WWW Wednesday: January 28th, 2026

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

Solomon’s Crown by Natasha Siegel: I finally picked the audiobook back up and the action/drama has certainly ramped up! These two doomed idiots are keeping me on the edge of my seat. I don’t know if I was just feeling anxious and that’s why I couldn’t handle the angst, but now I’m back on board, haha.
Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman: It feels so good to be back in Carl’s world! I mean… Carl’s world is just getting increasingly more dire, but I’m having a good time 😂 Can I just say, I love a main character that is both strong and clever. Carl certainly fits the bill! It’s a treat watching him think up these half-baked plans that are truly creative. I’m eager to dive back into this one!
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly: I quite literally just started this book today (as in, I just got through the prologue) so I don’t have a lot a thoughts about it yet. I’m enjoying the author’s tone, though. Tone is so important to me when it comes to non-fiction. If it reads like a textbook, I’m going to bored the entire time, even if the information is fascinating. Give me a narrative non-fiction any day.

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top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: New-To-Me Authors From 2025

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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!

Though 2025 was a bit all over the place, I did read some incredible books last year. I also read quite a few new-to-me authors that I’m eager to read more from in 2026. So today’s Top Ten Tuesday theme, 2025 Bookish Discoveries, gives me the perfect opportunity to share them with you! Quite a few of these are authors that have been around for ages, but I finally picked them up in 2025. Some of them are debut authors that captured my imagination with their first novel. All of them make me want to read more!

Now, let’s get to the list.

2025 New-To-Me Authors

Kylie Lee Baker
B.K. Borison
Costanza Casati
Delilah S. Dawson
Tananarive Due

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goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: January 26th, 2026

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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!

Well, for once the meteorologists got it right and we got absolutely dumped on here in New England. Not the most snow that I’ve ever seen, but there’s quite a bit! So, while I’m waiting to go into work since we’re on a delay (the joys of working in healthcare… no snow days), I figured I would do my Goodreads Monday post!

I hope all of you who also got a ton of snow are staying warm and safe.

Random Goodreads Pick

Book:
Vinegar Girl

Author:
Anne Tyler

Publisher:
Hogarth

Publication Date:
June 1st, 2016

Pages:
237

Genre:
Literary Fiction/Romance/Retelling

Synopsis:
Pulitzer Prize winner and American master Anne Tyler brings us an inspired, witty and irresistible contemporary take on one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies.

Kate Battista feels stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and uppity, pretty younger sister Bunny? Plus, she’s always in trouble at work – her pre-school charges adore her, but their parents don’t always appreciate her unusual opinions and forthright manner.

Dr. Battista has other problems. After years out in the academic wilderness, he is on the verge of a breakthrough. His research could help millions. There’s only one problem: his brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr, all would be lost.

When Dr. Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, he’s relying – as usual – on Kate to help him. Kate is furious: this time he’s really asking too much. But will she be able to resist the two men’s touchingly ludicrous campaign to bring her around?

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book reviews

Book Review: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

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Title: Dungeon Crawler Carl
Series: Dungeon Crawler Carl #1
Author: Matt Dinniman
Publisher: Ace
Genre: Fantasy/LitRPG
Age Group: Adult
Format: Physical
Content/Trigger Warnings: Blood, gore, violence, parental abandonment & child abuse recounted, slavery, infidelity, alcohol & drug abuse, mass murder
Book Links: Bookshop::B&N::Amazon::Goodreads::Storygraph

The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series—now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition.

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.

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www wednesday

WWW Wednesday: January 21st, 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

Pounded By Produce by G.M. Fairy: Y’all, I can’t with this book😂 It’s just so silly and cringe! Like, how am I supposed to not want to cringe into the sun when there are lines like —> “Alone with two of the sexist vegetables in the world.” Like, come ON! I can only read a few chapters at a time before I have to walk away, lol. Still, I suppose I’m being entertained? Woof…
Solomon’s Crown by Natasha Siegel: This historical retelling of the relationship between King Philip of France and King Richard the Lionhearted is gay as hell and I’m into it. I mean, I know these two yearners are about to break my heart, but I cannot look away! The audiobook is well-narrated, too, which draws me into the story even more.
Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz: I just started this sci-fi novella today and I’m having a good time! It’s about robots that decide to run their own restaurant after they are abandoned by the owners of the previous shop in which they worked. The characters are interesting and I’m eager to see where this story takes me.

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goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: January 19th, 2026

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Hello, reader!

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr Day! This is the first MLK Day in awhile that I was off of work and it was nice to be able to chill. Little disappointed in the state of my country on this MLK Day, but that’s a topic for a different post😅

For now, let’s get to my Goodreads Monday pick!

Random Goodreads Pick

Book:
House of Salt and Sorrows

Author:
Erin A. Craig

Publisher:
Delacorte

Publication Date:
August 6th, 2019

Pages:
403

Genre:
Fantasy/Horror/Retelling

Synopsis:
In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor with her sisters and their father and stepmother. Once there were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls’ lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last–the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge–and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that her sister’s deaths were no accidents. The girls have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn’t sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who–or what–are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh’s involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it’s a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family–before it claims her next. House of Salt and Sorrows is a spellbinding novel filled with magic and the rustle of gossamer skirts down long, dark hallways. Be careful who you dance with…

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reading-challenge

26 Books in 2026 Challenge

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Hello, reader!

