2. Pearls and Poison by Erin Lindsey—This is the fourth installment in the always entertaining Rose Gallagher series. Rose is a former housemaid who works with a team of investigators with special abilities to solve mysteries of the supernatural kind in Gilded Age New York City. Now a legit Pinkerton agent, Rose is on her own to investigate a case of missing jewels and a mysterious murder.

3. Atomic Habits by James Clear—I reread this inspirational book every January to motivate myself to set and achieve personal goals. 

4. Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson—On a visit to my local indie bookstore, Changing Hands, yesterday, I picked up this mystery novel. It's about two warring, cantankerous residents of a dilapidated apartment building. When they're informed their home will be demolished and another resident is subsequently being harrassed, the two join forces to find out who is behind the attacks and save their home.

5. The Dark Library by Mary Anna Evans—Estella Ecker never intended to return to Rockfall House, but now that her father has died and her mother has disappeared, she feels she has little choice. As Estella begins unearthing Rockfall's secrets, she discovers shocking truths that throw into question everything she thought she knew about her parents and herself.

6. Coach by Jason Reynolds—I have really enjoyed Reynolds' middle-grade series about an inner-city track team. Each novel is told from the perspective of a different member of the group. As indicated by this book's title, it is the story of the team's leader, Coach. 

If you decide to give this series a go (and you really should), try it on audio. Actor and singer Guy Lockard, who is a close personal friend of Reynolds, does an excellent job narrating the books.

7. We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter—This is the first book in a new mystery series. It's about a small, close-knit town that is rocked to its core when two local teenage girls disappear. As the police investigate, it soon becomes clear that they were both hiding terrible secrets. Did those secrets lead to their deaths? I've never read anything by Slaughter, so I'm excited to check her out.

8. An American in Scotland by Lucy Connelly—In this series opener, an American medical doctor trades in her chaotic existence in Seattle for the quiet life of a country doctor in a quaint Scottish town. She gets more than she bargains for when she discovers a dead body—and then finds out that in addition to being the town's doctor, she's also its coroner! Determined to find out what happened to the victim, she begins digging into the town's secrets, stirring up all kinds of trouble among its residents.

9. The Star Society by Gabriella Saab (available January 6, 2026)—After fighting the Nazis with the Dutch Resistance during World War II, Ada Worthington-Fox fled to the United States and has reinvented herself as a rising Hollywood starlet. When the sister she thought was dead turns up in California, Ada fears all the secrets from her past will be exposed, especially as it becomes clear that her sister has her own secrets and a mission that could destroy the new life Ada has worked so hard to build for herself. 

10. Bluebird by Sharon Cameron—Like #9, this YA historical novel deals with World War II refugees grappling with the aftermath of the atrocities of war. Eva, who knows the truth behind Project Bluebird, a monstrous experiment conducted in the concentration camps, has come to the United States seeking one thing: justice. She will stop at nothing to hunt down the Nazi behind it all. 

I've already read—and loved—Bluebird, but my book club just chose it as our January pick, so I'm going to reread it sometime in the next month. 

How about you? What's on your Winter TBR? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!

We all know there's no such thing as too many books. Is there such a thing as too many reading challenges? Probably. Do I care? I do not. I've always loved reading challenges. They add a fun element to my bookish life. I don't take them too seriously; if I don't finish them, I don't finish them. No biggie. With that being said, let me tell you about the SIXTEEN I'm going to take on in 2026 (no, that's not a typo). 

If you also love reading challenges, check out the Reading Challenge Addict blog. Bev keeps a running list of all the ones happening around not just the book blogosphere, but also on BookTok, BookTube, and Bookstagram. Tanya Patrice over at Chapter Adventure used to keep a master list as well, but I'm not seeing one for 2026...

At any rate, here you go, starting with the ones I'm hosting:

1. Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)—This is a totally laidback challenge in which you read books about books. Easy peasy. There are different levels. I always do the "Living at the Library" one, which involves reading 30+ bookish books. Sign up for the 2026 challenge here.

2. Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)—As you will soon see, I love me a prompt-based challenge. I created this one, which has 50 prompts related to book covers, for funsies and I'm glad that other readers have joined the party with me. Same as last year, I will be joining at Level 5, which involves completing 41-50 of the prompts. Sign up for the 2026 challenge here.

3. Popsugar Reading Challenge (hosted by Popsugar)—This annual challenge has 40 basic prompts, plus 10 "advanced" ones that are (loosely) centered around a new theme each year. (The 2026 challenge has a garden theme). I've only actually completed this one once, so most of the time it really IS a challenge for me. Although this challenge usually starts on January 1st of every year, they actually started the 2026 one early, so you can begin checking off prompts right away. I've still got 8 prompts to go for the 2025 challenge...it looks like this year will be another one where I don't quite finish. Oh, well.

