At the start of each new year, I write a post about my intended series reading — which series I want to start, which I want to finish, and maybe even some that I want to devour all in one big reading binge.
Now that we’re at the end of December, it’s time to check back in and see if I actually accomplished any of my series reading goals for 2022.
So how did I do?
In 2022, my priority series to read were:
The Kingston Cycle trilogy by C. L. Polk:
Status: DONE! I read the trilogy straight through, and had mixed feelings about it as a whole. I liked a lot of the concepts and characters, but the continuity and worldbuilding didn’t especially work for me.
Children of Time and Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky:
Status: Nope. At the time when I wrote my post back in January, I thought this was a completed duology, but it turns out there’s a 3rd book coming out in early 2023. I really have no reason for not reading these books yet, other than juggling all the other books I wanted to read! These will go back on my series reading list for 2023.
The Expanse by James S. A. Corey:
Status: DONE! Wow. Just wow. I’d read books 1 – 5 prior to 2022, so this past year I read books 6 – 9 plus the collected stories. Fantastic series, start to finish, and I’m just sad that it’s done. Excellent storytelling with a powerful ending. A must-read series!
The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir:
Status: A little progress… I had just the first two books on my list at the start of 2022, but since then, a 3rd has been released. I finally read Gideon the Ninth about a month or so ago, didn’t love it… but remain interested enough to see what happens next. I intend to keep going in 2023.
Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers:
Status: Making progress! I’m currently on the 2nd book, and really enjoying it! I intend to keep going with the series, probably via audiobook.
Patternist series by Octavia Butler:
Status: Nope. As much as I’d love to read more Octavia Butler, I just never found myself motivated to start this series. I’d say that these books will remain on my maybe/someday shelf, but I don’t think I’m going to put them on my 2023 series list.
The Lady Janies series by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows:
Status: Baby steps. I read the first book in the series, and loved it! Just haven’t had time to continue yet, but I absolutely intend to.
The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski:
Status: One and done (for now). My goal had been to make lots of progress in this series — maybe even finish it? I read one more book, The Time of Contempt, and even though I still have four more left to read (and actually own copies of them all), I feel pretty done at this point. Maybe after the next season drops on Netflix, I’ll feel inspired to continue with the books… but as of now, I doubt it.
That’s it for my 2022 series reading. How about you?
Did you read any series in 2022? Any particular favorites?
Check back in January, when I’ll set a new batch of series reading goals for the new year.
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 Completed Series I Wish Had More Books.
So… last week, my topic was first books in favorite series that were published over 10 years ago, and I definitely did not look ahead to see what this week’s topic would be. As a result, there’s going to be a lot of books/series in common between last week’s and this week’s lists, but that’s okay!
These are all books and series that I love, and I never mind featuring them in a post.
Ten series that are already done, but which I wish had more books:
The Glamourist Histories by Mary Robinette Kowal
This five-book series has been described as “Jane Austen but magic”, which is okay at a basic level, but just doesn’t convey how absolutely wonderful the characters and world are.
The Expanse by James S. A. Corey
My heart hurt by the time I read the (amazing) conclusion to this 9-book series. Yes, the story is done… but really, I’d happily read more about any of the characters or the worlds of this series.
Newsflesh by Mira Grant
The Newsflesh trilogy blew me away! Who knew zombie books could make me cry? There’s a 4th book that retells certain events from other characters’ perspectives, plus a bunch of spin-off stories, but really and truly, I just want to read more novels about the main characters!
The Parasol Protectorate (and the Parasol-verse at large) by Gail Carriger
I don’t know if it’s really true to say that this series is complete, because the lovely author continues to publish related stories and novellas… but after the five books of the original series, the four books of the Finishing School series, and the four Custard Protocol books, I am highly attached to these characters and would LOVE to see more full-length novels (or another series??) set in this world.
Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
This was such a good series! Six books, great world-building, great story progression — I’d definitely read more!
The Kopp Sisters by Amy Stewart
The seven volumes of this terrific historical fiction series showcase the real-life Kopp sisters as they solve crimes and go off to war in the early 1900s. The author has said that she’s not writing any more Kopp Sisters books any time soon… which could mean never, but since she doesn’t actually say never, I’ll continue to hope for more!
The Mure series by Jenny Colgan
The 5th book in this charming series just came out in June, and comments by the author seem to suggest that the series is now done… but wait! I still have questions! Yes, most characters got a beautifully happy ending, but there are still some loose threads and (I’m sure) plenty more stories to tell. Please, Jenny Colgan????
