The Lazy Genius Podcast - #424 - My Favorite Books of the Year So Far

Episode Date: June 30, 2025

It’s the end of June which means we’re halfway through the year, so I want to share with you my favorite books of the year so far! Maybe you’ll hear about something that is a great fit for your own reading right now. Helpful Companion Links Order my new book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. Kindle Paperwhite Kindle Page Turner Remote Book of the Month Aardvark Book Club Libby app The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison Greenglass House by Kate Milford Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North Plum by Andy Anderegg Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman Dissolution by Nicholas Binge Get on the Latest Lazy Letter list to get book reviews once a month! Sign up for the Latest Lazy Listens email. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Download a transcript of this episode. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome aboard via rail. Please sit and enjoy. Please sit and sip. Play. Post. Taste. View and enjoy. Via rail.

Love the way. Hey there. You're listening to the lazy genius podcast. I'm Kendra Adachi, and I'm here to help you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. Today is episode 424, my favorite books of the year so far. You guys, I'm so excited about this episode.

If you were new here, I love books. I don't know if you can tell by the tone of my voice. I love books so much. I love books. Reading is my favorite hobby. I have a very reasonable to me, slightly unreasonable to my husband, a collection of unread books on my shelf and on my Kindle.

I read book newsletters and publications to find out what's coming out next. I listen to podcasts about reading. I'm definitely obsessed. So today is a deeply fun topic for me. It is the end of June, which means we are halfway through the year. So I wanted to share with you my favorite books of the year so far. Maybe you'll hear about something that is just a really great fit for your own reading right now. Plus, who doesn't love a list, man? All right. So to give context to my reading in 2025 so far, as of this actual moment, which is not exactly June 30th, but that is when the episodes comes out, but we're fairly close. I have read 71 books. The breakdown is 20 physical books,

24 e-books, and 27 audiobooks. I think that is maybe the most even the breakdown has ever been, which weirdly makes me super happy. So in the summer, I tend to read physical books when the mood is quiet, either at night or by the pool, or anytime the house is just like more chill than usual. I listen to audiobooks when I'm doing most things. And then I read e-books when I'm out and about, or I want quick access to a book on my phone or when I'm walking on the treadmill. That is a high time. A couple of years ago, Jamie Golden got me this remote control that turns the pages of my Kindle without having to tap the screen. It's amazing. It is something I think she thought I would use when I'm like cozy in bed. And while it is indeed

excellent for that, my favorite way to use it is when I'm on the treadmill. I'm like swing of my arms, you know, doing my thing, walking fast. But I can just click to the next page because I got a remote in my hand. Like, it's amazing. So since I am usually reading three to four books at a time, because I didn't mention that I'm also always reading like a nonfiction or sometimes too. So sometimes it's five books at a time. I try and make the three fiction books that I'm reading. different from one another, enough so that they're not like overlapping in plot or tropes or something. And most of the time I'm successful in that. Occasionally things do get kind of confusing.

And I'm like, wait, who murdered who? Weren't you the, oh, you were from the, okay. So I just switch. It's no big deal. I pause one and just pick up another one. But I'm, you know, I'm not reading three like fantasy novels at the same time or three murders at the same time because then you get the, you get the murderers mixed up. And that's no fun.

So as far as how I choose the books that I'm going to read, either like reading from my shelf, like on any particular day, or just what I add to my shelf in the first place. I mostly listen to recommendations from friends and family who know what I like. I am part of a reading club where we share books that we are reading. I read reviews of what's coming out. I read roundups and favorites of authors all the time. And with all of that information, since I know my book words, I know the words. I know the words that describe the books that I love the most.

I know what those are. When I see those words, I feel really confident that what I choose is going to be on my alley because it's got my book words in it. Now, as far as how I acquire newer titles or books that go on my shelf, it's a whole mix. Brand new titles, I will either buy from one of the two book subscriptions that I'm part of. I'm part of Book of the Month and Artwork. I really enjoy both. or I will use my Libby app to get newly released books as soon as they're out.

