Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for winter 2025/2026

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 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!

17Dec2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for winter 2024/2025

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 Winter 2024-2025 to-Read List.

My top 10 books on my winter TBR:

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley: I keep saying this is a priority read, and yet I still haven’t read it! I’d like to get to it before the end of 2024… but the clock is ticking.
The Naturalist Society by Carrie Vaughn: A new release from a favorite author! I haven’t seen any chatter about it yet, but it sounds so interesting.
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer: Another one I’ve been wanting to get to. I loved this author’s more recent book, The Lost Story.
Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire: The 10th Wayward Children book will be released in January. I’m always up for another book in this series.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix: Upcoming new release for January. I love the sound of it.
The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune: This backlist title is being reissued (with a gorgeous new cover) in Februrary — meanwhile, I have the Kindle version, and can’t wait to dive in.
The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava: My library hold is (finally) almost ready!
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett: It’s been a while since I’ve picked up a Discworld book, but this one seems like a great choice for this time of year!
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone: I stumbled across a description of this romance, and it caught my attention… and was available from the library when I went looking for it.
A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong: This is the 2nd book in the Rockton series; I’m about 50% through with book #1 (City of the Lost), and I know I’ll want to keep going!

What books will be keeping you warm this winter? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

12Dec2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for winter 2023/2024

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 about our winter reading plans.

As always, there are endless options! Since next week’s topic is about new releases in 2024, this week, I’ll focus on already released books that I’m determined to read during the next few months.

My top 10 books on my winter TBR:

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
The Vintage Village Bake Off by Judy Leigh
Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley
The Guncle by Stephen Rowley
Death of an Eye by Dana Stabenow
One Girl in All the World by Kendare Blake
The Thorns Remain by J. J. A. Harwood
Emmett by L. C. Rosen
Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal

What books will be keeping you warm this winter? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

13Dec2022

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for winter 2022/2023

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 about our winter reading plans.

So many books to choose from! This time around, my list includes a mix of upcoming new releases and books already on my shelves. My top 10 priorities to read this winter will be:

New releases:

1) Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie: I’ve loved every book I’ve read by this author so far, even though they’re always super disturbing. (release date 1/24/2023)

2) The Magician’s Daughter by H. G. Parry: I don’t know much about this one, but it looks good! (2/21/2023)

3) Lost in the Moment and Found (Wayward Children, #8) by Seanan McGuire: If it’s January, it must be time for another Wayward Children book! (1/12/2023)

4) The Stolen Heir by Holly Black: I’m beyond thrilled that there’s a new book in the world of Folk of the Air on the way! (1/5/2023)

5) Backpacking Through Bedlam (Incryptids, #12) by Seanan McGuire: Another series by Seanan McGuire that I love! Of course I’ll read the new book as soon as possible. (3/7/2023)

6) A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell, #8): This series continues to be so much fun. (3/7/2023)

And books I already own:

7) Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir: Although I didn’t completely love Gideon the Ninth, I’m interested enough to want to keep going.

8) A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers: On the other hand, I did love the first book in this series, so #2 is a must!

9) The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal: I bought this right when it came out, and I love everything I’ve read by this author… and I’ve ended up saving this book to read when I can savor it (which hasn’t happened yet).

10) Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor: I really enjoyed the audiobook of the first two in this series, so if my library has this one available via audio, I’ll probably go that route… but otherwise, the paperback will do just fine.

What books will be keeping you warm this winter? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

14Dec2021

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for winter 2021/2022

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 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!

15Dec2020

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for winter 2020/2021

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 about our winter reading plans.

There are so many new books on the way that I can’t wait to read! My list this week is focused on upcoming new releases — some stand-alones, and a few new books in ongoing series. Here are the top 10 books I’m most excited for:

1) Across the Green Grass Fields (Wayward Children, #6) by Seanan McGuire: I love this series so much, and I was thrilled to see a recent announcement that there will be at least 10 books in total, if not more!

2) Calculated Risks (InCryptids, #10) by Seanan McGuire: Yes, another by my favorite author, who seems to release new books every time I blink. The InCryptid series is so much fun, and I’m excited for this next adventure.

3) Wild Sign (Alpha & Omega, #6) by Patricia Briggs: A new book in the Charles and Anna saga, which is a spin-off from the awesome Mercy Thomspon series. I love these characters so much! Can’t wait to see what happens next.

4) Dear Miss Kopp (The Kopp Sisters, #6) by Amy Stewart: Hurray for our favorite lady detective (and her sisters)!

5) The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey: Sounds creepy and amazing!

6) The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan: Historical fiction from an author whose previous books I’ve loved!

7) In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce: A novel about a real-life serial killer from the early 1900s. Sounds great!

8) Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales: I need something bright and upbeat to offset some of these heavier reads, and this may be the one! It looks adorable.

And a couple that I already own, but haven’t read yet:

9) We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall: This is my book group book for January, and I’ve heard good things already.

10) One by One by Ruth Ware: Look at that cover! Reading about an avalanche seems like a good winter choice for a year when I won’t be anywhere near a ski slope.

What books will be keeping you warm this winter? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

17Dec2019

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for winter 2019/2020

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 about our winter reading plans.

Last week, my TTT was all about the ARCs I have coming up at the start of the new year. This week, I’m focusing on other books I’m looking forward to reading — some upcoming new releases, some books I’ve bought recently, and one that I’ve had for way too long and really need to get to.

The first four on my list are all new volumes in ongoing series, and just thinking about them makes me happy.

