Tag: mystery

Sunday Summary – 29th March 2026

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In today’s Sunday Summary update, I’ve got several books I’ve progressed with to update you on – including two finishes! With just a couple of days left to read towards the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge, I’m doing my best to read as much as I can before the end of the month. 

Sadly, I don’t think I’m going to complete this challenge. Other reading obligations I’ve started this week have had to take priority. I’m not mad though. When I shared my 11 book TBR for March, I knew it was going to be a tall order. All things considered, I’ve made a bloody good attempt at it! 

Other than reading, what else have I been up to? Well, it’s been a pretty quiet one, all things considered. No social plans this week, but that was intentional. I haven’t had a weekend to myself in weeks! Some work overtime did eat into my Friday night, but I’m now fully rested and recovered. 

On the blog, I shared a Top Ten Tuesday Spring TBR post earlier this week. I love these seasonal instalments, as I get to look ahead at some upcoming reads and set my intentions to pick these up. Later this week I’d planned both a post on books I turn to in a book slump, as well as a mini-review of Rose Red. However, I had to prioritise actually finishing Rose Red so I could pot my review on social media. That did go ahead as scheduled, so I’ll catch up on the blog content later. 

On YouTube, I’ve experimented with shorts this week. Nothing notable this week, although I do get more views with shorts so I definitely need to make sure I post more go these, as well as long form content. 

 

Books Read

An Arcane Inheritance 

In last week’s Sunday Summary post, I confided that I had around 4 hours left of An Arcane Inheritance before completion. As I suspected in this post, being so close to the end made it an easy excuse to pick up this audiobook more to get to the end. From commutes to and from work to short listens before turning in for the night, finishing An Arcane Inheritance was pretty effortless. The storyline really ramped up and I was eager to find out what was going on, once and for all. 

I had no idea what to expect from the ending of this book. However, the revelations at the end were engaging and I really wanted Ellory to succeed. An Arcane Inheritance was a fun foray back into dark academia and it is really cleverly written. For a book with a minority main character and an angle of challenging white privilege, it is done in a way that it is clear, but not overbearing across the whole narrative. 

An easy 4* rating from me and I’m excited to see more from Kamilah Cole. She has a new release later this year that’s caught my attention, so watch this space… 

 

The Astral Library

After completing An Arcane Inheritance earlier this week (Friday morning), I started The Astral Library. A highly anticipated 2026 release, I’ve enjoyed getting into this book so far. The premise of the book is living within the pages of other well-known titles out there. Already, in the first 40% or so I’ve listened to, we’ve met the likes of Jane Eyre and Sherlock Holmes. Reminiscent in its set up of Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library, The Astral Library begins with a woman’s life falling apart and the library coming to her rescue. However, from there it deviates…

There’s an interesting mystery underpinning the events that see protagonist Alix hopping through the margins of well-known titles and meeting individuals like her seeking refuge between the pages of their favourite novels. It’s an interesting concept and I enjoy how the set up has Alix exploring others worlds as opposed to trying to find her own (the “conventional” journey for library visitors). Personally I can’t wait to discover more about the cause of events.

As of this Sunday Summary, I’m again in a position where I have just a few hours left of audio. Can I finish this pretty quickly? I’m confident I will! 

 

Rose Red 

Conventional reading progress started slow this week. Combined with some overtime on Friday night, it made my last-minute rush to finish Rose Red by Sarah Biggerstaff a little more pressured than I would have liked… 😅 

However, I did it. And, to be fair, Rose Red was easy to read. The book also had a bit of a mystery and built-up to quite the climax. Actually sitting down and reading the book was a piece of cake. This week’s issue was finding the time to do it. Nevertheless, my review went out on time yesterday after some hours of reading to make up for lost time. I posted my short review of Rose Red on Instagram and YouTube. 

Shamelessly I’m going to plug my my accounts here so you can follow these if you want to see more mini-reviews and shorter-form bookish content. 

This fairytale retelling was fun and suits fans of romance, witchcraft, strong sister bonds and problematic relationships with other family members. If this sounds like your cup of tea then you DEFINITELY need to follow and go see more on this book! 

 

Storm of Mercia

Finally, I made a start on another title for which I have a blog tour review obligation. This one is due Thursday 2nd April. So, I have a few days to read this book. It’s a good job I thrive on a deadline isn’t it?! 😅

Already today, I’ve read a third of this book in practically one sitting. I love diving into these historical fiction books by M.J. Porter. Icel is one of my favourite characters in the genre and time setting, and I read a few books that overlap here. He’s a great all-rounder, if a bit prone to getting himself into troublesome situations. He has a heart of gold though, so we can forgive his propensity to dive-in head-first to defend the weak. 

Already I’m a good way into the introduction of this book. I’m looking forward to reading on and getting more immersed back into events in Mercia and the wider Eagle of Mercia Chronicles as a whole 😊 More on this one next week. Stay tuned! 

 

Books Discovered

Whereas the rest of this Sunday Summary is full of bookish updates, there’s no news to report here. So, this week, I’m two books down thanks to my completions and nothing new added 🎉🎊

 

Coming Up… 

Blog

On the blog next week, I’ve got both my monthly wrap-up for March 2026 and my April TBR planned. They’re the usual posts at this time of the month, so hopefully no surprises here! 

On Thursday I’m lined up to feature my review of Storm of Mercia by M.J. Porter. If you have followed along with my reviews of the series so far, I hope you are as excited for my review of this latest instalment – book 9 no less! If you;’re unfamiliar, hop back to the very beginning and my review of Son of Mercia for a taste of what to expect.

As well as those, I’m going to try my best to get this week’s planned post about go-to books for reading slumps out as well. On the one hand, it’s quarter-end at work so I could be busy and I know for sure I’m working bank holiday Friday. Hopefully no more than that. At the same time, it is a long weekend so I’m sure I can squeeze it all in somewhere… 

Of course, I’m here every week, same time, with my Sunday Summary update. Take a look at next week’s post to see where I finally weigh in at with bookish progress towards the Goodreads 2026 Winer Challenge and my March TBR. Not only that, but hopefully I’ll have

 

YouTube

With the end of March fast approaching, I’ll record my monthly wrap-up to post on YouTube mid-week. It’s not really something I can do very well ahead of time. 

What I have been able to record ahead of time is my April TBR. With a placeholder left in for my carryovers from March, the rest of my reading list has been determined by a TBR Jar. It’s been a good while since I used this method to mix up my reading, and I got some very different books some out as a result. 

As well as these, I have a few shorts recorded, which I’ll intersperse throughout the week. 

