Search This Blog
2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2026 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona
- Arkansas (1)
- California (7)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (1)
- Illinois (2)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (2)
- Maine (4)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico
- New York (4)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (1)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee
- Texas (3)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (2)
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (6)
- Austria (1)
- Canada (2)
- England (21)
- Fiji (1)
- France (1)
- Ireland (2)
- Italy (1)
- Mexico (1)
- New Zealand (1)
- Norway (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Bahamas (1)
- Vatican City (1)
2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge
2026 52 Club Reading Challenge
2026 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge
2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge
2026 Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)
2026 Countdown Reading Challenge
Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo
2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge
2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)
2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge
European Reading Challenge 2026
2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)
2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge
The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge
The Life Skills Reading Challenge
Showing posts with label Lucy Gilmore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lucy Gilmore. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Top Ten Tuesday: Thirteen Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026
7:16 PM
It doesn't seem to matter how many hundreds of unread books are loading down my bookshelves, my head still swivels when I see a shiny, new release! I haunt NetGalley and Edelweiss, always on the lookout for my next great read. If you are like me, then today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is one you've been looking forward to as well: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026. (As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.) Thanks to the websites mentioned above and generous publicists sending me physical ARCs, I've actually already read a lot of my most anticipated new releases for July-December, including:
Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox (July 7) - ***1/2
Our Marriage is Murder by Carol Goodman (July 21) - ****
How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz (July 21) - ****
The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen (August 4) - ***
Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty (August 4) - ***1/2
The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society by Lindsay Currie (September 15) - ***1/2
A Map to Murder by Michelle Chouinard (September 22) - ****
The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (September 29) - *** 1/2
Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (October 6) - ****
The ones I have not been able to get my hot little hands on yet are on my list today. And because I really can't resist them, I have thirteen new releases instead of ten. #TheStruggleIsReal
Top Ten Thirteen Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026
- in order of release date -
1. Everything She Didn't Say by Jane Casey (July 16)—In this standalone mystery/thriller, two friends are enjoying a month-long holiday on the Irish coast. One morning, Ruth wakes up, covered in someone else's blood. Maura is nowhere to be seen. Ruth becomes the number one suspect in her friend's murder, but she's also the only witness. What happened to Maura? Does Ruth know more than she's telling?
2. The Unknown by Riley Sager (August 4)—Actress Marin Keane is stunned when she secures a role in what promises to be a blockbuster movie. The gig requires a month of research on location at New Avalon, Vermont, where five women mysteriously disappeared 100 years ago. As Marin and her castmates settle in on the island, they notice weird noises and strange symbols that seem to confirm rumors that something supernatural took the missing women. When the island's occupants are stranded there, things get even more sinister. What is happening on New Avalon? Is someone trying to sabotage the movie or is something even more nefarious at work?
3. A Thousand Little Goodbyes by Lucy Gilmore (August 11)—Gilmore's newest is receiving mixed reviews, but I'll still give it a go. It's about two lifelong friends who decide to finally take the road trip they've been planning for forever. As the journey goes on, it becomes apparent that it's about more than having fun—it's about saying goodbye.
4. My Killer Family Reunion by Dinesh Thiru (August 11)—Jayshree Devi's family reunions are never without drama. She's still shocked, though, when her wealthy Grand Mom has an accident that looks suspiciously like something much more sinister. With the help of her irritating cousins and their hot friend, Jay launches an investigation, one that will unearth long-buried family secrets on the way to finding out who was behind her grandmother's "accident."
5. My Sister is Going to Kill Me by Nina Simon (August 18)—For this year's sisters trip, Liv and Mandy Chisolm have booked a rafting excursion through the Grand Canyon. Although they will be traveling with a group of strangers, they're looking forward to bonding with each other while enjoying an incredible adventure. The two get more than they bargained for when one of their number is found dead and another body is discovered in the water. Trapped on a raging river with a killer and a bunch of people they don't know, all of whom seem to be hiding dangerous secrets, Liv and Mandy have to unmask a murderer before it's too late for all of them.
6. Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty (August 25)—The much-anticipated sequel to Moriarty's well-loved Big Little Lies, this novel is set ten years after the events of the previous book. The moms are back and all of them are dealing with their own challenges and troubles. When the principal of the high school their children attend receives a severed human finger in the mail and a strange man is spotted lurking around campus, the parents are up-in-arms. Confronting this new problem will mean facing secrets from the past, secrets they hoped their children would never have to know. But now? The stakes are too high to keep hiding...