1) Come Tumbling Down (Wayward Children, #5) by Seanan McGuire: This book comes out in early January, and I can’t wait! I love this series so much, and I’m especially excited for this one because it picks up where one of my favorites (Down Among the Sticks and Bones) left off.

2) No Fixed Line (Kate Shugak, #22) by Dana Stabenow: I love this series, the Alaska setting, and Kate herself, who is just an awesome lead character. I’ve been itching for more Kate — so excited for this upcoming January release!

3) Imaginary Numbers (InCryptid, #9) by Seanan McGuire: Yup, even more Seanan McGuire! And yes, I do love everything she writes. The InCryptid series is really fun, and I’m super excited for this book, especially since I won a copy in a Goodreads giveaway. (Thanks, Goodreads!)

4) Smoke Bitten (Mercy Thompson, #12) by Patricia Briggs: Mercy is one of my favorite lead characters, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for her and her pack.

Other (non-series) books I’m looking forward to reading:

5) Well Met by Jen DeLuca: I’ve been on a roll with cute romances lately, and this story, set at a RenFaire, sounds adorable.

6) Alice by Christina Henry: I’m officially in love with Christina Henry’s writing, so it’s time to go back and read the books I’ve missed.

7) The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri: This is my book club’s pick for January, and I’m really determined to make more of an effort to keep up with our monthly reads this year.

8) Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey: From the Goodreads blurb: “The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing.” Um, yes please! I love Sarah Gailey’s writing, and this sounds pretty amazing.

9) Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir: I finally picked up a copy, so this is high on my priority list! Maybe even this week…

10) Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik: I bought this when it came out in 2018 — it’s about time that I finally read it!

What books will be keeping you warm this winter? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

3Dec2019

Top Ten Tuesday: Cold & snowy books for cold & snowy days

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 Holiday Reads — books we love to read during the holiday season. I don’t particularly read holiday-themed books, but I do love a good wintry feel. Since I’ve already done a TTT about winter settings, I thought I’d go with books with winter elements in the title — anything to do with snow or being cold. Brrrrrrr.

1. A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon – Yes, any excuse to include an Outlander book!

2. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater – I didn’t love everything about this trilogy, but the first book in particular was so haunting and powerful.

3. Snowblind by Christopher Golden (review) – Yikes, horror in the snow! Pretty terrifying.

4. The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire (review) – I love me some Toby Daye. The entire series is excellent, and this was a particularly good one.

5. Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs (review) – I love the Mercy Thompson books too. Mercy is such an awesome hero.

6. A Fine and Bitter Snow by Dana Stabenow – The Kate Shugak series is one of my favorites… and a new book is coming in January!

7. Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham – The Fables series is amazing. I think I need a reread.

8. Snow Glass Apples by Neil Gaiman (review) – This story has always been a favorite, and the new illustrated version is gorgeous.

9. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (because it’s about SIMON SNOW!!) (review) – All sorts of yes for Simon and Baz.

10. In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl (review) – A lovely historical novel that I read with my book group.

What are your favorite winter books?

Please share your thoughts, and if you wrote a TTT post, please share your link!

18Dec2018

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for winter 2018/2019

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 about reading plans for this winter.

My main reading plan for this winter is to read the books I’ve recently acquired — basically, books that I had to have IMMEDIATELY and spent actual money on! My terrible tendency is to rush to buy books, and then once I get them, suddenly have other books that I need to read first… and so they sit there, unloved and unread, for months and months.

So, top priority for the next few months will be these books — my newest acquisitions:

1) Becoming by Michelle Obama

2) A Pocketful of Crows by Joanne M. Harris

3) Unholy Land by Lavie Tidhar

4) The Book of M by Peng Shepherd

5) Death of an Eye by Dana Stabenow

6) In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

7) Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

8) The White Darkness by David Grann

9) We Are All Completely Fine by Daryl Gregory

10) One of the Austen-inspired books I’ve picked up at recent library sales — either Darcy and Fitzwilliam by Karen V. Wasylowski or Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos… or both!

What books will be keeping you warm this winter? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

28Nov2017

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten books on my TBR list for winter 2017/2018

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is about reading plans for this winter. What’s on my TBR list? Um, about 2,000 books? But thinking in more practical terms, here’s what I’m planning (hoping) to read during the next few months.

First up, I’m trying to be diligent about (a) only requesting books from NetGalley that I really, really want to read; and (b) actually reading them on or around publication dates. This part of my list is dedicated to NetGalley ARCs with publication dates between December 2017 and March 2018:

1) The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden (12/5/2017): The sequel to The Bear and the Nightingale!

2) The Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn (1/16/2018): Book three in the delightful Veronica Speedwell series.

3) As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner (2/6/2018): Historical fiction set in Philadelphia during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, from the author of A Fall of Marigolds.

4) The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (2/6/2018): Because I’m a sucker for anything set in Alaska!

5) Rosie Colored Glasses by Brianna Wolfson (2/20/2018): Contemporary fiction about a mother and daughter — looks like fun.

6) The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth (3/13/2018): I’ve loved both books I’ve read by this author so far… despite the never-ending tears.

7) The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian (3/13/2018): Need I explain? Such an amazing author — I’ll read whatever he writes.

Besides the ARCs, I’m really looking forward to reading these next three, which I either own or have on order:

8) Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich: Can’t wait to see her spin on the dystopian genre.

9) The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert: This YA book seems to be getting a lot of buzz.

10) George and Lizzie by Nancy Pearl: Sounds great!

What books will be keeping you warm this winter?

Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!

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