 

Summary 

With two completions and a last-push towards reading as many books as I can towards the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge and my March TBR, it’s been a productive week overall! 

Thanks for reading today’s Sunday Summary update. What have you read this weekend? 

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Sunday Summary – 22nd March 2026

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This week was a reverse Uno compared to my last Sunday Summary update. This week, I traded my calm and collected week off for a manic return. Partly, it was to be expected given the work we had on at the moment. However, we also have other people in the team out, which compounded to the issue. Nevertheless, I did still manage to fit in my usual contact creation, as well as some reading to boot. Let’s recap what those are in my latest Sunday Summary instrument!

In terms of content creation, on the blog I shared a list of the 2026 booker prize longlist books and shared which of those I would like to read. Is the first time I’ve taken any real interest in reading from this list. However, I think this will make for an exciting readalong further down the line. Later in the week, a Shelf Control post went live on Friday. In this week’s post, I featured a non-fiction book about the creation of one of my favourite TV series of all time. It’s probably not a spoiler that it’s based on a book series…

On YouTube, I shared three recommendations for fans of dystopian novel 1984. I am currently reading this dystopia for the third time. If you like some of the themes addressed in this book, I share a few quite different examples of how these play out in alternative dystopian worlds. 

Today, I published my mini-review of my first book in the Throne of Glass readalong. I wanted to document my thoughts on this first book before I get stuck into the next instalment of the series. It’s not a super long review, but it will give you an idea of how much I enjoyed this first book and why I’m excited to get into the second!

 

Books Read

 

An Arcane Inheritance 

In last week’s Sunday Summary, I made around 3 hours progress into An Arcane Inheritance. 

This week I’ve been pretty consistent with that number, even despite being busy. Another 2hrs and 15mins progress this week brings me to within 4hrs of completion of this audiobook. Given I’m close to the end now, as well as my 31st March deadline for the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge award, that’ll help encourage me to finish the audiobook next week. 

I’m enjoying this one too – going back to dark academia has been fun and I’m enjoying how the storyline is playing out. The Déjà vu aspect of the storyline has me intrigued. I can’t wait to unfurl the reasons why Ellory is convinced she’s been here before! 

 

Rose Red 

I’ve temporarily set aside 1984 in lieu of picking up a book for a review obligation next week. That book is called Rose Red by Sarah Biggerstaff.

This fantasy fairytale retelling is reminiscent of Snow White but also features witchcraft and a lot of elements I’m enjoying from Cottagecore books right now. 

As of this Sunday Summary update, I’m just shy of 25% into the book. It’s a super easy read so far and so I’m confident I’ll have this finished in advance of my review date, 28th March. My review will go live on Instagram; it’s a social media tour. So, don’t forget to follow me there so you can see my thoughts on this one! 

 

Books Discovered

It’s not really a massive book, but yesterday I picked up A De-Tailed Account of Manx Cats. Yes, I went to a local cat cafe and saw this! 

My cats aren’t manxies, but I’m interested in reading more about what makes them different (including why they don’t have tails!) 

Pictures of my cats for tax… 

Also, I added a scutch of books on the 2026 Booker Prize Longlist… you’re shocked I’m sure…

 

Coming Up… 

 

YouTube

With this week being a bit mad, I’ve only got a couple of shorts recorded that I’ll drop next week. Since YT seems to push short form content more I’m going to take the opportunity to experiment with this form this week and see if it boosts my numbers.

I’m also experimenting with recording a long form reading vlog to go live next Sunday. It’ll also feature some video and pictures from going chocolate-making with friends today! 

 

Blog

On the blog, I’ve got a Top Ten Tuesday Spring 2026 TBR post. In this somewhat regular seasonal feature here on Reviewsfeed, I’ll share books I plan to read in the next three months. I’m not sure if I’ll have much ‘seasonal’ on here, but we’ll see! 

Later in the week, I’m going to take a break from my usual Friday features in exchange for something new. Instead, I’m going to post my go-to books when I’m in a reading slump. 

On Saturday I’ll post my review of Rose Red on YouTube and across my other social media accounts. Whilst this isn’t strictly a blog tour, it wouldn’t feel right not to post as least a mini-review here… 

Finally, I’ll rock up with my usual Sunday Summary update this time next week. Fingers crossed I’m a lot further with my reading than I am now… 

 

Summary 

Whilst I don’t have any finishes in this Sunday Summary, it’s great to catch up with you all! Will I get through my March TBR and complete the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge? It could go either way right now! 

Have you read any of the books featured today? What are you currently reading? 

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Sunday Summary – 15th March 2026

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Good evening all – I hope you’re looking forward to this latest Sunday Summary update. Whereas the last few weeks have been a little bit crazy, this week I’ve enjoyed some downtime. I’ve enjoyed a week off work with the other half, and we’ve made the most bit by doing as little as possible! Well, that’s not strictly true. We’ve enjoyed going out at leisure, and we made most of some great weather on Wednesday this week and went for walk on an 8 1/2 mile course. Needless to say, I felt that afterwards… 

Although my downtime has taken priority this week, that’s not to say I’ve sacrificed content production. Here on the blog, I’ve still written and posted a book review of The House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, as well as a First Lines Friday instalment. This week’s feature was by an author I read as recently as February… and she has a sizeable backlist I had to choose from. Can you guess who? 

On YouTube, I’ve also published two videos with you this week. My first video of the week was a short list of fantasy series I want to start (or in some cases restart) in 2026. The second of my videos was also a review. This was for The Great Passage by Shion Muira which went live yesterday. 

 

Books Read

Throne of Glass

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to finish my readalong of Thrones of Glass before the end of February. As of last week’s Sunday Summary, I was around 60% into the narrative. I made a real push to finish this book this week. With my plan to pick up the sequel, Crown of Midnight in March, I needed to finish this first book so I can move on. 

Admittedly, I enjoyed this book more than I anticipated! For a book with romantic sub-plots, that aspect of the narrative didn’t dominate the plot and/or take away from the fantasy elements of the storyline. When you think Sarah J. Maas, you think romance. That’s what I went into the book expecting, but in reality the balance is far more suitable to my preference of not too much romance. 

I’m glad I took my sister’s advice with this series to try this author with. It was the right choice, and I’m keen to get stuck in with this second book ASAP. 

