My goal for the year is to read 60 books and I’ve only read 16. Not reading anything in March and April really killed my progress.
So far, my favorite books are:
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
First-Time Caller by BK Borison
Book Club
I made a goal to read all of my book club books this year. I’ve only read two out of six. I tried to read March’s and May’s books but ended up DNFing them.
Book of the Month
I made a goal to read all of my 2025 Book of the Month picks. I’ve only read three out of ten.
Book of the Month Backlist
I made a goal to read 12 of the books on my Book of the Month backlist. I’ve only read two so far.
Conclusion
I haven’t had quite an abysmal reading year as 16 books isn’t anything to laugh at. It does feel a little disappointing since I know I can read way more. Because there’s no way I’m going to accomplish any of my goals, I’ve decided to modify them a bit. I want to enjoy what I read instead of stressing about not reading enough. The changes to my goals for 2025 are:
Read 36 books.
Read half of my book club books.
Read half of my 2025 Book of the Month books.
Read six of the books on my Book of the Month backlist.
I thought DARK CORNERS was very interesting. I liked the little bit of romance between Rachel and Special Agent Martinez.
DARK CORNERS felt much more thrillery than THE NIGHT SWIM. I thought the mystery and thriller were fun to figure out and kept me guessing about certain aspects until the end. I’ll definitely read another installment if there are any in the future.
I thought THE NIGHT SWIM was an interesting look at the United States justice system in regard to sexual assault cases. The story felt very real, and the characters and situations seemed believable. I also thought the connection between the current case and the 25-year-old cold case was interesting.
Even though the book is billed as a thriller, I thought it was more of a mystery as I didn’t get that edge-of-my-seat feeling like I do with thrillers. I wanted to keep reading. I needed to know if the perpetrators were convicted and the victims received justice.
https://jenniferblaser.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/journal_finallogo_white.png00Jenni Elysehttps://jenniferblaser.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/journal_finallogo_white.pngJenni Elyse2025-06-16 00:00:002025-09-14 00:10:18The Night Swim
Title: First-Time Caller Author(s): BK Borison Genre(s): Romance Format(s): Audio Pages: 420 Length: 11h 55m Narrator(s): EJ Bingham Source: Owned Reason(s): Book of the Month Rating: Spice:
My Thoughts
FIRST-TIME CALLER was such a cute Sleepless in Seattle type romance. I adored everything about it. I loved both Lucie and Aiden, and Lucie’s make-shift family. I loved the banter, the spice, and even the parts where I cried. I’m so glad I chose this as my February Book of the Month pick.
I listened to the audiobook, even though I have the physical book. I loved the audio! EJ Bingham, who voices Aiden, sounds so much like Neil Patrick Harris.
2025 Reading Goals Check-In
Now that the year is halfway over, I thought I’d check-in on my progress with my 2025 reading goals. My goals for 2025 are to:
I’ve been keeping track of my progress on my 2025 Goals & Tracking page.
Yearly Goal
My goal for the year is to read 60 books and I’ve only read 16. Not reading anything in March and April really killed my progress.
So far, my favorite books are:
Book Club
I made a goal to read all of my book club books this year. I’ve only read two out of six. I tried to read March’s and May’s books but ended up DNFing them.
Book of the Month
I made a goal to read all of my 2025 Book of the Month picks. I’ve only read three out of ten.
Book of the Month Backlist
I made a goal to read 12 of the books on my Book of the Month backlist. I’ve only read two so far.
Conclusion
I haven’t had quite an abysmal reading year as 16 books isn’t anything to laugh at. It does feel a little disappointing since I know I can read way more. Because there’s no way I’m going to accomplish any of my goals, I’ve decided to modify them a bit. I want to enjoy what I read instead of stressing about not reading enough. The changes to my goals for 2025 are:
June 2025 Wrap-Up
Books Read
Favorite: First-Time Caller
Least Favorite: None
Stats
June
Books Read: 3
Pages Read: 1,104
Hours Listened: 33h 6m
Average Rating: 4.33
Year-to-Date
Books Read: 16
Pages Read: 5,555
Hours Listened: 156h 45m
Average Rating: 4.13
Dark Corners
Author(s): Megan Goldin
Series: Rachel Krall #2
Genre(s): Thriller
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 343
Length: 10h 46m
Narrator(s): January LaVoy, Samantha Desz, Andre Santana
Source: Owned
Reason(s): BotM Backlist
Rating:
Spice:
My Thoughts
I thought DARK CORNERS was very interesting. I liked the little bit of romance between Rachel and Special Agent Martinez.
DARK CORNERS felt much more thrillery than THE NIGHT SWIM. I thought the mystery and thriller were fun to figure out and kept me guessing about certain aspects until the end. I’ll definitely read another installment if there are any in the future.
The Night Swim
Author(s): Megan Goldin
Series: Rachel Krall #1
Genre(s): Mystery
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 341
Length: 10h 25m
Narrator(s): January LaVoy, Samantha Desz, Bailey Carr
Source: Library
Reason(s): None
Rating:
Spice:
My Thoughts
I thought THE NIGHT SWIM was an interesting look at the United States justice system in regard to sexual assault cases. The story felt very real, and the characters and situations seemed believable. I also thought the connection between the current case and the 25-year-old cold case was interesting.
Even though the book is billed as a thriller, I thought it was more of a mystery as I didn’t get that edge-of-my-seat feeling like I do with thrillers. I wanted to keep reading. I needed to know if the perpetrators were convicted and the victims received justice.
First-Time Caller
Author(s): BK Borison
Genre(s): Romance
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 420
Length: 11h 55m
Narrator(s): EJ Bingham
Source: Owned
Reason(s): Book of the Month
Rating:
Spice:
My Thoughts
FIRST-TIME CALLER was such a cute Sleepless in Seattle type romance. I adored everything about it. I loved both Lucie and Aiden, and Lucie’s make-shift family. I loved the banter, the spice, and even the parts where I cried. I’m so glad I chose this as my February Book of the Month pick.
I listened to the audiobook, even though I have the physical book. I loved the audio! EJ Bingham, who voices Aiden, sounds so much like Neil Patrick Harris.