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Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
I read every day — these are 10 of the best books I would recommend to anyone
There's no feeling quite like sitting down after a long day and diving into a good book. But with countless reads to choose from, finishing one book and selecting another isn't always as easy as it sounds. While I do try to make time for the classics, as well as books published in previous years, I do always find myself gravitating towards the new releases, eager to find a new favourite I know I'll return to again and again in the future. If you're in need of some inspiration for your summer reading list, here are 10 of my absolute top reads of 2025 so far, with picks across all kinds of different genres. For more book recommendations, reviews and news, click here to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, The Bookish Drop, on Substack. It's officially Love Island season, with both the UK and US versions airing right now. While I don't religiously watch dating shows anymore, I still gravitate towards any fiction inspired by or based on the world of reality TV. The Compound sees 20 contestants trapped in a remote desert compound and filmed 24/7 as they compete for luxury prizes and basic necessities - while also trying to find love. I don't want to give anything away, but this is a brilliant debut, with some unexpected twists, a simmering uneasiness and an ending I've thought about since I finished reading it. It's out on July 3, and I'd definitely recommend adding it to your summer reading list! Some books need to be read in one sitting, and Make Me Famous is one of them. The book revolves around Cléo, an aspiring singer who is obsessed with becoming famous. We see her rise to fame, as well as her present day, where she jets off on holiday to a remote island to focus on writing her fourth album in peace. Cléo is one of the most dislikeable protagonists I've ever read, which can sometimes be a recipe for disaster, but not in this case. The book is so immersive, so addictive and so twisted. Bonus points for an ending that literally made me gasp aloud. You know a book is good when it's over 500 pages long but you get through it in a matter of days. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil tells the story of María, Charlotte and Alice, three very different women from very different worlds. V. E. Schwab's signature atmospheric, lyrical writing style transports you across the centuries, with a perfect mixture of obsession, yearning and Sapphic love. It's another addictive read, and once it sinks its teeth into you, you won't be able to put it down. Park Avenue follows Jia Song, a junior partner at a prestigious law firm who takes on a hush-hush case working for one of the most famous Korean families in the world. As Jia travels the world finding answers, contending with feuding siblings and uncovering dark secrets, she finds herself starting to fall for the family. When I saw Park Avenue described as 'Crazy Rich Asians meets Succession', I knew it had the potential to be a five-star read for me. I was hooked all the way through; it's so messy and brings has elements of mystery, romance and thriller. It's also a perfect travel read. I read this while on a weekend away and felt like I was watching a (very entertaining) film in my head the whole time! Sometimes you know before reading that you're going to love a book. But other times, a book you weren't so sure about just blows you away. I am someone who tends to steer clear of anything even remotely scary, so Make a Home of Me by Vanessa Santos has been one of the biggest revelations of the year for me. This collection of short stories, all set in houses that should provide protection but instead turn on their inhabitants, is unsettling yet inviting. The collection opens with a dinner party with a gruesome twist and goes on to tales of people driven to despair by a neighbour's crying baby, a family torn apart by strange notes and a woman's relationship with her new partner's strangely shy daughter. I ate every single story up, and would recommend this book to anyone, horror fan or otherwise. If you'd told me last year that some of my favourite reads of 2025 would be young adult novels, I wouldn't have believed you. But after falling in love with Rebecca Ross' Divine Rivals duology, I went on to Immortal Consequences, the first book in a new YA dark academia series following students at a boarding school on the fringes of the afterlife. In Immortal Consequences, the students must compete in the Decennial - a series of magical trials held once a decade. We follow six different students, all with their own motivations and hidden agendas. With chapters from so many characters' perspectives, I was initially worried they wouldn't be fleshed out enough, but I needn't have worried. I was so invested in each and every one of the characters, and cannot wait to see where the series goes next. I clearly have a thing for books with chapters from lots of different points of view, because