 

An Arcane Inheritance 

As of last week’s Sunday Summary, I was only a few chapters into An Arcane Inheritance. Over the course of this week, progress has picked up a little and I listened to about 3 hours, or around 25% taking into account the x1.25 speed I’m listening to. Not bad, considering I’ve not really had as much solo time and therefore opportunity to listen. I’ve made up for the lack of solo commutes and gym listening time by instead listening before turning in at night. Overall, it’s worked reasonably well. I did have to go back a couple of chapters one night; I fell asleep unusually quickly that night… 

Now I’m further into the book, I’ve got a better feel of the narrative direction and I like where it’s going. I’m intrigued by the magic, symbolism and occult vibes plaguing Ellory. There’s definitely a mystery to unravel here and I can’t wait to listen on to figure out more. As far as the dark academia genre experience is going, I’m loving revisiting the genre. The character dynamic between Ellory and Hudson is more tolerable than the early chapters. Well, at least a bit healthier. A bit… 

 

1984 

Whilst not strictly contributing to any breeding challenge books, 1984 is on my fixed reading list for 2026 as I set out in my 2026 resolutions. Not only that, but the companion book I want to read alongside it, Julia, does qualify for the Goodreads 2026 Winter challenge. Before I go into that retelling, I want to pick up 1984 and refresh myself on the original world as set out by George Orwell.

As of this Sunday Summary, I am currently 126 pages into the book. I’ve enjoyed reading all of the setup in the first section of the book to appreciate the detail and nuances of the dystopian world. When reading these books over a stretch of time, it’s easy to forget the details. That’s precisely why I wanted to pick up the original 1984 novel first before reading the retelling on my March TBR. Although this is my third read of the book, I’m not bored with revisiting the book. I had sizeable chunks of time between the re-reads so it doesn’t feel repetitive. 

 

Wild Dark Shore 

A priority read on this Sunday Summary was starting and finishing Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. 

I had a notification from Libby that my digital download of this library loan was due earlier today. By the time I looked at this notification, I had just over two days left to read the book. But, unfortunately I was unable to extend my loan. How dare other people want to read the same book as me and put a hold on it, right?! 😅

So, with all due haste, I started and finished this 298 page book in a relatively short time. Thankfully, this book and its mystery is very compulsively readable. Did I read it a little quicker than I would have in other circumstances? Probably yes. However, I was gripped by the storyline and having the deadline didn’t jeopardise my enjoyment of the book.

I have to say, this book wasn’t quite what I expected. However, it was also a little bit better. It was very cleverly written, which is what I expected. The storyline and The mystery were a bit of a different angle than I anticipated, but that’s okay! It was nice to be surprised and it helped overall with my wanting to pick up this book. 

The good news is, reading Wild Dark Shore contributes to 2 Goodreads achievements this week. I’m now 8 out of 12 achievements in towards the Goodreads 2026 Winter challenge. 

 

Books Discovered 

Thankfully, this week I’ve ticked a couple of books off my list and there are no new additions. I’ve added quite a few books to the TBR of late. This week, I haven’t added anything new, so I’m making progress back towards the 200 books mark. 

Interestingly, I caught a bit of a milestone when looking at my books recorded on Goodreads. According to my Goodreads records, I’ve got a total of 500 different books ‘Read’ 🎊🎉

 

Coming Up… 

If you were salty with me for revelling in being off work this week, you can laugh now. I’m back to the daily grind in less than 12 hours, and it promises to be busy! Still, it’s no excuse and I won’t be slacking off of content creation…

Blog

On the blog next week, I’ll be taking a look at the longest of books nominated for the 2026 Booker Prize. The list was published last month, and reviewing whether each book is something I want to read or not. I’ve never paid much attention to this list before, so it could be fun. If there are enough books I want to read, maybe I’ll make a readalong or some kind of challenge to incorporate these into my reading list later this year. 

On Friday, my usual Shelf Control feature will go live and share a non-fiction about one of my favourite tv series (based on books, obviously). It’s one I’ve been looking forward to getting to, so it’ll be fun to share this on Friday and get psyched to pick up the book! 

 

YouTube

I’ve recorded two videos today that I’ll edit and push out next week. The first of these is my review of Throne of Glass. I wanted to document my thoughts on this first book of the series before I get stuck in to Crown of Midnight. That way, my view can’t be coloured by what I’ve ready later. 

Later in the week, I’ve got a list of dystopian book recommendations if you enjoy books like 1984. In this video, I share what these dystopian books are about, as well as their similarities and differences compared to 1984. Hopefully in this video you can find a recommendation of a new book to pick up. 

 

Summary 

This Sunday Summary is a sizeable update. If you’re still with me – thanks for sticking around! 

Have you read any of the books featured today? If not, what are you currently reading? 

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Monthly TBR – March 2026

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***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? 

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Monthly Wrap-Up – February 2026

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***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***

As of the end of February and this monthly wrap-up post, I am four books ahead of schedule in my Goodreads Challenge for the year to read 60 books in 2026. With seven titles added to my completed list in February, it’s fair to say I’ve had a successful month! 

Compared to my monthly TBR for February, I pretty much got to the end of my reading list for the month with one current read I’m carrying forward into March. I did think I would complete this list this month. However, with a busy work week mid-month taking on a project from a colleague, I didn’t have much headroom to read in my free time for a few days and that did impact my overall progress.

Nevertheless, still managed to pull it out the bag. Two blog tour obligations helped to keep momentum going, and they were both highly-rated reads as well. It always helps when the book you pick up are well received! 

Let’s take a look at where I got to! 

 

Books Read 

After the Forest 

Amazon Purchase Link 

At the end of my January wrap up, I shared that I was part way through after the forest by Kell Woods. I really enjoyed this dark fantasy overlap with a fairytale retailing. The darker tones of the book featuring witchcraft, war and discrimination, combined with the lighter and more familiar base of the fairytale Hansel and Gretel made for an interesting combination.

There is also a romance element to the storyline of this book. Whilst it wasn’t something I actively rooted for (it’s just not my thing, okay?), It was okay to read and didn’t detract from the narrative all my experience of it. It was refreshing to pick up something different, which has been a feature of almost every book I’ve picked up alongside the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club.

 

Dreams From My Father

Amazon Purchase Link 

When I published last month monthly wrap up, I had a really only just started Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama. Needless to say, it was one of my first finishes in February. Having read A Promised Land a year before, it wasn’t really a surprise that I enjoyed Dreams From My Father. 

Whilst this type of writing and subject is enjoyed as an exception rather than the rule, I really like Barack Obama. He’s the only political figure from whom I think I will ever read a book. Or two, as it turns out! 

Dreams From My Father is about Barack’s exploration of his heritage and identity via his race. He had an unusual upbringing and being of mixed-race ethnicity in a society where there weren’t very many kids like him, he struggled with understanding who he was. Dreams From My Father is all about exploring this, and seeing how Barack matures. 

