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 Goals for 2026 (Bookish or not! Share your reading goals, personal goals, etc.).
Since I already shared my bookish goals at the start of January, I’m going rogue! Today’s TTT post is essentially part two of last week’s list (my most anticipated books for the first half of 2026). This week, here are even more upcoming new releases to look forward to! After all, I felt bad leaving some of my top choices off the list last week…
Here we go — EVEN MORE new releases for the first half of 2026:
Listed in order of release date:
Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra (1/20/2026)
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett (2/17/2026)
A Ghastly Catastrophe (Veronica Speedwell, #10) by Deanna Raybourn (3/3/2026)
Where the Girls Were by Kate Schatz (3/3/2026)
Butterfly Effects (Incryptids, #15) by Seanan McGuire (3/10/2026)
Once and Again by Rebecca Serle (3/10/2026)
Love by the Book by Jessica George (4/7/2026)
Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell (4/14/2026)
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth (4/21/2026)
Take Me with You by Steven Rowley (5/19/2026)
Are any of these book on your TBR? Which sound good to you?
And since I went off-topic this week… if you wrote about bookish goals, please share your link! I’d love to see thoughts and intentions about the year to come.
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 Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2026.
I have a huge list of upcoming new releases that I’m planning to read. Between ARCs and preorders for books by favorite authors, I’m in no danger of running out of reading options!
As always, it’s difficult to narrow down the list to just ten. Here are some of the books I’m really looking forward to, with release dates between now and the end of June. (I could probably add another ten… but I’ll save those for another day!)
Listed in order of release date:
Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean (2/3/2026)
The Harvey Girl by Dana Stabenow (3/5/2026)
The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer (4/7/2026)
The Name Game by Beth O’Leary (4/7/2026)
We Burn So Bright by TJ Klune (4/28/2026)
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune (5/5/2026)
The Shippers by Katherine Center (5/19/2026)
An Ordinary Sort of Evil (A Rip Through Time, #5) by Kelley Armstrong (5/19/2026)
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan (5/26/2026)
Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer (6/9/2026)
Which upcoming new releases are you most excited for? Do we have any in common?
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 Best Books I Read in 2025.
I read so many great books this past year! According to StoryGraph, I gave 5-star ratings to 30 books in 2025. It’s too painful to narrow down to just ten… so I’m not! Leaving off books that were re-reads (such as three Tolkien and one Austen!) and a few children’s books, here are 22 of the best books that I read in 2025:
Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto (review)
Even at 22, that’s ignoring other books I really loved, but for whatever ever reason gave 4.5 or 4.75 stars on StoryGraph. This topic is a lot harder than I expected!
What were you favorite books of 2025? Do we have any in common?
As 2026 gets underway, I’m taking a moment to think about my book-related goals for the year to come.
My bookish goals mainly have to do with my reading habits: What do I want to focus on more — or less? What types of books do I want to read? What challenges do I want to join or set for myself?
Many of my reading goals are similar to those from years before… but that’s okay! I’m a work in progress — and my life as a reader continues to evolve.
Below are goals (intentions) that I’ll try to keep in mind as 2026 rolls along.
READING CHALLENGES
I’ll be joining a few challenges, as well as creating a few just for me:
Goodreads:
This is one I do every year. Last year, my goal was 150 books, and I ended up reading 159. However — I want to take things a bit slower this year and give myself breathing room for longer books and/or books that take more concentration or effort. Keep in mind that my goal number includes print and audio books, and I usually also have at least a few graphic novels and children’s/middle grade books in the mix.
StoryGraph:
I love that StoryGraph lets us break out our annual goals in three ways: Total number of books, number of pages, and number of hours (for audiobooks). I think my page and hours numbers from last year are pretty doable, but once again, I’m going to lower my total book count for the year.
More StoryGraph challenges:
I’m creating several challenges for myself on StoryGraph to help me stay on track with my personal goals. I’ve set these up as public challenges, just in case anyone wants to join in… but really, my intention is to use these as motivation for myself! My challenges are:
Non-Fiction Reading: Read at least 10 works of non-fiction — any topic will do.
Read My Coffee Table Books: Because I have a tendency to buy these and not truly spend time enjoying them. This is the year to change that!