4. Build Your Library Reading Challenge (hosted by Emily @Build Your Library)—I've enjoyed participating in this challenge for the last couple years. It's made up of 40 prompts based around a different theme each year. This time around it's "A Year of Cozy and Whimsy," which sounds perfect! I'm in.

6. The 52 Book Club's Reading Challenge (hosted by The 52 Book Club)—Another annual challenge with 52 prompts, this is one I do every year. I only have two prompts left for the 2025 challenge, which I'll check off as soon as I finish the two books I'm currently reading. Yay!

7. Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge (hosted by Rick Mills @The Mystillery/RickMillsProject)—Rick hosts several reading challenges, but this one is my favorite. It's a bit macabre since it involves playing medical examiner and "tying toe tags" by counting up the dead bodies in the mystery novels you read. Still, I enjoy doing it and watching the scoreboard to see how the friendly competition between participants is going. (I'm currently in 13th place with 567 toe tags tied; the #1 reader has 1801! Wow.)

8. Pioneer Book Reading Challenge (hosted by Pioneer Book)—The lucky ducks who live in Provo, Utah, are privileged to have this fun indie bookstore in their midst. (I lived there for six years while my husband and I attended Brigham Young University and we still visit at least once a year.) After several years of attempting, I still haven't managed to finish this challenge, but I enjoy trying. You cross off 40 prompts, after which you can claim a $50 gift certificate to the store (for in-person shopping only). The prompts for 2026 have not been announced yet, so keep an eye on the bookstore's Facebook page if you're interested in this one. 

9. Literary Escapes Reading Challenge (hosted by Stacy @Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book)—This challenge involves reading one book set in each of the 50 U.S. states + Washington, D.C., with bonus points given for each country you "visit" outside of the U.S. as well. I finished all the states in November, which wasn't an easy feat! 

10. Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge (hosted by Stacy @Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book)—I always enjoy a good, palate-cleansing cozy mystery, so this challenge is a no-brainer for me since all it requires is reading cozies. I joined at the "Peckish" level in 2025, but I think I'll up the ante in 2026 and go for "Famished," which means reading 26-51 cozies. I may even give the mini-challenge aspect a go next year.

11. Historical Fiction Reading Challenge (hosted by Marg @The Intrepid Reader and Baker)—Since I love hist fic, this annual challenge is another no-brainer. I'm going to join at the "Ancient History" level, which requires reading at least 25 historical novels.

12. Mount TBR Reading Challenge (hosted by Bev @My Reader's Block)—Although I have gotten nowhere near my 2025 challenge goal of reading 100 books off my own shelves, this challenge still helped motivate me to actually read some of the books I already own. I'm going to join again for 2026, but with a more modest goal of at least 24 books (Mount Blanc level). That seems doable.

13. Around the Year in 52 Books (hosted by Emily @Goodreads)—I'm just about finished with this year's challenge, which involved checking off 50 basic prompts, plus a bonus 10 from an "Anniversary List." I'm definitely up for another round.

14. Series Reading Challenge (hosted by Judy @Coffee, Cookies, and Books YouTube channel)—I love to read series books, but I'm in the middle of SO many of them. This challenge is about moving forward in the series your reading (NOT starting new ones) and maybe even FINISHING some of them (gasp!). I've never done this particular challenge before, but it sounds fun.

15. Southern Literary Reading Challenge (hosted by Jen @Introverted Reader)—It's been a hot minute since I participated in this challenge that's all about reading books set in the American South. I'm excited to join in again. I'll be doing Level 4, which involves reading 9+ books set in the South. Shouldn't be too tough.

16. Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge (hosted by Bev @My Reader's Block)—Obviously, this one is another no-brainer. It's all about entering and finishing reading challenges. I'm going to be less ambitious in 2026 than I was this year and join at the "Easy As Pie" level, which involves finishing 1-5 reading challenges. 

Whew! That's a lot of challenges. I'm excited to start fresh with a new set of prompts and goals. How about you? Are you joining any reading challenges in 2026? Which are your favorites? Good luck to all of us reading challenge addicts!

In spite of being a slacker host, I'm having fun hosting this challenge, so I'm bringing it back for 2026. The rules are the same as they've always been. I hope you'll join me for this no pressure, totally chill reading challenge. Spread the word to your bookish, bloggish friends. The more, the merrier. 

Toe in the Door: 1-10 books read

Picking and Perusing: 11-20 books read

Lost in the Stacks: 21-30 books read

Living in the Library: 30+ books read

I'm an overachiever, so I'm aiming for the Living in the Library level again this year. 