 

Grace

Amazon Purchase Link 

He wouldn’t necessarily describe February as the month to read horror. Nevertheless, I had the pleasure of reading and featuring Grace on my blog by taking part in the publication blog tour this month. What attractive my attention to grace was that the event of the book are set relatively close to Home. Set on a remote island of the West Coast of Island, Croaghnakeela is as miserable and desolate as the worst British weather can make you feel. 

Combined mythology and supernatural and you can get an idea or feel for this book. I loved the links to Irish and Celtic mythology, and I even found out through my research when writing this review that there are somewhat ties to more local mythology in these figures. If you want to find out more about this book, I shared my full thoughts on Grace in my blog tour review.

 

An Offer From a Gentleman

Amazon Purchase Link 

Doing a complete 180° once again, after finishing Grace, I listened to an audiobook copy of an offer from a gentleman from Julia Quinn. I picked this book up on a whim. I’m currently watching season four of Bridgerton on Netflix. Having started this series on telly, I decided to give this third instrument of the books ago. Doing so was a little bit of a risk. Whilst I read the Duke and I and the experience was okay, I didn’t like book two, Anthony and Kate’s story. So much so, I DNF’d it. 

However, I was able to borrow a copy of the audiobook from my library. So, I thought what the hell?

And you know what ended up better than I thought given protagonist from a very different societal background class, I found her more relatable characters in the series. Whilst Benedict is still somewhat insufferable in his behaviour at the beginning, I think persevering was worth the while. My experience an offer for a gentleman was marginally better than the first instalment the Duke and I. Being I’m not a big romance reader, it was always going to be a hard push to get a five star rating. 

It hasn’t put me off trying the fourth book, which is Colin and Penelope’s story however. 

 

Blues for an Alabama Sky

Amazon Purchase Link 

For the first time ever this month, I read a play in the form of Blues for an Alabama Sky. I picked up this book for our work book club, as it also has a romance element to the story. 

However, in the 104 page count, this book covers far more than just a basic romance. Set in depression era America, the book follows the story of Angel and her dreams of getting out of Harlem New York. She meets a man she thinks could be the love of her life. However, throughout the book we see a number of personal differences come to the fore and challenge the relationship.

Blues for an Alabama sky was a very quick read, and I enjoyed the difficult topics that were touched upon in the narrative. It was also really enjoyable to pick up a book in a different format! 

 

The Three Witches

Amazon Purchase Link 

My second blog tour obligation, which landed right at the beginning of March, was for a book called The Three Witches by Elena Collins. I ended up picking up and completing this read pretty quickly because I had the deadline to review. However, The Three Witches was very readable. I loved the angle of the narrative and the attempt to honour historical events as closely as possible. Not only that, but also in trying to give persecuted women their voices back and highlight the true lives of women accused of witchcraft. 

If you’re interested in a historical fiction aimed at telling the real stories of women in a dual timeline mystery, go and read my review of The Three Witches. 

 

Dear Debbie

Amazon Purchase Link 

In a recent YouTube video, I shared some highly anticipated 2026 releases. The first of these books is Dear Debbie, which was released in January. 

It isn’t a surprise I loved this audiobook! I read Freida’s The Housemaid series in this format. Given it worked well for me, I stuck and it paid off. Not that I think reading traditionally would hamper my enjoyment, because i don’t. In order to get through all my reads, I have to pick some up in audio and I know these are easy, engaging listens. 

The twist at the end of this book took me by my surprise. In a way, it shouldn’t have. However, it was very cleverly written and the storyline pulled off well. 

 

Throne of Glass

Amazon Purchase Link

Finally, the one book left that I’m currently reading as if this monthly wrap-up is Throne of Glass. This is a readalong series I’ve started, and I was also reading this towards the romance-themed book club. 

Because of my blog tour obligations, Throne of Glass took a backseat. As of the end of February, I was 26% into the book. I’ve read a little more since then, and it’s going down well so far… 

I went into this book with a preconception that I may not enjoy this one. However, the romance element of the book isn’t overtaking the events of the plot and the world-building behind it. So far, so good! 

 

Summary 

February was a successful month by all accounts. No DNF’s to report, which is great news, and seven competed reads in the shortest month of the year is a win. 

How many books have you picked up in February? Have you read any of the books in today’s monthly wrap-up post, or added any to your reading list as a result of today’s monthly wrap-up? 

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Sunday Summary – 1st March 2026

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Today’s Sunday Summary comes at the end of another busy week. Well, not quite. Technically, it’s landing right at the start of another one, but that’s intentional. Thankfully, I’ve gotten somewhat more comfortable with everything I’m juggling at work, so I’m pleased to share reading is back on track! And it’s a good job too, especially considering today’s reading and review obligation.

Content-wise, I’ve been quiet on YouTube this week as I didn’t get a chance to record last week. However, things are back to normal now! 

Blog content went out as normal. My first post of the week went live on Thursday, and it was my review of the finale of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, The Lost Metal. I can only hope I’ve done the book justice. It’s a tough one to review. It’s a huge series that’s intimidating to review at the best of times. However, being the final instalment, the pressure was ON!

My First Lines Friday featured an upcoming read on my March TBR. I want to pick this up and read it towards the Tale Spinners reading prompt in the Goodreads Winter Challenge. Also, this book is on my fixed reading list for 2026, so win-win! 

Then, Sunday morning my review of The Three Sisters went live. This blog tour obligation was a delight to read and I’ve enjoyed sharing my thoughts on this book! It’s for this reason my Sunday Summary is going live at a minute past midnight on Monday morning… 

 

Books Read

Dear Debbie

After only touching on Dear Debbie briefly last week, I’m pleased to share I got much further with the audiobook this week. In fact, I finished it earlier today! 

Over the course of the week, I’ve listened to around 5 hours of audio – an amazing improvement on the week before if not exactly groundbreaking. Not like it was hard… Dear Debbie is a really engaging listen and the twist at the end was something else. Not that I should have been surprised having read and loved the Housemaid series. 

It makes a change for me to read such a new release. And, I’m looking forward to sharing what I think about it in more detail in the near future. 

 

Throne of Glass

In last week’s Sunday Summary update, I shared that I’d only read a handful of pages of Throne of Glass. This is the only book on today’s Sunday Summary for which the update is similar. However, I plan to change that once this post is scheduled. 

Hopefully I can squeeze in a few more chapters before bed. Regardless of whether I do or don’t, finishing Throne of Glass is now top of my list; it’s my only carryover from February left. If the books continues in the way it’s started, it’s also surprisingly easy to read. Let’s hope for some quick progress, because then I am back on track to move on to the sequel which I’ve scheduled to read in March. 

