Tag: Crown of Midnight

My May 2026 TBR… It’s LONG!

Posted on by

When planning my May 2026 TBR, I knew I wanted a fresh start. After a lacklustre reading month in April (see my April wrap-up if you want the low-down on that…), I’m hoping a clean slate is the key to getting my reading groove back. 

I have some reading obligations as well, so the deadlines will also go a long way to spurring me on. I have two blog tours, as well as kicking myself up the bum to get my Throne of Glass read-alongs back on track.

Beyond that, I’ve let my brand new, refreshed TBR Jar decide the rest! It pulled out some chunky books, and I confess I tossed one back as it tried to give me a 1,100 pager after already tossing me a couple of 700 pagers. The genres I’m reading this month span horror, thriller, historical fiction, non-fiction, as well as my favourite, fantasy. One epic fantasy sequel as well I’m excited to get to 🎊

Enough teasing, I’ll get stuck in with my obligations first, then I’ll highlight my TBR Jar picks.

 

Carryovers from April/Reading Obligations 

Why We Get Sick

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

At the end of April, I started listening to the audiobook Why We Get Sick by Benjamin Bikman. I started this book as I have an interest in the subject, in particular the biological level of detail insulin resistance has on cells. 

I didn’t have a book like this on my TBR. Rather, it’s a topic I have wanted to learn about personally. Leaning into a complete change and effectively scrapping my TBR, I hoped picking up a book totally unrelated to my April TBR would give me the fresh start I needed. 

As of the end of April, it was working! In fact, this book features on my May 2026 TBR as I finished the book in May – yes – it’s already done 👍 It’s the best of starts I could hope for when it comes t my May TBR – long may it continue… 

 

Crown of Midnight

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Crown of Midnight is a carryover from my April TBR and my current read as of this May 2026 TBR. 

My read-along for Sarah J Maas hasn’t gotten off to the best of starts. The fault is entirely mine – I’m not prioritising it enough. That changes this month. Not only am I immediately prioritising down of Midnight to catch up on my being behind, but I will be following up with the sequel immediately. 

I’ll also plan ahead to set myself goals so that I DO actually read-along over the course of the month, as opposed to just playing catch up at the end which is what’s happened three times now. I’m going to go and do that on Storygraph and Fable after this post goes live. I’ll havens excuse then, right?! 

 

Heir of Fire

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

As above, once Crown of Midnight is finished I’m jumping into the first part of Heir of Fire right away. Compared to the earlier books in the series, Heir of Fire is longer. Compare 400-and-something pages for those first two books to nearly 600 in Heir of Fire. 

I can’t catch up with that too late. I need to keep on top of this one… 

Watch this space and hold me accountable friends!

 

The Eagle Will Rise

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

The first of my blog tour obligations this month is The Eagle will Rise by M.J. Porter. I signed up to this tour as I’m a big fan of the author’s Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. We also have some character overlap in this book, although the circumstances are very different in this new series. 

I’m excited to see where this takes us. I know what to expect in terms of writing style from M.J. Porter, and I’m keen to explore a new plot in a similar setting to that already established in Eagle of Mercia. 

Will I enjoy this one as much as I hope? Only time will tell, but I am optimistic! 

 

Witch Hunt

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

My second commitment is an audiobook tour. I don’t do these often, but I’m excited to get stuck in! 

When it comes to listening to audiobooks, I’m typically slower than reading conventionally. So, with that in mind, I’m going to jump in the gap finishing When We Get Sick has created and start Witch Hunt now. My review obligation isn’t until early June. However, in order to listen to this book in sufficient time, I’ve popped it onto this May 2026 TBR. 

What piqued my interest for this book? Its association with witchcraft and being set around Pendle Hull of course. It’s a take on the narrative I haven’t explored for a while. It’s also modern mystery/police procedural type book which is a change on what I’ve read and listened to lately. I’m keen to give this a try and let you know what I thought soon. 