My Other Heart has been another favourite read of the year for me. In 1998, Mimi and her baby daughter Ngan are on the way home from Philadelphia to Vietnam when Ngan suddenly goes missing. Seventeen years later, best friends Kit and Sabrina plan trips to Tokyo and China respectively to find out more about who they are. This is a beautiful coming-of-age story, spanning decades and several different continents. And with universal themes of identity, friendship, love and motherhood, everyone will see a little part of themselves in the characters. Sunstruck follows a working-class Black man as he attempts to navigate the lavish world of his university friend Lily's affluent family. Over the course of a summer spent holidaying in the south of France, the man finds himself drawn to Lily's charming brother Felix. But when they return to London, things shift and the cracks in the Blake family's facade begin to show. As the winner of the #Merky Books' 2022 New Writers' Prize, I knew it was going to be good, but it surpassed all expectations and I can't wait to see what the author does next. Sunstruck is an intoxicating read, and one I finished in one sunny weekend earlier this year. Don't just take my word for it though; it's also one of the shortlisted titles for Waterstones' 2025 Debut Fiction Prize and would be a worthy winner. Saraswati is another of my stand-out reads that has also been nominated for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. Gurnaik Johal's debut novel sees the lives of seven individuals changed as an ancient sacred river springs back to life. Part political satire, part ecological parable, this is a great novel to sink your teeth into if you want something that will both entertain and make you think. As a lover of short stories, I really appreciated the format and pacing of Saraswati; each chapter introduces us to a new character, with each of the seven strangers getting their own moment in the spotlight before everything comes together. I was enthralled, and will definitely be reading We Move, the author's collection of short stories, soon. Atmosphere is a love story set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program. It follows Joan Goodwin, an astrophysics professor who finds love, friendship and rivalry while training to become an astronaut. But then, on a mission in December 1984, everything changes in an instant. As a big fan of both romance and science fiction, I had high expectations going into this. Luckily, it did not disappoint. Joan's relationships are complex, and the side characters are so fleshed out they actually feel like real people. I'm not someone who tends to cry a lot while reading, but this book had me in tears on multiple occasions, and I couldn't stop thinking about the ending for weeks.
Web Release
19-06-2025
- Business
- Web Release
Women's Fertility Takes Centre Stage at Second ‘Freeze the Moment' Ladies Night
Following the overwhelming success of the first Egg Freezing Ladies Night, Compound and IVF Support UAE are proud to host the next community-led event with over 100 women expected to attend on Thursday 26th June from 6:00pm – 9:00pm at Kanpai, Souk Al Bahar, Downtown Dubai. Designed to educate and empower women in a relaxed and sociable setting, this unique event puts the spotlight on egg freezing, a topic that remains under-discussed despite growing interest. With over 80 attendees at the first event, the format has proven to be a welcomed, stigma-free space where women can learn, connect and feel supported. Revolutionising the assisted conception journey, the event allows women to learn about egg-freezing and discover more about the process for individuals and couples from experts in an informal atmosphere. Experts at the event will include representatives from Ferticlinic and Fakih IVF who will offer guidance and expertise, as well as IVF Support UAE founder, Cassie Destino who has been through the journey herself. In true Ladies Night style, the event promises an evening of welcome drinks, pampering treats and other fun, interactive activities in a warm, welcoming environment. Cassie Destino, Founder of IVF Support UAE, said: 'We believe that access to fertility information should be empowering, inclusive and judgement-free. The success of our first event confirmed just how needed these conversations are, and we are so proud to help lead them here in the region'. Also in attendance will be Compound, a financial wellness platform reshaping the way we think about spending and saving. In a world where debt has long been incentivised, Compound is flipping the script and partnering with brands to reward consumers for saving toward future purchases rather than relying on credit. By encouraging early commitment and loyalty, they're creating a system where both consumers and merchants can thrive. Their presence brings a fresh and thought-provoking angle to the evening's focus on planning for the future. To RSVP to attend the event, please fill out the below form – spaces are limited: For more information visit and or @ and @ivfsupportuae on social media.