 

Blues for an Alabama Sky

A relatively quick read I devoured in a couple of evenings is a play, Blues for an Alabama Sky. I’ve read plays before, but not for leisure. Rather, I’ve read them as part of my theatre studies at school. However, this week marked a first in picking up a play as a new format of book to read. It went down pretty well actually! At just over 100 pages, it wasn’t exactly a long read. 

Even so, the book discusses a number of societal issues present in depression era New York within the short page count. That’s in part why I wanted to read it. Yes, the book worked for my book club prompt as the main protagonist is involved in a whirlwind romance of sorts. However, with these societal issues plaguing the characters, there was more to the story than the romance, if you know what I mean. 

The book club meet was scheduled for Wednesday, so you can see why Throne of Glass was put on the back-burner. 

 

The Three Witches

Even after I read Blues for an Alabama Sky for book club, Throne of Glass still didn’t stand a chance as the next priority was to read and review The Three Sisters by Sunday. With just a few days (and a Saturday night out with my girl friends planned) that didn’t leave a massive window of opportunity. It’s good job I thrive on a deadline! 

With a relatively free Saturday afternoon, and a slightly late night after watching Guys and Dolls, I finished The Three Sisters in time to review the book yesterday (Sunday). I loved this historical novel and how it tried to stay as true to the history that inspired it. Not only that, but the narrative was determined to give back the lost voices of the women falsely accused of witchcraft and murdered by emphasising their place as normal women in society. Often, they were those that gave most to communities as healers, midwives and wise women. 

I’ve already shared my detailed thoughts on the book, so here’s a link to my full review in case this has piqued your interest. 

 

Books Discovered

I’ve added quite a few books to my TBR lately. I’ve read 13 books, but I’ve added an identical number to my reading list as well. So, I’ve not improved the size of the list any. 

And, a recommendation this week for the The Freedom Writers Diary makes another addition. I haven’t purchased any copies yet. It may just be payday, but I’ll wait until nearer the time to find a copy, either at my library if possible or from somewhere else. This addition is a recommendation from a colleague, Nanda. She has either read this book before or watched the TV documentary – I can’t recall which. Either way, she was telling me about it and the way this teacher gave her all to give disadvantaged students a fighting chance when everyone else had given up on them. 

 

Coming Up… 

Blog

Staring early next week, my first post will be my monthly wrap-up for February. With seven books completed by the end of the month, and a carryover, there’s lots to discuss in terms of reading progress. If you want a recap of how I got in compared to my February TBR, stay tuned and I’ll take you through the deets on Tuesday. 

On Thursday, I’ll give you the lowdown on my March TBR. I’ve already shared a lot of what I’m reading in my 2026 Goodreads Winter Challenge video on YouTube. However, there are a couple of changes to that list, as well as some other reading obligations I’ve signed up for on top of that. March is going to be no less restful, although thankfully I do have a week of work coming up. Hopefully I can squeeze a bit more reading into that week to make the ambitious TBR possible… 

On Friday, I’ll share my usual Shelf Control feature. In this post, I’ll return to an author I discovered thanks to a blog tour. The previous book of theirs I read got a 5* rating from me. This more recent book is a spy/espionage style narrative, so a bit different from what I’ver read lately. Tune in on Friday to find out more! 

 

YouTube

With some free time earlier today, I prepared and recorded my monthly wrap-up for February. So, whilst I’m posting a written version on my blog, if you prefer video/audio content, that will be going live on Tuesday evening on YouTube. 

Then, later in the week I’ve also got my monthly TBR video. This one is recorded and edited; not really sure why I edited this one first, but there we go! It’s not a big deal, and thankfully it means drafting my written version of the post will be a lot easier as I’ve planned it out a little more in advance than I would usually. 

 

Summary 

This Sunday Summary has plenty for you regardless of your reading tastes. Have you read any of the books featured in this Sunday Summary? 

Now, my remaining plans for the night are to get showered, read a little Throne of Glass and then retire. For the night. Sadly I can’t retire full stop and spend all my days reading… 

Never mind, there’s a EuroMillions draw on Tuesday. Who knows, I may get lucky. 

Right! 😂 I’m more likely to see the end of my TBR

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Sunday Summary – 22nd February 2026

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Another week’s end can only mean it’s time for my Sunday Summary update. It’s been a weird one, as it’s felt a little hands off. I’ve still published my usual content, but a lot of it was prepared in advance. The exception to this rule was my Top Ten Tuesday post. If you’re an armchair traveller and like to read from a variety of settings, this post is one for you to check out! 

My Shelf Control intended for a couple of weeks ago finally went live this week. As I drafted it a couple of weeks ago but forgot to publish it, it’s fair to say I didn’t need to do much to get it out in the world… 

On YouTube, I shared my review of Notes on a Nervous Planet and a recommendation video for Game of Thrones fans. I’d recorded and prepped these videos by Monday last week, so I haven’t done a whole lot on YouTube content since then…   

 

Books Read

An Offer From a Gentleman

In last week’s Sunday Summary I was 36% into the audio of An Offer From a Gentleman. 

With a week left to listen to this audiobook, it was my priority to finish. And, I’m pleased to share I did! I confess, I wasn’t sure if I’d stick this out. I don’t have the best track record with the novels in this series. Whilst it wasn’t a showstopper and I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would, I’m pleased I made it to the end without DNF’ing. 

It wasn’t a sure thing… it wouldn’t be the first book of the series I’ve put down prematurely. 

 

Dear Debbie

I returned to Dear Debbie after finishing An Offer From a Gentleman. That was pretty late this week, so I’ve only listened to this audio a fraction over 20mins. 

Naturally, though, with no other audiobook commitments now I’ll be back on this one full force. Dear Debbie isn’t a long audio, so I’m sure I’ll have this cracked in the next week for sure! 

 

Throne of Glass

I confess I’ve only read a handful of pages of Throne of Glass this week. I’ve not physically read much in the way of books full stop. It’s no reflection on the book, but rather because I’ve been juggling a lot of stuff at work this week. By the time I’m home and ready to enjoy some downtime, I’ve turned to easier hobbies on the brain, like my Rivendell cross-stitch. 

Hopefully more to share on this one soon – book club is fast approaching! With this in mind, the plan is to read as much as I can this evening once this Sunday Summary is live! 

 

Books Discovered

It’s a good job I didn’t promise no more bookish additions in last week’s Sunday Summary. I was found well, until the other half and some friends suggested I go for a ‘look’ in Waterstones this morning. 

