Leah's Book Shelf | July 2025 - The Kid Bucket List

Whilst I have previously focused on books for kids, tweens and teens, I am regularly asked what I am reading. As a voracious reader (I probably read 3-4 books a week – more during the school holidays) with an eclectic taste when it comes to genre, I find a book to please most readers. So I am introducing “Leah’s Book Shelf – Books for Mum’s Who Love to Read” to our regular post offerings,

Books for Mum’s Who Love to Read

Table of Contents

To kick off this regular post (I am thinking monthly at the moment) I have rounded up 10 books that I have read over the last month.

I hope you find something inside that you love!

The Favourites by Layne Fargo
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Giilig
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Say Everything: A Memoir – Ione Skye
Gifted and Talented by Olivie Blake
The Names by Florence Knapp
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
Homeseeking by Karissa Chen
Margo’s Got Money Troubles By Rufi Thorpe
Sandwich by Catherine Newman

July Book Shelf Review

The Favourites

Sports Romance

An epic love story that reimagines the tempestuous romance of Wuthering Heights in the sparkling, savage world of elite figure skating – Penguin Australia

I devoured The Favourites in a single sitting. Set in the cutthroat world of figure skating, it explores the cost of greatness. While I appreciated the intensity, I didn’t connect with the characters and found the ending too neat. Still, a compelling read.

3.5 stars.

The Knight and the Moth

Romantasy

From BookTok sensation and NYT bestselling author Rachel Gillig, comes the next big romantasy phenomenon: a gothic, mist-cloaked tale of a prophetess who is forced beyond the safety of her cloister on an impossible quest to defeat the gods with the one knight whose future is beyond her sight. – Hachette Australia

I adored The Knight and the Moth—a beautifully unpredictable story with rich characters. Sybil is a strong, selfless heroine; Bartholomew the gargoyle stole my heart; and Rory is my new book crush. The audiobook on Spotify was exceptional. Emotional, layered, and magical—I was utterly swept away.

4 stars.

My Friends

Contemporary Fiction

Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later. – Simon & Schuster

I couldn’t put My Friends down. It’s raw, emotional, and beautifully captures how childhood friendships shape our lives. I cried often and found myself reflecting deeply—as an educator and as a human. Backman reminds us that art, love, and connection are our rebellion against grief, time, and silence.

5 stars – my top pick for the year.

Say Everything: A Memoir

Autobiography

Gen X icon Ione Skye bares all in an achingly vulnerable coming-of-age memoir about chasing fame, desire, and true love in the shadow of her famous, absent father. – Harper Collins Publishers Australia

Ione Skye’s Say Everything is an easy, accessible read that quietly reveals deep trauma. While she never names it, her flight/freeze responses are clear. She accepts rather than unpacks painful experiences, often finding herself through others. A reflective memoir that hints at healing, motherhood, and hope despite an exploitative world.

4 stars

Gifted and Talented

Fantasy (but leans towards contemporary fiction)

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six, Gifted & Talented by Olivie Blake is the story of three siblings who, upon the death of their father, are forced to reckon with their long-festering rivalries, dangerous abilities and the crushing weight of all their unrealised adolescent potential. – Pan Macmillan Australia

I expected Gifted and Talented to be about magic, but it’s more Succession with a magical realism twist—and I adored it. The siblings are awful (it’s stated!) but grow beautifully through grief. Witty, poignant, and utterly compelling. I even sped up the audiobook—I had to know what happened.

5 stars

The Names

Literary Fiction

The unforgettable debut novel that became an instant global sensation, The Names asks how a name can shape the course of a life and explores the single what-if moments that can overturn a person’s fate – Hachette Australia

Florence Knapp’s The Names is a stunning debut exploring the ripple effects of domestic violence through a sliding doors narrative. Spanning 35 years and three alternate paths, it’s raw, lyrical, and deeply affecting. I read it quickly, swept up in its quiet power, heartbreak, and hope. Absolutely unforgettable.

5 stars

Everything is Tuberculosis

Non-Fiction – Personal Narrative

John Green, the #1 bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and a passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world’s deadliest disease. – Penguin Australia

Everything is Tuberculosis shattered my illusion that TB is a disease of the past. John Green’s storytelling is urgent and profoundly moving, exposing the injustice of global healthcare inequality. I learned so much — especially about Sierra Leone — and finished the book feeling both heartbroken and motivated to act.

5 stars

Homeseeking

Literary Fiction

PACHINKO meets THE NOTEBOOK in this transportive and heartrending novel about first loves, new beginnings and second chances, set between Shangai, Taiwan, Hong Kong and LA and spanning almost seventy years – Hachette Australia

Homeseeking completely absorbed me—a beautifully written, profoundly moving story of family, memory, and lost opportunities. The dual timelines and rich historical backdrop of Chinese, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong history added powerful layers. This novel stayed with me long after the last page.

5 stars

Margo’s Got Money Troubles

Humour | Coming of Age Fiction

A blisteringly funny and heartwarming novel about a young woman – navigating a desperate lack of funds, new motherhood and becoming an adult – who gets creative on OnlyFans. – Hachette Australia

Margo’s Got Money Problems tackles tough themes like single parenthood, addiction, and trauma with surprising humour and nuance. I found myself giggling throughout, especially loving the WWE superstar dad—thanks to Striker and Tee, I got the wrestling drama! I also learned a lot about OnlyFans. Hard to put down, though the ending didn’t quite hit for me.

3.5 stars

Sandwich

Humourous Fiction

One week in Cape Cod. The perfect family holiday. What could possibly go wrong…? From the author of We All Want Impossible Things, a raucously funny novel with an unexpected punch about being ‘sandwiched’ between growing children and ageing parents and the power of change. – Penguin Australia

I’m still reading Sandwich by Catherine Newman, but it’s already hitting deep. As a mum of two late teens, the bittersweet shift from childhood to adulthood feels so real—full of big and quiet emotions. I can tell this book will stay with me long after I finish.

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