Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Conjure Up Happy Memories

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books that Conjure Up Happy Memories.

I ran out of time to really think this one through, so I’m stopping at just 8 for this week’s list! Here’s my selection of books that I associate with happy memories:

1) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: I picked up this paperback for the first time while on a family trip near Yosemite. I went out to the meadow behind our cabin, sat on a big rock, and started reading. I’ll always associate this book with that gorgeous setting!

2) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith: This one is a little bittersweet. The book was a gift from a very dear friend who has since passed away, and I miss her all the time. But whenever I come across this book, it makes me think of her, and that’s worth smiling about.

3) The Emily Starr trilogy by L. M. Montgomery: Another choice that mixes happiness with a bit of sadness. During the pandemic, I did a lot of traveling back and forth to spend time (in full protective gear!) with my elderly father. My only distraction was going to the hotel fitness room at the end of each day and getting on the treadmill, and the Emily books were my workout companions. They’re so joyful and wonderful, and always lifted my spirits.

4) Letters from Thailand by Botan: This book is part of my love story with my husband! Our conversation about this book was the first time we really connected on a level beyond being casual acquaintances. And of course, talking about books was the key to my heart!

5) Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1) by Tamora Pierce: My daughter fell in love with this series when she was in middle school and insisted that I read it. What a great shared reading experience!

6) All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor: I loved these books as a kid, and later shared them with my own kids!

7 & 8: Historical fiction from James Michener: I read this author’s massive historical novels, Alaska and Hawaii, before traveling to each place for the first time, years ago. I loved the books, and loved how they made the visits to each place so much richer and meaningful.

Do you have certain books that bring up happy memories for you?

If you wrote a TTT post, please share your link!

Save

5Oct2026

The Monday Check-In ~ 10/5/2026

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.

After a busy workweek, my real highlight was spending the weekend with my daughter and her husband. It was wonderful! Great visit, lots of fun, beautiful scenery… what a joy!

Bookish bits & bobs:

Another exciting cover reveal this past week:

Carley Fortune’s next book, Only in Summer, will be released May 2027. Once again, a stunning cover!

What did I read during the last week?

An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton: Historical fiction with a speculative twist, set during the 1960s space race. My review is here.

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel: Beautiful, complicated story that’s difficult to describe. My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

I’ve still been mainly offline as far as viewing and streaming are concerned — but I am enjoying Dancing with the Stars. My updated favorites are Amber Glenn, Ezra Frech, Julia Stiles, and Tatyana Ali!

I’ve watched the first two episodes of the 2nd season of the Outlander prequel series, Blood of My Blood — good so far, even if the show seem to enjoy nothing more than tormenting its characters and finding fresh ways to make them unhappy.

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week.

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Wool by Hugh Howey: This is a big, chunky sci-fi book — and I’m hooked! I’m getting close to the end, and I’m eager to see how it wraps up… and I have a feeling I’ll want to pick up the sequel pretty quickly.

Now playing via audiobook:

No Matter What by Cara Bastone: A New York-based love story that defies certain expected romance tropes. So close to finishing!

Ongoing reads:

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe: My book group’s classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 92%. Coming up this week: Volume 4, chapters 13 and 14.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

2Oct2026

Book Review: Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Exit Party
Author: Emily St. John Mandel
Publisher: Picador
Publication date: September 15, 2026
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Science fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

From the bestselling author of Station Eleven, Exit Party is Emily St. John Mandel’s epic new story of crimes committed and loves lost across worlds and decades.

2031. America is at war with itself, but for the first time in weeks there is some hope: the Republic of California has been declared, the curfew in Los Angeles is lifted, and everyone in the city is going to a party.

Ari, newly released from prison, arrives with her friend Gloria just as a fragile new era begins. But there are people at the party who shouldn’t be there. Something is very wrong…

Years later, living a different life in Paris, Ari remains haunted by that night. Whatever happened at the party fractured her sense of reality – and may hold the key to a very different world.

Freedom and surveillance, art and survival, love and loss in a broken world: Exit Party is the electrifying new novel from Emily St. John Mandel.

Emily St. John Mandel’s books are always startling and practically impossible to describe. They have to be experienced; there’s a sense of wonder that comes with seeing her stories unfold on the page. Exit Party is another fine example of her strange, lyrical storytelling.

