Reading wrap-up: 2025 lit girl summer books

Introduction

This summer, I really wanted to get back into reading, and I actually did! From classics to modern romances, this wrap-up covers everything I read, what I thought, and where I struggled (I’m looking at you, The Poisonwood Bible). Each book title links to its full review if you want to hear all my thoughts, rants, and favorite quotes. Let’s get into it!

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Haven't seen my 2025 lit girl summer TBR? Read it here!

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Lit girl summer aesthetic

The Psychology of the "Aesthetic" Reader

This summer, I didn't just want to read, I wanted to have the "Lit Girl Summer" aesthetic. As a psychology student, I started wondering: why do we tie our reading habits to a specific vibe? It turns out there is a concept called "enclothed cognition," which suggests that the "costumes" or aesthetics we adopt actually change the way we think and perform. By leaning into a specific aesthetic, I was actually priming my brain to be more receptive to the themes in these books.

Using an aesthetic is a form of environmental priming. When I tried to have a "Lit Girl Summer," I was creating a low-stress environment that allowed my brain to move out of "school mode" and into a state of "open monitoring," where I could actually absorb the emotional weight of books like The Picture of Dorian Gray without feeling the pressure of an assignment.

However, not every book fit the vibe. My struggle with The Poisonwood Bible is a perfect example of cognitive friction. Because the book was so dense and frustrating, it clashed with the "light and airy" summer mindset I was trying to maintain. This conflict between the "aesthetic" I wanted and the "reality" of the text is exactly why I had to create a plan just to finish it. Understanding how our environment and expectations impact our reading enjoyment has completely changed how I plan my TBR lists!

Reading Wrap-up

Note: Book review posts will be linked on the title of the book. Essentially, just click the underlined text and it will take you to the review!

Finished Books

Everything I know about love by Dolly Alderton

★★★★☆ (4/5) stars

I really enjoyed this book. I gave it four stars because I thought it was so well written, and I still think about it to this day. This book was extremely relatable for me and the lessons that Dolly learned, I learned as well. Her writing is very beautiful and fun at the same time. I love her work and I would love to read more of it!

Dead Poets Society by Nancy H. Kleinbaum

★★★★☆ (4.25/5) stars

I did make a review about this; however, I will give a quick summary. I love this book, and I loved how short it was yet how impactful it was. This is a very fall-coded book; however, reading it in the summer really made me excited to go back to school, which is always a plus.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

★★★☆☆ (3.5/5) stars

This was the worst book out of all the books. I've read this summer. The amount of self-discipline and motivational pep talks I had to give myself is out of this world. It was so hard that I decided to make a plan, and I shared this plan in my guide/rant to reading books you don't like. This book brings me so much anger. I don't want to talk about it again, but if you want to know more about I thought, read my review!

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I'm going in order of when I finish these books, so I read the picture during gray right after I finished reading the Poisonwood Bible. It's funny how I read a book I hated, and then I read a book I loved. I fell in love with this book. It is now my second favorite book of all time. I recommend everybody read this book before they die.

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

★★★☆☆ (3.75/5) stars

This book was not in my original 2025 lit girl Summer TBR; however, I really did want to read it before senior year started. This book is about seniors graduating, so I thought it would be the perfect book to start my senior year. I also finished this book 2 days before school started, so it was fresh in my mind. But that was unplanned because I started it on the second week of June. But I got caught up in my AP literature books, so I kind of had to set this one aside, and then I was just fully invested in it when I finished my assigned reading.

Currently Reading

How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster

As I said earlier, I'm going to AP literature this year; sometimes I do miss some details in classic books that I read. So I wanted to be ready for my class, and I picked up this book. Because I was so behind on reading the Poisonwood Bible, I had to stop reading it. And then I was behind on The Picture of Dorian Gray, so I wasn't able to read it then. Following that, I just wanted to finish Today Tonight Tomorrow. So I am only four chapters in; however, by the end of August I hope to have finished the book. And I hope that as the year goes on, I'll use the lessons from this book to help with my class.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Right after I finished Today Tonight Tomorrow, I picked up this book. I'm only two pages in, so I won't even give you my thoughts because two pages isn't enough time to form any thoughts. Because I'm going to put How to Read Literature Like a Professor as a priority, I probably won't finish this book by the end of August. However, I do want to finish it by maybe September, though we'll see how it goes.

Not started

Beach Read by Emily Henry

I really did want to read this book. So much so that I brought it on my trip to the beach. As the title suggests, it would've been a perfect treat. However, I decided to dedicate that time to reading The Poisonwood Bible. And after that trip, I just never touched this book again, sadly. Maybe I'll read it next year in May.

Beyond the Vibe: What I Actually Learned

Looking back at this list, I realized that my "Lit Girl Summer" was a bit of a psychological experiment. I was trying to see if I could force myself to enjoy "difficult" books just because they fit a certain aesthetic I wanted to have. The truth is that sometimes it worked and sometimes it really didn't. I fell in love with The Picture of Dorian Gray, but The Poisonwood Bible felt like a total slog that I had to fight my way through.  

This summer taught me that my environment really does change how I read. If I’m in a "light and airy" mood, trying to tackle a dense academic text is going to cause some serious friction. I’m learning to be more mindful of that when I plan my next TBR. It’s okay to read for the aesthetic, but you have to make sure the books actually match your energy levels. Moving into senior year, I’m going to be much more honest with myself about what I can actually handle versus what just looks good on a coffee table.

Conclusion

Overall, I think I did really well. I read five books, and that's a big improvement for me. To put this into context, before the summer I had only read one book this year. So I really got to catch up on my reading this summer, and hopefully, I will read many more books. My goal is to finish 10 books this year; I'm confident that I'll be able to achieve this.

Let me know how your summer reading went. What was your favorite book? What was your least favorite book?

Sources, Credits & Links

Cover post made on Canva

Cover image from Martinakalavska via Pinterest