Libby has my favorite thing ever. Libby has a Notify Me tag which will ping your phone when your library adds a title that you are interested in. I do not have notifications set up on my phone for anything except for texts because of like my family and Libby. That's it. Because when that notification, when that ping comes through to tell me that a book that just came out is available, I'm going to get that. I'm going to snatch that thing right up. Last week I got nine

pings at once, which was a whole vibe. I was desperate. I ended up checking out six of them, like new releases that I had been eyeing and I didn't have to buy them. It was so great. And then as far as like other books that are on my shelf, I shop shop, as often as I can. If ever there's a used book sale, I go. And then I visit independent bookstores anytime I travel and I always buy something. This is why I have so many books. This is why I have so many books. I have so many books. somebody to choose from. I would not have it any other way. Books are my hobby. Books are my most used home decor item. Books are part of my daily routine. I just adore books. Now, inevitably, when I talk about reading, either on the podcast or in my real life, I hear some kind of response like,

I really should read more. I really should read more. Or I'm embarrassed that I've only read three books this year, other things that are comparative like that. There is no should here. There is no standard number of books. You get to read or not read in the way that matters to you in the season of life that you're in. So I just want you to be kind in that space just because I or someone that you personally know, like we're obsessed with books or read a lot compared to what you read. It doesn't mean that you have to be obsessed or read the same amount. Okay. All right. So, Let's talk about the list. Since I've read 71 books this year so far, I'm going to tell you my top 10% of those,

okay, which is seven books. These are my top seven books of the year so far. Five were physical books and two were e-books. No audiobooks in the top seven as of now, but I am currently listening to an audiobook that I have not yet finished, so I can't list it because I haven't finished it yet. But it will almost certainly be in my favorite books of the second half of the year, if not like the whole year combined. I will keep you posted on that.

Now, I will say about half of these titles have plots that are likely not suitable for younger ears. So for those of you who often listen with your kids, use your discretion on this episode. There are a couple of thrillers whose plots I would not want to describe to my nine-year-old and maybe even my 13-year-old because he's like got a sensitive heart and a wild imagination. So take this as your warning to maybe listen to this episode with earbuds. if you think that's better for your family. Also, does anyone else call them earbuds? I call them earbuds all the time, like the dog in the movie. Like, the only reason I just said earbuds now is because this is a podcast and I had to type it out

and make sure I didn't forget. But in my real life, I call them earbuds. Okay, so put in your earbuds. Let's dive in to the list from number seven to number one. Aw, isn't something we need to travel for. It's something waiting for us in everyday life, whether in a city street or a moment with a work of art. I'm Dr. Keltner, host of the Science of Happiness podcast. Join me for Cities of Aw, a special series on how our public spaces can spark awe, wonder, and enhance the

quality of public life. You can find us wherever you listen to your podcasts. I'm so excited about this. Okay. So my seventh, seventh favorite book of the year so far is called The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Eveson. So the sales copy, which is just always good for me to read because it's more succinct than I could ever be, but the sales copy says this. It is an extraordinary novel about a married couple in their golden years from when they met across big ups, deep downs, and survive it all. Opposits attract love. Okay. That is not a book I would normally pick up. Like I, there's no book words in there that I like. I don't, I don't do, I don't do that kind of thing. Now, I do, I do, In general, like I do love a quiet, like human story when it's done well, really when the time is right for me.

But it's really something that I just like randomly choose to pick up. This is when having readers in your life is super helpful because my book twin, Katie, who I've mentioned on the podcast before, she read this book. She told me about it. And she was like, listen, I know this is not your usual speed, but I really think you're going to love this. I trust her, so I put the book on hold at the library, it came in, and I absolutely loved it. I mean, enough that it's number seven of the favorite books of the years of far. So the main characters, Abe and Ruth, are crafted so perfectly and so immediately that you feel like you know them. Like you've eaten roast chicken and mashed potatoes in their house before, you know?