The Rajes by Sonali Dev
This series of interconnected stories about a large Indian-American family consists of four books retelling Jane Austen classics… But – there are six Jane Austen novels! I’ve read that the Rajes series is now done, but I think I’ll feel incomplete until there are Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey volumes too!
The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
This sweet, huggable YA superheroes love story trilogy has everything, and it had a very definitive ending — but can I help it if I love these characters so much that I want to see the rest of their lives too?
Bridgertons by Julia Quinn
I mean, yes, the Netflix version will keep me busy for years to come (I hope), and there are always other Julia Quinn books to read — but I felt a bit misty when I finished the books in the series and had to say good-bye to this incredibly entertaining family!
What series do you wish had more books? Do we have any in common?
If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link!
Title: Leviathan Falls Series: The Expanse, #9 Author: James S. A. Corey Publisher: Orbit Publication date: November 30, 2021 Length: 528 pages Genre: Science fiction Source: Purchased Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
The Laconian Empire has fallen, setting the thirteen hundred solar systems free from the rule of Winston Duarte. But the ancient enemy that killed the gate builders is awake, and the war against our universe has begun again.
In the dead system of Adro, Elvi Okoye leads a desperate scientific mission to understand what the gate builders were and what destroyed them, even if it means compromising herself and the half-alien children who bear the weight of her investigation. Through the wide-flung systems of humanity, Colonel Aliana Tanaka hunts for Duarte’s missing daughter. . . and the shattered emperor himself. And on the Rocinante, James Holden and his crew struggle to build a future for humanity out of the shards and ruins of all that has come before.
As nearly unimaginable forces prepare to annihilate all human life, Holden and a group of unlikely allies discover a last, desperate chance to unite all of humanity, with the promise of a vast galactic civilization free from wars, factions, lies, and secrets if they win.
But the price of victory may be worse than the cost of defeat.
And so, my friends, we come to the end. Excuse me while I wipe away my tears…
The Expanse series has been a thrilling ride since the very beginning, and the key to its glory is not just the politics and space adventures and battles (which are all excellent), but the people. Simply put, the characters in this series are incredibly human and real, and I love them all so much… which is why I’m feeling a bit emotional over reaching the conclusion to their journeys.
I won’t go into plot details for this book, because there’s little point when this is the 9th book in a huge, sprawling, intricately detailed series. What I will say is that the tension continues to ratchet up, almost unbearably. Even at 80%, I couldn’t imagine how the authors would manage to provide an ending that addresses the central conflict in a way that works.
Well, they did. And it works. And it’s devastating in many ways, but also right and satisfying and deeply moving.
As with the rest of the series, in Leviathan Falls I once again had to concentrate hard and still accept that some of the science and terminology and concepts would go completely over my head. That’s fine — the fact that I don’t really grasp the technological details doesn’t in any way keep me from becoming totally immersed in the story. I also struggle at times to visualize where the various systems and ships and planets and moons are in relation to one another, especially when all the different players are in transit and engaging and disengaging… but again, it only matters up to a point. There’s a lot of action and a lot going on, and I got enough to understand the basics of who’s where and what they’re doing.
The fates of certain characters absolutely broke my heart, but there’s a rightness and satisfaction in how it all ends.
It’s not easy to tie up such a huge story as The Expanse. After nine books (all 500+ pages) and eight novellas, there’s a lot of plot to resolve, but the authors pull it off magnificently.
I’m sorry to see it all come to an end, but wow, it’s been an incredible journey.
After finishing Leviathan Falls, what remains for me to read are:
The Vital Abyss: A novella that takes place between books 5 & 6. (Note: Between when I started writing this post and when I finished, I also managed to read this novella. Fascinating.)
The Sins of Our Fathers: This novella takes place after the events of Leviathan Falls, and I’m really excited to read it, probably coming up next in my reading queue. After a quick peek, I realized that it’s about a character whose fate I’d expected to see addressed by the conclusion of the main series, but wasn’t. Can’t wait to start!
Memory’s Legion: This newly released hardcover is a collection of all the previously novellas (The Sins of Our Fathers is new to this edition, as well as being available as a stand-alone e-book). I’ve already read the rest of the novellas, but I’m thinking I might read through them all again, either in print or via audiobook.
The Expanse series is truly a science fiction masterpiece, and Leviathan Falls is a fittingly excellent conclusion to the series.
All that’s left for me to say is what I’ve been saying all along: If you’re a science fiction fan and haven’t read these books, you absolutely must give them a try!
