A Very Belated Spring 2025 Backlist Reading Check-in and Life Update
Yet again, life got in the way of my best blogging intentions. I meant to post this spring 2025 backlist reading update early in June, but some health issues got in the way. I was finally sitting down today (late July) to do some catching up, and discovered this unfinished draft. Yikes!
I read a lot of audiobooks last spring, which was lovely. A lot of them were shorter books because my attention span just wasn’t great. But you’ll see some pretty noteworthy titles on the list, including Monster by Walter Dean Myers, Nothing But the Truth by Avi, and Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo.
I’ve been trying to read a poem every day (something that the author Shannon Reed suggested in her book, Why We Read). It hasn’t been a 100% perfect success, but I am absolutely engaging with more poetry this year than in previous ones. In April, I finished reading the poetry collection Devotions by Mary Oliver, which I absolutely loved. If you spoke to me in April, I probably recommended that you read it.
At any rate, this is a long list, so I’ll wrap up my update here. We’re all here for the books, so let’s get to them!
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Spring 2025 Backlist Reading Check-in
Devotions by Mary Oliver
What you need to know: This volume of Oliver’s poetry (selected by the author) has been the soothing balm that I need at the end of the day. As a reading project, I’m reading a little poetry each day, and Oliver’s peaceful wisdom and celebration of the natural world make a brilliant way to end the evening.
Published October 10, 2017
Four Eids and a Funeral by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Adiba Jairgirdar
What you need to know: I’ve read and loved solo projects by each of these authors, so I feel no surprise at how much I enjoyed this book. I loved the arc of the story and the way that community and art feature in the book.
Published June 4, 2024 | My Review to Come
The Wild Robot Protects (The Wild Robot #3) by Peter Green
What you need to know: My daughter and I loved every book in this series, and we’re both only sorry this is the last book. Roz continues her journey to protect the animal friends and family on her island from an environmental threat. And she becomes a grandma! So sweet.
Published September 26, 2023 | My Review to Come
Amari and the Despicable Wonders (Supernatural Investigations #3) by B. B. Alston
What you need to know: Amari teams up with old and new friends in a race to defeat a group of magicians who would wipe out the Bureau and all magical creatures. This book continues the series nicely and gave me a chance to get to know more about Amari’s friends. I enjoyed reading it.
Published August 27, 2024 | My Review to Come
The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
What you need to know: I was unprepared for the ways in which this book parallels some things from real life. What I love is how hopeful, whimsical, and ultimately encouraging this story is.
Published March 8, 2022 | My Review to Come
The Tea Dragon Society Series by K. O’Neill
What you need to know: Greta discovers a shop that cares for tiny tea dragons, harvesting tea that grows on their heads or antlers. The series follows several characters’ adventures with tea dragons at different points in time. All are sweet stories with all the coziness O’Neill’s readers have come to expect from them.
Published 2017 to 2021 | My Reviews to Come
Hungry Ghost by Victoria Ying
What you need to know: This was another mood read for me. I have seen this book talked about in online bookish spaces, so it’s been on my list for a while. It’s one of those books where you can tell the author has a very deep personal connection to the work.
Published April 25, 2023 | My Review to Come
Witchwood (Ravenfall #3) by Kalyn Josephson
What you need to know: I am still working on getting current with this series! Still a huge fan of Max (the cat-who-is-not-a-cat) and Anna. I love that we’re seeing more of her coming into her own.
Published October 1, 2024 | My Review to Come
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
What you need to know: Some of the scenes are dated, but the soul of the book remains so relevant. Margaret’s anxiety about her body and her desire to make choices about her faith and her life will definitely still resonate today.
Published February 28, 2023 (Orig. 1970) | My Review to Come
The Night Country (The Hazel Wood #2) by Melissa Albert
What you need to know: I feel like The Hazen Wood is the kind of story that gets into your head. It took me a while after reading that one to get back to this story, but once I started reading, I realized how much I missed it. This one is packed with more dark fairytales and treacherous magic.
Published January 7, 2020 | My Review to Come
Keeper Chance and the Conundrum of Chaos by Alex Evanovich
What you need to know: I received an ARC of this book last year, but hadn’t been able to get to it until this spring. The voice is so silly and upbeat. I can easily see this series being a hit with young readers.
Published October 8, 2024 | My Review
City Spies by James Ponti (City Spies #1)
What you need to know: I’ve gotten a couple of the later books in the series in the mail from publishers, but didn’t know if I could dive into the series without starting at the beginning. So I finally got to the first book! This is a fun spy thriller starring a team of kids from all over the world.
Published March 10, 2020 | My Review
James by Percival Everett
What you need to know: I read this book for a local book club (and then missed the discussion meeting– boo!). It’s a reimagining of the story of Huckleberry Finn but told from Jim’s perspective. The balance of storytelling to inviting readers to examine social or historical ideas is perfect. James is the kind of story you want to chew on for a while.
Published March 19, 2024
I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner
What you need to know: One of the members of a group of KidLit bloggers that I’m in recommended this book, and I immediately put a hold on it at the library. This is the second LGBTQIA+ historical romance graphic novel that I’ve read this year, and I am loving them. This was such a fun book.
Published November 19, 2024 | My Review to Come
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
What you need to know: This book was recently banned in my school district (even though the school board acknowledged its literary excellence). I decided it was past time for me to read the book myself. Malinda Lo is amazing. What an insightful, powerful story examining the history of homophobia and the experience of Chinese Americans in the 1950s.
Published January 19, 2021 | My Review to Come
Nothing But the Truth by Avi
What you need to know: Take a big breath before going into this one. Though it was written more than 30 years ago, it’s impossible to read this and not feel the echoes of today’s fervor for nationalism. It’s not a super long read, but it’s razor-sharp.
Published January 1, 2010 (Orig. 1991) | My Review to Come
On the Block: Stories of Home edited by Ellen Oh
What you need to know: I love when the stories in an anthology relate to one another in some way. In this collection, each story takes place in an apartment building. The individual stories are labeled with the apartment number. There’s a great lineup of authors represented here. Some I was familiar with, and others I immediately had to add to my reading list. If you’re looking for a great middle grade anthology about community, definitely grab this one.
Published October 22, 2024 | My Review
The Magic Fish by Trung le Nguyen
What you need to know: This was one of our book club picks for our Kidlit Book Club earlier this year. It was a reread for me, but one I delighted in. I love the way the author uses color to differentiate between the stories and the way the fairytales and their evolution reflects what’s happening in the story.
Published October 13, 2020 | My Review
Coming Back by Jessi Zabarsky
What you need to know: I have to have seen someone talking about this book online somewhere, but I can’t remember where. This graphic novel focuses on a village and their traditions about life, death, and rebirth. I loved the details in the illustrations and the soothing color palette.
Published January 18, 2022 | My Review to Come
What Did You Read This Spring?
Do you keep track of your spring 2025 backlist reading? What’s the best book you’ve read recently? Also, if you’re comfortable sharing, let me know how you’re doing. How’s your reading life? And life in general? Leave a comment and fill me in!
I hope you’re feeling better. Wow! You’ve been reading a ton. I’m listening to more audiobooks too.
Thanks, Natalie. The spring was a really good reading season for me. 🙂 My summer backlist post will be a lot shorter! Haha. I love audiobooks.