Ha, who do they think I am?! Of course I got a couple! The good news is I got them with accumulated points on my loyalty card, so they didn’t cost me anything… 

The books I got were A Mother’s Promise (a WW2 Auschwitz story) and River Kings – about Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Road routes. It’s not often to read about the latter, and well, I’m curious! 

 

Coming Up… 

Blog

I’ve got a full week lined up for you, and I’m excited! Kicking off next week, I’m sharing my review of Brandon Sanderson’s The Lost Metal. I loved this series hard and I was both delighted and devastated to get to the end. I’ve been a bit wistful about starting The Way of Kings again lately. Maybe featuring Sanderson and another great series will kick me up the butt.

On Friday, I’ve got a First Lines Friday teed up. Given I’ve got some other bookish priorities on next week, I’m not challenging myself this time. I may need all the reading time I can get 😅

On Sunday, I’ll be publishing a blog tour review of The Three Witches. It’s the last of my bookish commitments this week, but a hard deadline and I’ve yet to start the book… 

Then, my usual Sunday Summary will go live at 00:01 on Monday morning so the blog tour post has its full day and my weekly update isn’t too delayed 😉

 

YouTube

I haven’t recorded anything for YouTube yet, which is unusual for me. However, I’ve had a little more on this weekend than usual. I’ll probably try to get some content recorded tomorrow night so it’s business as usual. 

The plan, because I have a plan at least, is to film a Meet the BookTuber video. Now I’ve got a few vids under my belt and established my content niche, I want to introduce the myself properly! 

Later in the week, I’m curating a list of books I’ve added to my reading list recently that I really think you need too! 

 

Summary 

Now, I’m off to try and make some more progress with Throne of Glass. Book bloggers kind of need to read books now and then, after all….

What are you reading this weekend? 

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Sunday Summary – 15th February 2026

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Today’s Sunday Summary comes after a busy week. Both work and blog deadlines took their toll, so I’ve deliberately enjoyed a more relaxed weekend! 

Early in the week, I started off my blog with a post about books that inspired me to pick up another read. These are less obvious choices rather than sequels to series ands the like. I’ve got three books and what they inspired me to read next if you’re interested. Next, my deadline for reviewing Grace fell on Thursday. It was a pleasure to review this horror novel and launch the tour on a very positive note 😊

Over on YouTube, I published a review of my first 5* read of the year, Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. Later in the week, details of the Goodreads Winter Challenge I’m looking to complete before 31st March! It’s the first time I’m pushing myself to complete one of these. However, with five of twelve achievements under my belt, there’s no reason I can’t achieve it.. .

The Shelf Control that stayed in drafts last week by accident also didn’t get published this week, but for an entirely different reason. All I have to do is make it live and share the link. However, I unfortunately had to work overtime on Friday and didn’t finish until quite late. After a busy week and then that on top, I decided to just let that post roll to next week. You understand, yes? 

 

Books Read

Dreams from my Father

When I shared last week’s Sunday Summary, I disclosed I had just over 3 hours left of the audiobook of Dreams from my Father to go. Admittedly I finished this on Monday this week. Having enjoyed the audiobook to date, I was keen to reach the conclusion and that shows in how I devoured the last part of the book. 

Dreams from my Father lived up to my expectations. After reading and being pleasantly surprised my A Promised Land, I was excited to delve more into Barack’s personal history and story. It did not disappoint. The book is insightful and somewhat emphasises his priorities as a person and why he stands for the things he does. I had no idea he had lived in Indonesia for a stretch of his childhood, or the path that could have taken him away from the life he lived as we know it. 

Very interesting book – I’m glad I read it! 

 

Grace

Another finish on Monday was Grace by A.M. Shine. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as I needed to prioritise this to share my review on Thursday. 

This horror was totally atmospheric and I loved the small town, dark and supernatural tale. It was twistier than I expected! A fun read, a different read, and one I’d recommend to all fans of the genre. If you want to find out more, my review is live and ready to read here should you want to take a look. Pretty please? 😅

 

Dear Debbie

My planned audiobook listen, which I’ve picked up earlier in the week is Dear Debbie. 

Having enjoyed the Housemaid series in audiobook format, it made sense to me to read this one in the same way! Also, as I have a number of physical and digital books to read this month, it helped the book fit into my schedule. 

I’ve enjoyed the start of this books far, through I wouldn’t call that a surprise. The sarcasm the protagonist shined through in her Dear Debbie column. I love it, and can’t wait to listen on how the story progresses. I’m putting a small pause on it, because I need to prioritise a library loan listen I picked up opportunistically… 

 

An Offer From a Gentleman

A spur of the moment listen is Julia Quinn’s An Offer From a Gentleman. You may recall I read The Duke and I and DNF’d The Viscount Who Loved Me. After that DNF, I didn’t think I would continue with the series. However, with Bridgerton back on Netflix, I decided to listen to this as I watched the show. I’ve overtaken the series already, having only watched the first episode and most of the second. However, I’m doing alright with this audiobook so far… 

I’ve just extended my loan as the audiobook was due to return on Tuesday. Whilst I managed to listen to over a third of this audiobook yesterday (36%), I’m not going to get a solid opportunity to listen like that before Tuesday. I’ve extended a week, so I can hopefully listen whilst commuting and maybe at the gym throughout the week and finish it next Saturday. 

For a person who doesn’t love romance, I’m not doing bad right now. It goes to show I can read the genre when I put my mind to it… 

 

Throne of Glass

My final read of the week also pushes me out of my comfort zone. I’ve never read Sarah J Maas before. However, I’ll wax lyrical about my being a diverse reader and picking up a variety of books, so why not?! I’m actually reading this for book club later this month. It’s one of two reads I’m picking up to discuss in this month’s club, but this is the book I have a copy of right now. The other is on order 😊

So far, I confess to being pleasantly surprised by Throne of Glass. I’ll hold my hands up and admit I’ve gone into the book with a big question mark over whether I’ll like it. However, as of this Sunday Summary I’m 26% into the book and actually enjoying it! 

I’ve not hit any of the romance aspect of the book yet, although I have my suspicion as to who it’ll be with. Otherwise through, Throne of Glass is proving quite readable and I’m keen to progress with this one to give more of an update in next week’s Sunday Summary. 

 

Books Discovered

The last few weeks I’ve been trickling books onto the TBR. I figured I needed to give it a rest, otherwise this list of mine is never going to go down! 

No new books this week… but I make no promises for next 😅📚

 

Coming Up… 

Blog

My blogging adventures next week begin with a Top Ten Tuesday post. This week’s topic is ‘Books for Armchair Travellers’. I suspect my version of this topic will weigh a little heavy in historical fiction books, but I will of course try to diversify with genres as best I can. 