We’re not gonna talk about how badly I bombed my 25 in 2025 reading challenge🤐 Last year, my reading felt kind of all over the place. I had some great reads, don’t get me wrong, but I definitely wandered far from my goals for the year, haha.

I think part of the issue was I put some rigid rules on which books I put on my 2025 list. I was trying to have a good mix of genres and put a lot of books that have been languishing on my shelves for forever. The problem is, and this is something I’m still coming to terms with, I am very much a mood reader. So putting a book that I wasn’t necessarily excited about but fit my criteria meant I never felt particularly motivated to pick up books from the 25 in 2025 pile.

So for my 26 in 2026 challenge, I decided there were only two rules I would have while making my list:

I could only choose books published before 2026.
I could only choose books that I own, either physically or electronically.

That way, I could browse my owned books and pick books that, to borrow a phrase, sparked joy😂 The hope is that my interest in these books will make me more eager to pick them up and actually read them throughout the year. Wish me luck, y’all!

The Will of the Many by James Islington – Goodreads::Storygraph
Well Played by Jen DeLuca – Goodreads::Storygraph
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin – Goodreads::Storygraph
Malice by John Gwynne – Goodreads::Storygraph
The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas – Goodreads::Storygraph

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goodreads monday

Goodreads/TBR Monday: January 12th, 2026

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Hello, reader!

It’s the start of a new week and I am not in the working mood. I’m still coming out of the holiday slump, I think. And I think that’s why I decided to explore a new-to-me bookish meme today. I’m trying to spice up my day, haha. That’s why I decided to participate in Goodreads Monday! I’m going to talk about a random book from my Goodreads TBR, why it gets to stay on my TBR (or why it’s getting booted!), and my progress on my current reads.

That being said, let’s dive in!

Random Goodreads Pick

Book:
Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care & Feeding of British Dragons

Author:
Quenby Olson

Publisher:
World Tree Press

Publication Date:
October 26th, 2021

Pages:
397

Genre:
Fantasy/Cozy Fantasy

Synopsis:
Miss Mildred Percy inherits a dragon.

Ah, but we’ve already got ahead of ourselves…

Miss Mildred Percy is a spinster. She does not dance, she has long stopped dreaming, and she certainly does not have adventures. That is, until her great uncle has the audacity to leave her an inheritance, one that includes a dragon’s egg.

The egg – as eggs are wont to do – decides to hatch, and Miss Mildred Percy is suddenly thrust out of the role of “spinster and general wallflower” and into the unprecedented position of “spinster and keeper of dragons.”

But England has not seen a dragon since… well, ever. And now Mildred must contend with raising a dragon (that should not exist), kindling a romance (with a humble vicar), and embarking on an adventure she never thought could be hers for the taking.

Keep or Toss?

This is an indie published book that has been on my TBR for far too long because I’m 100% certain that, if I pick it up, I’m going to love it! A cozy fantasy that surrounds raising dragons?! Sign me up, please! I think this is one of those instances where a book gets buried in my ever-increasing TBR, so I’m glad doing this meme brought it back to the forefront. This definitely is staying on the TBR!

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first lines friday

First Lines Friday: January 9th, 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!

For this week’s First Lines Friday, I’m featuring a book that I’m sure many of you will instantly recognize. It’s one that has been talked about ad nauseum in the bookish community and it made me curious. It’s not often that a book seems to be so beloved! I’ve already started reading it and, so far, I can kind of see why it’s so popular!

Now it’s time for the first line to see if it can capture your attention, as well.

The Line(s):

“The transformation occurred at approximately 2:23 A.M., Pacific Standard Time.”

The Build Up:

The Reveal:

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reading project

2026 Reading Project: Series Takedown

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Hello, reader!

I was filling out info on my 2026 reading spreadsheet and realized that I am currently in the middle of 66 different series! And that’s not counting series I’ve started and am unsure whether or not I want to continue. That’s just the ones that I do want to complete… eventually. So, of course, bringing that number down has become a 2026 reading project.

Now, I’m not under the illusion that I’m going to finish all of these series, but I do have a few that are the top of the priority list. Let me share some stats and then talk about which series I would really like to complete in 2026.

Current Series Stats

As I mentioned, there are 66 series on my spreadsheet that I have started, but haven’t finished. Of those, I have only read the first book in 43 series, which seems like a lot to me, haha. Apparently, I love starting a series but, apparently, I don’t like to continue 😅 Though, there are 5 series where only the first book is out, so I’m technically all caught up on those!

My other problem with finishing series seems to be that I get to the last book and just… stop. There are 16 series on my list where they are complete and I’ve read everything but the last book! I even own some of those last books! There are also 12 series where I’m caught up, but they are on-going series. A lot of them actually have releases in 2026 and I’m so excited!

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M	T	W	T	F	S	S
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31