My 10 favorite book lists for June 2025...

Creating the indie book platform readers deserve.

Today’s edition covers:

  • My 10 favorite book lists for June…

  • What are we working on at Shepherd.com?

  • What am I reading?

2 fun reminders…

#1 - We are building a full app to bring your TBR to life and profile your unique Book DNA.

If you want to be the first to use this web app, please fill out this form and give us some feedback.

Early mockup showing our ideas 😀 

#2 - We have a 100% personalized book recommendation email based on your favorite reads!

Step 2 - Then, subscribe on the next page! You will receive 9 new book recommendation lists every week (you can change the email frequency and variables anytime directly from the email).

My 10 Favorite Book Lists For June…

What are we working on at Shepherd.com?

I’ve been intensely busy testing our ideas and mockups on readers, which has helped me understand expectations. I’ve got a lot more testing to do as we polish the mockups, and I am excited to start building the MVP soon!

What are we honing in on?

  • Discovering your Book DNA through what you read. The readers I’ve interviewed have been very excited about finding new books through a profile of their Book DNA.

  • Bringing your TBR to life with smart organization.

  • Creating a private space to reflect on what you read and celebrate the books that shaped you.

If you want to test the new app as we get further along, please fill this out.

We are getting closer to releasing this monster update! We are connecting the backend to the design now, and after design tweaks, we will be ready to release it.

Highlights from the build blog:

What am I reading?

I just finished...

  • The Venetian Heretic by Christian Cameron. Christian is one of my all-time favorite authors, and I read every book he writes! This is a new series set in 17th-century Venice with murder, statecraft, and a mystery. I loved it and can’t wait for more with this character.

I am reading...

  • The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I found this through Shepherd and a list on the magic of books, bookshops, and libraries list. So far, it has been fantastic, and I love reading books set in Spain.

  • The Buffalo Hunter Hunger by Stephen Graham Jones: I don’t read much horror, so I am trying something outside my wheelhouse. It is pretty good so far, and some tension is steadily building.

What have I been up to outside of Shepherd?

We had a long weekend in the Pyrenees, and I went on some stunning gravel bike rides. It was very refreshing.

Have a great weekend,
Thanks, Ben

P.S. From a gravel ride up in the Pyrenees.

Beautiful spot on the Spanish side.

Reply

or to participate.