I’m pausing midyear to reflect on and discuss the BEST 6 books I’ve read in 6 months. Can you list your top six books in the last six months? Do we share any favorite reads? Do you stop midyear and reflect on your reading? Has a book ever given you a book hangover?
Jo at The Book Jotter is the inspiration behind this post. Even though Jo is no longer blogging, I love the idea of stopping midyear to reflect on the Best Six in Six .
Can you identify your best 6 books in 6 months?
Best 6 Books in 6 Months
***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
(In no particular order)
New Arrivals at West India Dock Road by Renita D’Silva
What are the elements that captured my attention?
Unique story, strong sense of place, admirable main character, diverse culture, and mouthwatering cuisine.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
What are the elements that captured my attention?
Epistolary, thoughtful, relatable, memorable character.
You might enjoy the FREE Book Club Kit I’ve created for The Correspondent here.
One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter
What are the elements that captured my attention?
Survival, friendship, sacrifice, compelling/page-turning, resilience.
Kate & Frida by Kim Fay
What are the elements that captured my attention?
Epistolary, Friendship, Book About Books.
Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan
What are the elements that captured my attention?
Humorous, relatable, women supporting women.
The Boys of Riverside by Thomas Fuller
What are the elements that captured my attention?
Narrative nonfiction (reads like a story), informative, educational, competitive, against-the-odds.
You might enjoy my FREE Book Club Kit I’ve created for The Boys of Riverside here.
I’m linking up today with the 2025 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight.
Let’s Discuss
Have you created a “6 in 6” list?
I can enthusiastically recommend every book on my list! Have you read any of them?
What is the most important element in the books you consider BEST reads?
Do your BEST reads ever give you book hangovers?
Do we share any favorites?
You might also enjoy my 2025 Summer Reading Guide
Last year’s best 6 in 6 post here.
Happy Reading Book Friends!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.” ~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.” ~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.” ~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.” ~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
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I haven’t read any of these books but really fancy The Correspondent.
All tbr worthy!
I love this idea for a post Carol! All books for the tbr I would think.
Thanks! Yep! All tbr worthy! Also, it gives me a head start on my best of year list!
Hi, Carol – I love discovering other people’s favourite reads. I haven’t yet read any of your current favourites, but I will definitely keep an eye out for them. My favourite six reads in the past six months were: The Great Gatsby (this was my 4th time reading it), Oliver Twist, The Yellow Wall Paper, How to Survive a Bear Attack (Claire Cameron), Murder in the Mangroves (Joanne Tracey) and UltraProcessed People. <3
Thanks for sharing your favs of the year! I’m intrigued by the Bear Attack book!
Love to see this post! I don’t want 6 in 6 to die. Looking forward to Kate & Frida! My Six in Six https://hopewellslibraryoflife.wordpress.com/2025/06/19/six-in-six-tribute/
We’ll keep 6 in 6 alive! 🙌
I am DYING to read The Correspondent!! My 6 in 6 might be (it was hard to pick) Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks, One True Thing by Anna Quindlen, Defending Jacob by William Landay, Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty, Clock Dance by Anne Tyler, and I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell.
Thanks for sharing your 6! I’ve read two… Clock Dance and I Am. Hope you love Correspondent! I wish I could read it again for the first time!
It would be a bit hard to pick my top six but I could do it 😂 the links aren’t working here for me!
Oh no! Thanks for alerting me! I’ll check it out.
I just finished New Arrivals at West India Dock Road and loved it, Carol. I also have the Correspondent and The Boys of Riverside on audible, so hope to listen to them both soon. Great choices.
I’m currently doing a reread of Correspondent on audible and I’m loving the full cast narration!
Yay, I am so looking forward to getting to it.
It takes a minute to get into it, but once you do it’s compelling.
I think I agree with Joanne and think “The Correspondent” sounds most like one that might end up on my reading list.
My Six in Six is a little different but also have a Mid Year Review:
https://momobookblog.blogspot.com/2025/06/six-in-six-2025.html
https://momobookblog.blogspot.com/2025/06/mid-year-book-freakout-tag-2025.html
I’m already doing a reread of Correspondent! I kept hearing the audio format was full cast and excellent, so I couldn’t resist!
Nice if you can enjoy audiobooks. I need visuals.
Print s my preferred format, but sometimes audio works well!
It hasn’t worked for me, so far. Luckily, I’m short sighted and can read without my glasses.
I haven’t read any of these, but some do look interesting
All tbr worthy! 🙌
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