My Big Reader Friends' Top Book Picks for Summer

Hey there! Happy Thursday.

Today we have special guests, Lashay and E.G. Runyan (check out her blog here: https://substack.com/@egrunyan).

They're both BIG TIME readers, and the book recommendations are the bomb.

We will each be sharing our summer TBRs (To Be Read). They’re just lists of books we want to read before the summer is over. I’ve also included their reviews and ratings! Without further ado, let’s get started with their list.

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lashay's read.

"Keeper of the Lost Cities" is a young adult fantasy series by Shannon Messenger, following Sophie Foster, a girl who discovers she's an elf with unique telepathic abilities and is thrust into a hidden world of magic and intrigue. The series explores themes of identity, belonging, and the struggle between good and evil as Sophie learns to navigate her new life and uncover secrets about her past and the world around her. 

This series is a fantastic read full of wild adventures and unique characters.

What Lashay says: while many may say it’s simply a "Harry Potter rip-off", it’s far more than that. Not only does Sophie discover that she’s not human, but an elf, but she also gets to see her world through a whole new lens. Shannon Messenger does an amazing job of creating her characters (though Sophie is certainly overpowered) and carefully placing them into the story so that they serve their role to the best of their abilities. If we had to compare it, I’d say Keeper of the Lost Cities is a good mix of Harry Potter, the Menageries by Tui T Sutherland, and something all its own.

All in all, while Shannon, like other authors, has a few issues with her story, it’s overall an incredible read.

The Ravenwood Saga by Morgan L. Busse

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lashay's read.

This series was incredible! An amazing mix of Christianity and fantasy, while not being overbearing. Set in a world where each Great House wields an elemental ability while also being wholly medieval, Morgan L. Busse did an incredible job of telling a unique story.

I will say that this is a bit of a slower read, especially the first book, and that’s the main reason it only gets four stars.

Selene is born into the house of Ravenwood, a family hiding the fact that they are the remaining people who can wield the ability of Dreamwalking.

Her mother uses her powers to gather information from their enemies… and even kill those who get in her way. Selene is trained to do just the same, but when it comes time to kill Lord Damien, who was from the Great House that wielded the element of water, she is unable to do so. Damien was definitely my favorite character. His passion to help people was refreshing, and his guilt was real. The only other thing I disliked about this series was that the fact that they began the series with them praying to the Dark Lady, who represents Satan, and that the Light (God) and the way it was used in the story were a bit cheesy. Otherwise, I loved this series so much and would definitely read it again.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emma's read.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer: I read this book for the first time as a ten-year-old, and ever since have been in love with the characters of the Artemis Fowl series. This book is totally worth giving a try, whoever you are. It's clever, interesting, and such a good series. I loved reading books from the viewpoint of the villain, and Eoin's gradual character development of Artemis in this book and the subsequent books is so much fun.

Content warnings: Mild language, a few instances of taking the name of the Lord in vain.

The Legend of Sam Miracle by N.D. Wilson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emma's read.

Absolutely fantastic! Definitely my favorite piece of Wilson's works so far. The characters are wonderful, the prose excellent, and the plot will have you reading far past midnight. I read this book in a little over a day.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emma's read.

This will most certainly be one of the best books I read in '25; the plot, characters, and thematic questions were absolutely phenomenal. Somehow, I know this is going to go down as one of my all-time favorite novels!

The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emma's read.

This is my all-time favorite book. It is so beautifully written and layered, with depth and meaning to every paragraph. I love Curdie's character and character development more than any other character I've ever read. MacDonald's writing resonates with me in a way not even Tolkien and Lewis have. I highly recommend this book. It is sure to please fans of the classics and fantasy.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emma's read.

I'm kind of speechless after finishing this book. However, I think I've found a single word to sum it up: Masterpiece. I've rarely read high fantasy that satisfies so well at every single level. The worldbuilding. Character-driven plots. Plot twists. All ingenious. I'm going to be thinking about this book for a long time, and it's definitely found its place on my home shelves. As for the rest of the series? They're all already sitting here waiting for me to open up.

Content warnings: language, violent fight scenes, mild romance

Age recommendation: 14-15 and up

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emma's read.

This is one of those books that you read, put down, and then wonder, "How the heck was that so good?" and you pick it back up and reread it all over again. Seriously. How does Turner peak at book 3 in her series?! Needless to say that I am a fan. This book is a straight-up fantasy masterpiece.

Content warnings: swearing

What do you think about their summer TBR picks? Have you read any of them? Let us know your thoughts on them down below and share what book you're most excited to read over the summer! Make sure to check out Emma's blog. https://substack.com/@egrunyan!

Thank you so much for reading.