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 about our spring 2022 reading plans. So many exciting new books to choose from!
Here are 10 books I’m especially looking forward to this spring:
Leviathan Falls (Expanse #9) by James S. A. Corey
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian
The Emma Project by Sonali Dev
Reputation by Lex Croucher
To Marry and To Meddle by Martha Waters
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
Spear by Nicola Griffith
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
What books will you be reading this spring? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!
Title: Tiamat’s Wrath Series: The Expanse, #8 Author: James S. A. Corey Publisher: Orbit Publication date: March 26, 2019 Length: 537 pages Genre: Science fiction Source: Purchased Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Thirteen hundred gates have opened to solar systems around the galaxy. But as humanity builds its interstellar empire in the alien ruins, the mysteries and threats grow deeper.
In the dead systems where gates lead to stranger things than alien planets, Elvi Okoye begins a desperate search to discover the nature of a genocide that happened before the first human beings existed, and to find weapons to fight a war against forces at the edge of the imaginable. But the price of that knowledge may be higher than she can pay.
At the heart of the empire, Teresa Duarte prepares to take on the burden of her father’s godlike ambition. The sociopathic scientist Paolo Cortázar and the Mephistophelian prisoner James Holden are only two of the dangers in a palace thick with intrigue, but Teresa has a mind of her own and secrets even her father the emperor doesn’t guess.
And throughout the wide human empire, the scattered crew of the Rocinante fights a brave rear-guard action against Duarte’s authoritarian regime. Memory of the old order falls away, and a future under Laconia’s eternal rule — and with it, a battle that humanity can only lose – seems more and more certain. Because against the terrors that lie between worlds, courage and ambition will not be enough…
I’m not sure how much point there is in my writing reviews of the books in this series at this point. Tiamat’s Wrath is #8, and it’s amazing… but I don’t want to talk too much about the plot, and honestly, if you haven’t read any of the books, none of this is going to make any sense.
But trust me, this is a fabulous series, and #8 — the 2nd to last novel!! — is as excellent as I’d expected.
In this book, the underground begins to fight back against the overwhelming might of the Laconian Empire. Against the backdrop of intrigue and rebellion and intergalactic battles, we once again become immersed in the lives of the featured characters — including our beloved core crew, but also a couple of new lead characters who are surprising and who take the story in unanticipated directions.
The plot shifts between the various systems connected by the ring gates and the capitol buildings of Laconia. As the battles range, the dangers mount — but the most dangerous force is the ancient alien civilization that the Laconian High Consul has been intentionally poking. (Don’t poke the bear!!) The humans have wars to wage, but it’s this other force that ultimately may bring humanity to its demise.
Stakes are high, and the action is dramatic, but once again it’s the more intimate stories of the characters that touch me and intrigue me and, in some cases, leave me gasping and wiping my eyes.
It’s a rare talent in the world of sci-fi fiction that can strike at such an emotional level while still keeping the plot and action tearing along at an incredibly fast pace. The Expanse series continues to keep this balanced approach going, even this deep into the storyline, which is probably why I love it so much.
That, and I just adore the characters.
Once I started, I simply couldn’t stop, and tore through this hefty book as quickly as I possibly could (while still taking time for work and sleep). I do intend to enforce a break for myself at this point… must read other books before racing ahead to the end of the series!
When I do continue…
Next up for me will be the novella Auberon, a 78-page novella that takes place either during or after the events of Tiamat’s Wrath. (It’s listed as #8.5 on Goodreads, but I haven’t wanted to look too deeply into the plot details before I read it.)
And after Auberon… it’ll be on to the final book in the series! I’m really not ready for it to end.
Title: Persepolis Rising Series: The Expanse, #7 Author: James S. A. Corey Publisher: Orbit Publication date: December 5, 2017 Length: 608 pages Genre: Science fiction Source: Purchased Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
In the thousand-sun network of humanity’s expansion, new colony worlds are struggling to find their way. Every new planet lives on a knife edge between collapse and wonder, and the crew of the aging gunship Rocinante have their hands more than full keeping the fragile peace.
In the vast space between Earth and Jupiter, the inner planets and belt have formed a tentative and uncertain alliance still haunted by a history of wars and prejudices. On the lost colony world of Laconia, a hidden enemy has a new vision for all of humanity and the power to enforce it.
New technologies clash with old as the history of human conflict returns to its ancient patterns of war and subjugation. But human nature is not the only enemy, and the forces being unleashed have their own price. A price that will change the shape of humanity — and of the Rocinante — unexpectedly and forever…
Seven books in, this series continues to take my breath away!