 

May 2026 TBR picks

Moving on, I then pulled four books out of my refreshed TBR Jar. I had filtered out around 30-40 books I had read or removed from my TBR, but then added the latest books that were not in the jar. The net effect was more to pull from the jar, but all up-to-date at least. The paper I used was different this time, so I can visually see old vs new entries. I aimed for two of each; that way I can target some older books, but also deliberately mix in some newer ones to keep things fresh. 

Here’s what I pulled! 

 

Don’t Fix Women: The Practical Path to Gender Equality at Work

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

The first book that came out of the jar was kind. It was one of the newer additions to the jar. At 266 pages, it fits well with the overall size of my TBR. Pity the next three books I pulled didn’t agree with the sentiment… 

Don’t Fix Women is about fixing imbalances in the current workforce. Will this book have the most practical applications for me? Well, aside from being a women, I don’t have much in the way of power at my company. I’m not HR. However, I’ll advocate as much as I can and if I find practical advice here I think we could adopt, I’ll absolutely speak up. 

It should make for an interesting read nonetheless. I do enjoy some feminist reading now and then! 

 

The Great Hunt

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

The next book I pulled from the jar was also a new book to the jar. I started a read of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series with The Eye of the World in late 2024. It’s about time I got the sequel anyway, and the jar made that call for me. 

The Great Hunt comes in at just over 700 pages. It’s not a short read, but it does lean into one of my favourite genres of all time – epic fantasy. I’m looking forward to jumping back to the life and fate of Rand al’Thor. If I had left it too mcc longer, I’d be trying to recall what happened in the first book and I would struggle to pick this up again. As much as this is a long read, I think it’s a bit of a blessing in disguise that it came out now. 

 

Sleeping Beauties

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

After pulling two ‘new’ reads, I then targeted slips that have been in my jar since I first put it together. Sleeping Beauties has been on my TBR since January 2018. I also have a copy on my bookshelves, but I’m not sure if I have owned it as long as that or not. The spine is pretty faded from exposure to the sun, so it’s quite possible! 

Sleeping Beauties also comes in a fraction over 700 pages. Not a short read either, but one I’m excited to try. It’s also a bit feminist in nature, as well as overlapping with horror/thriller and fantasy for the plot line. A unique mix I’m keen to try! 

 

Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

This last book is actually the second draw from the jar. My first pick that came out was The Weird. Not problem, I thought initially, as I had a hunch it was a collection of short stories. That it is, but the whole volume comes in at 1,100 pages. No way was that going to be feasible. So, I’m being honest here and declaring that’s what the jar give me, but I tossed it back in so I could make a second draw. 

That second draw was a far more approachable Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon. At 450 pages, this is still somewhat achievable. This May 2026 TBR already has a sizeable page count, so it’s debatable if I’ll get to this one. However, I’ll use access to audio copies of book where I can, maybe even library loans  for books I don’t have. 

I’m really motivated to pick this up as it’s about one of my favourite TV series (based on books) of all-time – A Game of Thrones! If that’s not incentive to get through the rest of my May 2026 TBR to finish here, then I don’t know what is. 

 

That’s plenty enough to get on with for my May 2026 TBR. What are you reading? 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads| YouTube

Sunday Summary – 3rd May 2026

Posted on by

It makes a pleasant change for a Sunday Summary post that to come to you not at the end of the weekend! Yes, it’s the early May bank holiday weekend here, and I’m looking forward to an extra cheeky day off work. It also makes a change that the typical British bank holiday weather has held off so far. In fact, I was able to get out for a bike ride earlier, making the most of the weather being dry, if not the most sunny.

As much as I’m sure you really want to know my whereabouts this weekend, maybe I should stick to the topic at hand and catch you up on the blog posts and other content I’ve shared so far this week. Here on the blog, I shared a review of Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb, followed by my monthly wrap-up for April. Both of those are pretty lengthy posts, so if you’re in for an exciting read, go and check either (or both) of those posts out. 

Over on YouTube, I shared the equivalent of last week’s Sunday Summary catch-up in video form on Monday. Whilst I had hoped to get a little further with my posting schedule already, I plan to make up for that lack by getting my monthly wrap-up for April posted on YouTube today. 

 

Books Read

Looking at Women, Looking at War 

When I left you in last week’s Sunday Summary post, I had a reading marathon to achieve. I have just started Looking at Women, Looking at War and I still had a chunk to go.