Forbes
08-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
DeFi Pioneer's Superstate To Bring Public Equities To Solana
Canada-listed SOL Strategies will be the first to list its shares through the new platform. Robert Leshner, CEO of Superstate Superstate, the New York-based blockchain company helmed by Robert Leshner, is rolling out Opening Bell, a platform that will let companies issue and trade SEC-registered public shares directly on blockchains. Leshner is best known for founding Compound, a pioneering decentralized lending protocol, and as a partner at Robot Ventures, an early-stage investor in crypto startups such as EigenLayer, Lido Finance and Flashbots. Until now, Superstate's turf was tokenized funds. Its flagship vehicle, USTB, backed by short-term Treasurys, yields about 4.1% and manages $651 million in assets. The newer USCC fund, which wrings returns from cash-and-carry trades across bitcoin, ether and Treasurys, manages $100 million and offers a 6% yield. Both are Ethereum-based and off-limits to retail investors. With Opening Bell, Superstate is opening the doors to support equities on the Solana blockchain and retail investors as well as institutions. 'Our ultimate goal is not to be an asset manager,' says Leshner. 'We see public equity as the next major chapter of tokenization and our focus from here on out.' The pitch is programmable stock integrated into decentralized finance (DeFi) and tradable around the clock. Investors, after a standard identity check (KYC) either through Superstate or a partner wallet, will land on an approved list and will be able to buy or sell shares via their favorite decentralized exchange. Shares will settle instantly and show up in your wallet like any other crypto asset. The fee structure has not been disclosed. The first to sign up is SOL Strategies, a Canadian firm focused on building infrastructure for Solana. Pending regulatory approval, its shares will be tradable on Solana this summer. SOL Strategies had previously announced plans to list on Nasdaq, but sees this launch as another crucial next step. 'We believe that the future is Internet capital markets, and we want to be there first,' says President and CEO Leah Wald, who previously cofounded Valkyrie, a crypto ETF issuer acquired by CoinShares last year. Details of the offering, including the number of shares to be issued on the blockchain, have not yet been finalized. Why Solana? Leshner points to its speed and resilience, proven by handling billions in memecoin trades and says it's ready for a major test by another asset class, but the plan for Opening Bell is to expand to other blockchains as well. He is betting on a new, crypto-first generation of investors. 'It's a massive wave of capital that doesn't care about brokerage accounts, that does care about blockchain wallets, that wants to be able to trade in the ways that they're used to. I really think of this as an entirely new capital market ready for companies to tap into,' says Leshner. That demand isn't limited to retail: many hedge funds, venture firms and wealthy investors are already hooked on crypto-native channels, he argues, pointing to Superstate's 150 institutional clients, including Arrington Capital, BitGo, CoinFund, Flowdesk and ParaFi. Wald adds that for global investors, blockchain-native equities could lower the barriers to U.S. stocks and other markets that traditional brokers make hard to reach. 'It really allows many individuals to access these opportunities in a digital way that provides 24/7 trading and everything that we love about crypto,' she says. Of course, this isn't the first time someone's tried to put securities on a blockchain. Remember tZERO, a platform backed by Overstock, which pioneered the concept ten years ago? Or tokenized shares of companies like Tesla and Apple Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX used to offer? The key difference now is that Superstate is aiming for a securities regulator-approved framework, not just synthetic tokens or offshore workarounds. Last week, it submitted a proposal to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, dubbed Project Open, to enable the issuance and trading of equity securities on public blockchain networks like Solana. In Leshner's view, this is the necessary beginning of Internet capital markets. 'Even if Nasdaq upgrades, it might take years for it to get to parity with blockchains, which continue to evolve more quickly and offer natural demand for issuers like SOL Strategies.'
