Ep. 195: 2025 Summer Reading Special with Susie (@NovelVisits)

In Ep. 195, Susie (@NovelVisits) and Sarah are back to share their favorite books that missed last year's Summer Reading Guide and our #1 picks for each category featured in my 2025 Summer Reading Guide. Plus, they begin by sharing how their summer reading habits have evolved over the years.
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CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.
Once again, we are happy to offer a Printable Cheatsheet for this year's Guide:
Get the Cheatsheet from Patreon
Get the Cheatsheet from Substack
Summer Reading [7:42] The Evolution of Our Summer Reading Journeys [8:41]
Books Mentioned by Susie
London by Edward Rutherfurd (1997) [15:09]
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (2005) [16:09]
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2008) [16:12]
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (2005) [16:15]
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (2009) [16:31]
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (2013) [16:32]
11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011) [16:34]
Books Mentioned by Sarah
Jaws by Peter Benchley (1974) [17:57]
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (1943) [21:02]
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (1957) [21:03]
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett (2010) [21:06]
Books That Missed Last Year's Summer Reading Guide [24:23]
Sarah
JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography by RoseMarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:27]
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [29:08]
Hunted by Abir Mukherjee (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:51]
Susie
The Most by Jessica Anthony (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:10]
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins (2015) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:52]
Blue Light Hours by Bruna Dantas Lobato (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:01]
Other Books Mentioned
The Measure by Nikki Erlick (2022) [30:13]
Our #1 Summer Picks by Category [40:37]
Something Light / Fun
Sarah: The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:23]
Susie: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:36]
Other Books Mentioned
Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett (2022) [41:35]
Something Fast-Paced / Intense
Sarah: Dead Money by Jakob Kerr (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:27]
Slow-Burn Suspense
Susie: The Death of Us by Abigail Dean (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [52:40]
Something With a Bit More Substance
Sarah: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [55:54]
Susie: Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:46]
Other Books Mentioned
Dream State by Eric Puchner (2025) [1:00:00]
Something Different
Sarah: Show Don't Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:01:33]
Susie: Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:03:47]
Other Books Mentioned
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld (2005) [1:02:59]
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2019) [1:06:24]