Read My Shelves: My most important challenge of the year! I’m committing to reading at least 20 books that I’ve owned since 2025 or earlier.
Getting Graphic: Making time for more graphic novels, especially those I own and haven’t read yet.
Series Starters & Sequels Challenge: Committing to reading at least 10 books from series — either starting a new-to-me series or continuing a series I’ve already started.
20th Century Decades Challenge: This is a holdover from 2025 (and it’s a challenge I love). The goal was to read one book from each decade of the 20th century. I’ve made it through all but two, and decided to extend the end date so I could actually finish!
GENERAL INTENTIONS & GOALS FOR 2026:
Beyond the challenges, here are my overall goals related to reading, blogging, and my bookish life:
Read whatever I feel like, as much as I can. I say this every year… and every year it’s worth repeating! I’m always happiest when I read without a plan. It’s a wonderful feeling! Apart from ARCs and book group books, this is the approach that works for me… which is why I tend not to join big, popular reading challenges with a ton of prompts and categories to live up to.
Keep ARC requests manageable, and keep up with the ARCs I’ve committed to. I did really well with this goal in the 2nd half of 2025, but find myself starting 2026 with more ARC commitments than I’d really prefer. I’ll see them through — after all, my ARC request are all for books that I truly want to read! But beyond the ARCs I’ve already committed to, I’m going to attempt to limit my requests for the rest of the year.
Keep up with my book group books. We have our book-of-the-month picks all set for 2026, and I find I do best if I plan ahead and figure out in advance when to start each book.
Make time for my priority series for 2026, which I’ll be highlighting in a separate post this week.
Read books I already own. I know, I know… we all say this, every single year! I’m getting a little annoyed with myself for not doing a better job of reading books promptly after I add them to my shelves. I have so many books in my home and on my Kindle that I haven’t read yet — and while some no longer interest me, there are plenty more that I really do want to read. I’m going to push myself in this direction throughout the year, although it can be hard to keep the momentum going when favorite authors keep releasing new books.
Continue finding time for classics. I’ve been participating in the Classics Club spins for the past couple of years, which I love — but I have a big list of classics yet to read, and I’d like to carve out some time for at least one or two outside of the “spin cycle”.
Continue to pare down the number of physical books on my shelves, and be mindful about which I keep and which I send on their way. I’ve now had my own Little Free Library for over a year, and I’ve loved seeing the books come and go. When the LFL starts looking a little empty, I restock with a few books from my shelves that I haven’t looked at in ages. It’s a great feeling to see my “old” books get grabbed up and taken to a new home! I’m continuing to list books on Pango Books too, which helps me feel like I’m offsetting my book buying dollars a bit while also sending my gently loved books onward to someone new who’ll love them.
Do a big audiobook reread: I’ve been wanting to do an audio re-read of the Green Creek series by TJ Klune for a couple of years now. There’s also a new audiobook edition of Outlander, and well… it’s never a bad time for an Outlander re-read!
What are your bookish goals for 2026? Whatever they may be… wishing you lots of bookish delights!
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 Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf.
I’ve already shared most of the recent physical books I’ve added to my shelves — mainly hardcover editions of books I’ve already read (either as ARCs or from the library). So, for today’s post, I’m focusing on my Kindle library. Kindle books are an ongoing source of temptation for me. I can’t resist clicking that “buy now” button when there’s a sudden price drop! $1.99 for a book I’ve been wanting? Yes, please! Of course, I end up with more Kindle books than I can possibly read right away… but it’s nice to have options.
Here are the ten Kindle books I’ve added most recently:
The Guest in Room 120 by Sara Ackerman
The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner
A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson
The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty
All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles
Heartwood by Amity Gage
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali (an upcoming book group read)
To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage
Maine Characters by Hannah Orenstein
The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict (another upcoming book group read)
Have you read any of my recent additions? What books have you bought most recently?
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 I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. My holidays have already wrapped up and I don’t expect a visit from Santa… but in case a Book Fairy ever ends up in the neighborhood, here’s what I’m wishing for!
There are a few books here that I’m hoping to read in the coming year, a few that I’ve read but would love to own for myself… and who can resist a bookish Lego set?
