Goodreads/TBR Monday: February 16th, 2026

Goodreads Monday/TBR Monday is a bookish meme hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog invites you to post about what books are on your Goodreads “to read” lists or TBR lists, the progress you have made on your current books and reading challenges, and any other bookish news!

Hello, reader!

It’s the first day of my youngest’s February break and I’ve spent it reading and doing laundry cause he was off at a friend’s house, haha. Not gonna lie, it was a pretty relaxing Monday! Now it’s time to get to my Goodreads Monday post for this week. I do love taking a peek through my Goodreads TBR to remind myself of all the interesting books I want to read. My Want to Read shelf has risen to 834 books in just this past week because I have no self-control, but it’s hard when there are so many potentially great books out there.

Let’s see whether or not I’ll be reducing the TBR this week.

Random Goodreads Pick

Book:
A Clash of Steel

Author:
C.B. Lee

Publisher:
Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date:
September 7th, 2021

Pages:
432

Genre:
Fantasy

Synopsis:
Two intrepid girls hunt for a legendary treasure on the deadly high seas in this YA remix of the classic adventure novel Treasure Island.

1826. The sun is setting on the golden age of piracy, and the legendary Dragon Fleet, the scourge of the South China Sea, is no more. Xiang has grown up with stories about the Dragon Fleet and its ruthless leader, a woman known only as the Dragon Queen, all her life. Xiang desperately wants to set sail and explore—mainly to find her father, a presumed dead crew member of the Dragon Fleet. Her only memento of him is a pendant she always wears, a simple but plain piece of gold jewelry.

But the pendant’s true nature is revealed when a mysterious girl named Anh steals it, only to return it to Xiang in exchange for her help in decoding the tiny map scroll hidden inside. Rumor has it that the legendary Dragon Queen had one last treasure—the plunder of a thousand ports—hidden away on an island shrouded in mist that only can be seen once in a blue moon.

Xiang is convinced this map could lead to the fabled treasure. Captivated with the thrill of adventure, she joins Anh and her motley crew off in pursuit of the island. But the girls soon find that the sea—and especially those who sail it—are far more dangerous than the legends led them to believe.

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first lines friday

First Lines Friday: February 13th, 2026

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First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? If you want to make your own post, feel free to use or edit the banner above, and follow the rules below:

Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

Happy Friday the 13th! I always find it funny when we get a Friday the 13th the day before Valentine’s Day. The juxtaposition is just fun 😂 In honor of this weird, romantic time, I’ve picked a spooky book with a dash of romance for this week’s First Lines Friday! It’s also a bit of a sneak peek into what I picked up at the library this month.

So, without further ado, let’s see if the first few lines can wow us.

The Line(s):

“The gates were beautifully wrought iron, elegantly monogrammed with interlocking Ws. The motor-car’s headlights illuminated the black paint, the curlicues and details gleaming gold.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: 2026 Romance Reads

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Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish back in June 2010. It is currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and, as is stated on the blog, it was “born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.”

Hello, reader!

It’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday! This week’s theme is an ode to Valentine’s Day; it’s a love/Valentine’s freebie. I’ve decided I want to highlight ten romance books I want to read in 2026! This is a mixture of new releases and books that have been on my TBR for ages. They are definitely all books that I’m eager to pick up, though!

Alright, let’s get to my picks 💖

Backlist Romance Reads

Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport

When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley

Well Played by Jen DeLuca

The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert

Beach Read by Emily Henry

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goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: February 9th, 2026

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Hello, reader!

Goodreads Monday is, once again, upon us. Another new start to the week and another random book pulled from my Goodreads “Want to Read” shelf. Which is down to 831 books this week… two down from last week! I mean, one of those is the book I removed from last week, but still!

