I was apparently reading everything this summer!

I had no idea I read so many books until I went to write this post. I think it’s a combo of having more free time and getting excited about audiobooks again. I definitely was leaning in to fiction, but I did have a few non-fiction picks as well.

The list includes:

• The Favorites by Layne Fargo
• The Midnight Train by Matt Haig
• Total Immersion by Terry Laughlin
• Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
• The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
• Future Rich Person by Haley Sacks
• The Latte Factor by David Bach
• Sleeping Dogs Lie by Samantha Downing
• Be Iron Fit by Don Fink and Melanie Fink
• Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
• Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano
• Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
• Behind the Mirror: Inside the World of Big Brother by Taran Armstrong
• Safari Murder Party by Rachel Anne Moore
• The Butcher Legacy by Alaina Urquhart
• The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
• Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
• Tell Your Friends by Lauren Wilson
• The Intruder by Freida McFadden

Let’s get into the reviews!

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

Did I like any of the characters? No. Was I absolutely obsessed with this book? Yes.

Katarina Shaw knows what she wants. She’s a competitive ice dancer determined to win a gold medal at the Olympics, no matter the cost. Told in the form of a documentary, you follow Katarina’s story from her days as a young teenager up through adulthood. Featuring highs and lows, heartbreaks and betrayals, this is a messy story. Can Katarina win the gold, and will it be worth it?

This is the kind of book that needs to be discussed, so I could see it being a good book club pick.

Rating: 8/10

The Midnight Train by Matt Haig

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig holds a special place in my heart, so when I saw he was writing another book set in the same universe, I immediately added a hold at the library.

Wilbur has just died. But before he reaches where he’ll spend eternity, he has to take one last train ride with stops at important moments in his life — including ones he deeply regrets. But there’s one important rule: He must come back to the train when he’s called without trying to intervene in the past. Wilbur soon finds he can’t help it; he has to help his younger self avoid his mistakes, especially when it comes to the love of his life, Maggie.

This was a cute story, but for me, it didn’t quite capture the magic of The Midnight Library. But if Matt Haig continues to write books in this universe, I will continue to read them.

Rating: 7/10

Total Immersion by Terry Laughlin

Can you learn good swimming technique from a book? Honestly, I’m not sure, but I gave it a try.

As a somewhat chronically injured runner, I keep trying to find a form of cross-training that I enjoy. I hope that maybe it can be swimming? I love the idea that maybe swimming can feel like meditation. (Right now, it just feels like a struggle).

Parts of this book could get a bit repetitive, but the chapters focusing on drills and technique were really interesting. I’m excited to give them a try!

Rating: 7/10

Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito

Do I need to read American Psycho? Clearly, it had a big impact on people as this is now the second book I’ve read that was inspired by it.

Let me start by saying Victorian Psycho isn’t for everyone. It’s violent and disturbing, but there was also a certain level of humor. It follows the story of Winifred Notty, a young woman who is just starting a new role as governess at Ensor House. But you soon learn that she doesn’t really care about being a good governess.

This is the kind of book where you read a sentence and immediately have to read it again because it’s so unexpected.

Rating: 7/10

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

After hearing Paul Tremblay speak about writing on a recent podcast, I decided to check out one of his most popular books. (I actually didn’t realize it had been made into a movie directed by M. Night Shyamalan as it has a different name: Knock at the Cabin. But FYI, the book and the movie do not have the same ending.)

7-year-old Wen and her dads are on vacation at a remote cabin by a lake. It’s a beautiful, scenic spot, but everything changes when a group of people armed with strange weapons arrive and present them with an impossible choice. One of them, Wen, Eric, or Andrew, most sacrifice themselves or else the world will end. Battling between fear, rage, and disbelief, a tense standoff ensues.

If you like clear-cut answers in the books you read, you may want to skip this one. The ending leaves you with a lot of questions.

Rating: 7/10

Future Rich Person by Haley Sacks

This book made me transfer more money to my savings account. What better review of a personal finance book is there?

