Mid-Year Book Blanket Update

Last month I did not post my monthly update for May (sorry!). I kind of got in my head a bit about nobody reading the posts anyway but actually I need to remember that these posts are for me. I want to be able to look back on them and see what I was reading, what books I enjoyed, what I didn't and have a reminder of this process.

With that being said - let's get into the June update. This one is going to be slightly different to my normal monthly updates. As we have now officially entered into the second half of the year (how?!) I want to take a look back on the books I've read and give a little run down of my top ten books of the year so far.

At the end of June, I had read a total of 66 books! Just 4 shy of my overall yearly goal of 70 books - I've honestly amazed myself, audiobooks have absolutely played a huge part in this number and if you've not tried listening to audiobooks yet then I highly recommend it.

So out of the 66 books that I read in the first half of the year I'm going to attempt to pick my top five. I have read some absolutely incredible books so I feel that this is going to be quite the challenge!

My Top Five Books of 2025 so far!

     (Title, Author, Format, Rating)

1. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman - 6 stars!

Yes 6 stars! My husband and I listened to this during our road trip from Scotland to England to visit family. It had been on my TBR for a while but never near the top as I wasn't sure that I would actually like it. It's a LitRPG and as someone who doesn't play video games I wasn't convinced that this genre would be for me. Oh boy, how wrong I was. The story is so well written and the audiobook is absolutely phenomenal! It's hilarious, really laugh-out-loud funny, there's action, mystery and intrigue, a talking cat named Princess Donut, trolls, monsters, battles and more! It all sounds a bit crazy but it works. We're now listening to book 3 in the series and so far they've all been amazing.

2. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid - 5 stars

This was a new release last month and I had been waiting patiently for it to come out since I'd seen it advertised at the start of the year. I've read a few books by TJR and I really enjoy her writing style, I'm also a bit of a space nerd so knowing that this was about a female astronaut at NASA had me really excited. It was so much more than I expected, oh my heart! TJR writes people and relationships so beautifully. I was fully invested in the characters and their lives. The NASA storyline was perhaps not quite the star of the show like I was expecting but it was still really well written and I enjoyed every moment of this book.

3. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E Schwab - 5 stars

This book is now one of my favourite books of all time, it may even top The Time Traveler's Wife which has been my number one for the last 15+ years! I was so enamoured with the life of Addie LaRue. Such a beautifully written story. It broke my heart and put it back together and broke it all over again. The story of Addie’s long life as a result of the deal she made was engaging, I enjoyed the time-hopping chapters and also the dual perspectives of both Addie and Henry. Henry himself was a well-written, multilayered character who I just wanted to give the biggest hug. The whole thing was just beautiful.

4. Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L Wang - 4.75 stars

This book was incredible, I listened to it back in February and it's still one that I keep on recommending to people. It has such an original plot and a really unique magic system. The main characters are great, the world building immersive and the pacing good. The magic system is complex and at the beginning it was a bit of information overload and it took me a while to get my head around but once I was in I was locked IN! I laughed, I cried, I felt hopeful and heartbroken all at the same time. I highly highly recommend this book.

5. Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah - 5 stars

I also listened to the audiobook back in Februrary and I still think about it often. The characters are fantastic, the plot original and engaging, the world believable (unfortunately perhaps too believable), it’s fast paced and action packed. Everything you could ask for in a book. The book addresses many complex and important issues such as racism, injustice, the American prison system and how society is becoming desensitised to violence and it does so in a way that is both thought provoking and impactful. This book really will stay with me for a long time.

What have been your top reads so far of 2025?

I realise that all of these are books of which I listened to the audio version. There is something so immersive about audiobooks that I am truly obsessed with. I have clearly spent hours and hours listening to audiobooks this year and I'm not mad about it - I hope I have many more amazing listens this year.

As always, you can follow my progress on Fable App and if you decide to join me in making a book blanket then be sure to tag me in your content @brambles.and.hart and use #BookBlanket2025 and #Booksandcrochet. I'm loving connecting with people who love both books and crochet like me!

I'll be back with another update on my book blanket next month so be sure to keep an eye out for that.

Happy reading and crocheting!

Shelley ♡