In 2031, the United States is no more. After a coup d’état, the country has fractured into a myriad of territories and republics and city-states. As the story opens, war has ended — at least for the moment — in Los Angeles, and people are ready to celebrate. The main character is Ari, recently released after an eighteen-year prison sentence, who lives in LA with her roommate Gloria. Gloria had intended to bring Ari to a friend’s party, but has a hard time leaving the apartment; Ari — after a lifetime of premonitions that come true — feels strongly that they need to attend.

The party is fun at first, but odd things happen. A woman Ari’s never met calls her by the name on her birth certificate — a name she never uses — and then seems to appear in a completely different outfit moments later. Another woman looks almost exactly like Gloria, and Ari sees more things that she can’t explain. Later, the party’s host disappears, and is never heard from again.

Following the party, Ari’s life goes on, as she move from place to place, in and out of danger, finding new ways to survive and making new connections, navigating a world of militias and checkpoints and violence. The mysteries surrounding that party never really leave her mind, and we see how the ripple effects follow her across decades.

All this is in the “A-Side” section of Exit Party; the book’s second half is “B-Side”, and without going into too much detail, it provides a look at a very different version of the world. In “B-Side”, there’s no longer a United States — instead, there’s the State, a surveillance based country in which life is supposedly safe, because it’s absolutely controlled. There’s no war, because the Service knows and sees everything and stops problems before they start. There’s a connection to Ari’s story; let’s leave it at that.

Exit Party is astounding in all the right ways. The parallels between the halves of the book are a joy to discover, a puzzle to unravel and muse over. Characters weave in and out of both halves, some fully fleshed out and alive, some who make brief but memorable appearances before disappearing again. Both halves show worlds that seems awful in their own ways, yet it’s intriguing to see how events play out in both, and scarily possible to imagine a path from our own world to these other versions.

My one minor quibble with this book is that despite how much I loved the writing and was fascinated by the complex storytelling, I often felt emotionally disengaged. I was interested in the characters, but not actually connected to them on a deeper level. The plot threads are woven together beautiful and I was intrigued by the characters’ lives and experiences; I just didn’t feel that I was in the story alongside them, if that makes any sense.

Despite that, I was very absorbed throughout my time with Exit Party. The author’s writing casts a spell, and the book as a whole is a fascinating journey. Highly recommended for fans of the author as well as for readers new to her work.

Interested in this author? Check out my review of more books by Emily St. John Mandel:
Station Eleven
The Glass Hotel
Sea of Tranquility

Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

1Oct2026

Spell the Month in Books: October

Posted in Fun and Whimsy by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Spell the Month in Books is a monthly meme hosted by Jana at Reviews from the Stacks. To participate, find a book title that starts with each letter in the month’s name, make a list, share your link, and that’s it! You can share anytime by the end of the month. Some months have additional themes, but feel free to participate however you’d like!

There’s no official theme this month, so I’m going with one of my own! With Halloween just around the corner, my clear choice for October is HORROR. Without further ado, here are my horror books whose titles spell October:

O:

The Outsider by Stephen King

Intensely creepy! (review)

C:

The Children by Melissa Albert
Inventive and haunting (review)

T:

Talulla Rising by Glen Duncan

2nd in a fascinating werewolf trilogy (review)

O:

Overgrowth by Mira Grant

Unique tale of alien invasion (review)

B:

Breed by Chase Novak

SO disturbing! (review)

E:

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie

Scary, original, hard to define! (review)

R:

The Return by Rachel Harrison

Talented author’s first novel — amazing! (review)

Happy October to all! If you spelled the month in books, please leave me a link to your post — I’d love to see it!

30Sep2026

Book Review: An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: An Infinite Love Story
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: July 7, 2026
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

When an astronaut is lost in space, his wife relives their epic love as she attempts to unravel what truly happened to him, in this sweeping love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s Space Race, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes.

When Joe Mitchell launches into space, the world is watching. It’s 1968, and the country waits with anticipation and excitement for another successful mission, another celebration as America sets its sights on the Moon. And then comes the knock at the door.

Joe Mitchell’s spacecraft has lost contact. He and his fellow astronauts onboard are feared to be dead. It’s his wife Vivian’s worst nightmare come to life, her grief suddenly taking center stage as the nation waits and mourns. In her quiet moments, Vivian relives their memorable story, unable to accept that this is the end to a love that felt as though it was written in the stars.

As the investigation surrounding Joe’s lost spacecraft intensifies and the mishap is written off as an operator error, Vivian is determined to clear her husband’s name and uncover the mystery of what happened in space. When someone starts sending Vivian messages—messages she believes only Joe could send—she begins to wonder if their love is stronger than space and time, and she’ll do whatever it takes to bring her husband back to her.

