Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2026 TBR
I enjoy putting together this regular themed Top Ten Tuesday. I have done variations of this post a number of times now, because it’s great to look forward to upcoming books on my reading list. With spring finally here, and a great start to my reading year under my belt, I’m motivated to pick up some fantastic reads in the near future!
In the interests of featuring some different books, I won’t be featuring anything on my March TBR. Given most of these books are contributions to completing the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge, it wouldn’t be fitting to put them on this Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2026 TBR, would it?!
Let’s look forward to a few books I plan to pick up in the next few months!
Series Continuation
Golden Fool – Robin Hobb
After a year’s break following the devastation of Fool’s Errand, I think I’m finally ready to go back to Robin Hobb’s The Realm of the Elderlings series. Next on the list is Golden Fool. I’ve enjoyed going back to Fitzchivalry‘s storyline. After a significant detour in her Liveship Trader trilogy, I’m excited to see how fits a story unravels after the events of Fool’s Errand.
Honestly, I have no idea where it is going to go. That’s the beauty of it though – and Robin Hobb is the type of author who will not disappoint!
The Way of Kings – Brandon Sanderson
It feels somewhat cheeky, including Brandon Sanderson‘s first instalment of the The Way of Kings in a ‘series continuation’ section. However, there is a reason for my doing so. In a recent YouTube video, I discussed how I was going to have to go back to the beginning of this series in order to continue it. It’s been a long time since I read The Way of Kings, and I part read Words of Radiance before putting it down. Not that there was anything wrong with it – long books just weren’t suiting me at the time…
It’s been in the region of 7 to 8 years since I attempted this series. Whilst I have very high-level highlights in my head for events that I’ve taken place, there is no way I can appreciate the detail of this series without going back to its origins.
The Empty Throne – Bernard Cornwell
It’s also been a little while since I delved into Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom, a.k.a., the Saxon Stories. And, I am up to a pivotal point with this next book.
The Empty Throne follows events after King Alfred‘s death. Without trying to sound too excited, it’s kind of the point in the storyline where things get interesting as different people start vying for power. This is the sort of thing I love in my reading, whether that’s fantasy or historical fiction. The Empty Throne is the exception in the section in that it is a relatively standard sized book. The other entries on this Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2026 TBR are chunky fantasy instruments.
It will be a refreshing change to have the excitement I love in a reasonably sized book…
The Great Hunt – Robert Jordan
Another chunky entry on this list is The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan. In recent years, I’ve made more of an effort to pick up sequels in a more timely manner than I ever have before. It’s made avoiding situations like Brendan Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archives more avoidable. Having not long read The Eye of the World, I want to pick up the sequel whilst I’ve still got an idea of what went on before.
This promises to be every bit as much the chunky fantasy instalment as it’s predecessor. It’s not going to be a light or quick read by any means. For that reason, I’ve deliberately withheld from putting too many other books like this on this Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2026 TBR. It needs to be achievable – putting too many junkie roots on this list means I will never get to them all!
Standalone Novels
Eve – Cat Bohannon
Another behemoth on my TBR, though thankfully a standalone novel is Eve by Cat Bohannon. If you’re a regular reader here on my blog, you will know this book has featured several times in the hopes I will get to it shortly. First, in my 20 Books of Summer Challenge. Then, as a hopeful contributor to the Goodreads 2026 Winter Challenge (though sadly this book does not qualify, so it was swapped out).
I love the intended focus of this book focusing on how the biology of women has contributed to the success of humans to date. It’s quite different from the usual content I pick up. However, its scientific backing will make for a refreshing read.
The Midnight Train – Matt Haig
Not too long ago, I shared a list of highly anticipated releases in 2026 over on my YouTube channel. In that list, I include a book by Matt Haig which is technically a sequel to a book I have already read, but I will be picking this up as a standalone. I have already read that first book twice quite recently and I don’t need to pick it up again. Not only that, but I think the style of the book is a spin-off from how the original was written rather than a direct continuation.
That book is The Midnight Train by Matt Haig. Instead of focusing on the what if of living an alternative lifestyle as we see in The Midnight Library, my understanding of The Midnight Train is that the protagonist is much older, perhaps looking at the what if from that perspective instead.
The Director – Daniel Kehlmann
In my blog post last week about the Booker 2026 Longlist, I shared my intention to read books from the longlist for this year. It’s not really something I have ever set out to do before, but I’m excited to try this challenge and stretch myself out of my reading comfort zone.
One of the books I was most excited about from this list is The Director. A historical fiction set around the period of World War II, which is one of my favourites, this book has every promise to be something I enjoy. Naturally, I want to hit the ground running with this list and inspire myself to continue with this reading challenge. With that in mind, it makes sense to start with one of the books I’m most excited for and feel I have the closest overlap in terms of genre of reference.
The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner is a well-known classic title. It’s one I confess I have not yet picked up as of this Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2026 TBR. Given it’s popularity and how well known this book is, it feels like a complete oversight that I have yet to pick it up. Hopefully, that’s one I can change in the next few months!
A reading objective I have talked about on my blog recently, including in the Booker 2026 Longlist post I mentioned earlier, but also in the likes of my review of The Great Passage on YouTube, is reading or diversely. With The Kite Runner, I have every confidence I can achieve this! The Kite Runner is on my fixed reading list on my 2026 resolutions post.
#murdertrending – Gretchen McNeil
In the grand scheme of things, I feel like the books featured so far in this Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2026 TBR are quite serious.
To lighten the mood, I have included a book called #murdertrending. In terms of genre, it’s different to other books on this list. The length is also pretty reasonable; it should therefore be a quick read to help me along through this TBR.
The Nights are Quiet in Tehran – Shida Bazyar
Another Booker 2026 Longlist entry that I’m hoping to get to pretty soon The Nights are Quiet in Tehran.
This is a pretty short entry on the list, so definitely achievable to get through pretty quickly. Not only that, but its feminist angle has been excited to see what this book is all about and whether it is worth the hype of the Booker Longlist! I can only read it and find out…
Summary
There’s a good variety of books on today’s Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2026 TBR. It’s ambitious, as always, but where is the fun in giving myself an easy ride?!
Have you read any of the books on this Top Ten Tuesday: Spring 2026 TBR?
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