From saving for retirement to high-yield savings accounts to how to best split vacation costs with friends, this book covered a little bit of everything. I think if you’re just starting to get more interested in personal finance, this is a good starting point. It’s not intimidating or overwhelming. However, I do find it lacks some of the helpful specifics for getting started that other books like The Simple Path to Wealth by J.L. Collins or I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi contain. So, if this is your starting point on your journey to improve your finances, I would read one of those next.

Rating: 8/10

The Latte Factor by David Bach

For me, personal finance books are like decluttering books. In order to stay motivated toward my goals, I have to keep reading them, listening to related podcasts, etc. That’s how I ended up reading two personal finance books this summer.

This book was completely different than other personal finance books that I’ve read in the sense that it was a story rather than just advice. It follows a young woman living and working in New York City who is becoming increasingly frustrated with her job and her inability to afford the things she truly wants. Or so she thinks. She meets a man who helps her realize she may be richer than she thinks.

So, do I think cutting out a daily latte will magically overhaul your finances? Not exactly. But I do think it’s important to give some serious thought to how your spending your money, especially the money you’re spending on a daily basis. This is a short, but impactful read, so I think it’s worth checking out!

Rating: 7/10

Sleeping Dogs Lie by Samantha Downing

I thoroughly enjoy Samantha Downing’s writing style so when I saw she had written a novella, I knew I had to check it out.

Shelby is a dog walker working in California. One day, when she brings ‘Pluto’ back home from the park, she makes a disturbing discovery inside his home: the body of Pluto’s owner. She calls the police and an investigation into Todd Burke quickly begins. Who would want Todd, a prominent business owner, dead? It turns out the list is longer than expected.

Like most of Samantha Downing’s stories, this had some surprises.

Rating: 7/10

Be Iron Fit by Don Fink and Melanie Fink

The idea of a triathlon is beginning to intrigue me. But as someone that’s primarily only ran, the idea of adding on swimming and cycling to my schedule is a bit overwhelming. However, Don Fink and Melanie Fink simplify the training process as much as they can in this book and provide different training plans for different goals.

If you are interested in triathlons, I highly recommend giving this a read. Obviously, it’s geared toward people looking to do a full Ironman, but there’s still tons of good information and things to consider even if you never intend to do that distance.

Rating: 10/10

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

This book isn’t for everyone but if you’re willing to take a wild journey, it’s an action-packed read!

Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Donut, survive the initial alien invasion of Earth only to find themselves forced to navigate deadly dungeons as part of an intergalactic reality show. (Yes, it’s weird). It’s a stressful and high-stakes situation as Carl and Donut fight off creatures, test out new powers, and work to gain followers who will send them gifts. The banter is fun and it has a unique video game feel. I’m excited to see what the next book has in store.

Rating: 10/10

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano

This is the fourth book in the Finlay Donovan series (not counting the prequel short story), so spoilers for books #1, #2, and #3 may be ahead. Proceed with caution.

This is becoming a comfort series for me. Despite all of the craziness going on for Finlay and her nanny/accountant/BFF, Vero, I just love their friendship.

In this book, Finlay Donovan and Vero are heading to Atlantic City to pay off a loan shark for Vero and rescue Vero’s friend, Javi. But nothing is ever simple for these two. Finlay’s ex-husband demands to tag along on their trip, as does Finlay’s mother. It’s not long before Finlay’s sister and her police officer friends arrive as well. Can Finlay and Vero hide their past crimes as they end up in the middle of danger again? Like usual, a messy situation ensues.

Rating: 7/10

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

This book sucked me in. Yes, I know the characters are unlikable, but I needed to know what happened next.

June Hayward is an author that isn’t having the success she dreamed of. So, when she witnesses the death of her friend, Athena Liu, a fellow author, she decides to steal Athena’s newly finished manuscript. At first, it’s curiosity. However, it’s not long before June starts making edits of her own and begins to justify the decision to publish Athena’s manuscript as her own. But the publication comes with a new rebranding of June Hayward as Juniper Song and June doesn’t bother correcting people’s assumptions about her and her heritage.

To me, this had The Tell-Tale Heart vibes as June/Juniper struggles to live with the choices she’s made.

Rating: 8/10

Behind the Mirror: Inside the World of Big Brother by Taran Armstrong

As someone that watches Big Brother every summer, I was excited to dive into this book! Taran Armstrong explores the history of Big Brother and reality shows in general. Why do we find watching other people so fascinating? And what do the controversies on Big Brother say about the world at large?

