Tag: tbr list

Top Ten Tuesday | Book Series I Want to Finish

Posted August 17, 2026 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 18 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Book Series I Want to Catch Up On  

My TBR haunts me, it really does. And the series are the scariest because one book leads to another and another and another… Yet, they’re also the best because it’s very likely that if you like one, you’ll like the next. Sometimes I never want a series to end but alas, these are the first world reader problems I face every day. Looking forward to seeing what everyone else has listed and inevitably adding a few new series to my TBR from seeing your lists! 😅

Top Ten Book Series I Want to Finish

  1. The Memoirs of Lady Trent series by Marie Brennan – I read the first book in 2014, more than ten years ago! I remember loving it at the time but I haven’t continued the rest of the series and I don’t know why. I need to start over!
  2. The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien – I have the full audiobook series narrated by Andy Serkis and I was so excited to listen to them, but the first night I did, Serkis’ scary Gollum voice woke me up in the middle of the night and I haven’t dared to read it to bed since. I’ll have to try again while I’m awake in the daytime.
  3. The Dark Tower series by Stephen King – Technically, I read the first book a long time ago and didn’t like it at the time, but I’ve changed my mind about Stephen King recently and I’m doing a personal Stephen King reading challenge, so I’m going to have to come back to this.
  4. Poison Study series by Maria V. Snyder – This has been on my TBR forever, it’s embarrassing at this point.
  5. Maddaddam series by Margaret Atwood – I read Oryx & Crake a couple of years ago but never got around to the rest of the series. I’ve forgotten enough that I’ll need to reread the first book again before moving on to the others.
  6. The Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells – I read and loved the first six books of The Murderbot Diaries, but two more have been released and I haven’t read those! I’ll also need to reread the first six before reading the latest two!
  7. Bobiverse series by Dennis E. Taylor – I am currently in the middle of this series! I have just finished the first two and am on the third. Hoping to finish this one up until the latest book instead of leaving it for years and having to reread again later.
  8. The Saint of Steel series by T. Kingfisher – I just bought the full series on audio and I am excited to dive into them right after I finish the Bobiverse! Fingers crossed!
  9. The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater – I’m on the fence with this one. I just finished The Raven Boys a couple of months ago but I’m not sure I like it and I’m not sure if I want to finish the rest of the series…but I already bought the whole set so I feel like I should.
  10. Spellshop series by Sarah Beth Durst – I read The Spellshop not long ago and loved it, but apparently there are already two more new books in the series already released and another one coming out next year! I need to catch up!

Have you read any of these series? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these series?

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Monthly Wrap Up | July 2026

Posted August 1, 2026 by Haze in Monthly Wrap Up / 2 Comments

Welcome to the Monthly Wrap Up hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight to share our monthly wrap-up posts that summarizes our month in books, our favorite books of the month, what we did on our blogs, and anything noteworthy we want to share.

July 2026 Wrap Up

July was quite an eventful month, we happened to have a lot of pre-scheduled appointments and events planned ahead for the month and I feel like I was mostly caught up in the flow and not really directing any of it! That’s okay though, I may not have been able to progress with some of my goals as much as I wanted but I did gain other things this July and it’s all good.

My July 2026 TBR Intentions

I did not end up reading a single book I originally intended to in July. Hopefully I do better next month!

  1. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
  2. The Shippers by Katherine Center
  3. The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren
  4. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis

Books Read in July 2026

  1. Venco by Cherie Dimaline
  2. The White Darkness by David Grann
  3. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
  4. The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
  5. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
  6. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
  7. Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
  8. The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore
  9. The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher
  10. Illuminations by T. Kingfisher

Notable Book(s) This Month

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey and The Women They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore are my non-fiction standouts this month. I loved McConaughey’s energy and introspection in his book and I’m curious to check out more of his works now. I hadn’t really watched many of his movies previously, but I did love Interstellar and How To Lose A Guy in Ten Days.