7. Find Me by Holly Craig (August 25)—Two years ago, Pete went missing in the Tasmanian wilderness after visiting a mysterious commune whose members enact rituals to appease a malevolent presence they say dwells in the mountains. From her deathbed, Pete's mother begged his estranged sisters to work together to find their brother. This is easier said than done as they navigate the mountain, the issues between them, and another perplexing disappearance.
8. The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon (September 8)—Inspired by a real Irish sea captain, this historical novel tells the story of Grace O'Malley, the proper daughter of an Irish clan chief who defied all the odds and became a famous pirate.
9. Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult (September 15)—After her mother died in the 9/11 tragedy, Molly Fitzgerald developed a fear of disasters. Now the director of the Rhode Island Department for Emergency Preparedness, she channels her anxiety into saving others in crisis situations. When an unexpected crisis descends on Molly and her husband, their lives turn upside down. Can she save herself from disintegrating under the pressure of her own disaster?
10. We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman (September 15)—This book is actually #1 in terms of 2026 releases I've been looking forward to. I adored We Solve Murders, so I'm stoked for this sequel. This time, Amy, Rose, and Steve team up to solve the case of a suspicious death at a private villa in the Italian hills. Everybody is hiding something. Whodunit?
11. The Undercover Bookshop by Katherine Reay (October 6)—Book lover Gemma Brown has just moved to a sleepy village in the Cotswolds, where she runs the town's first-ever bookstore. Finding it difficult to fit in, Gemma is thrilled to make friends with the enigmatic local baker. It's not long, though, before she begins to suspect that her new pal is a spy. It's 1950; anything is possible. Or is Gemma's fiction-fueled imagination running amok? Soon, she finds herself embroiled in an international intrigue the likes of which she's never seen outside of a book.
12. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Ally Carter (October 13)—The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was a super fun read. This companion novel (as far as I can tell, it's not a sequel) sounds equally as entertaining. The story revolves around a billionaire's son and the housekeeper's daughter, who have been rivals since childhood. When the former goes missing, leaving only a pool of blood behind, it's up to the latter to prove he's alive—and find the person who desperately wants him dead. Sounds confusing, but entertaining.
13. A Reunion to Die For by K.J. Whittle (October 26)—When a group of classmates gather for a reunion, talk turns to the school bully who tortured all of them with his cruel taunting. As the drinks flow, the victims joke about ways they could get revenge on the guy who made them all so miserable. The next day, the bully is found dead, killed in a way that is suspiciously similar to the hypothetical plans made by the classmates. When a recording of that conversation is given to the police, the group members become suspects. Desperate to clear their names, they scramble to solve the murder they unknowingly planned.
There you go, thirteen books releasing in the second half of 2026 that I want to read. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which up-and-comers are you most excited about? 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!
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Top Ten Tuesday (on a Wednesday): Winter TBR Titles
12:00 PM
The photo on the left is one of my favorite pictures of my dad and me. A photographer snapped it at a surprise party we held for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary a few years ago.
Enough of the mushy stuff, let's get on with things...I love prompts like this week's: Top Ten Books On My Winter 2024-2025 TBR List. It's always fun to contemplate what I might want to read next and, of course, to see all of the titles hanging out on your lists this season. Since I still have a handful of book award nominees I need to read before the year ends, I won't have time to dive into anything else until January so this is really a Winter 2025 TBR List.
As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Many thanks to our hostess with the mostest for organizing TTT every week
Top Ten Books On My Winter 2025 TBR List
- in no particular order -
1. The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments by Hadley Vlahos, RN—My book club picked this non-fiction title for our January selection. It's supposed to be a moving read about lessons Vlahos has learned from her dying patients.
2. The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore—I'm listening to The Lonely Hearts Book Club right now and enjoying it so I'm eager to read more by this author. I hadn't realized that Lucy Gilmore is a pen name for one of my favorite cozy mystery writers, Tamara Berry. Her books are so fun!