I wanted more gossip! I think that’s my biggest note about this book. It was all very factual and I guess I had been hoping for more gossip and interviews with previous contestants. That said, I found the discussion surrounding the Biosphere 2 to be fascinating, so if anyone has any suggestions on what to read to learn more about that experiment, please leave a comment below.

Rating: 7/10

Safari Murder Party by Rachel Anne Moore

This was over the top, but in a fun way.

Fletcher Spence has always wanted to travel the world as a photographer but after spending years as an assistant to the CEO of Cartwright Media, it seems like it will never happen. When she invites herself to the company’s annual corporate retreat, she finds herself not only fighting for the job, but also for her life. Absolute chaos ensues on a private island featuring wild animals and wild coworkers. Will anyone make it out alive?

Rating: 7/10

The Butcher Legacy by Alaina Urquhart

This is the 3rd book in the Dr. Wren Muller series, so spoilers are likely ahead. Proceed with caution and check out my reviews of The Butcher and the Wren and The Butcher Game.

Reeling from the events at the end of The Butcher Game, Wren is trying to establish a new sense of normalcy. But she still has questions about what happened that one awful night and she believes serial killer Jeremy Rose has a few remaining secrets. A new game begins as Wren and detective John Leroux try to piece together the truth about not just that night, but about other missing women as well.

Rating: 7/10

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

What a twisted situation!

Amber Patterson is bored with her life and sick of being poor. That’s when she begins to edge her way into Daphne Parrish’s life. Daphne seems to have it all — money, designer clothing, and the perfect husband. Their weird, obsessive friendship takes over both of their lives. But is being Daphne all that Amber thinks it is?

I listened to this as an audiobook and I needed to know what would happen next. But there are some disturbing themes, so you may want to check content warnings before reading.

Rating: 8/10

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

This is the 7th and final book in the Throne of Glass series, so spoilers are likely ahead. Proceed with caution and check out my reviews of book #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, and the prequel novellas.

I can’t imagine the pressure that comes with ending a series (especially one that’s 7 books long!), but I thought this was a pretty satisfying ending overall. This book picks up right where Empire of Storms left off, with Aelin captured by Maeve and being tortured for answers about the location of the wyrdkeys. But Aelin knows if she breaks, the world as they know it will end forever. In the meantime, Aelin’s plans are coming together as all of her allies are preparing for battle against Erawan and the Valg. Can they do what it takes to protect the realm?

I feel both sad and relieved to be done with this series. There are characters that I will really miss, but I’m excited to be able to dive into other series!

Rating: 10/10

Tell Your Friends by Lauren Wilson

As the daughter of family vloggers, Crystal is excited for the opportunity to leave her family behind and attend university — away from her mother’s cameras and expectations. Crystal soon connects with a fellow classmate, Alyssa, and the two quickly become friends. As Crystal adjusts to her new life, she can’t seem to escape her past and her family’s secrets. Is it time to expose the truth, even if it costs her family everything? And who can she trust to help tell her story?

While this book covers some disturbing themes, it does feel a bit surface level. After reading, I noticed a few different spots refer to this as a YA book. So, that could explain why it just didn’t seem to have the same vibe as other “bad” influencer books like Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke.

Rating: 7/10

The Intruder by Freida McFadden

A big storm is coming.

Casey, a former teacher, has retreated to an isolated cabin in the woods after some sort of incident at her job. She’s enjoying her new quiet life, but an approaching storm could spell trouble. Her roof is barely hanging on and the tree in the front yard doesn’t look all that stable, but she finds herself alone and as prepared as she can be. Except, she’s not alone. A young girl covered in blood is hiding in the tool shed outside.

This book is a wild ride. Even if you think you know what’s happening… you probably don’t.

Also, you know how in horror movies, you find yourself yelling at the characters for making bad choices? That’s how I felt about Casey in the first several chapters. IYKYK.

Rating: 7.5/10

Want more reviews? Check out what I read in May & June 2026!

As always, I want to know what YOU are reading. Please leave a comment below.