Kate Moore wrote Radium Girls, which I read and loved previously, and The Women They Could Not Silence is another angry-making true story about a woman who was committed to an insane asylum in the 1860s because she disagreed with her husband’s opinions. Ugh! Such a great book though!

For fiction, I really loved The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. I typically enjoy epistolary storytelling; I love the romance and nostalgia of it, and this book really made me miss letter-writing and snail-mail. I’m also very happy about reading two T. Kingfisher books this month! I enjoyed The Seventh Bride, but it was Illuminations that I truly fell in love with. It’s categorized as middle grade and it’s so fun and imaginative, I couldn’t help but love it.

August 2026 TBR Intentions

Trying these books again in August. Let’s hope I read at least a couple of them this time!

  1. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
  2. The Shippers by Katherine Center
  3. The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren
  4. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis

How was your month in July? What were your most memorable bookish moments? I hope you have a wonderful August with lots of great books!

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Top Ten Tuesday | Books I HAD to Have Immediately but Still Haven’t Read

Posted July 27, 2026 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 15 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Books I HAD to Have Immediately but Still Haven’t Read  

I have no excuses (except too many books, too little time)! 😭

Top Ten Books I HAD to Have Immediately but Still Haven’t Read

  1. The Glass Chateau by Stephen P. Kiernan – This book came out three years ago and I was so excited for it and feature it on almost every To-Read list since then but I still haven’t read it!
  2. Under the Eagle by Simon Scarrow – I was looking for books about ancient Rome and came across this one and immediately had to get it, but it’s just been languishing on the TBR.
  3. The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich – Borrowed the book the moment I saw it featured in the library, bought the audiobook not long after, and still haven’t gotten around to it.
  4. Strong Ground by Brene Brown – I bought it the day it released and yet it’s still unread.
  5. S. by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst – I loved the whole concept of this book and obviously needed a physical copy. I haven’t read it because it’s something I feel needs to be savored and I feel like I have to block off some meaningful time for it.
  6. Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth – It’s been featured on my To-Read lists many times too and I still haven’t read it.
  7. Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane – Same with this one.
  8. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis – To be fair, there are 14 books in this series and it’s difficult to start another new long-running series when I haven’t finished so many other series I’ve already started.
  9. Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett – I wanted it. I needed it. I haven’t read it.
  10. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder – It’s been 20 years since I added this one to my TBR. I’d mostly forgotten about it but recently got interested in it again. Will it wait another 20 years on my TBR? Who knows?!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Books I Want to Read by New to Me Authors

Posted July 13, 2026 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 29 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Books I Want to Read by New to Me Authors  

I have heard so much praise for these authors but just somehow never got around to reading their books. I want to read them, I really do, it’s just so hard to keep up with all the books that somehow keep accidentally falling into my TBR. I’m pretty sure my personal Mount TBR is taller than Everest at this point, and I’m also sure I’ll probably never summit the peak of my ever-growing Mount TBR. Oh well.

Top Ten Books I Want to Read by New to Me Authors

  1. The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe – This is the first book in The Book of the New Sun series, which is apparently a big deal with scifi readers, so of course I’m curious!
  2. The Astral Library by Kate Quinn – Technically, I’ve read Kate Quinn, but it was a 57-page novella (Signal Moon) and I havent read a single full-length book yet even though she’s so widely praised, so she counts!
  3. Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer – My bookish friends have been urging me to read this since it came out years ago. I still mean to! One day! Soon!
  4. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – I watched the miniseries and absolutely loved it and will eventually read the book, I promise!
  5. Feminist Theory by bell hooks – I hear people quoting and referencing bell hooks all the time but I have never read her myself. I must remedy this.
  6. Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison – I know, I know! It’s been on my TBR forever and I’ll get to it eventually!
  7. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See – I actually have a couple of books by the author on my shelves over the years. I lost and re-acquired them through several moves and never realized that I haven’t read a single book by her because seeing her books on my shelves seemed so familiar to me.
  8. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay – People have been mentioning his name with admiration but I have no idea what kind of books he writes. FOMO means I have to find out.
  9. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving – Another book that have been praised a lot and that I plan to read eventually even though I know nothing about it.
  10. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough – I am familiar with her name but have never read her. I’m actually more excited to read her Masters of Rome series, but this book is more popular and I figure a standalone is easier to commit to than a series of seven books!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Book Titles That Include the Word “Seven”