The sixth book, Babylon’s Ashes, leaves off at a satisfying stopping point (which may be why the TV show ends the story there). A vast war has come to an end, and there’s new hope for peaceful and productive coexistence, with new governing and coordination structures in place to bring the various factions together. And all of our heroes are well and happy! It’s certainly tempting to stop right there…
But I just had to see what the authors had in store for us next. And whew, it’s a lot!
Persepolis Rising opens almost 30 years after the events of Babylon’s Ashes — and boy, is it disconcerting. Our beloved crew on board the Rocinante is still going strong, but rather than being the young(ish), brash group we’ve come to know, they’re all middle-aged (and then some). And yet, the gang is still together, and it’s wonderful! Sure, they’re older, but they’re still amazing, and their lives are going well.
And we just know that can’t last, right?
Over 30 years earlier, as human colonists explored the vast new systems opened to them, a group of Martian military leaders absconded with a bunch of warships through the ring gate to the Laconia system, then closed off all contact with the rest of the human population. Since then, wars and skirmishes and struggles continued without them, and most people didn’t think about them very often, especially once the last war (which they contributed to) came to an end.
The Laconians have not been idle all these years. Instead, under the leadership of their high consul, they’ve been developing highly advanced warships and weaponry using ancient alien tech — and as Persepolis Rising opens, the Laconian Empire is ready for intergalactic domination.
As the Laconian ships reenter shared space, their domination is undeniable and unpreventable, and their victory over any resistance is absolutely ensured from the get-go. This new dictatorship presents itself as nice and reasonable, declaring that all people everywhere are now Laconians, and anyone who resists isn’t fighting for freedom, but is merely a criminal disobeying the empire’s laws.
The action accelerates at a breathtaking pace, but as is typical of these books, the scenes of space warfare and high-speed action are balanced by more personal moments with the central characters. It’s a skillful presentation that centers the high stakes drama on the people at its heart, and it works incredibly well.
I know I’ve raved about all the books in this series, so my 5 enthusiastic stars for Persepolis Rising surely isn’t a surprise. The series is phenomenal. I had a little hesitation about starting such a long book this week, but once I started, I could barely come up for air.
By the end, I was on the edge of my seat, as well as wiping away a few tears and practically panicking over certain unresolved plot threads… so is it any wonder it took me no longer than 10 minutes to realize I absolutely had to keep going?
So yes, I’ve already started book #8, Tiamat’s Wrath, and at this point, I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet that I’m going to want to keep going straight through to the final book from there.
The books of the Expanse series are not easy. They’re huge, densely packed with detail and plot developments. You can’t read these books without your attention fully engaged — believe me, it just won’t work! That said, it’s well worth the effort and the time to enjoy and absorb each new addition to the ongoing saga. I’m loving these books, and while I’m dying to see how it all turns out, I know I’ll also be sad to reach the end of the journey.
Title: Nemesis Games Series: The Expanse, #6 Author: James S. A. Corey Publisher: Orbit Publication date: October 24, 2017 Length: 576 pages Genre: Science fiction Source: Purchased Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
The sixth novel in James S. A. Corey’s New York Times bestselling Expanse series–now a major television series from Syfy!
A revolution brewing for generations has begun in fire. It will end in blood.
The Free Navy – a violent group of Belters in black-market military ships – has crippled the Earth and begun a campaign of piracy and violence among the outer planets. The colony ships heading for the thousand new worlds on the far side of the alien ring gates are easy prey, and no single navy remains strong enough to protect them.
James Holden and his crew know the strengths and weaknesses of this new force better than anyone. Outnumbered and outgunned, the embattled remnants of the old political powers call on the Rocinante for a desperate mission to reach Medina Station at the heart of the gate network.
But the new alliances are as flawed as the old, and the struggle for power has only just begun. As the chaos grows, an alien mystery deepens. Pirate fleets, mutiny, and betrayal may be the least of the Rocinante‘s problems. And in the uncanny spaces past the ring gates, the choices of a few damaged and desperate people may determine the fate of more than just humanity.
I’ve spent the past week in the midst of galactic war, and it may take me a while to recover!
I had to psych myself up to read Babylon’s Ashes, the 6th book in the Expanse series. The series is huge in scope, and the books themselves are pretty huge too — large, chunky books dense with ships and space and rail guns and trajectories and science fiction terminology… and I have to say, I’ve enjoyed the hell out of each and every one.
