Bookish Resolutions for 2026
10 January 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Beat the Backlist, book-blog, Bookforager's Picture Prompt Book Bingo 2026, bookish, Bookish Resolutions, Books, reading
Well, this may be a little bit later than my usual style post but I didn’t want to be double posting. This year I’m going for a very simple and easy format for this. I don’t want to set myself any unrealistic goals or resolutions just keep it nice and simple.
For 2026:
I aim to be very careful about book requests. Last year I had a few episodes where my reading lessened for one reason or another and I fell behind, which just leads to massive feelings of guilt. So, this year I would like to be reasonable and keep my bookish requests to about 6/8 per month.
I would really like to raise my Netgalley stats. I mean, they’re not as bad as they could be but the recommended level of feedback is 80%. At the moment I’m teetering on 76/77 and I would like to improve this (although I do now have over 1,000 reviews submitted). It’s difficult because for a couple of years I went a bit crazy with requests being totally unrealistic with the books I asked for. Like I didn’t quite comprehend that those books needed to be read within a given period and feedback provided. Believe me, I am a lot, lot better, but, I did cause some damage in the first couple of years. My aim this year to do better – learn from my mistake people.
With the above in mind I would also like to read some backlist books. I did start to do so this year but then everything went to hell in a handcart so this year I would really like to read one per month. I just need to stay focused and with that in mind I thought I’d choose 12 books. Here they are (have you read any of these, and if so, do you recommend – this list is still up for debate):
I would actually like to write my reviews quicker. I used to write my reviews almost immediately upon finishing the book and I liked it that way, writing while everything was fresh and the emotions were running high. I really don’t like getting behind with reviews is the other reason.
I’d like to read 100 books this year. This is quite a normal figure for me in terms of books but due to personal reasons I didn’t read as much this year. Hopefully, 2026 is a nice smooth year. One can but wish.
I’m joining in with Bookforagers Picture Prompt Book Bingo. I love this bingo, it allows me a lot of artistic license so that I can complete the full sheet and everyone loves a challenge that they can complete don’t they?
I’m also considering taking part in another couple of challenges, I really like the A-Z book challenge and also the Spell the month in books. I’m still considering those and don’t want to overdo things so we’ll see.
That’s it for me. I’ll see you all around the blogosphere. Wish me luck and I wish all of you the best for 2026.
2025 Round Up for December and Picture Prompt Bingo challenge
3 January 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: 2025, Bookforager's Picture Prompt Book Bingo 2026, Books, December Round Up, Picture Prompt Book Bingo, reading, reading-challenge
Today I’m posting a round up for 2025 to complete a few loose ends.
During my last monthly round up I put a few books together to try and finish off the year. Unfortunately, my December reading was quite slow and some of the books didn’t really work their magic but let’s take a look at what I was hoping to read and what I accomplished.
December looking ahead:
- What Stalks the Deep by T Kingfisher – I’ve read this and will be reviewing soon
- The Possession of Alba Dias by Isabel Cañas (Carried over from October) – I’ve read almost 60% of this but I am struggling so for now I’m setting it aside. I might try and complete it during January but I’m making slow progress.
- Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason (Carried over from October). This is a DNF.
- The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah (Carried over from October) – I read this and it was a decent read, not the best, I felt it needed a bit more atmosphere but I shall be reviewing this title soon.
- The Blackfire Blade by James Logan. I read and loved this one. My review is already posted.
- I’ll Make A Spectacle of You by Beatrice Winifred Iker – I was excited by the sound of this one but unfortunately it’s a DNF for me.
- Outlaw Planet by MR Carey – I’ve read and loved this one (although it took me a little while to get into). I shall be posting a review soon.
So, I completed four of my seven books. I might still try to finish The Possession of Alba Dias although it is slowing me down (by which I mean it’s not that the reading is going slowly but it’s making me not want to read, which is a shame as its well written) so we’ll see.
