Top Ten Tuesday: Book Series I Want to Catch Up On
18 August 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, book-blog, Books, Fantasy, reading, Series I Want to Catch Up On, That Artsy Reader Girl, Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme where every Tuesday we look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) bookish examples to demonstrate that particular topic. Top Ten Tuesday (created and hosted by The Broke and Bookish) is now being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and future week’s topics can be found here. This week’s prompt is:
Book Series I Want to Catch Up On
A few years ago I actually went through my book lists and discovered that I had an embarrassing number of series to catch up with. I think I’m doing a little better these days. Here are ten series that I’d like to catch up with/finish.
1. The October Daye series by Seanan McGuire
I was loving reading this series but I think a combination of binge reading a lot of the books at once and having maybe too many series on the go at once meant this one got left behind. I read the first 8 – the series is now up to 20 so I really do have some catching up to do, but this is a fun series and I really would like to pick it back up again, time permitting. Here is the first book in the series. If you like urban fantasy I really do encourage you to give this a try:
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
I’ve read the first two, Empire of the Vampire and Empire of the Damned and just need to give my head a wobble and pick up the third.
The Fell, New York series by Simone St James
There are two books in this series so far and although I haven’t read them in publication order I loved A Box Full of Darkness and would love to revisit this particular town again. I already have a copy of the Sun Down Motel waiting to be picked up and would love to get to it before the year is out.


Court of Shadows series by Sebastien de Castell
I’ve read and really enjoyed Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows and have Our Lady of Blades waiting to be read.



The Spellshop series by Sarah Beth Durst
I loved The Spellshop, which was the first in the series and The Enchanted Greenhouse was another really lovely cosy instalment. I have Sea of Charms already on my shelf and I understand that the fourth book is also in the offing, The Magical Cheese Emporium – which, to be blunt, I can’t resist with that title!. Cosy fantasy lovers keep your eyes peeled.




The Echo Archives by Melissa Caruso
I’ve read the first two books, The Last Hour Between Worlds and The Last Soul Among Wolves and the third is expected to be released in November this year. Can’t wait, I love the world that the author has created, it’s absolutely fascinating and the characters are very easy to like too.
Amina-al-Sirafi series by SA Chakraborty
I loved the first book, adored it in fact and although I’ve fallen behind a little with some of my review books I’m hoping to pick up The Tapestry of Fate very soon, I was so excited to have a copy of this and really can’t wait to pick it up. Seriously, do yourself a favour and pick up The Adventures of Amina-al-Sirafi if you love fantasy adventure with winning characters.


The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne
Such an amazing author and a great series. I loved The Shadow of the Gods and The Hunger of the Gods and have the third, The Fury of the Gods lined up and waiting both in written and audio format – so double the excitement.
Talon by Jen Williams
This is a duology so I don’t know why I haven’t managed to complete it yet, I read and thoroughly enjoyed Talonsister and couldn’t wait to pick up Titanchild but this seems to have corresponded to one of my times away and so I fell behind. I will definitely be completing this. I love Jen Williams and highly recommend the first fantasy series I read of hers that started with The Copper Promise.


The Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett
I love this series and I thought the third was the concluding episode. I’ve never been happier to be wrong. The fourth book is due out early in the new year and I can’t wait. Check out Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands and Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales. The next in the series is called Emily Wilde’s History of Dark Faerie and is due out in 2027. Exciting times.
Can’t Wait Wednesday: Deadly Little Lessons by Danielle Valentine
29 July 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, Books, Breaking the Spine, Can't wait Wednesday, Danielle Valentine, Deadly Little Lessons, fiction, reading, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is: Deadly Little Lessons by Danielle Valentine. My first book by this author was Delicate Condition – which I loved. Then I read and equally loved The Dead Husband Cookbook followed by Two Sides to Every Murder. I’m loving her books so as you may imagine I’m very happy to see another fantastic sounding book in the not too distant future. Check out the description and cover below:
Luminary is more than just a school. It is a test of moral fiber, strength of will, and human resilience.
Lia Michaels can pick any lock and break into most computer systems. But a life of delinquency has her bouncing between foster homes and juvie. So when she applies to Luminary Prep, a new experimental school created to challenge academic conventions, Lia is surprised by the acceptance letter that follows.
With state-of-the-art technology, fancy cafeteria food, and a campus that looks like a painting come to life, Luminary seems to be the break Lia needs. That is, if she can excel in class and be one of only five students who will be allowed to graduate.
But classes at Luminary are . . . odd. And dangerous. There is a death-trap obstacle course in Physics, a Chemistry exam with explosives, and guillotines in Political Science. As students keep vanishing, one by one, Lia starts to wonder if it’s not that five students will graduate—but that only five will survive.
Expected publication: September 2026
The 2026 Mid Year Freak Out Book Tag
25 July 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Best Books, Best Sequel, Book Review, Book tag, book-blog, Books, Books you need to finish by the end of 2026, Favourite Characters, Most Anticipated Books, reading, The 2026 Mid Year Freak Out Book Tag
I’ve seen this tag a lot just recently and wanted to take part – this is my first year and I’m a little late as July is almost over but here goes. The tag has been running for quite a few years and was created by Ely @ Earl Grey Books and Chami @ Read Like Wildfire.
Best Book I’ve Read So Far This Year:
The Children by Melissa Albert
Best Sequel I’ve Read So Far This Year:
A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett. This is a great series that started with The Tainted Cup, if you haven’t read this yet I highly recommend it, particularly if you like fantasy and mystery combined.
New Release I Haven’t Read But Want To:
The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty I have a copy of this but I’m a little behind – I need to pick it up soon as I absolutely loved The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi.
Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2026:
Ooh, this is a tricky one because there are a lot of good books coming out soon. I’ve had to go for more than one but I have restrained myself to three:



