20 books of summer 2025 results

That’s a wrap! My favourite summer reading challenge came to a close on the 31st of August and I think I did pretty well. This year I decided to keep the pressure off and aim for five books because it’s been a bit of a topsy turvy year and I managed to double that goal! From my original list I managed two books (although I am halfway through another)…

A Curse For True Love by Stephanie Garber
Filthy Rich Fae by Geneva Lee

Then I went off script and read the following books…

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton
The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle
DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Bad Tourists by Caro Carver

This year the new hosts of the challenge have put together a little a little questionnaire to recap the experience which seemed like a lovely way to round off the challenge.

Did you manage to finish all 10/15/20 books? If not, what kept you from completing the challenge?

I finished 10 books, which was double my original goal!!

Of all the books you read this summer, which one(s) was/were your favorite and why? Did you DNF any? Why?

I’ll start with the easier part of the answer I didn’t DNF any books this year, as for favourites that is much harder but I’ve narrowed it down to two, Curious Tides and Great Big Beautiful Life.

Which book surprised you the most, either by being better or worse than you expected?

The House We Grew Up In was my most surprising read because I felt as if I was going in expecting a thriller and got something entirely different.

Did you notice any patterns in the genres you chose or enjoyed this summer?

I think what I’ve noticed is that it was a bit of a mixed bag, which is not unusual for me, usually there are a few more fantasy books though.

Which one had the best cover?

Another difficult choice, I love a colourful cover and there are a few in my list but I’d say the best for me is…

Which one was the longest? And the shortest?

The longest was Curious Tides at 544 pages and the shortest was DallerGut Dream Department Store at 246 pages.

Did you read them mostly in print? ebook? audio?

Surprisingly I read most of my books in print this year, 9 printed books and 1 audio book.

Imagine you’re hosting a “20 Books of Summer” book club wrap party.
Which book would you nominate as the guest of honor, and what kind of toast or speech would you give celebrating it?

I would have to nominate How To Solve Your Own Murder and I would toast Great Aunt Frances for her resilience and dedication to her beliefs.

Looking back at all the characters you met over the summer, which one would you want as a summer buddy for a weekend getaway, and what activity would you do together?

That is a tough one because there are a few good options but I feel like I would love to explore the Otherworld with Lachlan Gage.

What a fun way to end the challenge, massive thanks to Annabel and Emma for keeping it going and hopefully see you again next year.