With the deadline of returning this book before 5 pm on Monday, I stayed up late on Sunday night to get as far as I could, then finish the book Monday lunchtime with just enough time to spare to run it down to the library and return it. 

Who says being a reader doesn’t mean flying by the seat of your pants sometimes? I certainly do 🫣

Despite this needing to be a quick read out of necessity, the rapid case I had to read the book didn’t detract from the experience. It was both usual and unique to read a book of this nature. I went into it thinking it was more historical, but obviously it’s really kind of a current events book. 

What also made this interesting is that the book wasn’t finished by the author before she unfortunately lost her life. Therefore, there are sections of this book that are Victoria‘s rough handwritten notes as opposed to a fleshed-out chapter. Did that help me get through it? Absolutely! It’s a shame she obviously didn’t get to finish the book, but I really enjoyed reading it in the format it was nonetheless! 

 

Crown of Midnight 

One of my main reading priorities this week has been picking up Crown of Midnight. Yes, one surprisingly, my read-along book that I was meant to do in April, didn’t really happen as planned. I’ve got a good of that but also I didn’t make an effort to prioritise, but even knowing my reading month wasn’t going to plan. 

Nevertheless, I have finally started this book and as of this summary, I am around 20%. To be perfectly honest, it’s been quite easy to make this programme. I’ve enjoyed getting back into this world as we have enough overlap with one of the series, but also plenty of hints as to what to expect coming up in this latest, because I’m hoping to read for a rest with this book along very quickly. If I’m not talking about completion next week, I’m going to be upset with myself. My plans are to read the third book, Heir of Fire this May, so I definitely need to get my skates on! 

 

Why We Get Sick 

The book I feel like I’ve made the most progress with this week is called Why We Get Sick by Benjamin Bikman.

I was a little disheartened with my recent lack of reading progress. That’s especially so for both my previous audiobook listen, Onyx and Ivory, but also more generally. With the hopes that a fresh start was exactly what I needed, I turned to a book not even on my TBR. Rather, I leaned into a subject I have wanted to read more about anyway. I hope the complete fresh start would help kickstart my reading journey once again.

The main focus of Why We Get Sick revolves around insulin resistance and how this strikingly common phenomenon impacts chronic health conditions. In some cases, I go so far as to explain the links between insulin resistance and these conditions, if not definite, then the correlation. Why am I reading about this subject, you ask? Because I think I have it. More importantly, whilst I am interested in the biology, (this was distinct criteria I gave ChatGPT when looking for a recommendation), but my motivation for reading this book is to find out what I can do about it.

As of this Sunday Summary, I’m actually about 90% through this audiobook and I reckon with a bit of a push, I could finish this tonight. I’ve taken to listening to sections of this audio before bed anyway. It feels reasonable that I could finish this book tonight! And, that would make me happy. After a bit of a slump in recent weeks with reading progress, a quick win is definitely not going to hurt my stats or my interpretation of progress. Numbers aren’t everything, don’t get me wrong. However, they don’t hurt sometimes when you need a little kick… 

 

Books Discovered

I’ve been good for another week in a row and not added any books to my TBR. What’s going on with me?! 

Maybe the need to refresh my TBR jar yesterday, sorting old books and putting in maybe 60 or so of my latest adds, was enough to dissuade me… 

 

Coming Up… 

What I’m Reading… 

Next week, my early priorities will be finishing Why We Get Sick as I’m so close to the end, and Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas. With hopes to read Heir of Fire this month, I naturally need to read the predecessor book. 

Then, I think I’ll pick up Heir of Fire hot on the heels of Crown of Midnight. I need to read this in May and actually start my readalong in good time! Plus, I also don’t want to give away my May TBR reads before my post goes live 😉

 

Blog

I only filmed my May TBR and drew my books out of the TBR jar yesterday evening. So, I didn’t get time to post that list here this week. So, I’m naturally going to start next week with this one! It’s planned, and it’s a long list! I’ve also got some chunky books that came out. So, I’d best get back into the groove with reading, else my reading month will flop as hard as April… 

On Friday I’ll return with a Shelf Control feature. It’s been a few weeks since I posted one of these. If you’re keen to see what’s coming up on my TBR, that’s the post to check out 😊

Finally, another Sunday Summary will roll around before you know it. Let’s hope I can land some good reading progress in the next week and get my May TBR off to a great start. 

 

YouTube

Over on YouTube, I’ve got both my monthly wrap-up post and May TBR to edit and post – I hope you are looking out for those! 

 

Summary 

Thanks for reading today’s Sunday Summary and I hope you’re as excited for the content I’ve got planned, as well as joining me in reading some of the books I’m picking up in May. 

What are you going to be reading in May? 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads| YouTube

Monthly Wrap-Up: April 2026

Posted on by

***Today’s monthly-wrap-up contains an affiliate link to Amazon if you wish to purchase the book. If you follow this link, I will earn a small commission from that purchase at no cost to you. 

If you wish to obtain a copy of the book based on this review, I would really appreciate you following this link and showing my content some support by making your purchase***

April should have been another productive month. Again, I set myself an ambitious TBR. However, a busy period at work, combined with stagnating on a re-read, meant progress stalled in April. It’s a shame – I’d been on a good run. At least I had a head start so I’m not behind after this month’s progress. Even so, I’m a little disappointed I didn’t pick up more reads this month. 

Let’s take a look at the books I picked up, and how I got on… 

 

Books Read 

Storm of Mercia

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Storm of Mercia was a priority read, given I had a review obligation for the book on 2nd April. 

Thankfully, I’m the kind of girl who thrives on a deadline. I started the book just a few days before the end of March and still read close up to the deadline. However, my already established love of the series meant this was easy for me to pick up and get invested in. 

As I’ve already reviewed this book on my blog, I’m not going to go too heavy into my thoughts on this book here. Instead, I’ll point you to that review if you are a fan of action-based historical fiction with political aspects to the underlying storyline. 

 

The Astral Library

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

My next carryover from March was my audio listen of The Astral Library. In my March wrap-up post, I shared that I didn’t have a lot left to go. 

Unsurprisingly, I finished this book in just a few days of the new month. I was invested into the narrative and events of the book were already coming to a head. Naturally, I had every inclination to get to this and see how the book finished. This was an easy book to prioritise and finish! It’s a pity the rest of the month didn’t follow through with this pace… 

 

1984

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

I started my April TBR already 33% into 1984 by George Orwell. I had to set this book aside in order to pick up my reading obligations – Rose Red, then Storm of Mercia. 

Firstly, the near month break I took between putting down and returning to this book wasn’t ideal. Combine that with a break from reading in general due to doing overtime at work, and tiredness after that, meant I was slow to get going again. Knowing how the book ended, there wasn’t much excitement or incentive for me to pick it up either. 

So, long story short, I was slow to pick this back up again. However, towards the end of the month I found my motivation again and finished 1984. Despite the lack of speed, I still enjoyed this one. I’m also keen to pick up the retelling Julia shortly. I’m ready for a slight change of perspective, and it should offer a refreshing change. 

 

Onyx and Ivory

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

One of the books I pulled out of my TBR jar in my March TBR video is Onyx and Ivory. This YA fantasy romance was the final book I pulled from the jar, yet equally was the only one I got to this month. 

And you know what, it didn’t land perfectly. I knew it was a stretch, being YA fantasy. In other circumstances, I might have gotten on with it. However, listening to this audiobook coincided with my slow patch of 1984. That didn’t help, so in the end, I decided to pick up a fresh audiobook. After that, I didn’t have the inclination to return. I gave myself a deadline of the end of April to return to this. I didn’t, so I’ll call it a DNF. 

 

Looking at Women Looking At War: A War and Justice Diary

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

It’s a good job this girl thrives on a deadline. Despite my intentions to start this book in plenty of time before it was due back to my local library on Monday, I only started it last Saturday. Needless to say, I was on the clock to finish the book. 

Most of Monday lunchtime was spent finishing the book. I had hoped I could take the book back after 5pm, but unfortunately the library shut then. So, a rocket was firmly up mine to get the book finished… but you know what, I did it! 

