LogicPrep's 2025 Summer Reading List
Summer is almost here and we’re so excited for excuse to read outside - we hope you’ll join us!
Reading is one of the best ways to improve your SAT or ACT Verbal scores and spark conversation in an admission interview. Many colleges also ask about the book you’re reading as part of their supplemental application.
Our team compiled a list of some of our favorite reads to check out — from new fantasy worlds to passages for self-reflection to historical fiction. We hope you find one — or many — that really stick with you!
Happy summer reading!
Revelle
by Lyssa Mia Smith
Olivia recommends this book because: “This was such a fun and engaging read, full of magic and mystery and anchored by characters you cant let go of. Everything is opulent and decadent and beautiful, until it isn’t (think Moulin Rouge but with magic!)”
Summary: Set in Prohibition-era New York, the five magical families of Charmant Island can give you everything your heart desires—for a price. But when the star of the show, Luxe Revelle, is forced to charm a time traveler in order to save her family’s fortunes, she must pay the price herself. Luxe risks everything—her health, her position, even her life—to save the people she loves and the boy who has been torn from her in countless lifetimes.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Laura recommends this book because: “It’s a short read that will stick with you for a long time. Keegan’s prose is easily digestible- almost lyrical- and the plot is engrossing. It raises ethical questions about the ways that community members participate or- perhaps just as worse- turn a blind eye to the (anything but small) acts of injustice happening before their very eyes.”
Summary: A historical fiction novella published in 2021 which won the Orwell Prize and was recently adapted into a film. (It’s worth watching, but I suggest reading the book first).
Set in a small town in Ireland in the 1980s, the book follows main protagonist Bill Furlong, a middle aged man who works for the local coal company, and father to five daughters.
Upon delivering coal to the nearby convent, he discovers something he simply cannot “un-know.” His worlds collide as he realizes that his very fate- and that of so many others, including his own family- hang in a very precarious balance.
In grappling with whether to expose this ugly truth, he discovers an integral piece of knowledge about his own childhood that bears witness to the ways that society silences its most vulnerable members. A haunting call to action.
Think Again
by Adam Grant
Murilo recommends this book because: “Most of LP students who read it end up loving the book and reading more and more.”
Summary: Adam Grant is an extremely talented writer and psychologist. His book highlights the importance of staying curious and thinking outside the box.
Tree of Smoke
by Denis Johnson
Devon recommends this book because: “Tree of Smoke follows William "Skip" Sands, a young CIA agent in Vietnam, and his uncle, the legendary Colonel Francis Xavier Sands, as they navigate the complexities of the Vietnam War. The novel explores the war's impact on individuals and the blurring lines between reality and delusion.”
Summary: Tree of Smoke follows William "Skip" Sands, a young CIA agent in Vietnam, and his uncle, the legendary Colonel Francis Xavier Sands, as they navigate the complexities of the Vietnam War. The novel explores the war's impact on individuals and the blurring lines between reality and delusion.
The Gifts of Imperfection
by Brené Brown
Marissa recommends this book because: “The book explore all the "soft skills" needed for the college application process and beyond. A great exploration of self-reflection!”
Summary: A guide to living a wholehearted life by embracing vulnerability, self-compassion, and authentic connection.
The Housekeeper and the Professor
by Yoko Ogawa
Cassandra recommends this book because: “This lean, character-driven book is the perfect summer read—short enough to take on a beach vacation and poignant enough to encourage the simple joys—of slowing down, loving, and learning.”
Summary: An aging math professor with only eighty minutes of short term memory comes into the care of a sympathetic housekeeper and her young son.
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Erika recommends this book because: Napolitano's character development is multi-layered, dynamic, and real; before reading "Hello Beautiful," it had been a long time since I felt so emotionally drawn to a novel's main characters. The story is both gripping and heartbreaking in such a way that I already want to re-read it.
Summary: “Hello Beautiful" is a loose adaptation of "Little Women," centered on the Padavano sisters, who are all extremely close, and William Waters, who marries into their family. The story follows them all through the highs and lows of various life stages and explores their complex relationships, personal growth, and the enduring power of love.
Love You Hard by Abby Maslin
Jess recommends this book because: “This book is by a local Washington, DC author and the story of her husband's assault was well covered by the news media at the time. The story that was not told at the time is this one, Abby's story. This beloved 4th grade teacher and writer turned her heartbreak into healing through writing, and I find that really freaking cool.”
Summary: This memoir explores the complicated healing of a family broken apart by a horrible crime that left the author's husband with severe brain damage and a traumatic brain injury that impacted his ability to walk, talk, and control his emotions. This story explores what it means to put the pieces back together when there's no way they can fit perfectly again. It's a story of honest resiliency, hope, and healing.