My January books:
- Rings of Fate by Melissa de la Cruz
- What Stalks the Deep by T Kingfisher – already read
- A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St James – currently reading
- The Wolf and the Crown of Blood by Elizabeth May
- Fiend by Alma Katsu
- Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis
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- Version 1.0.0
Six books in total but I’ve completed one and started one so hopefully this is achievable.
Bookforager‘s Picture Prompt book bingo.
and the text version:
PICTURE PROMPT BOOK BINGO 2025 (TEXT VERSION)
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Today, I’m completing the challenge using books read during 2025
No.1 – A prehistoric flint knapped stone knife, I’m using The Blackfire Blade because the story revolves around the search for a ‘blade’, plus I seem to recall there was the use of older weapons and perhaps a flint headed axe at one point – at the time I had a very good reason for using this but now it sounds very dodgy!
No.2 A Lighthouse, I’m using Outlaw Planet by MR Carey because the use of Towers is fundamental to the story, they’re not lighthouses but they have very narrow high towers that sound very similar to a lighthouse and are used for broadcasting (lighthouses are similarly used to cast a light and give a warning)
Three very tenuous links!! A bit of cheating or alternative thinking!
No.3 A very large, mechanical telescope, I’m using What Stalks the Deep by T Kingfisher because this takes place in an old abandoned mine where what can only be described as an alien entity seems to be surviving. So, very tenuous link indeed and maybe this is just cheating!!
The prompts I’ve crossed off so far:
No.4 – the Archery Target with Arrows in it – I’ve chosen the Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford
No.15 The Vipers by Katy Hays
No. 7 A Stag – which I’m using Clockwork Boys by T Kingfisher
No. 16 – A Roman helmet – and I’m using This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara.
No. 3 – an apple on a leafy branch – Hemlock and Silver by T Kingfisther
No.10 – A Sheaf of Wheat – The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst –
No. 11 – An Old Mechanical Typewriter – The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia
No.8 – The ruins of a temple-like structure – I’m using Daughter of Chaos by A S Webb
No. 12 – A cluster of four mushrooms – I’m using Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
No. 13 – A fringed umbrella/parasol – I’m using A Fortune Most Fatal by Jessica Bull
No.14 – A chemistry set-up of bottles and tubes – I’m using Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis
No.9 – A Crab – I’m using The Devils by Joe Abercrombie – if you’ve read this already you’ll be able to guess why. There are some very unusual creatures in this story.
No.6 – A Human Skull – I’m using The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North – because this is about a serial killer and there are definite human remains included in this one.
Checkout this post for this years picture prompt bingo card.
Alert: Bookforager’s Picture Prompt Book Bingo – 2026 : new bingo card released!
20 December 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Alert, Bookforager's Picture Prompt Book Bingo 2026, Klaxon
Today I’m posting an alert to bring your attention to the latest book bingo card released by the Bookforager.
The Picture Prompt Book Bingo challenge is a really fun meme created by the Bookforager. I absolutely love taking part in this book bingo and especially finding strange ways of fitting books to certain pictures/prompts. I’ve taken part for the past two years and was excited to see next year’s prompts released (perhaps I need to get out more).
So, without further ado, feast your eyes on the new pictures and the descriptors below:
And the ‘wordy’ version:
Picture Prompt Book Bingo 2026 (text version)
| 1. A teacup and saucer | 2. A set of weighing scales | 3. A moth | 4. A hand holding some fanned out playing cards |
| 5. A hot air balloon | 6. An acorn | 7. A human eye | 8. A cooking pot hanging over a campfire |
| 9. A griffin | 10. A large, old key | 11. A hand holding a threaded needle | 12. An octopus |
| 13. A plant being repotted | 14. A skull and crossbones | 15. A decorative water fountain | 16. A pinch-clip purse |
Doesn’t this look an absolute blast? If you fancy taking part stop on over to Bookforager’s blog and check out the detail here.
You’re welcome.
Now I need to start my evil plotting – by which I mean looking at what books I already have for next year that could possibly fit some of these prompts (cue crazy laughter mwahahahaha!)
Books and travelling with Lynn 