Reviews aren't required, but they're always nice. I, for one, am perpetually on the lookout for more bookish books and reviews help me to know which are worth the read. So, I'll put a monthly linky up so we can all see what we're reading for the challenge. 

You don't have to have a blog to participate, but it's helpful to keep a list of books read for the challenge somewhere. Mine will be listed under the "Reading Challenges" tab here at BBB.

If you need ideas for the challenge, I've started a Goodreads list to help. I'm sure there are others there with a similar theme. 

The challenge will run from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026. You can sign up any time during the year, starting now, but only books finished after the starting date count for that year's challenge.

Challenges are more fun with friends, so please join me. Feel free to grab the challenge button, post about the challenge on your blog, and help me spread the word.

1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026.

2. Since this isn't a competition and we're just playing for fun, not prizes or even acclaim, books of any length count (as long as they fit one of the prompts). All genres and formats are allowed. 

3. Don't overthink or stress out about the prompts. If a book fits-ish a prompt, that's totally fine, but a book should only be used once (unless you're going rogue and just doing things your own way). I'm all about being flexible and laidback!

4. 50 prompts can be overwhelming, so let's break it down:

Level One: 1-10 books

Level Two: 11-20 books

Level Three: 21-30 books

Level Four: 31-40 books

Level Five: 41-50 books

You can sign up at any level you'd like and even change levels mid-challenge if you need to.

5. Reviews aren't required, but I always like to get suggestions for prompts and for good reads. I will publish a challenge post at the beginning of each month with a form for review links. If you post one, I promise to come give it some love. On second thought, I'm not going to bother with a monthly review link. Too much work. Feel free to post links to your reviews in the comments on this post, though, and I will stop by and give them some love!

Easy peasy, right? 

Here are the prompts... 

Read a book with a cover that includes:

1.  a scene you would like to step into for a day

2.  the word "house" or "home" in the title

3. your favorite food or drink 

4. a subtitle

5. a chalkboard

6. an animal that is often ridden by humans (horse, mule, camel, etc.)

7. a mythical creature (unicorn, dragon, centaur, etc.)

8. someone holding food or a drink in their hand(s)

9. a compound word in the title or author's name (the compound word needs to be made up of two real words, but the resulting word does not have to be a real word, like buttermore, Shellman, etc.)

10. someone in a uniform of some kind

11. the author's picture on the front cover

12. something a chef might use (apron, toque, spatula, pots and pans, etc.)

13. the name of a flower in the title or author's name

14. an adverb in the title

15. a car's headlights shining in the darkness

16. ice in some form ("ice" in the title, ice cubes, frozen pond/rink, glaciers, etc.)

17. a timepiece

18. a palindrome in the title or author's name

19. the name of a bird in the title

20. a title that does not include the words "and" or "the"

21. a bridge

22. a title word or author's name you don't know how to pronounce correctly

23.  a mug or teacup

24. a bell of some kind (doorbell, jingle bells, cowbell, etc.)

25. something you might see in a house of worship (stained glass windows, scriptures, cross, menorah, priest, etc.)

26. something you associate with pirates (Jolly Roger, eyepatch, parrot, etc.)

27. someone with facial hair

28. an adjective that is often used to describe the weather (stormy, sunny, windy, cloudy, etc. in the title or author's name 

29. a watercraft

30. something you might use for a home improvement project (tools, paint, nails, etc.)

31. someone reading 

32. a word from the military alphabet in the title (https://militaryalphabet.net/)

33. at least one person using a medical or mobility device (wheelchair, cane, hearing aids, insulin pump, etc.)

34. an honorific in the title or author's name (Miss, Mrs., Doctor., Your Highness, etc.)

35. a telephone (rotary or cell) or a telephone booth

36. someone who is barefoot

37. an alliterative title (A Christmas Carol, Legacy of Lies, Forever Friends, etc.)

38. punctuation of some sort in the title

39. somewhere you could happily sit and read all day

40. an X, Y, or Z in the author's name

41. an umbrella

42. a computer

43. a title or cover art with the name of a road or street (Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark, etc.)

44. minimal cover art/design

45. someone with red hair

46. one of the weapons from the board game Clue (candlestick, dagger/knife, lead pipe, rope, revolver/pistol, wrench)

47. one or more balloons

48. a creepy old house or building

49. someone with painted fingernails or toenails

50. a noun in the author's name (Amanda Flower, Cherie Priest, Stephen King, etc.)

If you'd like a printable version of the prompts, here it is:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14l3U9PNB6HrzlKoT4SV6EQh5VnpjsAaVIb8VERYkdt8/edit?usp=sharing

So, what do you think? Want to join me for the 2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge? Use the form below to sign up: