Tag: Lists

26 for 2026! | Part 2

Published on by gotmeghanLeave a comment

Well, here we are for round two!

As we move onto the standalones, you will see a wider variety of genres represented below. Historical fiction is at the heart of it obviously, but I have included disability and thriller novels, along with three nonfictions. Technically, there is two, but I’m keeping it back for my holiday TBR for this year.

If you have yet to check out Part One, click here to open that post on another tab after finishing this or maybe keep it for later on.

In 2025, I was successful in a way of my classics. Exploring the classics is better than being forced into it at school, and you can even find the audiobook on YouTube. Anyways, I’m starting off with an important book. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I keep up with PBS’s “Masterpiece” news and from the moment they released the behind-the-scenes photos for the TV adaptation, I have put it on my to-do list. I have tried to read it but I think the sheer size of it has made me feel discouraged lately, kind of like Les Misérables by Victor Hugo did for me last year.

Keeping with the film adaptation theme, I’ve added both The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood and Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. I’m in line waiting for the audiobook on the LibbyApp, so I’m hoping for an opportunity sometime later this year. Despite seeing her everywhere, I’ve never read an Ali Hazelwood before, I would like to read Hamnet more than TLH, but whatever happens I’m cool with it. I think I just put TLH because I didn’t want to be left out of the loop again when the trailers come out. Wonder when that’s going to be?

I recently found The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers while strolling through Hoopla one night. I’m the type of person who judges a book by its cover and something about this cover made me think this could be an interesting read. So, I saved it and went back to find other little gems. Mathilda by Mary Shelley was one of those gems, I’ve only read a little bit of the blurb and it’s strange, but I don’t think it would be a Mary Shelley story if it wasn’t. This is my only novella in this post.

These next two books are probably my second and third oldest on my actual TBR.

Dear Abigail: The Intimate Lives and Revolutionary Ideas of Abigail Adams and Her Two Remarkable Sisters by Diane Jacobs. is first and this is a biography focusing on First Lady Abigail Adams and her sisters Mary and Elizabeth. I have become somewhat curious of the lives of our First Ladies, thanks to “Hamilton” for making that even possible. I think this would be an interesting adventure for me.

Let’s go with Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen first. I’ll be honest, I have always thought this was about Edgar Allan Poe’s mother. I literally just found out I was wrong and it’s a historical fiction about Poe and a woman named Frances Sargent Osgood. I’m still keeping it on my list as I am curious to see a different side of Poe, and I want to know more about this mystery woman too.

For these books, I’ve started on them but have yet to actually finish. These were the ones that were screaming at me in the last couple of months. I am so curious to see how the main character(s) do at the end of their stories.

We have a cute contemporary, disability fiction book. The Chemistry Test by Georgina Frankie. It was offered on Kindle Unlimited as an audiobook and that was interesting as I was using my tablet at the time. I don’t use my tablet for my audiobooks, just laptop and TV. If you have Hoopla and a Roku TV, you can sync the app to the TV and trust me, this is the smartest things in my arsenal. and I love that KU is bringing the option to go audio with certain novels. I was very interested in it back in early November, but I was still into my horror books, so I had to stop. I hope to pick this up again in the springtime.

The second was a hopeful two years ago, The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera. This is my only middle-grade book on my lists too. I actually love the story, and I think about it all the time as it has everything I enjoy. Petra is a smart young girl; I love her spirit and can’t wait to see how everything turns out for her because when I stopped reading, things were hitting the fan like crazy.

Next up, is a translated version of Valley of Terror by Haohui Zhou. I would like to get it done in between Chinese New Year. I feel it’s only fitting as that’s where the story takes place. It also reminds of a movie called “The Forest” with Natalie Dormer. I’ve never been able to watch it as I’ve been told by my dad that it’s odd, but from what I’ve seen about it. It’s a bit creepy. I think it’s funny that I only chose one horror book. I think I’ll be kicking myself later on.

Ever since I started on Philippa Gregory’s series “The Cousin’s Wars” I have always been curious about Margaret of Anjou; she does appear in the first four books, but she doesn’t have her own point of view story, and when I saw this on KU I really jumped on this as I thought this would be my chance to really see the devotement of this bold and powerful woman. Marguerite: Hell Hath, No Fury! The Story of Marguerite of Anjou by Judith Arnopp. It isn’t written for any York or Lancaster’s view of the world at that time; it is hers alone. I never made it to the middle of the book, as Judith made it fairly large for readers, but I hope one day I can go back into it and gain a better look into the woman she was.