Space exploration and space-related historical fiction are always favorite topics for me, so picking up An Infinite Love Story seemed like an obvious choice. And while I found a lot to love about this book, its foray into a more speculative resolution didn’t quite work for me.

An Infinite Love Story is, as the title promises, first and foremost a story about love. When Vivian meets Joe in the early 1960s, she’s a hard-working reporter trying to break into the boys-club DC newsroom business. Despite her obvious talents, she’s too often shoved aside or assigned to coffee-making duties rather than getting to sink her teeth into real reporting. One of Vivian’s hard and fast rules for her personal life is no dating pilots — her own childhood was a blur of being dragged around the country as her mother pursued one risky relationship after another, after Vivian’s fighter pilot father was killed in action when she was quite young. Vivian wants a career first and foremost, and maybe a safe, quiet dating life on the side.

All that changes when she meets Joe Mitchell, the stereotypical fighter pilot whose charisma and good looks dominate whatever room he’s in. Joe and Vivian share an instant spark, but she’s absolutely not interested… and yet, each time they meet, they find that they can’t resist or walk away from the connection that draws them together. Even once they’re married, Vivian is unhappy with Joe’s career, as his dream of getting selected as an astronaut finally comes true and he begins his NASA training. And yet, she can’t help but support him, despite the pain of knowing that the man she loves works at a job that entails daily risk and uncertainty.

When Joe is assigned command of the first mission to orbit the moon, he’s elated and Vivian is fearful. With launch approaching, he makes a promise:

“Fine, let’s take the issue of whether or not I’m a great pilot and try it this way—have I ever broken a promise to you?”

“No.”

She’d learned that early on in their relationship—that when Joe gave his word about something, he meant it, wholly, completely. It was one of the things she admired most about him.

“Then I’ll make you a promise now. I’ll always come back to you. Always.”

“You can’t make a promise like that. No one can.”

“I can and I will.”

The day after launch, the worst possible news arrives: Mission Control has lost contact with the spacecraft. No communications, no telemetry, no signals at all — it’s just gone. Vivian refuses to believe it. If something terrible had happened, wouldn’t there be evidence? Debris? Something in the communication history to indicate a problem? But as days pass, the world seems ready to accept the tragic fact that the mission has failed and the spacecraft is lost. Vivian’s worst fears have come to pass — but then odd things begin to happen. Moved objects, a note in Joe’s handwriting, a strange book showing up on his nightstand. Is she imagining things, or is Joe somehow out there, trying to reach her?

First, what I really enjoyed about An Infinite Love Story: I’m always fascinated by stories set during the space race, whether faithfully recreated historical fiction or alternate versions (see my comments on The Calculating Stars and AppleTV’s For All Mankind as examples). By using a dual timeline to show Vivian and Joe’s early courtship starting in 1961, interwoven with the failed mission in 1968, the book provides readers with a good sense of the focus and fervor associated with the space program as well as the expectations and burdens placed on astronauts’ wives and families.

But… where I struggled with this book has to do with the more “woo-woo” aspects, specifically what Vivian perceives as Joe’s communication after the disaster and her belief that he’s still out there somewhere. While her experiences and investigation are interesting, I didn’t buy the resolution, and felt that the conclusion betrays some of the sentiment so important to the rest of the story. I suppose some readers will have quite an opposite reaction and will find the ending uplifting and hopeful. To me, it was simply not believable or palatable, and made my overall experience of the book a bit of a letdown.

An Infinite Love Story held my attention, and I came to truly care about the characters. Plot choices later in the story made this a less successful read for me, but I still found much to enjoy earlier on.

Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

29Sep2026

Top Ten Tuesday: [Fall Freebie] Books with “fall” in the title

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Fall-Themed Freebie… so we all come up with whatever take on the theme we choose. I’m keeping it simple and very literal… so here are ten books I’ve read with some variation of the word “fall” in the title.

This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong (review)
A Longer Fall by Charlaine Harris (review)
Snow Falling by Jane Gloriana Villanueva (review)
The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcy Little Badger
Leviathan Falls by James S. A. Corey (review)
The Fall of Koli by M. R. Carey (review)
Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau (review)
Before the Fall by Noah Hawley (review)
A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner (review)

What fall theme did you choose this week?

If you wrote a TTT post, please share your link!

Save

28Sep2026

The Monday Check-In ~ 9/28/2026

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

Life.