Biggest Disappointment:
I don’t tend to have a lot of books that are disappointments to be honest because if I’m not enjoying it then I stop reading and I don’t love reviewing books I haven’t finished (which isn’t a judgement on others simply a personal thing). But, I did try a book earlier in the year called Loving a Vampire is Total Chaos by Aura Hayes and this book really didn’t work for me so I had to set it aside, but don’t take that to heart as it does seem to have a lot of reviews and a very decent rating so I think it was probably a case of wrong mood.
Biggest Surprise:
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews – I’ve read this author partnership before and really like their style so to say it was a surprise sounds a bit off – it’s more that I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the story itself. As it happens I absolutely loved this – way more than I ever expected. And I highly recommend it.
Favorite New Author:
This has to be Antonia Hodgson for the Raven Scholar. An excellent read that I still need to post my review for – spoiler alert – this one is highly recommended too.
New Favorite Character:
Anne of Brittany, from the The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden. She is a fantastic character to read. This is a fascinating story beautifully combining history and speculative fiction and with absolutely lush writing.
A Book That Made Me Cry:
Well, it didn’t exactly make me cry but it is quite an emotional read and I think I needed to be in the right head space before I started. As it happens I really enjoyed We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune.
A Book That Made Me Happy:
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett). This is a fantastic book, I absolutely loved it. It made me tense and, yes, it did make me happy.
Books I Need to Read By the End of the Year:
Yes, I have gone for more than one because I have so much excitement right now for so many books. Obviously I won’t repeat the three above but here are a few that I can’t wait to pick up:









Can’t Wait Wednesday: Wondrous by Heather Fawcett
22 July 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: alice, Book Review, Books, Can't wait Wednesday, Fantasy, Heather Fawcett, Lewis Carroll, Wishful Endings, Wondrous
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is: Wondrous by Heather Fawcett. I’m loving her work and so seeing this new book on the horizon is very heart warming, plus, who am I kidding, I’m always there in a heartbeat for any sort of retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Check out the cover and description below:
Timed to the 75th anniversary of Disney’s enduring classic Alice in Wonderland, this young adult sequel follows teenaged Alice on a curious new adventure down the rabbit hole, many years after her first visit to Wonderland.
Now eighteen, Alice feels much more comfortable spending her days in Wonderland than in the “real” world. After all, no one in Wonderland will judge you for being strange! But things in Wonderland have seemed off lately, especially when Alice encounters another teen, and then another . . . both of whom also claim to be named Alice.
Before long, card soldiers capture all three Alices, and they are taken to the Queen of Hearts’ castle, where a strange truth is it has been prophesied that a “blue Alice” would one day save Wonderland from terrible peril. Ever since, the White Rabbit has been opening portals to Wonderland for children dressed in blue named Alice. And now, the foretold danger has three terrifying dragons have appeared in Wonderland, from the worlds beyond the doors in Doorknob’s hallway.
The Queen declares that the Alice who can save Wonderland will be named “The Alice” . . . and the others will be cast out, never allowed to return. So Alice sets out on a quest to save the land she loves, meeting new friends and enemies along the way, including a strange boy who she isn’t sure she can trust. Is Alice truly “The Alice,” or is she just a footnote in someone else’s story?
Expected publication: October 2026































