The Year is Halfway Over and So is My Life
My mid-year crisis, a looming 25th birthday, and my favorite books of 2025 (so far).
I’m completely dumbfounded that the year is officially halfway over, not to mention the fact that I’ll be 25 in just a few months (Y2k babies unite!).
I’m a person who loves slow living; cozy nights on the couch with a clean house, traipsing around town with a cup of coffee, quiet mornings with the news and daily crossword. But, as much as I hate to admit it, I’m beginning to feel the pressure of time’s hands around my neck. Where do I want to be in five years? If the answer to that question is, well, pretty much the same place I am right now (in the backyard, legs crossed, the condensation on my lemonade glass wetting the side table), will I wish I had done more? If I have a kid at 30, how old will they be when I’m hobbling my way to the mailbox? How many of my grandchild’s birthdays will I see before they’re tossing my ass into the ground?
Honestly, I’m not sure I’m ready to answer questions about where I want to be, what I’ll regret, or how many decades I have left to water my plants or wave at the mailman. What I do know is that I want to spend my life collecting stories, whether they’re mine or someone else’s, real or imagined, epic or personal. For me, reading is a huge part of that. It lets me see the world through other people’s perspectives, face a myriad of challenges, and live countless lives in just one teeny little lifetime. For people who truly love and appreciate books, reading isn’t just a way to pass time, but a way to stretch it.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.”
—George R.R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons
Anyway, intro mumbo jumbo and existential B.S. aside, I thought it’d be fun to share my top book from each month so far. Because while I might not be able to come up with a five-year plan, I sure as shit have a list of books.
Last year I was really able to refine my reading taste. I started my journey like many do, cramming as much romantasy down my throat as I could and giggling all the while. After chasing the enemies-to-lovers high for a few months, things started to get way too rinse and repeat. That first-hit magic worn off, I fell into my first #readingslump. But alas, from bookish rock bottom the only way is up! My love for epic fantasy and sci fi took off from there and I was able to compile the TBR of my dreams.
January: The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
“But for a society built on exploitation, there is no greater threat than having no one left to oppress.”
In January I read The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin, the last book in The Broken Earth trilogy. This story takes place in The Stillness, where a periodic “fifth season” brings forth a geological apocalypse. When a continental rift occurs and ash covers the sky, Essun’s geokinetic power known an Orogeny may be humanity’s only hope. This trilogy explores poignant themes, such as systemic racism, classism, and the effects of climate change. These themes are intricately woven through excellent worldbuilding and super unique narrative. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys hard magic systems (especially ones rooted in science) and the exploration of social issues.
This was an easy top pick for me, having read three other books this month:
House of Flame and Shadow by Sara J. Maas - Okay, I realize I literally just said that I broke up with romantasy. In my defense I had read the first two books in the Crescent City series and, since I had already read ACOTAR and Throne of Glass, I wanted to make a full sweep of Sara’s fantasy works. Since I’m trying to keep this short, all I’ll say is that House of Flame and Shadow has no right to be so long and the series should have been a standalone #isaidwhatisaid.
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros - I can’t defend myself here, so let’s just say I had a bad case of FOMO. This series propelled me into reading like so many others and because of that I wanted to love book three, but somewhere in Onyx Storm the plot wandered off and never came back.
Januaries by Olivie Blake - Januaries is a compilation of short fantasy stories. This was a fun listen on Audible (it has an excellent cast of narrators), but I wouldn’t consider this required reading unless you’re in it for Olivie’s beautiful prose and character study. If you’re considering checking her out, I highly recommend her book Masters of Death.
February: The Will of the Many by James Islington
“That's the problem with people, though, isn't it? They always think that other people are the problem... If all you're trying to do is change who's in control, then you don't really want to change anything.”