Let’s see what I’ll pull this week 😊

Random Goodreads Pick

Book:
The Blood Trials

Author:
N.E. Davenport

Publisher:
Harper Voyager

Publication Date:
April 5th, 20222

Pages:
448

Genre:
Science Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis:
Blending fantasy and science fiction, N. E. Davenport’s fast-paced, action-packed debut kicks off a duology of loyalty and rebellion, in which a young Black woman must survive deadly trials in a racist and misogynistic society to become an elite warrior.

It’s all about blood.

The blood spilled between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor long ago. The blood gifts of Mareen’s deadliest enemies. The blood that runs through the elite War Houses of Mareen, the rulers of the Tribunal dedicated to keeping the republic alive.

The blood of the former Legatus, Verne Amari, murdered.

For his granddaughter, Ikenna, the only thing steady in her life was the man who had saved Mareen. The man who had trained her in secret, not just in martial skills, but in harnessing the blood gift that coursed through her.

Who trained her to keep that a secret.

But now there are too many secrets, and with her grandfather assassinated, Ikenna knows two things: that only someone on the Tribunal could have ordered his death, and that only a Praetorian Guard could have carried out that order.

Bent on revenge as much as discovering the truth, Ikenna pledges herself to the Praetorian Trials–a brutal initiation that only a quarter of the aspirants survive. She subjects herself to the racism directed against her half-Khanaian heritage and the misogyny of a society that cherishes progeny over prodigy, all while hiding a power that–if found out–would subject her to execution…or worse. Ikenna is willing to risk it all because she needs to find out who murdered her grandfather…and then she needs to kill them.

Mareen has been at peace for a long time…

Ikenna joining the Praetorians is about to change all that.

Magic and technology converge in the first part of this stunning debut duology, where loyalty to oneself–and one’s blood–is more important than anything.

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book blogger hop

Book Blogger Hop: Reading Motivation

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The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Crazy-For-Books and is currently being hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Every Friday, a new question is posted for book bloggers to answer in the coming week. The purpose of the hop is connection and community. You can discover new blogs to follow, new books to read, and you may end up with some new followers, as well!

This Week’s Prompt

What drives you to read?

Submitted by Billy, Coffee Addicted Writer

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first lines friday

First Lines Friday: February 6th, 2026

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Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!

If you’re using Twitter, don’t forget to use #FirstLinesFridays!

Hello, reader!

We’ve made it to Friday and, between illnesses and work stress, I’m happy it’s finally the weekend. Although I do have to work this weekend, soooo… 🫠 At least weekend work days at typically more chill than during the week. Let’s hope this holds true this weekend!

In the meantime, I’m gonna unwind by doing this week’s First Lines Friday! The book I pulled this week is one that has been sitting on my desk, staring at me, making me feel guilty cause I haven’t cracked it open yet. It’s a book I’ve borrowed from the library and I am determined to read in February before I have to bring it back!

Let’s see if the first few lines will get me to pick it up sooner.

The Line(s):

“It all started with a book that made me curious.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

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www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: February 4th, 2026

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It’s time for another WWW Wednesday! This is a bookish meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words where bloggers answer the 3 Ws:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

If you’d like to learn more about any of these books, click on the cover to be taken to the Goodreads page.

Current Reads

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly: I’m really getting into this one now that it’s my main physical read! The author’s writing is really sucking me into the story of these “Black Computers” that worked to help our nation’s space race. It also makes me boil with rage to read about all the injustices they were facing even though they were just as good as (if not better) than their white counterparts. Like, I know that, was a thing (and is still a thing), so you would think I’d be used to it, but the rage still comes, heh. I suppose that is the author doing her job well!
The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent: Oh my god, I am so BORED. It’s just a bunch of rich people (and one wanna-be) being unhinged and I don’t caaaaare. I’ve just arrived at part two after a plot point finally decided to make an entrance, so I’m hoping things pick up from here. Please…
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 edited by Rebecca Roanhorse: I’ve read the first two stories in this collection and I’m happy to report that I loved both of them! This is a good omen for how I’m going to enjoy the rest of this anthology. Fingers crossed that they continue to be stellar.