Already read – want to own:
Cinder House by Freya Marske: I loved this novella! (review)
Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green: Such a powerful, informative book. I’d like my own copy so I can refer back to it again (and again) (review)
The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage: Loved this one too! I borrowed a library edition, but would really like a hardcover for my shelves. (review)
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews: I’ll be honest — I don’t actually know what this book is about, but it’s so gorgeous that I’m itching to buy a copy every time I see it pop up.
The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty: Yet another book that I’m definitely judging by its cover! The story sounds really good… but that beautiful design is what’s calling my name.
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 Winter 2025-2026 to-Read List.
I’m not sure how it’s winter already — I’m still not done with my fall TBR list! I ended up reading 7 of my 10 fall TBR books; of the three remaining, there are two I’m still fairly committed to reading (eventually), and one I’m not feeling especially drawn to at the moment. For my winter TBR post, I’m featuring an entirely new batch of books… but I’ll probably try to squeeze in those other two fall books down the road too!
Onward to the winter list…
I’ll have a slew of new releases and ARCs to read from about February onward, but before then, I’m going to try to focus on books I’ve been meaning to get to for a while… with maybe one or two new releases mixed in as well. I’ll save the rest of my upcoming new releases for January’s “most anticipated” TTT topic, and meanwhile…
Here are a batch of books I’m really looking forward to reading this winter:
Murder at Haven’s Rock (Haven’s Rock, #1) by Kelley Armstrong: After finishing the Rockton series, I’m dying to start this spin-off!
Through Gates of Garnet and Gold (Wayward Children, #11) by Seanan McGuire: Reading the newest book in this terrific series has become a favorite January tradition.
Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra: On a light note, a retelling of Anne of Green Gables sounds delightful.
The Names by Florence Knapp: One of several 2025 releases that I just didn’t get manage to get to.
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean: I’ve heard good things!
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans: The word-of-mouth on this book is really drawing me to it.
This Is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer: A book that keeps popping up on my “recommended for you” lists.
The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden: Sounds like an intense, immersive read.
Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein: I grabbed a copy on a whim thanks to a Kindle price drop, and still haven’t started it.
The Guest in Room 120 by Sara Ackerman: I’ve only read a couple of this author’s books, but I’ve been wanting to read more.
What books will be keeping you warm this winter? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!
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 Set in Snowy Places.
Note: The Silent Land is an under-the-radar gem! I read it back before I was blogging, so I don’t have a blog-based review to share — but here’s what I posted on Goodreads at the time:
A couple on a romantic ski getaway in the Pyrenees is caught in a sudden, early morning avalanche on the ski slopes. When they finally manage to dig themselves out and find their way back down the mountain, they find their hotel and its village have been evacuated, and they’re completely alone. Or is there something else going on? “The Silent Land” is simply told, but does a masterful job of evoking the glory of a snowy mountain, the joy of being with a soulmate, and the disquiet of realizing that some things defy explanation, no matter how hard you try to understand it all. It’s hard to go any further without divulging spoilers, which I won’t do. Suffice it to say that “The Silent Land” is both beautiful and ominous, gave me the chills, and kept me intrigued enough that I ended up reading in all in one day. Definitely recommended.
Do you have any favorite books with snowy settings?
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 a freebie — we choose whatever topic appeals to us! I enjoy finding patterns among my book titles — and I also enjoy having simpler TTT topics during weeks I know will be especially busy — so this week, I’ve chosen books with the word SECRET in their titles. There are a lot of them!
I’m focusing on books on my physical and virtual bookshelves. Some of these are books I’ve read, and some are from my TBR… and there are plenty of others I haven’t included, mainly because I’m trying to keep this list under control!
Reading now:
The Deepest of Secrets (Rockton, #7) by Kelley Armstrong
Read previously:
The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan (review)
The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers (review)
The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust, #2) by Philip Pullman (review)
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (review)
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 a Thanksgiving freebie — so we can each come up with our own take on something we’re thankful for this year.
A few years ago, my Thanksgiving freebie post was about books that make me feel thankful to my book group and bookish friends — generally, books I might not have read without the booklovers in my life either recommending them or picking them for our discussions. And now that several years have passed since I shared that list, it’s about time for a fresh look!
Here are ten terrific books that I ended up reading thanks to book group picks, friend/family recommendations, or recommendations from book bloggers:
Bookshelf Fantasies 