Forbes
14-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Tether, Galaxy, Ledn Dominate Centralized Crypto Lending As DeFi Claims A Bigger Share Of The $37 Billion Market
It wasn't long ago that crypto lending looked like the industry's most radioactive ruin. BlockFi, Celsius, Voyager, Genesis, once industry's leaders, imploded in the great 2022-2023 washout, wiping out $25 billion in loans and much of the sector's credibility. Now, a new report from Galaxy Digital suggests a partial resurrection is underway, led by a familiar cast of survivors. Tether, Galaxy and Ledn have emerged as the dominant players in centralized finance (CeFi) lending, holding a combined $9.9 billion in outstanding loans at the end of 2024. That's nearly 90% of the CeFi market, according to Galaxy's research associate Zack Pokorny. Crypto lending exists for many of the same reasons as traditional borrowing. Traders borrow to short tokens or increase leverage, long-term holders unlock liquidity without selling, businesses take loans to fund operations, and lenders earn passive yield on idle assets. Today, the total crypto lending market stands at $36.5 billion, still 43% below its $64.4 billion peak in late 2021. But the composition of that market is shifting fast. DeFi platforms now account for 63% of crypto borrowing (excluding crypto-backed stablecoins), nearly double their share during the last bull run. Crypto lending is climbing back, with DeFi apps leading recent growth. Galaxy Research At its height in late 2021-early 2022, centralized crypto lending was dominated by Genesis, Celsius, and BlockFi, which together controlled 76% of the market. Then came the crash: falling token prices, sloppy risk management and toxic collateral triggered an industry-wide credit unwind. By Q1 2023, CeFi's total loan book had collapsed to $6.4 billion. It has since grown back to $11.2 billion, a 73% rebound, but is still down two-thirds from its peak. A new trio has filled the void: Together, they control 89% of what remains of centralized crypto lending and 27% of the overall crypto lending market when including crypto-backed stablecoins. While institutional lenders like Galaxy and Ledn fought to stay afloat, DeFi protocols quietly expanded their market share. Platforms like Aave and Compound, governed by code, require borrowers to post more collateral than they borrow, thus eliminating much of the credit risk that crippled CeFi. At the bear market bottom in Q4 2022, DeFi borrowing had dropped to just $1.8 billion. It's since surged more than tenfold to $19.1 billion across 20 platforms on 12 blockchains. Ethereum remains the primary blockchain for DeFi lending, with $33.9 billion in assets deposited as of March 2025. Lending, in fact, remains the largest use case for decentralized finance. Crypto-backed stablecoins like the $7 billion USDS and the $5 billion Ethena USDe—the third- and fourth-largest stablecoins after Tether and Circle's USDC—add complexity. In the case of USDS, users lock their crypto (for example, ether) into a smart contract as collateral, which then issues stablecoins. To minimize default risk, the value of the collateral must exceed the value of the issued tokens. USDe, by contrast, relies on a delta-hedging strategy, pairing crypto collateral with short positions in derivatives markets to maintain its $1 peg. Galaxy notes there may be some double-counting between centralized and decentralized loan books, as institutional lenders often use these and other DeFi protocols to originate loans for their clients. 'The rate for borrowing against bitcoin, is now hovering anywhere from 5.5%-7%. That's down from what we've seen over the last few months. It suggests a lot of people are sitting on the sidelines while the tariff wars play out, but the lending market is still in a relatively strong position today,' says Sid Powell, CEO and cofounder of Maple Finance, an institutional lender with a loan book of over $300 million that operates on the blockchain. 'I think a lot is riding on whether the 10-year-yield comes under control a bit, and if the Fed will start seeing some inflation reduction and an improvement in employment numbers. Then we'll see a rate cut, and that will be beneficial for crypto asset prices.' Winds have already been shifting in favor of a broader institutional reentry. In July, Cantor Fitzgerald, the primary custodian of Tether's collateral, announced plans to launch a $2 billion bitcoin financing business to provide leverage to bitcoin holders (U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is Cantor's former chairman and CEO. Though he has agreed to divest his interest in the company to comply with U.S. government ethics rules, the reins now belong to his sons). And in January, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rescinded Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) 121, easing restrictions on how publicly traded companies treat client-held crypto assets. That move removed a major roadblock for banks and institutions to participate in crypto custody and lending. U.S.-listed bitcoin ETFs have also opened new doors. As Galaxy notes, the entrance of prime brokers offering lending and leverage on these products is already expanding the market. '[Cantor's launch] will set an interesting trend, because bitcoin is a very liquid asset that trades 24/7 around the world. It's much more liquid and transparent than conventional fixed income, while paying a yield that's comparable to an investment-grade bond. A lot of large institutions are holding bitcoin, and being able to turn that into a fixed income-style product where they can earn yield is very attractive,' adds Powell. 'We, among others, are looking at how we can package and tokenize that asset for institutional consumption. Maple recently launched a product in partnership with Core, the creator of a yield-bearing bitcoin token, that lets institutions earn yield on their bitcoin in kind. 'We've already seen $50 million in inflows in under two months,' Powell says. 'I'm interested in whether that becomes something of a Trojan horse for institutions to do more on-chain.'
