&D campaign. Readers can enjoy the goofy and epic story without having to listen to 80+ podcast episodes. The drama is ramping up. Magnus, Merle, and Taako are getting answers on their quest to recover the Grand Relics, but they’re uncovering even more questions along the way. About the Grand Relics, the red-cloaked wizards, the organization they work for, and their own pasts. The status quo of the previous five books has been shattered, and I can’t wait for book 7!
“Every Heart a Doorway” by Seanan McGuire
This book is for readers who grew up on middle grade portal fantasies.
Our childhoods were spent following young heroes through doorways to magical, wonderful worlds. This story takes us back to these young heroes after they’ve returned to the real world and find themselves longing for their lives of adventure. We recognize our childhood archetypes all grown up.
It’s an interesting spin on an old story. And I always love reading books with an ace main character. You can be certain I’ll be checking out the rest of the series from my local library.
“Percy Jackson and the Triple Goddess” by Rick Riordan
I think I’ll never get tired of Percy Jackson. No matter how old I am or how many installments Riordan writes, I just love Percy, Annabeth, and Grover.
This book focuses on their friendships. They’ve been through so much together, their trust is unshakable. Even when one of them messes up, they work through it rather than lashing out or sitting and letting the problem fester. They truly love each other, and it shows.
Not to mention this trilogy captures the daunting task of getting into college. Trying to jump through all the college hoops while still maintaining grades at school? Worrying about leaving behind friends and family even as you’re looking forward to new experiences? It’s all very real.
I think that’s one thing this series does well: setting real-world problems against a mythological backdrop.
And it’s fun to watch how our heroes have grown up. I can barely believe they were only 12 years old in “The Lightning Thief”! Now they’re seniors working on college applications. It makes me feel like a proud older sister.
(Top books of all time)
“Way of Kings,” “Words of Radiance,” “Edgedancer,” and “Oathbringer” by Brandon Sanderson
My family started reading this series when I was in high school, but I decided to wait until the first 5-book-arc was complete so I wouldn’t be stuck waiting between books.
Now, all these years later, the series is launching itself into my top series of all time!
Looking back, I think it was worth waiting– I’m not sure I would have enjoyed these books so much in high school. They are extremely long. I wasn’t as into epic fantasy then as I am now.
These books put the “epic” into epic fantasy.
An expansive, immersive world chalk-full of countries and cultures, characters who feel like real people with real problems while remaining amazingly heroic, a unique magic system in the classic Sanderson style, and a complex conflict with more layers revealed in each book. They’re extremely long, but they never felt like it.
I’ve done a series of comedic reaction reels for the Stormlight Archive books on Instagram, so if you want to see those, you can find them on my Instagram account.
NonFiction
I read nonfiction so infrequently, I’m not sure how to rate them. I feel like I’d need to read and enjoy a larger array of nonfiction books to be able to give them star ratings.
That being said: I never read nonfiction, and I actually finished and enjoyed a nonfiction book this year. So I think that says something in of itself!
“The Making of Biblical Womanhood” by Beth Allison Barr
I found this book fascinating.
American Historian Beth Allison Barr lays out the historical basis to explain how Christian patriarchy is in fact not a mandate from God, but instead came about due to human historical and societal circumstances. Dr. Barr is writing from a Southern Baptist perspective, but even so, many of her points still rang true to me as a Catholic.
She explored women’s history in the church that I never knew. Women were deacons, and women were apostles. Women were preaching the church’s teachings even in medieval times. This is history we’re simply not taught in Sunday School!
I would recommend this book to every Christian, regardless of gender or denomination.
My half-year reading total is fourteen books in six months. It’s on track for the number of books I read last year– and considering 3 of these books had over a thousand pages each, that’s not bad!
So, how are you liking my star ratings compared to the old numerical ranking system so far? I think I’ll give it another try for the end of the year ranking as well.
Thanks for reading!
-S. Labrecque
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