You know that feeling when you read a book that people feel like home, even though they're pretend? that's really tough to do, I think, and make you care that fast. And this author does that perfectly. So Abe is like, he is so cantankerous with a heart of gold, because of course. And then Ruth is nurturing and calm and confident. And in two pages, you know how much they love each other. Like, you know it. It's like so normal and tender and dear. But then the story jumps back a few decades to when they met. And they did not like each other at all when they met. Well, Ruth, didn't like Abe. Abe was kind of obsessed with Ruth out of the gate. But seeing how they came together, it was super fun. But the most compelling part was seeing how they stayed, how they stayed.

Like any marriage, choosing to stay is something you do again and again. And watching Ruth and Abe make that choice, sometimes by like a razor's edge, was so moving. It was like a true to life love story from start to finish. And I'm so glad I read it. So that's The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Eveson. Okay, my sixth favorite book so far this year is Green Glass House by Kate Milford. This would be a great read aloud for a family. It is one of the most uplifting, like good-hearted stories that also has a lot of adventure and fun. If you do read it with younger kids, likely topics that you might have to discuss together are smuggling, adoption, and revenge. all are handled really beautifully. So the sales copy is actually quite excellent, so I'm just

going to read it for you. It's wintertime at Green Glass House. The creaky smugglers Inn is always quiet during this season, and 12-year-old Milo, the innkeeper's adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings, then rings again and again. Soon, Milo's home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Medi, the cook's daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Green Glass House and themselves. Oh my gosh. It's so charming. It's so

charming. The cover is gorgeous. Holy moly. Y'all, the characters that come through Green Glass House, like, they come up this giant outdoor elevator that can carry cars. Like, these people are such a riot. It's like a quirky game of clue. Like, some of them are super grumpy. They're just all, like, full of personality. Milo, the main character, is incredibly charming and likable, working through his identity as an adopted kid, his disappointment when he has to work in his family's in over winter break because of all these surprised guests, they didn't think we're coming. And also his confidence in solving this mystery in his house. It is just pure delight.

So that is Green Glass House by Kate Milford. All right. So my next book, Fifth Favorite, so far this year, Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez. Okay, so Abby is my favorite romance author. And before you skip ahead, because I just said romance author, I want you to hear me out really quick. Okay. Now, most romances, actually all, are deeply formulaic by design. Like, if you fall out of the formula, you will get torn apart by the romance reading a community. These are books that are supposed to be, you're not supposed to think about them. You're not supposed to worry about the ending.

Like, you know that the two people are going to eventually get together, but not before some, like, dramatic breakup that requires like a grand romantic gesture or something. Now, I do like romances. I do. But most of the ones that I tend to read and don't like as much, they have leads, especially females, who have some like massive issue that they have not yet worked through in therapy. And it just seems like page after page of self-sabotage in this relationship. It drives me crazy. It's like the kind of thing where the woman lies about the dude to somebody else and dude over here's and then she keeps covering it up. And I'm like, girl, just tell the truth. It will make things so much easier if you just tell the truth and deal with your stuff. So it gets my

nerves. Abby does not write romances like that. I mean, there are definitely like issues that people need to work through. But her novels more closely resemble regular life, even within the classic romance tropes that she does use. And nowhere is that truer than say you'll remember me. I am pretty sure. I think I've read every novel that she has written. This one is without question my favorite. So the couple that we follow in this story, it's Xavier and Samantha. Okay, Xavier is a cranky veterinarian with a fear of failure and a tender heart. And Samantha is a bright, creative, really funny social media manager who loves taking care of people and animals and all kinds of things across her path. Now, their first meeting, it does not go very well, but eventually they go on