The infamously late Shelf Control post will go live next week, even if I have to schedule it in advance! I might do that actually, so then there is LITERALLY. NO. EXCUSE. 

Then, of course, we all know I’ll round up my latest reading updates in another Sunday Summary. Same time next week. Set your watches. 

 

YouTube

I’ve got two long-form videos lined up, as well as some shorts and other social media content planned. The first of those two videos is my next book review from my 2026 January TBR (Notes on a Nervous Planet). Later in the week, I’ve got some book recommendations for Game of Thrones fans looking for alternative series whilst we wait for George R.R. Martin’s next instalment! 

That’s plenty to update you with in this Sunday Summary – I’ll let you get on with the rest of your day, but not before you tell me what you’re currently reading ⏬

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Monthly TBR – February 2026

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***My February 2026 monthly TBR 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***

—

February’s monthly TBR features seven books, and somehow still manages to leave headroom for a reading challenge I’ll start later this month. I’m ambitious as always! This monthly TBR features two carryovers, two blog tour obligations, two book club reads and one new release I’m hoping to finish this list with. 

Even then, I’m hoping to get to another book or two before the end of the month. The successful start I enjoyed in January has lit a fire under my … well, you know. I’m keen to keep up the momentum! February may be the shorter month of the year, but I don’t want it to be my least successful. 

Let’s dive into my planned reads on this monthly TBR. 

 

Fixed Reads 

After the Forest

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Last month I planned to read After the Forest by Kell Woods as part of the Cottagecore Fantasy book club run by cozysabie. Whilst that did happen to an extent, I didn’t get to finish the book before the end of the month. 

With that in mind, After the Forest is my priority finish given its my current read as of the beginning of February. In my January wrap-up post, I shared progress to the tune of 40% of the book. As of writing this monthly TBR I’m already further along (60%) and looking to mark this as a finish within a few days tops. 

 

Grace

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Next, I’ve got a blog tour commitment for the 12th February, so that needs to be my next read. Compared to the fairytale retelling (with some darker themes) that is After the Forest, this gothic horror with Irish mythology is likely to feel very different… 

I’m excited though! I’ve not read horror for a while. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever read around the topic of Irish mythology. I like the idea – in fact, its the reason I wanted to try the book. Here’s hoping I enjoy it and I can persuade you to read it in my upcoming review next Thursday! 

 

The Three Witches

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Another blog tour commitment, although thankfully not until 1st March, is to review The Three Witches. This book is a historical fiction novel based around the three witch characters from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. I don’t know a lot about this book other than the spirits of these characters pop up repeatedly over the course of history – its a timeslip narrative. 

This multi-perspective, multi-storyline book caught my attention and I can’t wait to read it and share my thoughts in the coming weeks!

 

Dreams from my Father

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

Last month, after DNF’ing The Doors of Midnight and finishing The Great Passage, I picked up Dreams from my Father. I wanted to pick up this audiobook after enjoying A Promised Land last year. I was pleasantly surprised by that audiobook – it turned out to be one of my favourite reads of 2025.

The focus of Dreams from my Father is a little different. Instead of being about Barack’s presidency and his political aims, Dreams from my Father is instead about exploring his heritage and discovering his identity. 

So far, I’ve listened to a couple of hours of this audiobook and I’m keen to continue with it and see where it goes.

 

Throne of Glass

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

I announced yesterday that I’m hosting a readalong for Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass series. I’ve never tried any of her books before. However, in an effort to try some more mainstream books and make content about them, I’ve chosen to read this series over the next seven months. 

Throne of Glass may well push me out of my comfort zone. That’s not a bad thing though. Even if the book and series doesn’t end up being a favourite, I’m sure I have a lot to gain from giving it a go. I’m looking forward to chatting with you about these books as well. If you wish, join my readalongs on Fable and/or StoryGraph and I’ll post updates on my progress on YouTube. Stay tuned! 

 

Blues for an Alabama Sky

Goodreads

Amazon Purchase Link

I run a book club at work, and I’ve set a theme of Love in All Its Forms for our February meet. 

Towards this theme, I’m hoping to read two books this month. The first coincides with my Throne of Glass readalong – it has significant romantic sub-plots after all, so it works. I’m also hoping my reading this one will relate to some different readers amongst my colleagues. Generally, I don’t read a lot of romance. 

However, the second book I’m planning to read also has a romantic relationship at the heart of its story. It’s also a little more ‘academic’ in nature in that this book is on modern school syllabuses. Whereas I are up reading Of Mice and Men, this is a new take on Depression era America. It’s also a good pick for reading around Black History Month. Win-win!

 

Mood Reads

Dear Debbie

Goodreads

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If I get to the end Dreams from my Father, and there is no reason I shouldn’t, then I’m picking up a 2026 Highly Anticipated Release I shared in a recent YouTue video. Freida McFadden recently released Dear Debbie. With my intentions to feature more topical, current new releases on my mind, I want to read Dear Debbie now. That way, I can share my review on this book whilst its still a hot topic on people’s minds, and maybe encourage you to read this one too. 

All being well and if I enjoy this one as much as I expect, I’ll then be turning to Freida McFadden’s backlist. 

 

Summary 

My official February TBR has a healthy number of books on the list. Stats fans – I’ve got 1,400 pages and 17hrs 40mins on today’s list.

The size of the books on this monthly TBR should give me time towards the end of the month to pick ups some different reads. I have a bit of a reading challenge in mind to take into March. In my 2025 wrap-up post I shared an update on a resolution that didn’t get much focus in 2025. Whilst I’m not planning to revive this goal (I didn’t set it in my 2026 resolutions post), I’m thinking as a one-off I’d like to have a stab at completing the Goodreads Winter Challenge. 

That needs me to read a selection of books not on this list, but I’m no less looking forward to. Not all of the challenges have been revealed. One remains a mystery, but I’ve chosen a reading list that ticks the boxes of all challenge but the last unrevealed challenge. For that one, I’ve planned a read I think will fit the prompt but if nothing else, features on my fixed TBR for 2026. It won’t be a wasted effort in any case! 

So, that’s my February TBR. Have you read any books I feature on this list? Does anything catch your eye? 

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Monthly Wrap-Up – January 2026

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***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***

 

The beginning of the year and setting my January TBR feels like both yesterday and a distant memory. This month has been a tale of two halves. In terms of reading progress and motivation, January has flown. Financially though, January is the looooongest month of the year. 

I’m pleased with this month’s reading progress. I got to all but one book on my January TBR, and started one extra audiobook after finishing with both the audiobooks I had on the list. 