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers Featuring Pretty/Unique Typography

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Hello, reader!

I’m a sucker for a pretty cover. I have picked up many books simply because I thought the cover was beautiful. But I have to admit, I don’t often pay that much attention to the typography. That’s why I’m excited to participate in today’s Top Ten Tuesday! We’re looking for book covers with pretty/cool/unique typography and I’ve decided to go through my “read” shelf on Goodreads to see what I can find.

Keep reading to see which ones I picked out!

Books With Pretty/Unique Typography

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden: I love the typography on this one. A typography that blends into the overall image on the cover will always make me pay attention. I just think it looks so cohesive and lovely.
Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell: Again, the typography is working really well with the cover image, though more so in color as opposed to positioning/font. It’s visually appealing to me in a way that captures my attention.
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson: This is like a blend of the first two where the typography uses both font and a bit of blending to really incorporate into the cover image. I like that the letters kind of fade into the background at points.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin: Now this one I chose because I just think the typography is pretty 🥹 I can’t even pinpoint why I love it so much, but I do!
Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury: The font on this one is pretty straightforward and bland, but I love the way that it interacts with the rest of the cover image. Just *chef’s kiss*

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goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: February 2nd, 2026

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Hello, reader!

It’s the start of another week, so it’s time for another Goodreads Monday! Time to leaf through my excessively large Goodreads TBR (currently sitting at 833 books 🤡) and pick a random book to highlight. Participating in this meme has been fun because I’m re-discovering books I had completely forgotten I wanted to read, haha. I am forever skilled at putting books on my TBR… not so great at actually reading them.

Let’s see what random book we get today!

Random Goodreads Pick

Book:
Fire & Sword

Author:
Dylan Doose

Publisher:
Spawning Pool Studios

Publication Date:
September 1st, 2015

Pages:
330

Genre:
Fantasy

Synopsis:
Three men condemned to die: Aldous Weaver, a lonely heretic monk turned sorcerer, is imprisoned for accidentally incinerating the leader of his order. Kendrick the Cold, an infamous crusader turned fugitive, is a villain who knows he can never be a hero. Theron Ward, an aristocrat with a penchant for slaughtering monsters, is a legend in his own mind.

A broken nation in need of a savior: Ravaged by plague, decimated by dark magic, Brynth is infiltrated by a foreign evil seeking to dominate from within.

An unlikely bond forged in the furnace of chaos: Three criminals become comrades when faced with the choice to escape the land that cries for their execution or, with fire and sword, march forth against the greater evil.

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the sunday post

The Sunday Post: February 1st, 2026

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The Sunday Post is a blog news meme created by @CaffeinatedReviewer! It gives you a chance to post a recap of your last week, whether that pertains to books or not. You can talk about however much (or however little) you would like.

Hello, reader!

January is finally over and we’ve moved in the second month of the year. February always feels like it flies by too fast, but it is the shortest month of the year, so I suppose that makes sense. I’m hoping it does because I am ready for spring, y’all 😩 We haven’t gotten any more snow, but it has been bitterly cold and I’m over it. This is what I get for moving to New England, haha.

Now it’s time to wrap up my week in The Sunday Post! Keep reading to see what I was up to.

Week in Review

The biggest event of this week is the snow storm that rocked all of New England. We got almost 2 feet of snow Sunday and Monday and it was not a fun time! I had to go to work on Monday and the streets were freakin’ terrible. At least I got to go in later because a pipe burst in our building and no one could be inside until they got the water turned back on. And then it started snowing again while I was at work, so the roads were even worse when I headed home! I did end up having to stay home on Tuesday because my youngest’s school was closed due to weather.

Other than that, I really didn’t get into much this week. My husband and I sing with a local choir and we’re currently rehearsing for our Spring Concert. That was pretty much the only thing that got me out of the house besides work this week, haha. We do have plans this evening to meet up with some friends for dinner, but I’ll talk about that next Sunday!

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