The First Witch of Boston by was another Kindle Unlimited audiobook I found in my deep horror spell. This is right up my ally as its mostly historical fiction mixed up with some thriller elements. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get too far into the story in order to finish it, but I haven’t stopped thinking about it. And finally, this book is my only biographical nonfiction on my list. This is one of two Ancient Egyptian books I’ve always wanted to read, and oddly enough they were written by the same author: Kara Cooney, this one is called, The Woman Who Would Be King and the other is When Women Ruled the World. I truly love my nonfiction so maybe I’ll bring it back around November as it’s known to be “Nonfiction November” by some readers.

I hope everyone has enjoyed these posts as much as I have, and maybe I’ve inspired you to pick your 26 books for the year too. If not this year, you could think use this format to decide your books for 2027. What would you put on your list? If you have any similar reads I should look into for the next year, please send them to me. If you’re currently doing it, how are you doing so far? What is on your list as well?

snowflake

February Reads & Playlist

Published on by gotmeghanLeave a comment

Hello!

I’ve put this off long enough, and now I’m behind and so this post will be about the books I read and the music I listened to in the month of February.

I actually read quite a few books, but I was still in the middle of three of them as the month ended. I wasn’t able to read every day though. I want to say the second to last week, I came down with a sinus cold and the only thing that seemed entertaining were watching reels/shorts on YouTube. I was out for a while, and it sucked because I think I would have finished one other book, but who knows.

❤️ Ensnared By the Mer Fae by Sable Rowan
❤️ Saved By the Leviathan by Sable Rowan
❤️ Trapped By the River God by Sable Rowan
❤️ Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
❤️ Ravished By the Troll by H.C. Summer
❤️ Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The one thing I am most proud of, is finishing my first series of 2026. It was one featured in my 26 in 2026 challenge. I’m currently on my second and third series; one I started back in November, The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare and then the other is a reread of the Celtic Blood series by Melanie Karsak. I read it five years ago and if you know me well enough, I absolutely loved it. It’s nice to go back to it after years away.

I enjoy novellas. I’m not ashamed of it especially since they’re usually erotica, but I haven’t been able to keep my attention on steamy novels, no matter how hard I try. So, I turn my interests into any little stories I can find on Kindle Unlimited.

The first three novellas were all written by Sable Rowan. I have been curious about the underwater faerie worlds over the years and I actually found myself enjoying the overall story, a little more than the other stuff. I found it interesting and would like to explore that kind of world later on. Out of the three stories, my favorite was “Ensnared By the Mer Fae” but character wise I was curious by the Leviathan.

I think another reason why I tend to prefer novellas is because I am reading bigger stories, and they take up a lot of my time most days. However, I like having a variety with my reads and there’s nothing wrong with that!

I was able to finish the second and final book of The Hunger Games series. I wasn’t much of a fan of either book, but more so with “Mockingjay” the most. I felt VERY accomplished by this feat, and I just finished my second series for my 26 in 2026 challenge. This reading challenge is my biggest priority, and so I felt like celebrating and found another “novelette” as it was advertised on Amazon. I’ve read through two anthologies by H.C. Summer last year. I wasn’t as keen to this story compared to the other three, but the details mentioned in the stories were different, and this story wasn’t full of a lot of description of the characters, more on the love scenes, but that’s common with this style of writing.

All right, now we’re going to discuss what I was listening to in February. Since this is already a large post, I will only be giving you my Top 15 songs. If you want to listen to all of them, click here to visit my Spotify playlist.

Cut It Out by Nail Bite
I Hate Everything About You by Eiden XII
Burn It All Down by Corvyx
Where Have You Been by The UNCRTN featuring BVDMIND
Ossuary of Roses by Deathly Hours
Killer Looks by Just Peter
Murder Scene by Eva Under Fire
Safe And Sound by Shinedown
Bad Ritual by The Athene Noctua
Pathological by Set It Off
I’m A Woman by Whissell
Devil’s Cup by Jax The Bard
Mist by Ekaterina Shelehova
Supernova by UNSECRET featuring Sam Tinnesz
Wings by ILUKA

Well, that is it for me. I hope you are enjoying the final week of March and stay tuned for most posts coming out in the next couple of days. I may be adding an extra post next Monday… so bye! 💜

What have you been reading AND listening to lately?

snowflake

26 for 2026 | Part 1

Published on by gotmeghan2 Comments

Well, hello everyone!

Around Christmastime, I created a “holiday TBR” and it was a simple list of eight books and I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t necessarily thrilled with fixing it twice, but I managed to read five of them and this solidified my reasoning behind creating this list. I thought if I can do six out of eight, I could up the game a little bit.

I’ve seen people call it a “priority” list, but I’m calling it my 26 books for 2026. This isn’t something I’m keeping track in my reading journal this year. I’m doing the dreaded Alphabet challenge instead. We’ll see how that goes as the year continues.

For the last three years, I’ve seen a lot of people create this in their journals. I have had to change it up three times figuring out how many classics I wanted to add and how many ways I can separate them without getting so confused–unfortunately, I have had a headache ever since I started working on it! But I’m a stubborn woman and rarely quit anything without giving myself a few tries, so, I’m here to talk about the books I’d like to get to in 2026.