This one concerns a librarian who's struggling to keep her head above water as she cares for her three younger siblings while working and trying to find herself. When she discovers a rare book in a thrift shop, she's thrilled with the valuable find. When her curmudgeonly neighbor insists on buying it, she's confused by his determination. Inside the book, she discovers notes in the margins that were written by two young lovers. Why is her neighbor so interested in the romantic scribbles? Could there be more to the grumpy old man than she ever imagined?
3. Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney—This YA mystery stars 14-year-old Ava Bonney. Our heroine has a macabre curiosity about how animals decompose. In the dead of night, she routinely collects roadkill specimens to study and analyze. On one of her midnight forays, she makes a shocking discovery: the murdered corpse of one of her classmates. When another girl is killed, Ava can't help but get involved. She's determined to find the killer, even if it means she might become the next victim.
4. Stranded by Nikki Shannon Smith—I always enjoy a gripping survival story. This middle grade novel is about an 11-year-old city girl who's accidentally left behind in her aunt's remote mountain cabin. When a fierce storm roars in, causing major damage to the cabin, its terrified inhabitant must flee for her life. Can a city slicker survive in the dangerous outdoors with only minimal survival skills to guide her?
5. Drop Dead Sisters by Amelia Diane Coombs—The first installment in a new cozy mystery series, this one features a trio of estranged sisters who reunite for a family camping trip. As they are renewing their relationships, they discover a dead body. While no one knows exactly what happened, it's clear the Finche family needs to do some damage control before they're accused of a heinous crime. After all, none of them are guilty. Right?
6. Isabel in Bloom by Mae Respicio—Even though this middle grade verse novel seems more suited to summer reading, I'd like to get to it sooner rather than later. It's about a girl who moves from her native Philippines to join her mother in San Francisco. In the U.S., everything is new to her—including her mother, whom she doesn't really know. When she joins her school's cooking and gardening club, Isabel hopes it will help her finally fit in and find belonging in her new home.
7. The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li (available May 6, 2025)—This gothic family thriller doesn't come out for awhile yet, but I've got an e-ARC that I can't wait to read. The story revolves around Vivian Yin, a Chinese actress who was a Hollywood hit before living out the rest of her life as a recluse. Now that she has died, her daughters expect to inherit Vivan's grand estate. To their surprise, another family—long estranged from Vivian—is also in the running to inherit the home. Both clans move into the estate, vying for ultimate ownership, while Vivian's daughters try to figure out the many secrets of their mother's past.
8. Murder in the Ranks by Kristi Jones—After her German husband deserts her, taking their daughter with him, Dottie Lincoln finds refuge in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. It's 1943 and the women are bonding while serving together in North Africa. When one of them is murdered, throwing Dottie's decisions as squad leader into question, it's up to Dottie to find a killer in the ranks.
9. Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray (available February 4, 2025)—Legend has it that if you leave a letter in the Bridegroom's Oak, the love of your life will write you back. In 1940s Germany, a teenage girl is using the tree for a greater purpose than romance. Four decades later, another young woman uses it to break free of society's constraints and work toward bringing down the Berlin Wall. Amidst the COVID pandemic in New York City, another girl receives a package from her grandmother that leads her and her best friend to an unsolved case of two teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom's Oak almost 100 years ago.
10. Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson—As an adoptive mom, I never tire of reading about adoption. This novel is about a 30-something high school teacher whose life looks pretty darn perfect from the outside. No matter what else is going on in her life, she can't stop thinking about the daughter she bore when she was 16 and subsequently placed for adoption. This year, as her baby turns 18, she may finally get the chance to meet the child she has been missing for so long.
There you go, ten books I'm hoping to read this winter. Have you read any of them? What titles are you excited to read in the next few months? I'd 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)!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
Readin'
Beach Thriller by Jamie Day
Listenin'
Hidden Rooms by Kate Michaelson
Followin' with Bloglovin'
Followin' with Feedly
-
-
-
-
Sweet Spot by Kemper Donovan4 hours ago
-
-
-
July Reflections16 hours ago
-
-
-
-
A Curse Carved in Bone1 day ago
-
-
-
The Whisper By Chelsea Iversen1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
A Brewed Awakening2 days ago
-
Lehane, Dennis "Shutter Island" - 20033 days ago
-
-
-
Haiku reviews...5 days ago
-
-
Books read in June3 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
June TBR1 month ago
-
-
Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney5 months ago
-
-
Sunday Post #5681 year ago
-
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus2 years ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?2 years ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra3 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?3 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Design by:
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