Posted July 6, 2026 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 48 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Book Titles That Include the Word “[insert word of your choice here]”  

I decided to go with the word/number “Seven” in honor of today being the seventh day of the seventh month. There are quite a lot of book titles that feature the number “Seven” too, so I’m spoiled for choice! Some of these I’ve read, some are on my TBR, and some are books that look really interesting to me and that I’m adding to the TBR. Do you have any favorite books with the number seven in the title?

(ETA: I did not do this on purpose, but I’m also number 7 on the TTT linkup for this week! How cool is that?!)

Top Ten Book Titles That Include the Word “Seven”

  1. The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston – I had this book on my TBR for the longest time before I finally read it even though there was so much praise for it because I was a fool, but I finally read it earlier this year and ended up loving it! I’m definitely a fan and I’m absolutely reading more from the author.
  2. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – I’m a huge fan of TJR and have so many of her books on my favorites list. Interestingly, this book isn’t one of my favorites. I liked it well enough and I think it’s very good and very well-written but it’s not one of my favorites. That distinction goes to Carrie Soto Is Back and Malibu Rising.
  3. The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher – I have so many Kingfisher books on my TBR and it’s making me just a little anxious. I love the author and I must read everything she writes, but she’s writing so quickly and I can’t keep up!
  4. Seveneves by Neal Stephenson – I have no idea what this book is about but I heard it’s good and I love a good chunky book. I recently bought the audiobook on sale and I can’t wait to dive in.
  5. The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson – This is historical fiction, magical realism, and mystery all in one book. A fortune teller has to find out the mystery of her mother’s death in 18th-century England. The reviews have gotten me so intrigued!
  6. The Girl With Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee – This is nonfiction about a North Korean defector. I’m not very knowledgeable about the North Korean history and politics, but I’d be very interested in reading this and learning a little more. It could also be a great option for those doing geographical reading challenges.
  7. The Seven O’Clock Club by Amelia Ireland – The book description makes this book sound so mysterious; a small group of people doing some kind of experimental therapy thing and secrets are revealed. I know nothing but I need to know everything!
  8. The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames – This one intrigued me because I enjoy stories of family history sprawling across several generations, told in a sort of memoir format. At least, that’s the impression I got from the book description and reviews. I could be wrong but I’m very interested in finding out!
  9. The Seven Day Switch by Kelly Harms – I love Freaky-Friday-esque type of stories with very different people switching lives and this one just sounds like so much fun!
  10. Seven Summers by Paige Toon – A friend recommended Paige Toon as a must-read author and I hadn’t had a chance to try her books yet, but this one sounded good and had “Seven” in the title so I added it here! And hopefully I’ll read it too soon!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Monthly Wrap Up | June 2026

Posted July 2, 2026 by Haze in Blog News, Monthly Wrap Up / 2 Comments

Welcome to the Monthly Wrap Up hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight to share our monthly wrap-up posts that summarizes our month in books, our favorite books of the month, what we did on our blogs, and anything noteworthy we want to share.

June 2026 Wrap Up

To be blunt, June sucked.

We lost another one of our cats, Pepper, last week on the 26th of June, after losing Loki in June last year. She stopped eating on Monday so we took her to the vet. They took x-rays and a blood test, and then gave her meds and told us to force-feed her with a syringe if she didn’t start eating on her own. We did it for a couple of days but she wasn’t getting any better, and she also stopped drinking and we had to force her to drink as well.

