Summer Reading Wrap-Up: Which Books Would I Bring Home to Mom?
all the books I read this June-August from least to most family friendly
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This summer, I moved across the country, attended a 4-week publishing course, and worked part-time at two jobs. Reading was the only thing to keep me grounded in all that (admittedly very good) chaos. I hate catching myself scrolling social media, so I tried to read whenever I felt those impulses. I ended up finishing 11 books this June-August, which is more than I read throughout all of my undergrad years and shot me well over my goal of 15 books this year. Now I’m trying for 30…we’ll see how that goes.
I’ve already written longer reviews for most of these titles, so let’s have some fun with it. Here are all 11 books I finished this summer from LEAST to MOST likely to bring home to mom—that is, least to most family friendly.
*for clarity, being family-friendly doesn’t make a book good, nor does being for adults make a book bad!
LEAST: The Definite No’s
In the Event of Love by Courtney Kae ☆☆☆
Read June 8th - June 19th
RomanceThough I would recommend this holiday sapphic romance to most adults, this book had some heavy—and admittedly, a little out of place—smutty scenes. I’m talking made-me-look-around-to-make-sure-nobody-was-in-my-room-even-though-I’m-an-adult-and-was-alone scenes. Don’t let the cartoonish cover fool you like it fooled me. Otherwise, it was a pretty solid read about two women facing their pasts to save their small town.
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman ☆☆☆☆☆
Read August 2nd - August 24th
FantasyThis dark fantasy about a thief stumbling into a quest greater than himself has to be one of my favorite books I’ve read this year so far, but I won’t be reading it at the dinner table. Gore, brutal deaths, magic, sex, cursing, it’s kind of a Catholic mom’s worst nightmare. But if you’re itching for unique worldbuilding and compelling characters, this one’s for you.
The Unexpected Heiress by Cassidy Crane ☆☆☆1/2
Read July 25th - August 11th
RomanceA young woman who hops from rich suitor to rich suitor. Another young woman who just happened upon extreme wealth. You can see where this goes, and it was a charming and fun romance. Though the sex scenes weren’t as graphic as those in number 11, they were still detailed enough to land number 9 on the list.
MAYBE: Depends on Your Mama
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson ☆☆☆☆☆
Read May 9th - June 8th
FantasyMistborn answers the question: what if the chosen one died? There are no sex scenes—explicit or implied—but it tackles pretty dark topics like public executions, graphic violence, rape, and slavery. It’s a fantastic read (I’m currently chewing through the sequel), but it’s probably not for your little cousin.
All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells ☆☆☆☆
Read June 9th - June 23rd
Science FictionThough this witty sci-fi comedy is pretty tame, it still contains violence—hence the “murder” in the name. No matter the content, I think it would’ve been confiscated if a parent found it in my backpack. Still, it’s more than worth the read, and the Apple TV+ show adaptation had me laughing.
My Husband by Maud Ventura ☆☆☆☆
Read June 23rd - July 4th
ThrillerA wife is obsessed with her husband but thinks the feeling might not be mutual, and she’ll do whatever she can to get his attention. This one was hard to place because there is sexual content, but it’s not overly explicit. I wouldn’t call it erotic but more…disturbing? And for that reason it earns a “maybe.” Great for fans of female rage or just unhinged women in general.
1984 by George Orwell ☆☆☆☆
Read May 9th - June 9th
Science FictionPretty much every teenager read 1984 and wrote an essay about it, making it obviously suitable for younger audiences, but the mentions of rape and sexual descriptions mark the book as a maybe.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng ☆☆☆☆☆
Read July 13th - July 23rd
DramaReese Witherspoon was frothing at the mouth over this book, and for good reason. It’s a compelling narrative about a small, wealthy town faced with a problem that surfaces their prejudices. I’d consider the book PG-13 due to its exploration of teenage sexuality.
The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black ☆☆☆
Read July 23rd - July 31st
YA FantasyHolly Black’s conclusion to her Elfhame duology could also be marked as PG-13. There are sword battles, poisonings, murders, scandals, and a closed-door sex scene making it unsuitable for younger audiences, but the plot itself was very YA. This one is up to your mama.
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer ☆☆☆☆
Read May 9th - July 10th
HorrorA woman hears a knock at the door: it’s a family claiming they used to live in her house, and they want to come inside. Though this is a horror novel, not much horror actually…happened. None of the violence is on-screen (on-page?), and while there’s one death towards the end that makes it PG-13, the content of the book is pretty family-friendly—minus some cursing. They’re making a TV show adaptation soon, so we’ll have to see if its content holds up.
MOST: Home Sweet Home
A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic by J Penner ☆☆☆
Read July 4th - July 13th
FantasyFinally, the most innocent and cozy read on this list. It’s about a human who enters a magical baking competition and has to prove her worth. It’s cute, it’s romantic, it’s cozy, it’s sweet, and it made me want little fruit tarts. I feel confident in its wholesomeness.
That’s a wrap on all the books I read this summer. I’m hoping to finish strong and read 11 more from September - December. Thanks for reading!
I have we used to live here on my library holds! Also have you read “we live here now?”
*edited 8/31 for typos and an adjustment of book order*