Welcome back to the blog and these beautiful November days.
“The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.” – Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray.
How are you today? I hope you are staying productive, getting ready for Thanksgiving, reading a good book, getting plenty of water and rest, and enjoying some seasonal tea.
Friends, it’s that time of year again. “Chall-ounge” Throughout the year, I’m always adding to my TBR, which is now hovering around 500 strong. And every October, like clockwork, I start shaping my upcoming Goodreads Challenge—even before the new year rolls in.
To get ready, I’ve been combing through my TBR to clear out the disappointments and those long-sitting titles I know I’ll never actually read. For 2026, I’m setting a few new parameters for myself: more mysteries, plenty of horror, a little women’s lit, some pop-culture picks, and a handful of books that are at least 15 years old.
I’m also taking a chance on titles rated under 3.50, because genres are so subjective—and honestly, if I’ve already bought the book, I might as well give it a shot.
My goal this time around is 30 books. But 29 + my approved ARC titles are below. My 2025 Goodreads Challenge was set at 28, and I’ve already hit 38 and counting. I love reaching my goal early because it lets me go a little off-script and read whatever pops up in my queue. With that, here’s what’s on my list.
My 2026 Goodreads Challenge
Key
🎧/ 📖 = Owned
💵 / 🏛️ = Buying or Library
- Big Bad, Christian Galacar Rating 4.29 💵|🏛️
- The Godsend, Bernard Taylor | Rating 3.77 📖
- The Babysitter Lives, Stephen Graham Jones | 3.56 🎧
- Her Body and Other Parties, Maria Carmen Machado | 3.81 📖
- The Extra: A Novella, Annie Neugebauer | 3.73 💵|🏛️
- The Film You Are About to See, Haley Newlin | 4.03 💵|🏛️
- We Had a Hunch: A Mystery, Tom Ryan | 3.74 💵|🏛️
- A Box Full of Darkness, Simone St. James | 3.98 💵|🏛️
- My Ex the Antichrist, Craig DeLouie | 3.55 🎧
- Play Nice, Rachel Harrison | 3.94 📖
- 13 Months Haunted, Jimmie Juliano | 3.67 💵|🏛️
- The Maid, Nita Prose | 3.75 📖
- The Rotting Room, Viggy Par Hampton | 3.53 📖
- Silence for the Dead, Simone St. James | 3.81 💵|🏛️
- Of Monsters and Mainframes, Barbara Truelove | 4.12 📖
- Polybius, Colin Armstrong | 3.38 🎧
- Hell Bent, Leigh Bardugo | 4.11 💵|🏛️
- Meddling Kids, Edgar Cantero | 3.52 📖
- All Night Horror Show, Eric Mosher | 4.60
- Angel of Indian Lake, Stephen Graham Jones | 4.6 📖
- Sign Here, Claudia Lux | 3.78 📖
- Screaming for Pleasure: How Horror Makes You Happy and Healthy, S.A. Bradley | 4.05 💵|🏛️
- The Haunting of Blackwood House, Darcy Coats | 3.76 🎧
- Dearest, Jacquie Waters | 3.51 📖
- The Killing Hills, Chris Offutt | 3.86 📖
- A House With Good Bones, T Kingfisher | 3.67 📖
- Schrader’s Chord, Scott Leeds | 4.03 🎧
- The House Isn’t Haunted But We Are, Stephen Howard | 3.78 💵|🏛️
Newly [and/or] Approved ARC Titles
- This Is Not A Test, Courtney Summers
- Nothing Tastes As Good, Luke Dumas
- Wayward Souls, Susan J. Morris
- Wretch, Eric LaRocca
MAYBE’s
- Tangled Little Webs, Cheryl Bradshaw
- The Invitation, Diane Hoh
- Maggie’s Grave, David Sodergren
- Exiles, Mason Coile
Well, friends, I’m looking forward to this new challenge, but I’m savoring these final months of the year and all the holiday joy ahead. Thanks for spending a little time with me today—it truly means the world to me. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow and subscribe to my little corner of happiness. — Peace