My best read of February was The Will of the Many by James Islington, the first (and only so far) book in the Roman-inspired fantasy series, The Hierarchy. In this caste society, the Hierarchy forces each individual to cede their Will—their strength and drive—for the betterment of society. When Vis is adopted by a societal elite, he is tasked with entering a prestigious magical academy to investigate its leaders. To climb the ranks, he’ll have to keep his identity as an orphaned royal a secret, and stay balanced as his strings are pulled from multiple directions. While this one had slow pacing for me in the first half, it had a strong ending with well-developed world building. At times, it did feel like it was going through the motions of a book one, but I’m excited for the next one later this year and expect the story to go in a more unique direction from here. I would recommend this to fans of Red Rising (but note that the similarities might be a little annoying at times).
I read four others this month:
The Gael Song Trilogy by Shauna Lawless: I started and finished this trilogy by Shauna Lawless, which included The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, The Words of Kings and Prophets, and The Land of the Living and the Dead. It’s based in Celtic history and mythology and takes place in the 10th Century AD. I really enjoyed these, from the fist-clenching antagonist (I’m not kidding, I hated that bitch) to the sub-plot romance in book two.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore: I decided to mix things up with a mystery this month and I would say this one was… okay. I liked the multiple POVs, the time jumps, and the larger character cast. My biggest complaint is that this one was way too long for what it was, with a lot of set up for not enough payoff. The cover is real cute though.
March: Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
“Our own ambitions and tasks that we set for ourselves, the framework we attempt to impose upon the world, is no more than a shadow of a tree cast across the snow. It will change as the sun moves, be swallowed in the night, sway with the wind, and when the smooth snow vanishes, it will lie distorted upon the uneven earth. But the tree continues to be. Do you understand that?”
And the award goes to… ROYAL ASSASSIN BY ROBIN HOBB. This was an incredibly easy pick. I loved this book. I had been so looking forward to starting my Robin Hobb journey and am still having a beautiful time in the third set of the series, reading them slowly, taking breaks and just enjoying the fucking ride. This is book two in the Farseer Trilogy, the first one of her sixteen book series, The Realm of the Elderlings. In this trilogy we follow royal bastard, Fitz, who is only six at the start of the story. When he is taken in by the royal family, he’s trained to become an assassin. Hobb is an excellent storyteller—her descriptions are immersive and her characters are real, raw, and deliciously complex. I would recommend her work to people who love to connect with characters (warning: she is not nice to them) and, well, everyone.
I read the other two books in the Farseer Trilogy and one other:
Assassin’s Apprentice and Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb: These are book one and book three in the Farseer Trilogy. Many struggle with the first book, as it is single POV with such a young main character. But even without having finished the series yet, I can honestly say that you’re missing out if you give up. I agree with the common suggestion of starting with the second trilogy, The Liveship Traders, if you’re having a hard time (this is multiple POV with different characters in the same world) and going back to Farseer after that. I personally found Fitz to be a compelling character from early on and enjoyed following his story. The third book was frustrating to me, as it felt like Fitz made choices that went against his wishes and the main quest had a goal that wasn’t explained much. But I have confidence that this was all for a reason because #inhobbwetrust.
Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli: I know this is another romantasy, okay?! Habits can’t be broken in a day! This is the second book in the Crimson Moth duology. The first book was all over booktok last year and I read it early on in my reading journey. Just skip this one. There are others in the genre that do it better.
April: This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar
“I love you. I love you. I love you. I'll write it in waves. In skies. In my heart. You'll never see, but you will know. I'll be all the poets, I'll kill them all and take each one's place in turn, and every time love's written in all the strands it will be to you.”
My April favorite was the novella This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar. I was looking for something quick and satisfying, and this came highly recommended by Maddie of my fav booktok duo, Kris and Mads. This book is made of the letters shared between two time-traveling rival agents who maintain the pseudonyms Red and Blue. The writing is beautifully poetic and lyrical and the page count is so earned. It’s primarily focused on the characters’ interaction, so I might not recommend it to someone looking for a plot-forward story.
This was an easy top pick, but I did enjoy all five others I read this month:
Piranesi by Susanna Clark: This one, also all over booktok, was definitely unique. I did enjoy it, but it felt overhyped to me. I might have to try it again at some point.