I’m just catching up after a week away! I spent a wonderful week in Hawaii with my husband — we celebrated my birthday, enjoyed the gorgeous weather and beautiful views, read a lot on the beach, and ate delicious food. Absolutely lovely!

*Finding a beachside Little Free Library was a nice little treat!*

Bookish bits & bobs:

Two upcoming book releases that I learned about over the past two weeks — these make me so happy! Both will be released in 2027.

The Lovebirds by Katherine Center (May 2027)
A Spoonful of Trouble by T. Kingfisher (September 2027)

And this tickled my inner grammar nerd / cat lover:

What did I read during the last (two) weeks?

The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones by Lex Croucher: A surprise hit! I hadn’t heard anything about this book before stumbling across a rave review in the New York Times. Plain and simple — I loved it. My review is here.

Pride and Prejudice (Audible Original – dramatization): A fun dramatization with a full cast that includes Glenn Close as Lady Catherine de Bourgh! It’s fairly short, and was a nice way to fill in the little bit of listening time I had last week.

What You Are Looking For Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama: Sweet, cozy Japanese fiction about intersecting lives connected by a community library and its unusual librarian. My book group’s September pick. I enjoyed it a lot, even though I didn’t get around to writing a review.

A Divided Duty (October Daye, #20) by Seanan McGuire: Another excellent installment in a favorite fantasy series. My review is here.

An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton: Historical fiction with a speculative twist, set during the 1960s space race. Watch for my review later this week.

Newbourne Park by Jennifer Thorne: Sharp, fast-paced horror. Loved it! My review is here.

Pop culture & TV:

Since I’ve only been home a few days, I really haven’t had much viewing time (and spent no time at all in front of screens while on vacation). So far, I’ve caught up on the first few episodes of the new season of Dancing with the Stars (my early favorites are Amber Glenn, Ezra Frech, and Julia Stiles!), and just sat down last night to start the 2nd season of the Outlander prequel series, Blood of My Blood.

Shocker — I think I’m going to sit out the new season of Survivor (that started this past week). I feel like I’ve just had enough of that particular show… although I reserve the right to change my mind! There’s a new season of The Amazing Race starting this week, and since that’s one that my son likes too, I’ll probably be watching.

And once life settles down a bit again, I’m sure I’ll have plenty to check out from my Netflix watchlist…

Fresh Catch:

Right before my trip, my copy of Exit Party arrived:

And when I came back, I found my preordered, signed copy of Well Versed waiting for me!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel: Started over the weekend, and I’ve read about a third so far. I’m confused, but intrigued!

Now playing via audiobook:

No Matter What by Cara Bastone: I’d been wanting to start this audiobook, and finally had time once we got home from our trip. I haven’t made a ton of progress yet, but I’m liking it so far!

Ongoing reads:

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe: My book group’s classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 88%. Coming up this week: Volume 4, chapters 11 and 12.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

27Sep2026

Book Review: Newbourne Park by Jennifer Thorne

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Newbourne Park
Author: Jennifer Thorne
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication date: September 29, 2026
Length: 368 pages
Genre: Horror
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGallety
Rating:

From the USA Today bestselling author of Diavola comes a darkly funny, blood-soaked horror novel about the terrifying seduction of unlimited power.

After years of caring for her dying mother, Martha Shaw feels empty, exhausted, and far older than her twenty-six years. So when her brother invites her to a weekend getaway at the opulent, two-hundred-acre country estate where his friend works, Martha reluctantly agrees. After all, what’s the harm? The owners and all their staff will be gone. Security cameras will be off. The house will be theirs. For the first time in years, Martha might actually have fun.

And it is fun, taking advantage of the historic mega-mansion and its vast grounds. Martha begins to feel human again. But when night falls, the rightful master of Newbourne Park returns—and she’s not alone. Suddenly, being caught trespassing is the least of their worries, because what steps out into the moonlight is something vicious. And hungry.

What began as a lark becomes a bloody battle for survival, where greed and morality collide—and a woman must choose to bow, break, or bite back.

Have you read books where you went in knowing only the bare basics, and had a sharply defined moment where you thought, “Oh, so THAT’s what this book is about!”? That was my reading experience with Newbourne Park, and I have to say, I loved experiencing it that way. So, with that in mind, I’m going to be as general as I can when talking about this book… although I suspect most reviews will tell you straight away that this is a [insert theme here!] story.