The blood test results showed she probably had kidney disease and we took her back to the vet on Friday. She’d lost about 1.3kg in just five days. The vet said it didn’t look like she’d be able to make it without hospitalization and extensive medical intervention, and we obviously didn’t want her to starve herself to death and suffer any more than she had to, so we decided to let her go.

It sucks. I hate it. She was the baby and the most spoiled cat of all. I can’t believe she’s gone.

Button is the only one left. She’s Loki’s and Pepper’s mother, and she was very attached to Pepper. Now that Pepper’s gone, Button’s been sleeping with us every night and following us around a lot. We ended up taking Button to the vet too, this week, just to check that everything’s good with her and prevent any issues before they crop up. The good news is that her bloodwork came back great, but we’ve got to get her in for dental work later this year.

It’s still new and raw, and I find myself coming across memories and things that remind me of Pepper, and I’d just cry randomly. We just bought a new cat backpack so she could come with us on walks this summer and I have so many regrets when I see it sitting in the corner. She had only gotten to use it once.

I think when I posted about Loki last year, I’d had more time to process it before sharing about it and Pepper’s passing just happened last week so I’m rambling way too much. I know it’ll get better eventually.

My June 2026 TBR Intentions

I didn’t end up reading very much in June. I’m also behind on my book reviews, replying comments, and general blog maintenance. I did get a few of my Top Ten Tuesdays topics done ahead of time and pre-scheduled, so that’s one less thing to worry about.

  1. The Talisman by Stephen King & Peter Straub
  2. Black House by Stephen King & Peter Straub
  3. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
  4. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis

Books Read in June 2026

  1. The Talisman by Stephen King & Peter Straub
  2. Black House by Stephen King & Peter Straub
  3. North by Scott Jurek and Jenny Jurek
  4. Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn
  5. Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley
  6. The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
  7. Tuesdays At The Castle by Jessica Day George

Notable Book(s) This Month

The Talisman and Black House were wonderful and immersive reads. I loved the journey and I’m so excited for the third book in the series, Other Worlds Than These, coming out this October.

The Agatha Christie bio by Lucy Worsley was also really good! I read a fictionalized book about Agatha Christie, The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont, recently and didn’t like it very much, but this one made me want to know more about Christie and reread her books again.

July 2026 TBR Intentions

I kinda want to let myself chill and read all the happy, cozy books after the month I had in June, but I also love the feeling of satisfaction when I cross off books that fit the prompts of the reading challengs I’ve taken on. Let’s see if I can find a balance.

  1. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
  2. The Shippers by Katherine Center
  3. The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren
  4. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis

How was your month in June? What were your most memorable bookish moments? I hope you have a wonderful July with lots of great books!

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Top Ten Tuesday | Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026

Posted June 29, 2026 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 17 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026  

There are waaayyy too many good books releasing every day and I despair of ever reading everything I want to read. These are just a few of the ones I’m really looking forward to. I’m excited to see what everyone else has on their list, and I’m probably going to end up adding some of them to my TBR too!

Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026

  1. The Roommate Rule by Georgia Stone – Expected publication date: Jul 7, 2026. I love the forced proximity trope in romances and this one looked so cute! I also really love this cover!
  2. Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves – Expected publication date: Jul 7, 2026. The MC is Death and presents as an ordinary guy. I need to see where this goes.
  3. The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren – Expected publication date: Jul 14, 2026. Christina Lauren’s books are always fun when I need a lighthearted romance.
  4. Extracurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon – Expected publication date: Jul 14, 2026. I read The Ex Talk by the author some time ago and really enjoyed it. I’ve been wanting to read more by her.
  5. The Eye of Leviathan by M.A. Carrick – Expected publication date: Jul 14, 2026. I love the Rook & Rose series by the authors and I’m so excited to read more from them! This is the first of a new series and I’m torn between reading this one immediately versus waiting for the whole series to be out so I have the whole story at once.
  6. A Time of Witches by Madeline Martin – Expected publication date: Sep 1, 2026. I’ve read several of Madeline Martin’s historical fiction and loved them, this one has witchy elements to it and I’m curious to see how she fares with historical fantasy.
  7. The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon – Expected publication date: Sep 8, 2026. Frozen River by the author really surprised me and I’m excited to read more by the author.
  8. Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo – Expected publication date: Sep 15, 2026. The third and final book in the Alex Stern series. I loved the first book, was kind of disappointed with the second one, but I haven’t given up on it hence the excitement for this one. I hope it will not disappoint.
  9. Other Worlds Than These by Stephen King – Expected publication date: Oct 6, 2026. I just recently finished reading the first two books in The Talisman series, in preparation for this third book coming out. I cannot wait!
  10. As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers – Expected publication date: Oct 13, 2026. I’m a huge fan of Becky Chambers, especially because of all the found family stories like in The Wayfarers series, so I want to read this one too!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Books on My Summer 2026 TBR

Posted June 22, 2026 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 34 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Books on My Summer 2026 To-Read List 

I have a whole bunch of books I hadn’t read from past TBR lists, but I decided to try not repeating them for this one even though many of them remain unread and still on my TBR.

I ended up with a full list of women authors, with many of the books touching on feminism and women’s issues, completely unintentionally, but I’m not mad about it. Hopefully I am able to read as many of these as possible this summer. Excited to see what everyone else is planning to read!

Top Ten Books on My Summer 2026 TBR

  1. The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston – I read a couple of Ashley Poston books recently and fell in love with her stories. This is her newest release and I’m excited to read it!
  2. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis – I love stories set in ancient Rome and I have a whole separate TBR filled with books in this category. This one looked good and I thought it’d be a good one to start with.
  3. When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill – I’ve seen some rave reviews about this book and my interest is piqued. Dragon women, right up my alley!
  4. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North – This was on my radar a long time ago but I forgot about it until recently when my bookclub friends were talking about it and renewed my interest in it.
  5. Venco by Cherie Dimaline – Witches and magical realism, how can I resist! I’ve been on the library waitlist for a while now, and I believe it will be ready for me this summer!
  6. Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood – A book I had read before and loved about women’s friendships. I’ve been meaning to reread this and hopefully I can get to it this summer.
  7. The Shippers by Katherine Center – Another new one I’m excited for! I’d read anything by Katherine Center!
  8. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston – I’ve read 10 Blind Dates by the author and enjoyed it more than I expected to. It’s a completely different genre but I’m curious what this one will be like.
  9. The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang – I recently read Blood Over Bright Haven and omg it was so intense. This book is the more popular one by the author so I’m looking forward to reading it.
  10. Eve by Cat Bohannon – Nonfiction about how the female body shaped science and history throughout the years. It sounds absolutely fascinating!

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Books I Can’t Believe I’ve Never Read

Posted June 1, 2026 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 26 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Books I Can’t Believe I’ve Never Read  

Some of these books have been on my TBR forever. Some of them are recognizable classics or pop culture books that people talk about all the time and I feel like I should read to understand. All of these are books that I can’t believe I’ve never read, but I do intend to read them eventually!