I’ve separated them into two sections. My “series” and “standalones” and then I’ve included a third subgroup called “in the middle of…” as I have a lot of books I’ve started in the last few years and never finished but I mainly wanted to use the books I genuinely enjoyed the most and knew I wouldn’t regret my decision, although that could happen once I finished them.

I’ve started off the year with on a high note, as I’ve begun my journeys on The Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins. I’ve never read them before, but I have watched the films when they first came out, and since the previous released new books about the origin stories about President Snow and Haymitch Abernathy, I wanted to check what all the fuss was about. I’ve finished The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. and literally in the middle of Sunrise on the Reaping. I hope to do a proper review of them in my journal at the end of January.

The other series I’m working on is Philippa Gregory’s “Plantagenet and Tudor” books. I started on her first book, The Lady of the Rivers in 2024. It took me a long time to get through the next three books of the series as I loved watching the show “The White Queen” and knew I would have a bias opinion about the characters and events mentioned in them, but I surprised myself by reading them last year. Now, I’m on “The White Princess” and I’m glad to be seeing the changing worlds of Elizabeth of York’s point-of-view in a different light. I have a feeling once I begin the fifth book, The Constant Princess I will hopefully just slide right through them. Keep your toes crossed for me!

Now, I’ll list the other books I’ve started in the past. The oldest book in the list, is Wicked Beat by Olivia Cunning, and it’s roughly 11 years old. Back in the day, I thought her “Sinners on Tour” would be my first ever completed series, so, it’s been a long time coming for me. And then, The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare is my youngest as I started on it in late November. The other books on this list are The Poppy War by R. F. Kaung, Still Me by Jojo Moyes, The Elite by Kiera Cass, and Flameborne: Chosen by Aimee Lynn.

For this group, we’re starting with a reread. This series was my second all-time favorite. This book had me hooked from the very beginning, and it truly saved me in a way. Highland Raven by Melanie Karsak was my saving grace in 2021. I was really struggling with my identity, emotionally and mentally, and this gave me a piece of myself back.

Late 2020, we got my dad an AncestryDNA test because he’s been really interested in genealogy. I’ve always been into genealogy; I love exploring royal branches and reading stories of people in various eras and places. He’s never had a definitive answer on where his line originates. He knew about the Irish and Scottish sides, but there was a story that we were half Native American. I ate this tidbit up as a child. I was very proud of my mystical heritage. So, when he sent his DNA we thought we were going to get some answers. We did, but not in the way we expected.

Unfortunately, there was no Native American blood in us.

This news really threw me. I was shocked. I felt like I didn’t know who I was, as I’ve always been so proud of being a little Native American. I always enjoyed hearing stories and watch documentaries about their history, mythology etc. While the world was dealing with COVID, I was going through my own personal hell.

And then March came around, we signed up for Kindle Unlimited and the first book that popped up was this. I wanted to see what the Scottish side of me was about, as they have their own mythology and mystical history, and I was head over heels (or wheels in my case!) in love with this series, which is called “Celtic Blood”. I liked the fact that Melanie Karsak was inspired by two very different tales, you have William Shakespeare’s famous play, “Macbeth” and the actual historical side of Lady Macbeth, also known as Lady Grouch of Scotland, which in the books is nicknamed Corbie.

So, now that you know the backstory of that, and the fact that it has been five years since then, I will be venturing back into that lovely world and seeing if I notice anything that I might’ve missed during the first time and maybe share some thoughts about it on here. And I have added three new series I’d like to dive into sometime this year. and they are Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Jade City by Fonda Lee and The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I’ve had my eyes on these books for years and the fact that I haven’t started on them drives me crazy!

I’ve decided to stop here for now. Once I got started on everything, I realized I had too much. At least you’ll have something to look forward in February. The next part will be about my standalones, and don’t worry, it’s even longer than this post.

What are you reading in 2026?

snowflake

Let’s Talk Advent Calendars!

Published on by gotmeghanLeave a comment

Hi 🙂

I wondered when I should have published this post, but I decided on this date, because it is Black Friday and the sales on the items below might be cheaper than they were for me.

As an American, I never had an advent calendar. I remember my nana receiving something through the mail as she supports some charities and one of them would be a Christmas tree that you could place on your refrigerator, and it came with ornaments with their respected numbers. I used to do them anytime I came over, but I never really knew the whole purpose of keeping an advent calendar.

So, what is it exactly?

ADVENT: A season of preparation; the arrival of a person or event.

I know some places they tend to keep candles or as the British like to do, eat small bites of chocolate. If I’m being honest, this is one tradition that I wish would’ve came to the US a long time ago. There are so many options to choose from, and quite a few of them can be enjoyed for years to come!