Looking at Women Looking At War was a really interesting read, so it wasn’t difficult to prioritise this read. It was also unusual to read a book that’s shaping currency events./ It barely counts as history, but it had that vibe. The circumstances of the author’s work, and terrible passing, meant that the book wasn’t finished. It was odd to read a book in which the author’s unedited notes have to stand as the content. But, it brings home what happened and the level of work Amelia was going to in order to document the war crimes and make sure those harmed by the Russians get their justice. 

Looking at Women Looking At War is a very different book to those I’ve read lately, and it landed well! Of all the books on this monthly wrap-up, it’s the book I enjoyed the most! 

 

Crown of Midnight

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

I’m carrying forward two books into May – my readalong of Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass series. Starting this book was later than intended, but I have somewhat of a schedule to maintain. So, whilst I’m a bit late in getting started, as of this monthly wrap-up post, it is my priority read. 

As of this monthly wrap-up post, I’m 14% into Crown of Midnight. I’ve enjoyed the start of this book so far, and it has been easy to get back into it. There’s enough ties to events from the previous book that the story is cohesive and I understand where I’m up to. However, already there are hints of new events that are going to unfold in this latest instalment. I’m keen to get stuck in, so watch for some speedy progress with Crown of Midnight in the coming days.

 

Why We Get Sick

Amazon Purchase Link

Goodreads

Finally, I started Why We Get Sick as a break from Onyx and Ivory. Although not on my TBR, I have a personal motive to listen to this audiobook. 

I’m trying to learn about insulin resistance and the effects it has on people. I have signs of insulin resistance myself, and I’ve stagnated in trying to lose weight. In order to find this book, I sought the recommendation of a book that goes into the biology of insulin resistance and how to reverse it. I used ChatGPT to seek out the recommendation. So far, it’s interesting and engaging whilst also giving the detail I wanted. 

Looking at everything from brain, heart and reproductive health to illnesses like cancer, the book covers the links to insulin resistance. Later in the book, I get to explore more about how insulin resistance comes about and what I can do about it. I’m hopeful this will also be a quick read and help end the slump I experienced in April. 

 

Summary 

So, all in all, April wasn’t the reading month I hoped for. However, all is not lost. I’m still two books ahead of schedule to meet my 60 books in 2026 reading goal. My current reads are also well received, so let’s hope they are the remedy I need to get progress in May off to a great start! 

Thanks for sticking with me in this monthly wrap-up. I’m not giving myself a break, and May’s upcoming TBR isn’t going to let up any. Onwards and upwards! 

What did you read in April?  

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads| YouTube

Monthly TBR – April 2026

Posted on by

My monthly TBR for April is a little bit different. Normally, I have a set of books that I have in mind to pick up and I largely pick this myself. Sometimes that’s shaped by reading challenges, and that is still somewhat true for this month. However, half of this monthly TBR has been decided by a TBR jar. 

If you want to go and watch me physically pull these out of the jar and share my initial reactions, I recorded this and published the video over on my new YouTube channel. Rather than rehash all the content, what I’m going to do is share a link to that video in this post, and for those of you who don’t want to go and watch that, I will provide a brief written summary of the books on my TBR below.

 

Carryovers from March/Reading Obligations 

Storm of Mercia

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Starting with a carryover that I was actively reading as at the change of month, I have already finished storm of Mercier by MJ Porter as I had a review obligation to share my thoughts on the book on the 2nd of April. 

I’m not going to go into too much detail here, because my thoughts are already live on the Interwebs. You can check out my blog post here for more on this ninth instalment to this epic historical fiction series set in 10th century England. 

 

The Astral Library

 

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Another book I’m featuring because I did carry forward into April, but have already finished as of this April TBR post, is my audiobook lesson of the astral library.

I really enjoyed this contemporary fiction and a story that’s really about the power and magic of libraries. If you like the style of Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library, it offers a similar feel but a completely unique storyline.

 

1984 / Julia

 

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

 

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

In March, I started rereading 1984 by George Orwell. At just over 125 pages in, I had to put this down in order to fulfil my reading obligations for reviews for Rose Red and Storm of Mercia. 