Top Ten Books I Can’t Believe I’ve Never Read

  1. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison – I got it mixed up with The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells, which I read when I was a lot younger, and was very confused when people talked about it and I was like…”wait, what? When did that happen in the book?”
  2. Watership Down by Richard Adams – There is so much praise for this book and I keep meaning to read it but I haven’t yet.
  3. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan – I’ve tried reading it many times but haven’t been able to get through it because it hits so close to home. I’m not sure if I should let it go or push through.
  4. The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R Tolkien – I actually did try listening to this on audiobook, narrated by Andy Serkis. I loved what I heard thus far, but I couldn’t finish it at the time because I listened to it to sleep and Serkis’ Gollum voice scared me awake! I intend to try it again soon!
  5. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk – Any book by Palahniuk, to be honest. I don’t know why I haven’t read any.
  6. The Dark Tower series by Stephen King – As a self-proclaimed King fan, I am ashamed that I haven’t read this series. In fact, there are still a whole bunch of King books I have never read! The shame!
  7. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller – I have used the “catch-22” reference a few times in my life but I have never read the book.
  8. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – I know the basic story and I already love the vibes, but I’ve just never read the book. I think I might have read an abridged children’s version once though.
  9. Beloved by Toni Morrison – One I really want to read but I read some reviews saying it was bleak and a difficult read so I’m a little hesistant.
  10. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson – This is another story that’s been told and adapted so many times in pop culture but I’ve never read the original.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Monthly Wrap Up | May 2026

Posted June 1, 2026 by Haze in Monthly Wrap Up / 4 Comments

Welcome to the Monthly Wrap Up hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight to share our monthly wrap-up posts that summarizes our month in books, our favorite books of the month, what we did on our blogs, and anything noteworthy we want to share.

May 2026 Wrap Up

I spent most of May trying my best to get ahead of deadlines so that I can get back to being more present on the blog. It feels like a constant struggle but I’m getting closer to my goals. I’m also trying to read more books on print than on audio, but it’s just easier to read more books on audio when there are chores (and other audiobook compatible activities) to do!

My May 2026 TBR Intentions

I mentioned how excited I was about Book 8 of the Dungeon Crawler Carl coming out in May and that I wanted to reread Books 1 through 7 before diving into it. Well, I couldn’t wait and dove right in the day it released without rereading the other books! I’ll probably reread the whole series again at some point because there were a lot of details I forgot while reading Book 8, but it was totally worth it!

  1. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
  2. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
  3. Stiff by Mary Roach
  4. Rage Becomes Her by Soraya Chemaly

Books Read in May 2026

  1. Stiff by Mary Roach
  2. Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
  3. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
  4. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
  5. The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
  6. A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman
  7. My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
  8. Horns by Joe Hill
  9. The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
  10. Start Where You Are by Sabrina Pace-Humphreys
  11. Bag of Bones by Stephen King
  12. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
  13. The Incomplete Book of Running by Peter Sagal
  14. Elevation by Stephen King
  15. High School by Tegan Quin and Sara Quin

Notable Book(s) This Month

Yesteryear was a big standout, not necessarily because I loved it but rather because it’s still sticking with me. It says a lot about our current social media culture and influencer’s public persona. The story and characters are fictional but I know there are real people like Natalie and her husband out there and that scares me deeply.

The other standout is of course, Book 8 of Dungeon Crawler Carl, A Parade of Horribles, because I loved it! I love listening to it on audio. I miss the characters, Jeff Hay’s protrayal of all of them, and it still makes me laugh and cry at all the right places. Definitely planning a reread once I have my other reading challenges squared off.

I also read a couple of nonfiction books about running; one is a guide/how-to, Start Where You Are by Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, which was actually quite informative and helpful, specially targeted to women runners, and the other is a memoir, The Incomplete Book of Running by Peter Sagal, which was really interesting because he talks about being a guide for blind runners, plus he was present at the Boston Marathon bombing.

June 2026 TBR Intentions

I have a few books I’m itching to read and I’m sort of wanting to read more running memoirs, but I’d also like to finish as much of the 2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge as possible. I have other reading challenges as well, and I’m doing well with the 2026 Nonfiction Reader Challenge but falling behind with The Stephen King Constant Reader Challenge and The Classics Club. I’ll have to find a balance!

  1. The Talisman by Stephen King & Peter Straub
  2. Black House by Stephen King & Peter Straub
  3. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
  4. The Ides of April by Lindsey Davis

How was your month in May? What were your most memorable bookish moments? I hope you have a wonderful June with lots of great books!

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