their first date. Like, this is all the first chapter, you guys. And the first date is, like, dramatic in the very best way and also maybe the best first date that either of them have ever had. Savior, who so far has been content to be alone, as all, you know, cranky veterinarians are, he wants to pursue things with Samantha. But he learns very quickly, girls about to move away. She's moving, like the literal next day. after her first date, she's moving. Her mom is sick, and so she's leaving to go and take care of her mom, like in another state. So the book follows the two of them trying to, like, wrestle with how much they like each other, how to stay connected over a long distance, how to let someone into the

parts of your life that are not fun and frothy like a first date is. It is a romance and it is predictable and all the things, but it is also just like two normal people trying to work it out. There is also a scene at the end that had me like snodding all over the book. I could not get myself together. Thinking about it now, I could start crying. I could not get myself together. There were two other friends of mine who read this book after me and they had the same experience, like just weeping.

It is such a delight. It's not terribly spicy because Abby usually isn't. And it's just a book that makes you feel good. I loved it. Love, love, loved it. Also, if you're a casting person, I made a movie. Xavier Jamie Dornan because nobody plays a brooding romantic lead better than Jamie Dornan. And Samantha was Alexandra Dodario.

Okay, so that is Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez. All right. My fourth favorite book so far this year is a slow burn thriller called The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North. After reading this book, I realized that Alex North is one of my favorite authors of all time, definitely in the thriller genre for sure. His first two books, The Whisper Man and The Shadows. They were favorite books the years that I read them.

And the Man Made of Stone is no different. I think it's actually my favorite of the three. Now, this is definitely the least kid-friendly description of a book. So saying that now? Okay, here it is. So the story, it opens on a pretty dark scene. A family pulls up to a rest stop. And the young son, Dan, he's like, I think 10.

He goes to the restroom while his family gets like snacks and wanders around and stuff. And while he's in the restroom, he sees a boy about his age standing outside a stall waiting for someone who's inside the stall. And Dan knows in his gut that something is wrong. It turns out that the man the boy was waiting for was a serial killer. Like he was with this guy, a captive of this guy. And that serial killer was later caught, but not before the boy that Dan saw was killed. So he holds the responsibility of not doing anything as a kid.

carries it into his adulthood. He becomes a profiler and spends his days interviewing and trying to get into the minds of people who commit violent crimes. So it's like it's always a tough hang when children are involved. Okay, so the story moves along when Dan's dad, he dies under some pretty suspicious circumstances. So Dan goes home to tend to the details and then he finds himself confronted with that crime, that zero killer that he witnessed all those years ago and, you know, hijinks as they. say. And so it is moody. It's dark. It's cinematic. Frankly, there really are no hijinks. Hygings are usually comical. It's like whatever the opposite of hijinks are. It's a little scary, but more just like, are people really like that kind of scary? That it is so good. Like, I cannot,

oh my gosh, it's so good. If you are a casting person, once again, I can confirm that I nailed it based on my own experience and then the reading experience of other people that I share this casting with when they wrote the book after me. So Dan is Theo James. His best friend from childhood Sarah is Carrie Mulligan because he sees her like she still lives in town when he comes back to town. Carrie Mulligan and then the like combative sort of childhood bully turned police chief because of course is J. Courtney J.A.I. He's the guy who played like the bad guy in Divergent against Theo James. So you sort of know what those two are like when they're arguing with each other.

Anyway, it's so good. If you like a thriller, man, it's top-notch. So that is the Man Made of Smoke by Alex North. Number three. Number three is called Plum, like the Fruit, by Andy Anderag. Okay, no joke, this might be one of the best written books I've ever read my entire life. Like, the content is so sad.

It is so sad. And therefore, it cannot be my favorite because I'm not going to do that to myself. But from page one, I was mesmerized. The writing is, it is masterful. And this novel is a debut, which is crazy to me. So the story is written in second person, which is a slightly unusual thing to get used to, but super compelling. It's told by a young girl living with her older brother in a home where both of her parents are abusive in different ways. There is neglect, there's physical abuse, emotional abuse.