For the last couple of years, I’ve managed to stay within my own standards as far as money goes. I don’t like to buy anything beyond $20, however in this economy, my “rule” doesn’t apply to must things. I just don’t believe you need to spend out the wahzoo for something such as this, but you do what you want.

This is what we’ve collected for this year. All of the Advent Calendars are available on Amazon. One thing to remember is that the prices CAN change and like one of my calendars can disappear – the one that was on the website, is for 24 days and costs over $70.

Advent Calendar Christmas Coloring Book

Advent Calendar 2025 Women Socks, 12 Days Countdown

24 Days Christmas Countdown Calendar, DIY Wooden Magnets Painting Art Crafts Kits for Kids

Disney 5-1 Advent Calendar: Story & Activity Library with 24 Books

How do you celebrate the days leading up to Christmas? Do you do candles, chocolate, or something else? For those of you who grew up with doing advent calendars with your families, what did you enjoy?

snowflake

September October & November Playlists

Published on by gotmeghanLeave a comment

Hello!

Welcome back to my blog and I’m here to share my favorite songs within the last three months.

I think I’m getting used to only doing these posts every three months. You get a bigger selection of music, and you also get a chance to see how my tastes change. I was just thinking about this earlier in the month, my nephew Nolan is now seven and he already has an eclectic of songs buried deep into his brain. He is obsessed with Kpop Demon Hunters and sings “Golden” like crazy, and he’s influenced his baby sister Kimber now. He also dressed up as Mystery Saja for Halloween, and he was so happy about his whole getup. He loves pop, rap, rock, heavy metal and worship. He’s heard these genres since he was in the womb, so most of his favorites are shared from his parents, but as he is allowed to hang out with his little friends, he’s being introduced to other artists and songs, and I love seeing the love of music blossom.

Kimber on the other hand is heavily influenced by Nolan of course, but also at her little school. She’ll come over to our house and sing little songs she’s heard at daycare. For a while, she was constantly asking us if “We Want to Go on a Bear Hunt”. She would basically turn into little Princess Anna at the beginning of Frozen and whisper “Do You Want To Build a Snowman?”. It’s actually pretty cute! She likes the bear version, but also the Dinosaur and Werewolf hunts.

Now that I’ve told you about that, here were my Top 15 to 20 songs for September, October and November. Oh, and I have to mention, Nolan isn’t the only one in his Kpop era…

Waiting Between Worlds by Zack Hemsey
Awake the Fire by Forever Still
Dear Agony – Aurora Version by Breaking Benjamin featuring Lacey Sturm
Already Damned by Crimson Villainous featuring Lauren Babic
End of You by Poppy featuring Amy Lee and Courtney LaPlente
When Does It End by Rivals
Monster by Besomorph
Teresa by YUNGBLUD
Kiss Her In Front Of You by Morgan Wallen
Holy Smokes by Bailey Zimmerman
Fireflies by Owl City
House Tour by Sabrina Carpenter
Voices In My Head by Falling In Reverse
THRILLER by BADVILLAIN
Nara by Mimiffy

In September, I was able to get my summer playlist post out to you, so that was the main reason why I decided to forgo an individual post. If you want to check it out, all you have to do is click here.

He Asked for It by Ella Red
To Kill a Queen by Karliene
What It Sounds Like by Rain Paris
Opalite by Taylor Swift
If You Love Her by Forest Blakk featuring Christina Perri
What Have They Done To Us by Rachel Hardy featuring Dan Thiessen
Teardrop by BANKS
Circles by Colbie Calliat featuring Gavin DeGraw
Last Dance by Butcher Babies
Bite Me (Nightcare) by Aiyun
Skin Cleared by Ashnikko
Siren by Ekaterina Shelehova
Metamorphosis by Holy Wars
We Go Up by BABYMONSTER
Broken by Design by Izzy Reign
Lights by Henri Werner
STFUATDLAGG by Ruby Darkrose
Shhh! by VIVIZ
Slay by EVERGLOW
Justice by Dreamcatcher

Left Right by XG
Sand by Dove Cameron
Anarchy by Lilith Czar
Does She? by Ruby Darkrose
Don’t Ever Leave Me by Faouzia
Unravel by Poppy
Something I Can Never Have by Sam Tinnesz x UNSECRET
Lost Control by Dakota
Head In The Clouds by Unprocessed featuring Jason Aalon Butler
Real American by Brantley Gilbert
Specter by Bad Omens
Monster by Paramore
You (Haunt Me) by Raven Knight
La La Love Me by VIVIZ
Psycho by BABYMONSTER

I’m not sure what I’m doing in December. I would like to do something for Blogmas, but I don’t want to push myself too much. We’ll just have to see what happens in the next few days.

snowflake