March TBR (2026)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

Back with my March TBR. Except, it's not really a TBR. It's more of a head's up. 

So, I've mentioned this a couple of times on here, briefly, about where my reading is headed, in anticipation for a release at the end of the month. 

But I wanted to take the time to let you all know how I'm going to do it. 

If you didn't know, I'm talking about the release of the final Skulduggery Pleasant book- which is out 26th March. 

~The epic Skulduggery Pleasant re-read~

Since it is the final release for the Skulduggery Pleasant series (I seriously doubt they'll be any more main stories after a nine book series, then a six book series, and now finally the trilogy), I have mentioned that I will, from now, be re-reading the entire series, and then get to the final book afterwards. 

Obviously, I'm not going to finish 17 books in March, (some of these novels are in the 700 page count) which means that this re-read will be longer than a month. 

However, I won't just be going radio silent on my progress with this series. I plan to document, monthly, perhaps fortnightly, if I'm able to, what my progress is. Maybe I'll do individual posts, dating through the calender, or maybe it'll just be a paragraph at the end of my other blog posts. I haven't really decided yet. 

I have an idea of how far I'd like to be by the end of this month, but we'll see. I'd like to at least start Death Bringer, which means I'll be finishing:

1. Skulduggery Pleasant

2. Playing with Fire

3. The Faceless Ones 

4. Dark Days

5. Mortal Coil 

Skulduggery Pleasant has always been a constant in my life. It doesn't matter what was happening, where I was at, the Skulduggery Pleasant series has always been something to go back to, a new book to look forward to, or a re-read I knew I could always pick up when in danger of falling into a reading slump. 

I don't want to say that I took it for granted, that it would always be continuing, but it was always nice to know it was there. A home in reading. 

I have been following this series since I was twelve years old. I have loved each and every book, getting to see Valkyrie Cain grow as I did, and now, as an adult, having suffered loss of friends, and being faced with the final battle, I'm nowhere near ready for it all to end. Which is why I thought this was a good idea. A send off, for an old friend, if you will. 

It feels right. 

Okay! I hope you enjoyed reading about that little reveal (though not really, if you've read some of my other posts). Oops. 

So, that is all I have for you guys tonight. This was always going to be a short post, I just wanted to let you all know what I was planning on reading for the next couple of months. 

With that, I'm going to leave it there. I hope you have a wonderful evening and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeeee!

Abi xxxxxxx

February Wrap Up (2026)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm here with my Febraury Wrap Up (trying to salvage a horrendous posting month by ending it on a high note). 

As it was the month of love, I planned a romance/ love TBR specifically. That all went tits up when I didn't bring enough reading material for my holiday in Blackpool- ended up reading a very Halloween-ish vampire story that I still haven't finished! 

Regardless, I did manage to finish some books, but it was definitely a struggle! 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy reading about what I did manage to finish. 

1. Watermelon (The Walsh Family #1), by Marian Keyes

It was hard to believe, after enjoying Rachel's Holiday so immensely, that this would come close to being as good. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it was because I felt more similar to Claire than to Rachel, and therefore more able to sympathise, (mainly because her situation is more likely to happen than Rachel's). But all the same, Marian Keyes' ability to spin a story is what kept me engaged from start to finish. 

As anyone would be, Claire is absolutely devastated when, on the day of her daughter's birth, is told by her husband, that he no longer loves her, and is leaving her for another woman. That's the starting point for Claire, when she decides that she's going to pack up, and move back home to her parents' house, to Dublin, with her newborn daughter. 

As any new mother does, she gets by- in any means necessary. 

And as time passes, she finds herself again. 

Until her ex-husband comes knocking. 

Watermelon is poignant and honest, a story about a woman who has no choice but to be strong, and pick up the pieces after her life comes apart at the seams. 

It's a story that shows you what it means to build yourself up from nothing, to stand up for yourself when the past comes back to haunt you. 

I genuinely think I enjoyed this more, because I read this after Rachel's Holiday, by the way, because I was able to see the reason behind her behaviour in the second book. Trust me, you'll get it if you read the series. 