It's not a fun hang. But somehow the writing style, like, transcends that deeply sad content. Now, if you already like sad books, you will eat this up with a spoon. No issues. You will love it. It's incredibly special. And if you're like me and you do not love sad books with only a few exceptions, I still think it's worth trying.

Like, just find it at a bookstore or read the digital sample on Amazon. You know, you can, when you click on Kindle and it says, like, read sample right underneath it, You will know in like three paragraphs if you want to keep reading. You'll know immediately. It's just really special. So that is Plum by Andy Anderag. My second favorite book this year is Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman. Do you all know T.J. Newman? T.J. Newman is the former flight attendant turned novelist. She writes books that center around different kinds of airplane tragedies. I mean, it's not exactly the lightest of reading. but holy actual moly these books you guys i have read all three of t j newman's novels and i'm not sure

anybody can write a blockbuster thriller that also gets your heartstrings immediately like she can like she is so skilled these books are something else so worst case scenario is about a plane that crashes into a nuclear power plant that is why it is the worst case scenario and all of the obvious and then some not so obvious problems that arise from that crash Now, while her stories are obviously about the story itself, like the rescues and solving all these massive problems with casualties and destruction and global collapse at risk, they're all focused on the humans involved and you immediately love them. You immediately care about them. It is an emotional marathon you did not know you wanted to sign up for.

So I have never taken more than two days to read a T.J. Newman book. and I've also never not cried several times reading one either. This one I just sobbed. I mean for like 30 straight minutes maybe, like the last 30 minutes of reading this book, I couldn't I couldn't stop crying. I couldn't stop crying. If I had been in public, I probably would have, I would have been embarrassed and people would have been concerned. I lent this book to a friend of mine who took it with her to the beach and she texted me from the beach and she was like, well, I'm sitting here on the beach, She's notting all over the place reading this airplane book. So just be prepared.

If you want to hack your crying, like Aaron Moon says, a lot of you know and love Aaron Moon, you follow her. This is for sure the way to do it. This will absolutely hack your crying. This book is so good. So good. And it's my second favorite book of the year so far. So that is Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman. Also, I cast the entire book.

But the only one that matters is the 39-year-old first. single president ever. It's Jonathan Groff. It's Jonathan Groff. You will love it being Jonathan Groff. You will imagine Jonathan Groff as actual president. Like, it's a whole thing. It's a whole thing. So at least do that one. Okay. And my favorite book of the year, so far. And it might just stay my favorite book of the whole year, even after I get through the next six months. It's called Disillusion by Nicholas Binge. This is without question the best sci-fi book I've ever read in my whole actual life. and I've read a lot of really good sci-fi, and I love sci-fi. Sci-fi is like top three favorite genres. First, these are some words from different reviews and the sales copy just to give you like a little

flavor. The New York Times accurately describes this book as suspenseful, provocative, and surprisingly tender. Yes, yes, and yes. This is the sales copy that describes the book better than I I could because the, you know, the plots, it's sci-fi plot. I'm not a, I don't do that. Okay, Here's what it says. Maggie Webb has lived the last decade caring for her elderly husband, Stanley, as memory loss gradually erases all the beautiful moments they created together. It's the loneliest she's ever felt in her life. When a mysterious stranger named Hassan appears at her door, he reveals a shocking truth. Stanley isn't losing his memories. Someone is actively removing them to hide a long buried secret from coming to light. If Maggie does what she's told, she can

reverse it. She can get her husband back. Led by Hassan and his technological marvels, Maggie breaks into her husband's mind, probing the depths of his memories in an effort to save him. The deeper she dives, the more she unravels a mystery spanning continents and centuries, each layer more complex than the last. Y'all, this thing is just superb. Like simply superb. Also, Merrill Streep is the perfect Maggie. Absolutely perfect. Since we encounter Stanley when he is old and young, I imagined the old version of Stanley to be Ed Harris and the young version of Stanley to be a young Vigo Mortensen, which they kind of look similar. So it works.

