2026

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

Happy New Year! It’s the first Monday of 2026… which means it’s time to return to a normal routine after a few quieter weeks.

While I worked part of last week, I also enjoyed a few days off, with plenty of reading time, family time, and time to be free and unscheduled!

Sigh. It’s hard to think about going back to the daily grind.

Year-end wrap-up and looking forward:

I share my usual batch of end-of-year and beginning-of-year posts, including:

What did I read during the last week?

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench: I loved this audiobook! It was a wonderful listen, and it also inspired me to plan to read some new-to-me Shakespeare plays in the coming year. My review is here.

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher: Such a beautiful, heart-warming novel! My review is here.

Puzzle time!

A couple of weeks ago, I started a puzzle created from a family photo, which was really fun… until I got all the faces and interesting bits done, and was left with hundreds of pieces that were just grass and leaves. I tried to power through, until our kitty managed to pull the whole thing off my puzzle table. Annoying… but it also gave me an excuse for calling it a day!

Moving on, I pulled out a puzzle I bought a while ago but hadn’t unboxed, and had a wonderful time with it. I loved the colors and design, as well as the quality of the pieces. This time around, I took defensive measures to keep the kitty away!

Ravensburger: Riverside Town **
**Amazon affiliate link: Links to purchase site; I may earn a small commission at no cost to you

Pop culture & TV:

I finished Pluribus, and really liked it! Can’t wait to see where the story goes whenever a new season drops.

After that, I started Shrinking. I haven’t gotten very far, but I like what I’ve seen.

I also watched a movie that left me with very mixed feelings — All of You on AppleTV. It’s well acted and the stars have great chemistry — but (spoiler alert!) a large part of the plot includes cheating, which I did not expect and which I would typically not choose to watch.

Fresh Catch:

A batch of new books this week:

I’ve now officially used up all gift cards and credits! I treated myself to the Harper Muse Classic edition of Sense and Sensibility, leaving me with just one more Jane Austen novel to add to the collection down the road. I couldn’t resist the gorgeous hardcover of The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty — fingers crossed that I’ll love the story as much as I love the cover design! Inspired by the Judi Dench audiobook that I finished last week, I ordered copies of two Shakespeare plays that I’ve never read and that I look forward to exploring.

Two library holds came in over the weekend, and while I was there, I grabbed two graphic novels that caught my eye. I’m happy with my library haul!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman: I borrowed this book from the library after reading this article on what to read after finishing Pluribus. Totally an impulse borrow, and I’m really curious to see how it all works out.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover: Thanks to days of never-ending rain, I haven’t been able to get out for my usual walks, which means I haven’t had nearly enough time for audiobooks. I like this one so far, and hope to make good progress this week during my daily commutes.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments — starting back up this week after a holiday break!

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 29%. Coming up this week: Chapters 11 & 12.
The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books starts up again this week, as we begin The Return of the King. Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 62%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

31Dec2025

All the books I meant to read – 2025 edition

Posted in Bookish Thoughts by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

It’s time for my annual end-of-year tradition — a look at all the books I meant to read! Here’s a look back at all the books I purchased in 2025, but just didn’t get around to reading for one reason or another.

As I noted last year, I’ve gotten much better about being thoughtful about which hard copy books I add to my shelves. I’ve leaned much more heavily into borrowing library books, and when I do spend money on new books, it tends to be for e-editions (since both my husband and I do the bulk of our reading on our Kindles).

However… I do still give in to temptation! There are certain authors whose books I need no matter what! I picked up a couple of signed books at author events this year, and treated myself to a few books that caught my eye and were total impulse purchases. In total, I bought fewer hard copy books than in previous years — and of the ones I bought, many were copies of books I’d already read, loved, and then decided to add to my bookshelves.

When it comes to e-books, I must admit that my restraint seems to go out the window. I tend to grab copies of ebooks when I see a good deal — I just can’t resist when a book on my TBR is available for $1.99 as a one-day price drop! The downside is that I end up adding books that I don’t necessarily intend to read right away. So, you’ll see lots and lots of new Kindle books added in 2025 and not yet read.

Let’s get to it. Here’s a salute to my unread books of 2025!

First, the hardcovers and paperbacks:

As for the ebooks added to my Kindle library in 2025:

Save

The e-book list is pretty overwhelming. Almost all of these were purchased when their prices dropped to a dollar or two… but still, that’s way more than I really should be adding to my library, when I still have so many books yet to read. I’ll try to do better in 2026 (but also, I acknowledge that I say this every year!)

End note:

While I’m talking about “meant to read” books, I thought I’d take a look at my quarterly Top Ten Tuesday TBR posts of 2025, to see if I actually read the books I listed as my priorities each season. Turns out, I did okay! Of the 37 books I named (three books were listed in more than one quarter), I read all but seven. My unread TTT/TBR books are:

The Naturalist Society by Carrie Vaughn: I really like this author, but didn’t feel interested enough to read this one.
Run Away with Me by Brian Seltzer: Just didn’t get around to borrowing this book from the library. Maybe someday, but it doesn’t feel like a priority.
City of All Seasons by Aliya Whiteley and Oliver K. Langmead: DNFd this one after a couple of chapters.
Swordheart by T. Kingfisher: Still plan to read
The Fair Folk by Su Bristow: Still plan to read
Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree: Still plan to read
A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz: Still plan to read

Have you read (and loved) any of my 2025 “meant-to-read” books? Please let me know if you see any you’d consider best of the bunch!

Onward to 2026! Happy New Year!Save

29Dec2025

The Monday Check-In ~ 12/29/2025

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Life.

The clock is ticking… it’s almost 2026! I have no plans for New Years, other than enjoying a day off from work and doing whatever I end up feeling like.

It’s been a good week, with family time and a few fun get-togethers with different groups of people. I’ve enjoyed the relaxed vibe of this end-of-year time — just wish it could last longer!

Blog posts:

I shared some thoughts on audiobooks, and what I think could make them better. Check it out here — I’d love to hear what you think! Also new this week: the first of my traditional year-in-review posts, this one about my series reading in 2025.

What did I read during the last week?

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold (Wayward Children, #11) by Seanan McGuire: Another terrific addition to a great series. My review is here.

A Damsel in Distress by P .G. Wodehouse: A delightfully silly story. My review is here.

3 Days 9 Months 27 Years by John Scalzi: An excellent short story with a twisty approach to time travel.

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis: My book group pick for December — finished just under the wire! I couldn’t put it down. Review to follow later in the week.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished season 2 of The Morning Show! Geez, that series is all over the place. Some characters are just so messy… and the pandemic is still recent enough that watching it on TV isn’t exactly entertainment. Still, I’m interested enough to keep going and see what happens next.

Meanwhile, I’ve watched 5 episodes of Pluribus. It’s so weird, and so hard not to binge straight through!

Fresh Catch:

Three new books this week:

I treated myself to copies of an Austen-related book and the Judi Dench book that’s my current audio listen, and received an early copy of the new Wayward Children book from the publisher.

What will I be reading during the coming week?