What the brief bits of the blurb I’d paid attention to told me, and what I’ll share here, is this: Martha Shaw has spent years caring for her dying mother in their cottage in a working-class village. Martha was expected to rise above her station; as a child, her mother took her and her brother on outings to visit great houses and estates, and Martha’s intelligence and gift for learning earned her a place in a prestigious school and an offer to study medicine at Oxford. Her shining future collapsed when her mother became ill, and now, months after her mother’s death, Martha finds herself lonely, depressed, and with not much going for her.

But as Martha tells us in the first few pages:

You’ll likely hate me by the end of this — but oh, my darlings, I could not care less.

Doesn’t sound like the woman I’ve described so far, does it? Clearly, something changes.

Martha’s brother insists on getting her out of the house once a week for pub nights, and convinces her to join him, his girlfriend, and his best friend Tommy on a weekend adventure. Tommy is a footman at a lavish estate, and the owners and staff will all be away. With even the security cameras disarmed for the weekend, it’s a rare opportunity to sneak onto the grounds and live like the rich folks do for a few days. Reluctantly, Martha agrees to go along, and feels drawn by Newbourne the moment she enters the estate.

At first, it’s a crazy risk that pays off. Yes, they’re trespassing, and of course, Tommy could be fired and they could all be arrested if caught… but Newbourne Park is beautiful and isolated, and its luxuries are too much to resist. But on their second day there, unexpected deliveries and arrivals interrupt the trespassers’ country getaway… and things take a turn toward violence and extreme danger.

And that’s only in the opening chapters!

Author Jennifer Thorne creates an unforgettable story out of familiar elements, showing Martha’s evolution into a person of power — both through elements outside of her control and through her own deliberate decisions. The descriptions of what she experiences at Newbourne are blood-soaked and scary, and yet, there are social elements that are downright funny as we see Martha skewering expectations and forcing her way into a world where she’d more naturally be excluded.

The horror elements are well-drawn, imbuing certain tropes with new twists as well as providing startling and often entertaining character moments. I loved seeing what becomes of Martha, how she changes from mousy and beaten-down into someone to be reckoned with, and what she’s willing to do in order to make sure her place at Newbourne is secure.

The pacing in Newbourne Park is fabulous, giving space for the personal moments and interactions while also keeping the sense of menace going full-tilt, and with scenes of violent action interspersed so the readers never lose sight of just what’s going on here.

Jennifer Thorne’s 2022 novel Lute remains my favorite of her books… but Newbourne Park is a close second! This author is incredibly talented, with a flair for compelling, complicated characters and vivid storytelling. I’m already eager to hear what she’ll be writing next!

Meanwhile, if my vague description of Newbourne Park has piqued your interest in any way… absolutely make a point of checking out the book! I couldn’t put it down. For horror fans, it’s a must-read.

Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

26Sep2026

Book Review: A Divided Duty (October Daye, #20) by Seanan McGuire

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: A Divided Duty
Series: October Daye, #20
Author: Seanan McGuire
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: September 29, 2026
Print length: 400 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

Seanan McGuire’s New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-nominated October Daye series finds Toby Daye torn between caring for her newborn daughter and keeping the world of Faerie―and her found family―safe.

October “Toby” Daye is settling into life with a baby, remembering the ins and outs of motherhood, and trying to find ways to balance her work with her desire to keep her baby safe at home and away from all the terrors Faerie has to offer. Her whole household is pitching in, from May all the way down to Raysel, the estranged daughter of Toby’s liege lord who is currently serving out a term of offense in Toby’s home.

Naturally, as everything is beginning to find a balance, it’s time for Raysel’s term of offense to end, and Luna Torquill very much wants her daughter back.

But Toby has been helping Raysel get the help she desperately needs, from giving her a safe place to hide all the way to finding her a licensed therapist who works with the fae, and Raysel isn’t ready to leave. Luna isn’t taking no for an answer, and before anyone can realize what she’s planning, she steals her own child away to Blind Michael’s lands.

Not even Luna knows all the terrible secrets her father and his works hid from the world, and not even she can protect her daughter from the monsters in their lineage. All too quickly, Toby must race the clock to save Raysel―before it’s too late for her to ever come home.

It’s been years, but now the question will be asked again: can she get there and back by the light of a candle?

October Daye is back, and going strong! The 20th book in an ongoing series is clearly not the place to jump in… but for readers who’ve been along for the ride so far, A Divided Duty hits all the high marks we’ve come to love and expect from Seanan McGuire’s brilliantly detailed fantasy world.

