Welcome to 2026!
Each January, I typically identify a few series that I want to prioritize in the coming year. When I started this tradition, my lists were long and ambitious… and I didn’t particularly succeed at sticking to my plans. Last year, I scaled bag and highlighted a much smaller selection of series — and while I didn’t get to all of them, I did finish one series and sampled a few others.
As always, there are a few series (completed or ongoing) that I’d like to at least start. If I like the first book, maybe I’ll decide to keep going… but in any case, I hope to sample a few series starters and then see how I feel.
My priority series to read in 2026 will be:
Haven’s Rock series by Kelley Armstrong: The Rockton series was a highlight for me in 2025, and I’m thrilled that there’s a spin-off series so I can keep spending time with these characters. I’ve been holding off since early December… and now that it’s 2026, I’m reading to dive in.
The fourth book, Sign of Danger, is the newest book, coming in February 2026. I do plan to read all four of these, not necessarily by February, but certainly within the next few months.
Other series to sample or binge in 2026:
The Mary books (Lady Janies series) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows: My one hold-over from 2025! I really did mean to get to at least one of these books, and I’m recommitting to it for 2026.
The Chronicles of St Mary’s series by Jodi Taylor: According to Goodreads, there are 14 primary works plus a whole bunch of short stories in this series — which sounds a bit daunting, and yet, I’ve been seeing so many rave reviews for these books that I feel like I’m really missing out if I don’t give them a try. I’m committing to reading the first in the series, Just One Damned Thing After Another… and we’ll see what happens after that.
The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman: I read the first book late in 2025 — and yes, it lives up to the hype. There are currently four more books in the series, and I plan to read at least one or two (if not more) this year.
Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney series by Claudia Gray: I read the first book in this series over a year ago, and I’ve been wanting to get back to it, at least for one more book. The 5th book in the series will be released in June 2026.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky: I finally read the first book in this series this past year, after having it on my series-to-read list for several years in a row! I liked it a lot, but don’t necessarily feel a burning desire to dive back in right away. Still, I think I’d like to at least give the 2nd book a try, and then decide about the rest — so I’m only including book #2 on my list for now.
The “maybe” books:
And now, all my “maybe” choices — these are all series starters that I’m interested in. Maybe I’ll get to some of these in 2026, and then maybe I’ll want to read more from the same series… or maybe not. In any case, here are the other series starters that I’m considering this year, including several that are holdovers from 2025:
- Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall
- Pines by Blake Crouch
- Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
- Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
- Virgin River by Robyn Carr
- Wool (Silo, #1) by Hugh Howey
- The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews
- Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Are you planning to start any new series this year? If you’ve read any of the series on my list for 2026, please let me know what you thought and if you have any recommendations!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
I’ve read the Darcey series and just finished the arc for the new one where we FINALLY get some progression in the slow burn romance! 5 books is too long..I almost didn’t read the 5th!
5 books is a long time to wait for a slow-burn romance!! But, if you stuck with the series that far, then it must have kept your interest 🙂
By book four I as so frustrated! But early views and f book 5 indicated the romance was heating up, and I’m glad I read it. The books are very Austenesque, slow paced and character driven with lots of descriptive detail. She does Austen well, but I was always a bit impatient and wanted the pace to pick up. I think I enjoyed book 2 the most! In book 5 I admit I skimmed over most of it to get to the romance!
I loved the Mimi Matthews series!
That’s great to know! Based on what I’ve read about it, it sounds like something I’ll really enjoy.
Murder at Haven’s Rock was so good! I still need to continue the series but want to read the original Rockton series first.
PS: I realized I wasn’t following you before, but I am now! 🙂
Oh, thank you! Heading off to follow you back — I appreciate it!
Rockton is amazing! Hope you enjoy it!
I really want to get to the spin-off Rockton series, but I also really don’t want to start a new series just yet. It may be a later in 2026 series I start… depends on how well I do to catch up/finish on others. I hope they’re really good!
I hope so too — but given how great Rockton is, I expect to love Haven’s Rock too 🙂
I didn’t have strong feelings about Thursday Murder Club when I read it, so I never picked up the rest. But one of my favorite regulars at the bookstore raves about the series, and I think I’m going to revisit it this year, at the very least so we can talk about it!
I had assumed that the series wouldn’t be for me, until my daughter convinced me to give it a try. She’s read them all and tells me that I *must* keep going!
I am awful at finishing series even when I love the books. Good luck with your goal
Thank you! I have a hard time keeping up when there’s a big gap in between books in series, mainly because I lose interest if I have to wait too long. It’s nice to pick up a series that’s been around a while so I can read straight through!
These are all great possibilities! Because of you I’d like to start the Rockton series, we’ll see how that goes. Enjoy Haven’s Rock😁
Thanks! I hope you do check out Rockton — it’s such a great premise, and I’ve come to love the characters so much
Love how you focus on certain series each year. One of my goals is to keep up with my favorite series this year…because they almost all have new books coming out. Happy reading! 😀
Keeping up can be hard… and I didn’t even include my ongoing series! There are at least four that have new books coming this year 🙂
Prioritising series sounds like a great idea to me. The only ones on your list that I’ve read are The Thursday Murder Club books which I loved and Wool which is also brilliant.
I hope you enjoy whichever of these you decide to pick up.
I’ve been meaning to read Wool for years now! I’m glad to hear that you loved it!
Great selection! I love both The Thursday Murder Club books and The Chronicles Of St.Mary’s… I hope to read the final books of the second (10-14) in the next couple of months. Good luck with this goal!
Thank you! I’m excited to make progress with both of these series!
Hope the ones you get to work out. I’ve heard great things about Just One Damned Thing After Another and Legendborn and would like to try them both at some point.
I’ve heard great things too! Thank you!
Ooh yay, St Mary’s! I’m always happy when someone says they want to pick that one up! They’re such fun, and work really well as palate cleansers, I think. And don’t worry about all the spin-offs, you can really just focus on the original series to start with (assuming you enjoy Book 1 and want to continue). I didn’t even bother with the short stories until much later in the reading journey, and it was fine 🙂
Thanks, that’s great to know! My goal is to read all of the Haven’s Rock books first, then start the St Mary’s books. I’m excited to finally give them a try!
YAY!!! I love that you have the rest of The Thursday Murder Club! I adore this series so much. It’s such a comfort read now! The best of luck with all of these. 🙂
Thank you! I’m just waiting for my library hold for the 2nd Thursday Murder Club book to come in. Can’t wait to continue the series!
Yay, hopefully it doesn’t take too long! 🙂