I wanted to share more of my TBRs on this blog in 2026, but I’m very much a mood reader! I’ll have a selection that I know I wanted to get to that I usually pick from – but other than that, I go wherever the fancy takes me! For example, one book on this list, The Raven Scholar, has been on my TBR for longer than I care to admit. But recently, one of my friends picked it up and loved it, so it’s been bumped up the list.

With all that in mind, I’ve decided it’s probably more realistic to do a seasonal TBR, rather than monthly. And I’m going to try my best to be on time with monthly wrap-ups too this year (famous last words, I know).

Without further ado, this is what’s on my Winter TBR! (I know we’re already in the deep depths of winter, so I’m counting this roughly as start-of-January to end-of-February).

• In the Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy

‘The monster is always slain…’

Synopsis: ‘Imogen Nel is in hiding. Hiding from a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monstrous, blood-hungry creatures. Hiding from a king and his captain, who viciously hunt her kind. Hiding from her own alluring abilities. By keeping herself from the sea, Imogen’s bloodlust is dulled and her black wings remain hidden under her skin. When a neighbouring king comes to visit, Imogen can no longer hide. He knows precisely what she is, and he believes she can save both their kingdoms from an even greater monster. But Imogen’s power threatens to violently reveal itself, and the two form a blood bond that protects them both. They flee the kingdom together, traversing waters teeming with the undead. As the lines between duty to their own people and desire for each other begin to blur, Imogen worries her own ancestral powers may not be enough to kill what hunts her – the only way to defeat a monster may be to become one herself.’

I cannot lie, the whole reason this book came onto my radar was that Rachel Gillig has been singing its praises. And I’m a simple gal – what Rachel recommends, I read. Also… dark sirens? Say LESS.

• A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

‘Purity without balance is its own corruption.’

Synopsis: ‘Kell is one of the last travellers – magicians with a rare ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city. There’s Grey London, without magic and ruled by the mad King George III. Red London – where magic is revered, and where Kell was raised alongside the heir to the empire. White London – where people fight to control the remaining magic and magic fights back. And once… there was Black London.’

A Darker Shade of Magic is one of my best friend’s favourite books, and I will be buddy-reading this with her (which always makes the experience far better, in my opinion). This is part of my mission to read and review all of V.E. Schwab’s books in 2026 (I read her first published book, the Near Witch, at the back end of last year, and this was her next chronologically!)

• The Five by Hallie Rubenhold

‘The victims of Jack the Ripper were never ‘just prostitutes’; they were daughters, wives, mothers, sisters and lovers. They were women. They were human beings and surely that in itself is enough.’

Synopsis: ‘Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary-Jane are famous for the same thing, even though they never met. They came from Fleet Street, Knightsbridge, Wolverhampton, Sweden and Wales. They wrote ballads, ran coffee houses, lived on country estates, they breathed ink-dust from printing presses and escaped people-traffickers. What they had in common was the year of their murders: 1888. Their murderer was never identified, but the name created for him by the press has become more famous than any of these women. In this devastating narrative of five lives, historian Hallie Rubenhold finally gives these women back their stories.’

One of my goals in 2026 was to read more non-fiction – especially history books. So we’re starting the year off strong with this novel from Hallie Rubenhold about the lives of the five women murdered by Jack the Ripper. I love feminist retellings of typically very misogynistic tales from history, so I’m expecting to find this gruesome, heartbreaking and very powerful.

• Queen of Faces by Petra Lord

‘Anabelle is trapped inside a boy’s body, and in a year, it will kill her’.

Synopsis: In the nation of Caimor, the wealthy buy and trade bodies like clothes. But Ana can only afford a grey, damaged male form, and by her seventeenth birthday, it’s already falling apart. As her extraordinary magical ability grows, but her body continues to fail her, she is left with only one choice: become an assassin for the Paragon Academy, Caimor’s prestigious school of magic. But rebellion brews in Caimor, and at its helm is Khaoivhe, the most infamous dark mage in history. As Ana steals, fights and kills for Paragon, and forms a tentative alliance – and maybe more – with the elusive Wes, she discovers secrets that transform her concept of hero and villain… while striving, above all, to become her truest self. And that might just be the most powerful thing of all.’

This is marketed as ‘perfect for fans of Six of Crows, The Atlas Complex and Babel‘, all of which I’m a big fan of, so hopefully this will be right up my street! Thank you to HarperFire for the proof copy.

• The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

‘Win the throne. Destroy an empire. Either way, it begins with murder.’

Synopsis: ‘After twenty-four years on the throne, it is time for Bersun the Brusque, emperor of Orrun, to bring his reign to an end. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders will compete to replace him. Trained at rival monasteries, each contender is inspire by a sacred animal: Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey and Hound. An eighth – the Dragon proxy – will be revealed once the trials have begun. Eight exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists. The best of the best.

Then one of them is murdered.

It falls to the brilliant but idiosyncratic Neema Kraa to investigate. But as she hunts for a killer, darker forces are gathering. If Neema succeeds, she could win the throne, whether she wants it or not. But if she fails, she will sentence herself to death – and set in motion a sequence of events that could doom the empire…’

Who doesn’t love an epic fantasy with a murder mystery twist? I have heard SO much about this book. A few of my favourite reviewers and bloggers have loved it, and we share pretty similar taste, so I’m almost certain I will love it too. In fact, I’ve been putting it off til the perfect rainy day!

There we have it! I usually read about ten books a month, so there’s still a lot of wiggle room for me to randomly decide to pick up any other books. (Although a reading goal of mine is to read less – to aim for quality over quantity in 2026!)

If any of those sound as up your street as mine, add them to your TBR too and comment below what you think! If you’re still on the fence, I’ll be reviewing each of them here on my page, so why not stick around?