In short: Toby, a hero of the realm, is also a new mother. Her baby girl Miranda is fully fae, although it’s still too early to know how much of each of her parents’ magical lineages she carries. Toby and her husband Tybalt are sleep-deprived but happy, as are the rest of the assorted people who make up their quirky household.

One of these is Raysel, daughter of Toby’s liege, recovering from a tormented past in which she committed major crimes and offenses. Toby offers her the space to heal, but her officially sanctioned time in Toby’s household is coming to a close, and Raysel’s mother wants her back — but going home to Luna would be terrible for Raysel, and she’s desperate to stay where she is. The law of the realm backs Raysel’s wishes, but Luna refuses to accept the Queen’s ruling, and steals Raysel away to a land of darkness and terror, where she believes they’ll be untouchable.

Toby and Tybalt must set out on yet another dangerous, practically impossible quest to rescue Raysel, leaving baby Miranda at home while they attempt to bring back the stolen member of their found family — and hoping with all their might that they won’t end up leaving Miranda an orphan.

A Divided Duty is another excellent adventure for Toby, and a terrific showcase for the dynamics of her relationship with Tybalt. The two have navigated tremendous ups and downs over the course of the series; it’s fascinating to see all the ways in which they balance one another, recognizing their individual strengths and vulnerabilities and how they work best in tandem.

The characters in Toby’s world are still in recovery from the traumatic events of books 16 – 18, which upended their lives and the entire fae world in ways still having ripple effects. The author skillfully shows how the various characters have experienced life-altering changes due to those events, and how the traumas continue to linger and reverberate even after the main threats have been dealt with.

A Divided Duty wraps up well, and of course leaves plenty more issues and conflicts to explore. Central mysteries of the series remain unresolved, and it feels as though there are endless more adventures ahead for Toby, Tybalt and the rest of these beloved characters.

At this point, the world of the October Daye series is vast. In addition to the twenty main books, there are novellas (often included as bonus sections in the main books) and countless short stories, including many on Seanan McGuire’s author website and on her Patreon. Some of these provide older histories, while others fill in the gaps between main novels, and honestly, it’s overwhelming (for me, at least) to even attempt to keep up. I’d love it if someone published/maintained a directly of all of these, including where they fit into the main stories chronologically and in which characters’ story arcs. Who knows? Maybe someday I’ll have enough time on my hands (ha!) to actually do a deeper dive!

In any case… A Divided Duty provides a compelling next chapter for Toby and Tybalt. The danger and drama are terrific, as are the lighter character moments. As always, quirky moments and quippy banter provide entertainment, and it’s always a pleasure to spend time in Toby’s world.

I’ll close with my typical statement about the October Daye series: Starting at the beginning is a must. Pick up Rosemary and Rue — you won’t want to stop!

As I mentioned, main books in this series tend to include a novella at the end. For A Divided Duty, the novella is But by Degrees, narrated by Toby’s squire Quentin, a complicated young man who finds himself at a loss after the events of books 16 – 18. In those books, Quentin — along with everyone else — found himself living in an alternate version of reality, and now that the real world has been restored, he’s struggling to reconcile the person he’s always believed himself to be with what he saw himself become in that alternate world. But by Degrees is a moving character study, and I appreciated the insights into Quentin’s emotional state as well as this look at the lingering effects of unresolved trauma. It’s a fitting closing piece for A Divided Duty and works well as a companion to the main novel.

Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

22Sep2026

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Fall 2026 TBR List

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Books on My Fall 2026 to-Read List.

Where did all that leisurely summer reading time go? It’s hard to believe autumn is here already. From my 2026 summer TBR list, I read 8 out of the 11 books I’d hoped to read (yes, eleven — ten new books, plus one holdover from my spring list, which I did finally read!). I do intend to read the remaining three, but probably two of them will get deferred for a bit, and one will be via audiobook whenever my library hold comes in.

The spring holdovers are:

And as for a new batch of picks…

For my fall TBR, I’m going with a fresh list of even more books I plan to read! My top 10 are:

As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers
Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong
Monsters of Ohio by John Scalzi
Murmuration by TJ Klune
A Divided Duty (October Daye, #20) by Seanan McGuire
Eight Ways To Say I Love You by Amanda Elliot
Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
A Symphony of Echoes (The Chronicles of St. Mary’s, #2) by Jodi Taylor
Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger
Wool by Hugh Howey

I should also mention that I have three book group books coming up this fall as well… and being a responsible book group member, I fully intend to read them in time for our discussions!