2. The No-Show, by Beth O' Leary 

I reached for this because I wanted a light, maybe funny, romcom, and because this starts on Valentine's Day, this seemed like the perfect choice. Trying to ignore the many negative reviews I had seen on Goodreads, I started it on the train journey to Blackpool (two and a half hours is definitely enough time to get started at least). 

If you didn't know, The No-Show is a story about three different women that all get stood up on Valentine's Day- by the same guy. From there, I thought the book would be the three women tracking him down, teaming up, etc. Instead, the book pans out over the next year, following each women on their own timelines, and how their relationship developes with the ditcher. It starts off slow at first, I was very aware of the negative comments, and how true they were at the start. 

And then, all of a sudden, I finished the novel- three days before I was meant to. 

I basically got swept up into the story. We had a lot of train journeys, to Preston, Liverpool and Kendal, which made up for a lot of reading time. 

I'm not going to say it's my favourite Beth O' Leary novel, but it holds it's own against some of my most loved. 

3. Monstress, Volume 1: The Awakening (Monstress #1), by Marjorie M. Liu (Writer), Sana Takeda (Illustrator)

I read this graphic novel at the end of 2024, and hadn't thought about it since, other than a series that I knew I would get back to eventually, just wasn't sure when. Lord knows why I started thinking about it, but after failing to come across it in any Waterstones over the past year, I took to Ebay to find out the price, and before I knew it, Volume 2 was on it's way to me. 

Coupled with the want to finish more novels before the month was out, I decided to pick both Volume 1 (as a refresher) and Volume 2 straight away. 

My God, was this a ball ache to get through. It never seemed to end. 

I was expecting to fly through it, like I do with the Saga series. 

It couldn't have been more different. I was losing concentration every couple of pages. I had to really persist, and keep trying, throughout most of it. 

Don't get me wrong, it's a dark, twisted, violent and gripping story, with a detailed history of the world, of the war that's raged for years between every breed in existence, but I definitely struggled with the re-read a lot. 

4. Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood (Monstress #2), by Marjorie M. Liu (Writer), Sana Takeda (Illustrator)

This was much better. Less long, less info dumpy, and the plot started to take place a bit more. After finishing Volume 1, I was questioning whether I actually wanted to continue on with the story, after struggling so much with re-reading Volume 1. Thankfully, Volume 2 restored my faith in the series, and I started to wonder where the story was going to go as we're led onto a boat with Maika, Master Ren and Kippa, to an island of lost souls, in the hope of answers. 

I really hope I don't leave much time before picking up Volume 3. I don't think I have the bottle to re-read that first volume again. 

Okay! Those are all the books I read in the month of February! Four books in four weeks, right on par for my 52 book target.

I'm right on target. 

Now, for the next couple of months at least, I'll be re-reading one of my all time favourite series'- because the 18th book is being released at the end of the month. Somehow I don't think I'll be reading 17 books in one month. Most of you will know what it is, but I won't spoil it now, for those of you that don't. 

Okay! That is all I have for you all today! I hope you have a wonderful evening and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

February TBR (2026)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my February TBR- suited for the month of love and romance! 

For real though, I love seeing it get brighter earlier (probably the only benefit of getting the bus to be honest). 

So far it hasn't chucked it down either, which is always a bonus. 

Anyway, without further ado, here's what I plan to read in the month of February. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

1. Watermelon (The Walsh Family #1), by Marian Keyes

This was never going to sit on my unread shelf for long. After reading (and loving) Rachel's Holiday back in April, I was always going to pick up the first book as soon as I had my hands on a copy. 

The Walsh Family series is a ten book series, from the point of view of five sisters: Claire, Rachel, Margaret, Anna and Helen; all of which have their individual stories, and then maybe a second?

Watermelon is Claire's story, and starts the day her first child is born. It also happens to be the day that her husband, James, informs her that he has fallen in love with someone and is leaving her, and their newborn child. 

Bastard. 

Out of options, she returns home to Dublin, to her parents. There, sheltered by her loving family, she begins to move past the whole mess. So much so, that when her ex-husband shows up again, he's in for quite a surprise. 