 

Books Read 

Orbital 

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I wanted to start the year with a relatively quick read. Perhaps my choice of Orbital was a little misguided on account of the page count, however it was a fantastic read. 

What Orbital lacks in page count, it makes up for in thought-provoking content. From intimate detail on life in space with five other people to the fragility of life and the pull of the Earth, this book appealed to me for its content and didn’t fail to deliver. I’ve already shared my full thoughts on the book on my new YouTube channel. If you’re interested in finding out more about this Booker prizewinner, please take a look at my video 🥺

 

Beyond Redemption 

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I started Beyond Redemption in December but didn’t get too far before the end of the month. After finishing Orbital, I revisited this book. The pacing of Beyond Redemption didn’t quite work for me, so it took me until mid-January to finish it. 

In my recent YouTube review of Beyond Redemption, I shared what worked and what didn’t work for me. Ultimately, I finished the book and rated it three stars. The premise was really appealing and I had high hopes for Beyond Redemption. In practice, it didn’t quite live up to my expectation. Want to deep dive into my thoughts on this one? Here’s my video review. 

 

The Doors of Midnight 

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I made a healthy start to The Doors of Midnight back in December and I was optimistic that it was going to be a five star read of January. However, I ultimately decided to DNF this audiobook. 

When it came down to it, I found the narrative a little repetitive and interest waned. As and when opportunities came up to listen to this book, I found myself making excuses and picking up other things. That says a lot. To take a break, I started my second audiobook of the month and after enjoying that one more, it brought home to me more that I was no longer enjoying The Doors of Midnight. So, that was the decider for me. 

 

Yellowface

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Looking for a pick-me-up after Beyond Redemption, I turned to an author I know I’ve enjoyed historically. Of course R.F. Kuang did not disappoint once again! 

Picking up Yellowface is quite different from the two books I’ve read of hers to date (Babel and The Poppy War). However, she is the type of author who can write from a variety of backgrounds yet also discuss topics that clearly mean a lot to her to feature. 

If you are unfamiliar, Yellowface is heavily about cultural appropriation and the public perception of a white author publishing a story from a minority background. I loved how this was explored, as well as the nature of being an author and the publishing industry as a whole. Needless to say, Yellowface was the hit I hoped for, and needed. 

 

The Great Passage

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The Great Passage is the audiobook I picked up after DNF’ing The Doors of Midnight. I had high hopes for this audiobook already, but I especially wanted to love this book after being disappointed by that audio. 

Thankfully, The Great Passage fared much better. What I really enjoyed about this audiobook is that the setting is culturally very different. It opened my eyes to a completely different way of life. I picked up this book because I loved its passion and focus on words, meanings, and the compiling of a dictionary. It excelled at all those things, but the appreciation for the cultural insights this book gives is what made it a well-rounded experience. 

 

The Courage to be Disliked

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Unfortunately, The Doors of Midnight wasn’t my only DNF of the month. This month, I set a theme including self-help, learning and development for book club. On my January TBR I set out my intentions to pick up I Know I’m in There Somewhere. However, it turns out this book is very hard to get a hold of. Instead, I picked up The Courage to be Disliked…. But only read 21% before DNF’ing. 

The novelty of the dialogue-style narrative quickly wore off. If readers are meant to find the character of the unnamed ‘youth’ relatable, unfortunately it didn’t hit the mark with me. They are argumentative, combative and I didn’t gel with them at all. However, I also felt the ‘professor’ was a little off too. No doubt his role was to teach the principles of Adler, and they are what they are. I didn’t agree with all of what was discussed either. 

Consequently, The Courage to be Disliked didn’t last long under my nose before being set aside. 

 

Notes on a Nervous Planet

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I turned to a well-known and trusted author again after this latest DNF. 

Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library is one of my favourite books in recent history. His unique insight into mental health difficulties shone through in Notes on a Nervous Planet. This short and approachable read, written in short chapters, informal notes and tips for limiting the impact of our modern world on our mental health was insightful. I practice some of these already, such as limiting exposure to the news. However, it discusses a number of topics, like technology, social media and consumerism to name just a few. 

The format of this book was quite unique, and as a result I flew through this already short book. It’s definitely encouraging me to read more of his books – I have The Midnight Train to look forward to in 2026, but also some backlist titles like Reasons to Stay Alive on my radar as well.  

 

Dark Chronicles

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I signed up to review a collection of suspenseful speculative fiction stories late this month. Admittedly, I was quite late picking up this collection. However, its ease to read world in my favour so I could review these on my blog earlier this week.

For a short book, I still had plenty to say about this 178 page collection. Instead of repeating myself in this monthly wrap-up, instead I’ll direct you to my published review.

 

After the Forest

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Finally, this monthly wrap-up gets to my current and carried forced reads into February. 

After the Forest is my chosen Cottagecore Fantasy read for this month as part of the Cottagecore Fantasy book club. If you like fairytale retellings, this book will also be right up your alley. 

Building upon the well-known fairytale Hansel and Gretel, After the Forest brings darker topics like addiction, war and witchcraft into the future lives of the children. With trouble on their doorstep, Greta is doing everything she can to keep her brother Hans and her afloat. Suspicion is never far away, given her past. 

So far, I’m enjoying this quite dark retelling. As fairytales go, it’s far from light and fluffy anyway. It feels like a great story to use as a launchpad for this type of tale. As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m 40% into the book and excited to see its conclusion. 

 

Dreams from my Father

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Finally, the last book to feature in this epic monthly wrap-up (it feels as long as January did!) is Dreams from my Father. With my audiobooks planned for January either finished of DNF’d, I wanted to pick up my next audio. My preference is to have an audiobook on the go all the time, as it means I can maximise reading time when doing tasks where I can’t read traditionally. 

In the last couple of days, commuting to and from work, I’ve started to listen to Barack Obama personally recount is exploration of his origins and his dream to discover his identity. Dreams from my Father is very much about his heritage and background. About how he felt adrift growing up, given his obvious African heritage but lack of the father who shared it with him. 

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m only 11% or so into this audiobook. As I said, I only really started this in the final few days of the month, and only whilst driving. I would have been a little further on if I didn’t fluff up earlier today and accidentally skip back to the beginning of my chapter. I couldn’t fix it whilst driving, so that could have been another 20 minutes or so. Never mind… 

 

Summary 

Despite a couple of DNF’s, I count January’s progress a success! I have six completions to my name at the end of this monthly wrap-up, with two more books in progress. In terms of my Goodreads Challenge, I’m getting ahead early. I don’t think I could have asked for a better start to 2026. 

How many books have you picked up this January? Have you had a good start to the year? 

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