Now those are done, I’m keen to get back into my re-read of this dystopian fiction so I can then dabble in a retelling of the same world, Julia by Sandra Newman.

 

Crown of Midnight 

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

I am reading Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass series in a bit to both try out this author, as well as read some more trendy books. Usually, I just do my own thing, but I’m trying to be a little bit more current and talk about more tropical books.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to start Crown of Midnight , which I was supposed to read in March. Fear not though friends! If you want to join along with my readalong, I am committed to reading the second book in April. 

As well, I will be reading a book a month every month until this is finished later this year. If you want to join in on this readalong, I am digging these on both StoryGraph and Fable, whichever you prefer! My thoughts on book one are also over on my YouTube channel… 

 

Looking at Women Looking At War

 

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

The book I wanted to complete before the end of March to contribute towards the Goodreads 2026 Winter challenge is Looking at Women Looking At War by Victoria Amelina. 

Whilst I didn’t get to this book before the end of March, I am intrigued by the story and I want to know about Victoria‘s endeavours to document what was happening at the start of the war between Ukraine and Russia. It sounds awful, and knowing Victoria lost her life in this battle is even more heartbreaking. Not only that, but it offers some very current insight into a conflict. We’re all very aware of (although maybe Israel/Iran and the cost of your petrol has superseded this now…) 

Let’s get it back on my monthly TBR and on the radar! 

 

April TBR picks

Fifty Things You Need to Know About British History

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

I’m excited to pick this book up. I love non-fiction, and in particular this book about British history will definitely be appreciated. Unfortunately, a lot of my learnings at school were dominated with the likes of the boom and bust of the economy in the USA, the Cold War etc. 

I think it was a little remiss of my school program to neglect local history in its teaching. Nevertheless, I can remedy that with my own reading on the subject. Fifty Things You Need to Know About British History should give me a launchpad. 

 

Bag of Bones

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

I always enjoy a Stephen King novel. In this particular case, Bag of Bones is a chunky Stephen King novel. At around 700 pages on its own, this monthly TBR promises to challenge me. I was going to say take me right up to the wire, but let’s be honest, it will take me into May… 

The TBR jar did me dirty here! 

 

Freakonomics

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

I feel like this book could go one of two ways. It’s either going to be really interesting and tie together some unusual behaviours that impact our economy. Or, the synopsis hinting at this is a bit of a gimmick to get you to pick up the book and I’m going to be disappointed. 

Only time will tell I’m intrigued to pick up this book and find out. Fingers crossed, I’m wrong in my suspicion and that this book turns out better than I think it might. 

 

Onyx and Ivory

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

I’m glad a fantasy made it to this reading list and came out of the TBR jar. Honestly, I would’ve been surprised if it didn’t. I have a lot of fantasy on my list and by rights, the odds of one not being pulled out out of the jar would have been slim. 

Onyx and Ivory is also a good pick for me right now as it leans into the romantic genre – what I’m trying to read more of anyway. I feel like this is the kind of topical/trendy book that I’m actively seeking to engage with fans of. Let’s hope I’m a fan as well! 

Thanks for checking out my latest monthly TBR! What are you reading this April? 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads| YouTube

Monthly TBR – March 2026

Posted on by

***Today’s monthly TBR post contains affiliate links to Amazon if you wish to purchase any of the books featured today. If you follow this link, I will earn a small commission from that purchase at no cost to you. 

If you wish to obtain a copy of the book based on this feature I would really appreciate you following this link and showing my content some support by making your purchase***

 

My March monthly TBR is probably my most ambitious to date! With a goal of completing the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge, plus books to read for blog tour obligations, my own readalong and book club… I have a hearty mix! 

I’m looking forward to pushing myself. I’ve had a productive reading year so far and the variety of books on this list means there is likely something for every mood (if I need the change!). 

There are also a few books I’ve snagged from the library. No less than three of the books on this list are on loan to me currently. Others I owned already, some have been gifted for the purpose of review and the only two purchased were done with Audible credits. It doesn’t happen most of the time… 

If you’re aiming to complete the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge before the end of March, I hope some of today’s featured books offer some inspiration. 