I'm not at that second part yet. At the moment Claire is just trying to get through the day in the best way she can, by trying not to drink everything in sight, but from what I've read of this, I know it'll likely make my favourites list for the year (unless I read a Marian Keyes book I like more). 

Not likely though. 

2. The Survivor Wants to Die at the End (They Both Die at the End #2), by Adam Silvera 

Another book I'm carrying on with from January. This was one I bought myself, with an old voucher. 

I chose this because, despite the heavy subject matter, I know that Silvera will handle it sensitively and compassionately. 

The Survivor Wants to Die at the End follows two people, who each have their problems with Death Cast (the app that calls people at midnight to prepare them of their death in the next twenty-four hours). 

Paz Darlo stays up every night, waiting for the call to confirm that this will be the day where his suffering ends. Well he's had enough. If Death-Cast won't call him, he'll just have to do it himself. 

Thanks to his father, heir-of-Dream-Cast Alano Rosa doesn't feel in control in his life. And with a violent organisation called the Death Guard threatening Alano, his End Day might be closer than he thinks. It's time to live. 

When a twist of fate causes the two boys to meet, they must learn to make the most out of the day, to escape the trials that both of them face, so that nobody dies in the end. 

3. How to Fall in Love, by Cecelia Ahern 

I found this gem in a market place in Stamford for £3. I was already halfway to buying it after seeing Cecelia Ahern's name on the cover, but the premise was enough to secure it as a purchase within minutes. 

It's a pretty simple premise to be honest. I'm going to quote it, because I feel like I shouldn't try and summarise it. I'll just butcher it. 

"Christine Rose is crossing the Ha'penny Bridge in 

Dublin late one night when she sees a stranger, Adam, 

poised to jump. Desperate to help, she talks him into 

a reckless deal: if he gives her two weeks- till his 

35th birthday- she'll prove life is worth living. 

But as the clock ticks and the two of them embark on 

late-night escapades and romantic adventures, what 

Christine has really promised seems impossible..."

This feels very similar to Me Before You, by JoJo Moyes. I suppose, it may have posed as an inspiration for it, but I'll decide whether that's the case after I've read it. 

For me, Cecelia Ahern has also served as one of the top-tier fiction/ romance authors, author of the book that then became P.S. I Love You, and then author of Flawed and Perfect, a much loved YA duology about what it means to stand against a society of people deemed perfect. 

It'll be nice to read one of her less popular, earlier reads. 

4. The No-Show, by Beth O' Leary 

I had to put this on my TBR for the month. Beth O'Leary's romances are always on point, and I expect this to be no different. It even takes place on Valentine's Day. 

To put it simply, The No-Show is basically three women, Siobhan, Miranda and Jane, chasing after one guy- Joseph Carter- after he stands them all up in one day. 

Beth O' Leary has been an auto-buy author for me ever since I read her debut novel, The Flatshare, back in 2021. I have enjoyed three of her novels so far, so I have little doubt that this will be any different. 

5. The Jane Austin Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowler

What is it with me and the want to read books that are to-do with Jane Austen? First Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and now this. 

Now, this is a totally different book, as you can see. 

But why I don't just read a damn Jane Austen book, I'll never know. 

The Jane Austen Book Club is just that. A group of women getting together every so often to discuss Jane Austen's books. They are all ordinary, neither-happy-nor-unhappy people, living their daily lives. Over the course of several months, they are met with a series of obstacles: marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and, under the ever guiding eye of Jane Austen, some of them even fall in love... 

This feels like a very character driven book, which I'm very for. I love reading about characters bonding over a shared subject, and then helping them to overcome personal obstacles. I'm here for all of it. 

This may well become a favourite of the year if I'm in the right mood for it. 

Okay! Those are all of the books I plan to read in February! With it being a shorter month than usual, I'll really have to dig in deep with some of these (particular the first two) but thankfully I have a 2.5 train journey to get stuck in next week! 

That is all that I have for you all tonight, but feel free to comment down below what you plan on reading this month, and we can talk about it in the comments! 

I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx