Tag: summer reading challenge

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is Books on my Summer 2025 TBR. If you’ve already read my 20 Books of Summer Challenge post, you will know that I already have this summer’s reading list pretty much set.

For today’s post, my plan is to share the next ten books I’ll be prioritising from that challenge after my June TBR. 

Shall we see what’s coming up in the near future? 

 

Books on my Summer 2025 TBR

 

If We Were Villains

If We Were Villains has been on my TBR since July 2017. After a long time waiting on my bookshelf upstairs, I’m excited to be picking up this book shortly.

Having read and enjoyed dark academia books before, I’m even more excited for this read. Although I’m not a big fan of or well-versed in Shakespeare, I believe this book makes it approachable.

 

The Pagan Lord

I recently reviewed Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell, which is the prequel to this book. It’s been a couple of years since I delved into this Saxon Stories series. I’ve almost ashamed myself into picking up the next book, The Pagan Lord. 

At just over 300 pages, it’s a great book for this challenge, but also a good length to get me back into it without overwhelming myself. Fingers crossed it gets me back into the series and I can pick up pace with it. 

 

The Dragon Republic 

Reading series is a priority for me this year. Having just started The Poppy War, I am now looking to pick up the sequel, The Dragon Republic, whilst events are fresh in my mind.

I really enjoyed The Poppy War and the Eastern fantasy elements of the story. It’s also got me interested in reading the underlying story behind events. And that can (will) come later. First, The Dragon Republic will take centre stage. At over 600 pages, this is one of the chunkier reads among the books on my Summer 2025 TBR. That said, I’m excited to read it! 

Of all the books on my Summer 2025 TBR, this is the one I’m looking forward to most. I’m also surprised it’s the only pure fantasy book on this list. For my most-read genre, there is surprisingly little on this list. 

 

Eve 

I originally meant to pick up Eve months ago, but I didn’t get to completing the monthly TBR it was on. Now, in an effort to read more non-fiction, Eve makes a reappearance.

I love the idea behind this book and that it emphasises the role women had in human evolution. Although women’s history is often overlooked, we cannot deny that women have influenced human biology and how we have evolved in the last 200 million years. It’s a different take on women’s history, and I’m sure I have plenty to learn about my body that I currently don’t appreciate, but will after this book! 

 

Alan Turing: The Enigma

Another non-fiction read I added and will be reading shortly is about Alan Turing. You may recognise the name, but not be able to place him out of context. Alan Turing was the man who invented the computer that cracked the German Enigma code, or military cipher code, during World War II. I added this book to my reading list after watching The Imitation Game. 

I was horrified by the notes at the end of this film as to how Turing was treated despite his contribution to his country. Naturally, I now want to read more about him. So, you can be sure I’m looking forward to picking this biography up. 

 

The Burning Girls

It’s been a little while since I last picked up a book by C. J. Tudor. I’ve enjoyed her books to date, and I want to read The Burning Girls before I watch the TV series.

I’m pretty sure Mum has read this book. She’s read books by C.J. Tudor that I have on my TBR at the moment. I’m looking forward to continuing on with her writing. Not only that, but it’s been a little while since I picked something up like this. It will make a refreshing change of pace compared to other books on my Summer 2025 TBR.

 

Yellowface

Another R. F. Kuang book on this summer reading list is Yellowface. I’ve had a copy of this book for a few years now and it’s begging to be read. I’ve only read fantasy by R. F. Kuang so far. Something of a more contemporary nature will be an interesting experience. Will I enjoy this book as much as I have enjoyed her fantasy books? That remains to be seen. Am I looking forward to finding out? Yes! 

 

The Measure

It was the synopsis of The Measure that caught my attention. Imagine waking up to a box on your doorstep. The length of a piece of string within this box tells you how long you have to live. Is that a question you want to know the answer to? What are the consequences of that knowledge? 

If I’m right, that’s what’s explored in this book! I’m looking forward to picking this up at last. I reckon it’s going to make for an interesting read; it’s unlike anything else on my TBR right now. 

 

Sisters Under the Rising Sun

Over the years, I’ve come to love Heather Morris’ books. To date, I’ve listened to the audiobooks of her The Tattooist of Auschwitz trilogy. Next, I plan to read Sisters Under the Rising Sun in physical format! 

I want to read more of Heather Morris’ books anyway. However, Sisters Under the Rising Sun appeals all the more as it’s a historical fiction book leaning into the atrocities that shaped the inspiration for The Poppy War. I’ve already mentioned that I wanted to read up on the topic anyway; sticking with a familiar author to start my exploration of the topic seems a no-brainer… 

 

A Man Called Ove

Finally, the last book in this Top Ten Tuesday post I want to feature is a contemporary fiction book I want to read soon. A Man Called Ove is a book I added to my TBR comparatively recently — January this year. It came up as a suggestion to read by our work book club group. Whilst it wasn’t ultimately picked, it was a prompt for me to decide I wanted to read it in my own time. 

 

Summary

Thanks for reading today’s Top Ten Tuesday instalment and finding out which books on my Summer 2025 TBR are coming up next. Have you read any of the books I feature in today’s post? Are any of them on your reading list? 

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