It’s difficult at this point to separate the experience of reading the books from that of watching the (outstanding) TV series. The overarching storyline of Babylon’s Ashes matches up with the events of the 6th and final season. For the TV version, it does feel like the storyline comes to a reasonable stopping place — although there are clearly plenty more adventures that could be told, since there are three more books in the series. I finally dove into Babylon’s Ashes after finishing the 6th season, and meshing the two different approaches created a terrific reading experience.
In Babylon’s Ashes, all hell has broken loose. The solar system’s political balance has been violently upset by a ferocious attack on Earth (see Nemesis Games, book #5) that’s wiped out huge swathes of the population and left the planet with an unsustainable future. This is just part of the plan for Marco Inaros, leader of the Free Navy, the Belter military arm whose goal is to establish Belter dominance and defeat Earth and Mars once and for all.
And while the Free Navy, as the symbol of an historically oppressed people’s rise to freedom, has some claim to a righteous cause, it soon becomes clear that its main function is to further advance Marco’s enormous narcissism and personal vendettas. As he denies food, air, and water supplies to his own people — who are desperately in need — for the sake of political power plays, his supporters begin to question his methods, and the Free Navy develops fractures just when it’s starting to seem surer of victory.
Meanwhile, people like the crew of the Rocinante — our heroes!! — are out fighting the good fight, not just for Earth or Mars or the Belt, but for the sake of humanity having a shot at a future.
This book is just as detailed as the earlier ones, and it takes a great deal of concentration to follow the huge cast of characters, the planets, the political factions, and the mechanics of it all. That said, it’s worth it! I loved every moment, despite having to rely on various fandom wikis to figure out who some of the more obscure characters were and just where they might have shown up previously.
The action is thrilling and scary. I have to admit that it was helpful for me to have watched the TV series, because I’m not sure how well I could have envisioned the space battles and types of ships and weapons and stations without it. That said, it’s all described in marvelous detail, and my inner sci-fi geek enjoyed the hell out of it.
Another element that’s different (but great) about the books is how they take into account the laws of physics and the vastness of space. In the TV series, when a space battle happens, it’s all super fast and immediate — but as the book makes clear, just because one ship is burning fast to ambush another, they still have to travel to get there, so it may take weeks before a planned assault happens. Somehow, that sense of time and distance being factored into the action makes it feel more realistic (but I understand that it wouldn’t work very well on TV to have to interrupt the action to allow for lengthy travel times).
This is not a series to just jump into in the middle, in case that’s not obvious, so if you’re interested, start at the beginning with Leviathan Wakes. I mean, it MIGHT be possible to pick up the story at this point after watching it on TV, but I still think it would be confusing, and why would you want to miss out on the satisfaction of reading the whole thing?
For those who’ve been watching the TV series, the reading experience will be different from here on out, because after Babylon’s Ashes, there will be no TV seasons to mirror the books in the series. We’re in uncharted territory, people! And while the TV version makes changes to characters, places, and events, it’s been close enough to give a good representation of each book’s major plotlines and action sequences. As I move forward to #7, I’m faced with the reality that from now on, there will be no screen action to accompany my reading… so I’ll have to envision all the dramatic torpedoes and rail guns and space maneuvering in my head. I hope I’m up to the challenge!
Now that I’ve finished Babylon’s Ashes, the only thing holding me back from continuing straight on to the next book is how BIG the books all are, and the fact that I do have other books to read! That said, I’m not going to let too much time go by either — I’m hoping to finish the remaining books in the series by the end of this year (but don’t hold me to it!)
Next up for me in the Expanse series:
Strange Dogs: A novella that takes place sometime around or after the events of Babylon’s Ashes
Happy New Year! Here’s hoping 2022 brings joy and health for all of us!
As is my annual tradition, rather than setting a bunch of reading goals that I probably won’t actually try to achieve, I prefer to limit my bookish goals to series reading. There are so many series out there that I want to get to! My priorities change from year to year, but as of now, I have a pretty good idea of the series I want to tackle in 2022.
Most of the series I’m including here are completed, rather than ongoing series. I end up enjoying series most when I can read them either straight through or within a relatively short span of time, so everything stays fresh in my mind and I can feel like what I’m reading really connects.
I absolutely recognize that I may end up changing my mind on some or all of these, but as of now…
My priority series to read in 2022 will be:
The Kingston Cycle trilogy by C. L. Polk – I own copies of all three books, and have been wanting to start for a while now.
Children of Time and Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky: I’ve heard such great things, and what’s not to love about a duology?
