A running tally of the books that I have reviewed this year, updated and reranked after each book that I finish.

★★★☆☆ A 38-year-old nearly-divorced mother of three starts a summer fling with a dashing, slightly younger man. Can it last?

★★★☆☆ A colonizer from Earth is stuck on an alien planet and must unravel the internal politics of the local species while trying to survive

★★★★★ Sparked by a viral obituary, this unlikeliest of memoirs introduces us to the crazy Corren family and their larger-than-life mother.

★★★★★ The most anticipated book of 2025 mostly delivers, as author Yarros continues the Empyrean series and Violet Sorrengail's evolution.

★★☆☆☆ A non-binary monk leaves on a journey to find themself and in the process encounters a robot who is seeking to learn what humans need.

★★★★☆ An exposé on a fraternity-led Xanax trafficking ring, focused on Greek life and the pervasiveness of benzodiazepine use at colleges.

★★★★★ A quick 50-page read, the story of a young girl who is delivered by her father to stay with a family in a neighboring town in Ireland.