Recursion by Blake Crouch: This was my second Blake Crouch (I read Dark Matter last year). This one was even more of a mind-bender and of course he had to throw in some moral dilemma. Would rec to anyone looking for a thriller.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Susanna Collins: Sure, it’s definitely being carried by nostalgia, but I did think it was well done and I loved the little connections to the main Hunger Games story. Were the character links a little too convenient? Probably. Did I enjoy them? Yes.
The Ice by Ryan Cahill: This novella from the Bound and the Broken series was a good time. The book that comes next, on the other hand…
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card: I liked the speculative fiction side of this, but I don’t plan to continue the series and I never did watch the movie (possibly one of the cringiest trailers I’ve seen, don’t hate me). Am I the only one who couldn’t picture a single thing that happened in the battle room?
May: Mad Ship by Robin Hobb
“You have a wild young heart. Right now, it is like a caged bird that batters itself against the bars. To struggle harder will only hurt you more. Wait, be patient. Your time will come to fly. And when it does, you must be strong, not bloodied and weary.”
Sorryyyyy, another Robin Hobb. Who could’ve guessed? The Mad Ship is the second book in the Liveship Traders Trilogy. This is the second trilogy in the series and follows a cast of characters in a different part of the world. The death of Captain Vestrit will change the lives of his Bingtown family, and so too will the sentience of the family liveship, Vivacia. When the ship is left to her brother-in-law, Althea is determined to prove her worth as a seaman. Meanwhile, in The Pirate Isles, Captain Kennit lusts after his own power and will go to any length to achieve it. This series has top-tier character development, which is the strongest way I connect a story. The world is developed, the pacing is steady, and the ending is strong. What else can we ask for?
I’m sure you’re wondering what else I read this month, so here you go:
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb: This is the first book in the trilogy. I think you’ve probably heard enough from me about these. Just read it.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown: If Robin Hobb hadn’t been involved here, this easily would have won top pick. I really enjoyed this one and am super excited to be in the know with this series. If you don’t know what it’s from, (1) you probably need to get on booktok and (2) this is the first book in the Red Rising series.
The Lost Queen trilogy by Signe Pike: I read this historical fiction trilogy, which included The Lost Queen, The Forgotten Kingdom, and The Shadowed Land. As someone who loved the show Merlin as a kid, I was intrigued by the storyline, which followed the sister of the man who inspired the character Merlin in the first book. I liked all three but I did feel that, by the third, historical accuracy was being prioritized over plotline.
June: Golden Son by Pierce Brown
“For seven hundred years, my people have been enslaved without voice, without hope. Now I am their sword. And I do not forgive. I do not forget. So let him lead me onto his shuttle. Let him think he owns me. Let him welcome me into his house, so I might burn it down.”
I didn’t realize what a slow reading month I’d had until writing this. Too many pickleball sessions, farmers market runs, and patio margaritas I guess. A multi-interested queen - who is she?! The choice between Golden Son and Ship of Destiny was SO hard. For the sake of mixing things up and the sanity of my reader (I’m talking about you, dad), I may have let the scales tip in this direction. Darrow, a member of the lowest caste in this futuristic society, infiltrates an exclusive Institute meant for societal elites. Book two will literally give you whiplash the twists and betrayals are so epic. The battles scenes are great, the side characters are well written, and Darrow will stop at nothing to destroy his enemies #HailReaper.
One other read this month:
Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb: The last book in the trilogy gave me everything I needed and dropped some easter eggs I’m having fun trying to place as I continue onto the next books in the series.
Until Next Time…
Anyway, if you’ve made it this far—congratulations, you’ve endured a stranger’s unsolicited book thoughts. But seriously, thank you for being here. I know life is busy and unpredictable, and any time someone spends reading something I wrote feels like a gift.
Drop any recs I should check out, or feel free to disagree with my takes in the comments (just please don’t yell—I’m fragile).
I have no idea what the next six months will bring, but I can guarantee at least twenty more fictional betrayals, a few papercuts, and a TBR that somehow just keeps getting longer.
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