Winter TBR

Hey all, Sam here.

Why hello there everyone. It has been a little while. Things have been a bit hectic in our home the past couple of months…which partially explains the disappearance from the blog again.

I was participating in a certain annual writing challenge in November where the goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. And I didn’t cross that finish line, but I wrote nearly 20,000 words, plotted out some cool scenes to write going forward, created the characters of the story in Hero Forge as miniatures, and even made most of the world’s map in Inkarnate. But, most importantly, I started to uncover that creative urge that has been buried and hiding for most of this year.

Of course, now that November is over, I do still want to keep writing, but I’m also feeling like it is time to dive back into reading because I mostly ignored that last month.

And to add to all of my other creative projects, I’m also wanting to jump back into editing one of my other books.

So there’s lots to do.

But, back to reading, this is not a TBR limited to one month, but more a goal for December, January, and February. Some of the books on this list are already released ones, but there are also quite a few that will be releasing in January and February, and I’m really hoping that 2024 will be the year that I make significant progress in catching up on my NetGalley reads and reviews.

Anyway, let’s go ahead and go over the books that I’m really hoping to read over the next couple of months.

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

The Bright & The Pale by Jessica Rubinkowski

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

Obviously, here we start off with four books that I own already. Most of them have been out for basically a year or two. And you’ll notice that they all have winter or holiday vibes to them. Most of the books I have on this TBR will follow a similar theme, because why not harness the feeling of winter while staying curled up in a blanket fort at home with a nice mug of cocoa or tea or coffee with me.

Oh, speaking of being cozy at home, we just moved a new couch into our living room and it fulfills a goal I’ve had for a number of years…to have a couch with a chaise lounge attached, so now I can stretch out on the couch and read or type on my laptop or whatever while David hangs out on the couch and plays video games or whatever. It’s going to be great.

The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L Jensen (27 Feb, 2024)

A Flame in the North by Lilith Saintcrow (13 Feb 2024)

Okay, here is where we move from owned books into digital ARCs. I do own The Book Club Hotel because it sounded like a cute and cozy winter read, and I also own a copy of Ice Planet Barbarians, which seems like a chilly atmosphere but a steamy read. But after that we’re moving into some upcoming releases with Norse themes going on.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden (13 Feb 2024)

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft (2 Jan 2024)

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by Amelie Wen Zhao (2 Jan 2024)

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire (9 Jan 2024)

It’s about time that I have a new Katherine Arden book to enjoy, and much like her previous trilogy, this one also feels like it will have some fantastically chilly wintery vibes to it. And then there’s a few of my very anticipated releases for the beginning of 2024…which means that obviously I’m going to try and read these in December so I can get their reviews up before release day…Hopefully I’ll be able to keep to my reading goals to wrap up my year.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (16 Jan 2024)

Pillar of Ash by H.M. Long (16 Jan 2024)

Daughter of the Bone Forest by Jasmine Skye (27 Feb 2024)

The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton (6 Feb 2024)

I feel like there are so many books I’m looking forward to in the early part of 2024, and that’s very exciting…even if my wallet definitely doesn’t think so. Oh well, here we have faeries and the conclusion of a fantastic Norse inspired but wholly original fantasy mythology series, as well as a couple new releases from authors I’ve enjoyed in the past.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson (13 Feb 2024)

Gothikana by RuNyx (23 Jan 2024)

Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce (9 Jan 2024)

Salt & Broom by Sharon Lynn Fisher (1 Dec 2023)

I am definitely ready to jump onto the S.T. Gibson hype train. I have owned A Dowry in Blood for a little while, I have a beautiful foiled physical ARC of Evocation (AND I AM SO EXCITED TO READ IT), and now I have a digital ARC for An Education in Malice. Bring on the awesomeness. But then also bring on this cool gothic dark romance, this hopefully cute D&D YA story, and this magical Jane Eyre reimagining. I am very excited for all of these reads.

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And this isn’t even everything that I’m hoping to read over the next few months. There’s so much more to look forward to! I should have a post about my Jolabokaflod Readathon coming soon…but go ahead and mark your calendars if you’re interested…it is 24 December, yes, Christmas Eve.

I’ve read like 125 books so far this year, and I think it would be great to hit 150 (which is lower than normal, but fantastic after being kinda slumpy the last year or so. And even if I don’t hit 150, my goal for this year was 100, so I’m still a winner…but hopefully this TBR will help me finish off 2023 epically and then get a strong start to 2024.

Are there any books you’re hoping to read this chilly winter season (although I guess for you Southern Hemisphere folks, it’s more like hot summer season)? Let me know in the comments!

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.