 

Fixed Reads 

Throne of Glass

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

As a carryover from my February TBR, Throne of Glass will be my first completion of March. Hopefully! I’m behind on my own readalong, which is hardy a good look 🤣 Nevertheless, these things happen. I’m keen to catch up, because no surprise here, but book two is also on this TBR and I really need to get back on track. 

As I talked about in my monthly wrap-up for February, I’m getting on with Throne of Glass better than I thought. As at the end of the month, I was 26% through. I’ve already tagged on another 10% without trying. I’m hopeful this can be a quick finish! 

 

Rose Red

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

I am touring for a book called Rose Red later this month. I am trying this with a new tour provider, and the way they do things as a little bit different. Rather than having a set date well in advance, this tour provider seems to schedule nearer the time. Consequently, I don’t exactly know what date I will be posting my thoughts. However, I am going to have this book read ahead of the first tour date which is the 22nd March. That way, I’m ready for the tour whenever I’m scheduled.

Rose Red caught my attention because the premise of the book is a romantasy fairytale retelling, with a bit of a feminist angle. Based on Snow White, I’m intrigued to see what plot line this book follows. Having recently enjoyed a dark fantasy retelling in the form of After the Forest by Kell Woods, I’m keen to continue with the theme of fairytale retelling to see if there’s something I want to read more of.

 

Storm of Mercia

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

I am pleased to feature again a historical fiction series I have loved so far. Storm of Mercia is the ninth instalment in M.J. Porter’s Eagle of Mercia Chronicles series. I have followed this series since the first book was published, featuring all but one book as part of the publication blog tours. The protagonist is one of my favourite characters in the genre. At the start of the series, he didn’t fit the mould for your traditional character. Whilst he has come on leaps and bounds since then, his fundamental values remain the same and his personal character growth is enjoyable to follow. These books are also full of action, so we are never bored. 

I’m looking forward to sharing this review of the latest ninth book in the series soon. That blog tour review is going live right at the beginning of April, so naturally, I’m featuring this book on my March monthly TBR so I’m ready to go on the 2nd.

 

Wild Dark Shore

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Getting into the books I’m reading as part of the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge, I’m starting with Wild Dark Shore. This book is a great one to pick up this month, because reading it will qualify for two achievements in the challenge. Wild Dark Shore appealed to me for a number of reasons as well. The premise is interesting and involves a character washing up somewhere after nearly drowning. They also have an interesting dynamic with their family, as I found out when I featured the book in a recent First Lines Friday post. 

Needless to say, this is a highly anticipated mystery on this March monthly TBR. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on this one in due course. 

 

1984

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Stepping away from my Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge momentarily, I am picking up George Orwell‘s 1984 for my own reasons this month. 

When I shared my 2026 resolutions, I featured both 1984 and a retelling of the story on my fixed reads list. I have wanted to read these books side-by-side, or one after the other, since I received a copy of Julia. Firstly, I want to go back to the dystopian world as we know and love and as originally written by George Orwell. Having not had a good experience with this book 1st time round during my school years, I have already re-read it once in my lifetime and enjoyed the book significantly more as a result of not having to study it. Fingers crossed my third read is as enjoyable as my second! 

 

Julia

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Following on from 1984, it shouldn’t be a surprise then that Julia is going to be the next book on my list. After enjoying the refresher of the world as originally written, I’m keen to see how closely or far out this retelling is. I have no idea as of writing this March monthly TBR post. I’m looking forward to being surprised one way or the other. The added bonus of picking up these two books is that Julia qualifies for one of the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge prompts. Under the achievement for retellings, Julia naturally is a perfect fit. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to tick two books on my fixed reading list for 2026 off.

It’s also been a little while since I got my copies of these books, so it’s exciting to get to them at last!

 

A Study in Scarlet Women

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

A Study in Scarlet Women qualifies for the Goodreads prompt Swoony Stories. As I shared in my Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge announcement video on YouTube, it’s the prompt I found the most difficult to find a book for. Not being a big romance reader (not that you’d know it from this TBR, or even my last one), I need something other than a romance in order to keep my engagement with a book. 