The Expanse by James S. A. Corey: This has been on my list for a couple of years in a row, but I seem to manage to read only one book per year. So far, I’ve read books 1 – 5. With the TV series ending this month, I want to move forward and get through most (or all) of the remaining books in the series. There are 9 in all, and next up for me will be #6, Babylon’s Ashes.
Gideon & Harrow by Tamsyn Muir – This isn’t a completed series (#3 will be out in the fall), but I’m disappointed in myself for not reading these yet!
Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers – Another series that I should have read by now!
Patternist series by Octavia Butler: I’ve been wanting to read more Octavia Butler, and this series has been on my shelf for a few years.
The Lady Janies series by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows: These look like so much fun!
Finally, I do want to go back to The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski. I’ve read a few, but the last two were audiobooks that just didn’t stick with me (I couldn’t keep my attention from wandering), so basically, I’d need to re-read two of these before getting to the rest:
Are you planning to start any new series this year? If you’ve read any of the series on my list for 2022, please let me know what you thought and if you have any recommendations!
In some ways, 2021 crawled by… yet at the same time, WHOOOOSH! Where did it all go?
Back in January (as has become my yearly tradition), I wrote a post identifying the series I wanted to get to in 2021. Now it’s time to check back in and see if I actually accomplished any of these reading goals.
So how did I do?
In 2022, my priority series to read were:
The Modern Faerie Tales trilogy by Holly Black:
Status: DONE! I read the trilogy straight through, but didn’t actually love it. Holly Black is amazing, but this earlier trilogy does not reach the heights of awesomeness seen in the Folk of the Air books. Still, I’m glad to have read these stories.
The Plantagenet and Tudor novels by Philippa Gregory:
Status: Nope. I didn’t read a single one of these, even though I got as far as holding the first book in my hands a few times. I do still intend to get to these… eventually.
The Expanse by James S. A. Corey:
Status: A little bit of progress… I read book #5 (Nemesis Games)… but there are still 4 more books in the series. Now that the 6th season of the TV show is airing, I expect to start book #6 shortly, and then we’ll see. I do intend to read all of these… it just may take some time.
Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery:
Status: DONE! I loved these books so much! I listened to the audiobooks during a particularly stressful month, and they were like ice cream for my soul. I hope to read more L. M. Montgomery in the year ahead. (My wrap-up of the trilogy is here)
Inspector Gamache books by Louise Penny:
Status: Nope. Despite fairly good intentions, I didn’t even read one book from the series. Like the Tudor books, these are still “someday, maybe” books for me… but I can’t see myself picking them up any time soon.
I did end up reading a few other series that weren’t part of my original goals:
I read the entire Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn (so much fun)!
Also, the Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo (although not the two duologies that follow). Notice a theme here? I guess I can thank Netflix for the inspiration!
Plus, I read the available books in a few new-to-me romance series that are ongoing, as well as new installments in some favorite continuing series as well.
That’s it for my 2021 series reading. How about you?
Did you read any series in 2021? Any particular favorites?
Check back in January, when I’ll set a new batch of series reading goals for the new year.
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 about our winter reading plans. I love putting together these quarterly TBR posts!
This time around, my list is split between upcoming new releases and book on my shelves that I’m dying to finally get to. My top 10 priorities to read this winter will be:
New releases:
1) Where the Drowned Girls Go (Wayward Children, #7) by Seanan McGuire: Starting the year off with a new novella in this series is becoming an annual tradition! This one releases January 4, 2022.
2) Spelunking Through Hell (InCryptids, #11) by Seanan McGuire: Also an annual tradition from the same author, the next new installment in the ongoing InCryptids series, releasing in March 2022.
3) The Unfamiliar Garden (The Comet Cycle, #2) by Benjamin Percy: The first book in this series (The Ninth Metal) was so weird and so good — can’t wait for more! Releases in January.
4) When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord: Another January release — looks like a lot of fun.
And books I already own:
5) Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto: I hear it’s great!
6) Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger: My book group’s pick for January (and we’ll be Zooming with the author!)
7) Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: An LGBTQ love story set in San Francisco in the 1950s. Sounds amazing!
8) The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood: I see to be gravitating toward light romances a lot lately, and I love that this one features a woman in science.
9) Babylon’s Ashes (The Expanse, #6) by James S. A. Corey: The last season of the TV series is airing now, but there are still plenty of books left to read!
10) The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery: This specific book is a maybe, but I do want to read more L. M. Montgomery, and this is one of four options for me.
What books will be keeping you warm this winter? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!
Bookshelf Fantasies 