But really just imagine Merrill when you read and you'll be set. So my book, Twin Katie, who she reads more widely than I do, she said after she finished this, okay, I finished. This was her text. She said, okay, I finished. That was one of the best books I've ever read. Why is it not everywhere? So, such a strong ending.

I'm 100% going to reread it on audio. I want to go back and see the clues I may have missed the first time. Everyone was so well drawn out. A perfect villain, a beautiful love story. It's amazing. And she's right. It is just a surprise in every way with one of the best endings of any book that I've ever read. Second only to the hike that I have shared in my newsletter before.

That's the best ending of any book I've ever read. This is the second best. It just makes you gasp in the best way. It's like, it's wow. This book is wow. That's Disillusioned by Nicholas Benj. Okay, so to recap, my seven favorite books of the year so far, from seven to one. The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Everson, Greenglass House by Kate Milford.

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Menez, The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North, Plum by Andy Anderrag, Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman and Disillusioned by Nicholas Benj. And those are my favorite books of the year so far. If you would like to get my book reviews every single month, you most definitely can. You just need to sign up for my newsletter. I send out a longer email just once a month. It has some personal essays about my life that I do not share publicly. And then I also share reviews of the books that I have read that month, which is a list of usually around 10 titles on average per month.

So the next newsletter will go out this Wednesday, July 2nd. So go ahead and sign up now so you can get it. You can find a link in the show notes. or you can go to the lazy genius collective.com slash join. Okay, before we go, let's celebrate the lazy genius of the week. This week, it's Sarah Forsyth. Sarah writes. I just listened to episode 406.

That's the big sister pep talk about how you're not selfish. And I have to share one of my daily self-cares. I have two kids, six and 12 years old, and we homeschool. It can be stressful and exhausting to be home with the kids all day. So when my little list was about two, I decided once that we would have what I call reading rest time every day. They both love to read. So this was an easier sell than nap time. Every day after lunch, we have reading rest time for about an hour and it's life giving to me. This is what I want you to listen to everybody. This is what Sarah says. I used to try to get things

done during rest time, but I would end up exhausted and cranky by four or five o'clock. When I also participate in reading rest time, I get up with more energy and a better attitude for the rest of the day. Now, y'all know, I love the idea of reading. rest time, clearly. And it's definitely easier when kids actually like to read. When my kids were small, I would call this a room time because not everybody liked to read, but everyone needed to like spend an hour in their rooms doing something chill, like reading or resting or playing quietly. And unless something was super wrong, I'm like, leave mommy alone. Now, here's the thing, though. It's important to not feel pressure to make that time productive in the traditional

sense. Rest yourself. Enjoy that time of reading too. You like you usually can't read quietly when kids are around, but you can, you can like do things like fold laundry usually when kids are around. Like even slowly and fits and starts when kids are just being kids around you, but you can't always read. So like use the time, whatever it is, whether it's reading or something else,

when your kids are resting, enjoy the rest yourself. It's like, it's a gift. So I love this reminder, Sarah. Thank you for sharing and congratulations on being the lazy genius of the week. This podcast is part of the Odyssey family and the office. Ladies Network. This episode is hosted by me, Kendra Adachi, and executive produced by Kendra Adachi, Jenna Fisher, and Angela Kinsey. Special thanks to Leah Jarvis for weekly production. Thanks y'all for listening, and until next time, be a genius about the things that matter

and lazy about the things that don't. I'm Kendra, and I'll see you next week. Have you ever felt like you were living just a B or B plus life? It's so dangerous to live that, more dangerous than a B minus or a C plus life, because when you're living a B or B plus life, you don't change it. You think it's good enough. Is it? I'm Susie Welch. I host a podcast called Becoming You. People think, okay, an A plus life is not available to me, but there is a way. We are all in the process of becoming ourselves. Listen to Becoming You, wherever you get your podcasts.