What appealed to me about A Study in Scarlet Women is that it’s almost a spinoff or variation on the character of Sherlock Holmes. Whilst the main character isn’t the main man we know and love, the pseudonym is used by a female protagonist to investigate and clear the names of family members accused of a crime. The mystery element is definitely going to help me with this romance. Not only that, but I’m keen to see how the reimagining of Sherlock Holmes plays out in this completely different narrative.

 

An Arcane Inheritance 

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

It’s been a little minute since I picked up a dark academia novel. The last time I picked up the genre, I did so in the form of If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio. This is very different from An Arcane Inheritance in that that first book tackles a group of actors and the group dynamics of a troop who specialise in Shakespeare.

An Arcane Inheritance is very different. I’m picking up this book because it was on my TBR and qualifies towards the ‘Black Heritage’ prompt. I had hoped my recent listen of Barack Obama’s Dreams from my Father would have qualified. That’s not necessarily the reason I picked it up, but the timing was perhaps a little influenced by this challenge. Nevertheless, it was a great read. Instead, I get to pick up another book and I’m looking forward to getting back to dark academia. It’s not a genre I read a lot of, so it’s a refreshing change when I do.

 

Looking at Women Looking at War

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

When I shared my Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge list, I had to take a guess at a book that would qualify for the Women’s History challenge. The list of qualifying books was only released on the 1st March. I had hoped to read Eve by Cat Bohannon. This is a book about the evolution of humanity and how women’s biology and evolution shaped that. Unfortunately, this book does not qualify. If it had, that would have been another read that overlapped with my fixed reading list in my resolutions post. Never mind! 

Instead, I am picking up a book called Looking at Women Looking at War. This book is an interesting one because it focuses on some very recent history. 

A young woman, Victoria Amelina – a writer living in Ukraine – started documenting war crimes in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion in 2022. Unfortunately, she would never see the end of the war. She was tragically killed just a year into the conflict as a result of a Russian missile. 

However, not letting that stop her hard work from getting noticed, her efforts were published as Looking at Women Looking at War. Obviously, this is far from a complete account given the conflict is still ongoing. However, as a fairly recent history, I’m looking forward to both seeing what’s really going on behind the scenes. That, and to commemorate the bravery of a woman willing to expose the truth.

 

Crown of Midnight

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Unsurprisingly, given I’ve already published my intended timeline for this readalong, I’m looking to pick up the second book in Sara J Maas’ Throne of Glass series later this month. 

As this one is for my own deadline as opposed to for the purpose of meeting a challenge, I have put this towards the end of my March monthly TBR. However, I’m hoping to catch up so I’m not overlapping too far into April at the very least. If Crown of Midnight is anything like the first instalment Throne of Glass, I’m hopeful it will be very easy to read. It’s also only a few hundred pages, so not too big of a commitment. The later books in the series are longer and will require more time investment. However, I can’t get away with some flexibility early while the books are only 300 pages or so… 

 

Mood Reads

The Astral Library

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Finally, I have an audiobook on my March monthly TBR for a relatively new release of February. On YouTube, I shared a video of new releases in 2026 I was really looking forward to. The second book on this list (the first was Dear Debbie, which I finished listening to very recently) is The Astral Library.

This book caught my attention because it sounds similar to a book I love. Reminiscent of Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library, the premise involves a form of living a life through pages in a book. If you have read The Midnight Library, you will know that the protagonist explores multiple variations in how their life could have gone by picking up a book in which this life is encapsulated. This is purely the protagonists interpretation as opposed to a fixed idea in the book. The protagonist had a special relationship with a librarian at school. So, this is how the idea manifested for her. As an avid reader, this clearly resonated with me. Exploring something similar in The Astral Library is something I’m looking forward to! 

 

Summary 

I’m aiming high in this March monthly TBR – I don’t think anyone can argue against that! The heat is on to complete the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge. Will I achieve it? Place your bets now! 😂 

Thanks for reading today’s March monthly TBR – are you having a go at this challenge? 

signature

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Threads| YouTube