A Melodious Sonnet - Notes from a word-chaser

June 2026 TBR List: Mysteries and a Survival Story

June 5, 2026 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

5 Jun

May was a great reading month. Out of the 12 books I read, 5 were 5 ⭐️ reads (as in, amazing, can’t-put-it-down, you-ought-to-read-it-too kind of books), which is something of a record, I think!

For June, I’ve got a bunch of ARCs due soon, so I’ve tried to avoid picking too many other books. (Somehow, I always tend to over-estimate how much reading time I have!)

Upcoming releases:

Publishing June 19: Skeletons We Find by Chelsea Michelle. I knew this was coming up, so when I needed to pick up a new book on the 1st, I started this one. SUCH a fun story so far! I enjoyed Coffee We Spill last year, and getting a bigger book (=more time to spend with the characters, yay!) in this setting is heaps of fun. If you enjoy cosy mysteries in a small-town setting with strong friend groups, a solid faith element, and a splash of romance, you’d likely love this book and its prequels.

Publishing June 23: In Deep Water by Michael J. Tougias. Occasionally, publishers send me copies of their upcoming releases. Frequently in those cases, the books are not at all something I’m interested in reading, but this one caught my eye. It’s a true story of fishermen whose boat capsized off the coast of Florida. I’m a sucker for survival stories, so I’m looking forward to this one!

The High Deeds of Finn MacCool by Rosemary Sutcliff

Publishing June 23: The Eyes of River by Cindy K. Sproles. Sproles is one of those authors that writes deep stories that stick with you. I loved her What Momma Left Behind and This is Where it Ends over the years, and even though I’m not a huge fan of the cover on this one, I’m expecting it to be another solid story.

Publishing in July: Coasts & Coworkers by Amanda Tero Matthews. I’ve loved Amanda’s books for years now, and I’m intrigued about her upcoming Christian romance line. I don’t tend to pick up romances that often (aside from a few authors I’ve grown to love), but I have a feeling I’m going to love this book.

Read Your Bookshelf Challenge:

Five or more words in the title: I picked The High Deeds of Finn MacCool by Rosemary Sutcliff. She’s an author I loved as a child and young adult (if you haven’t read her Roman Britain trilogy, you really ought to!), and I just found this book at a book fair last week. I’m looking forward to seeing what I think about it!

5 x 5 Reading Challenge:

A book by Chautona Havig: My goal is to read five of Havig’s books this year, but so far, I’ve only managed one. I picked up The Last Gasp, because I’m in the mood for mysteries right now, plus it fits a prompt for another reading challenge, too. I’m expecting this will be a quick, fun read.

Just for fun:

One of my other reading goals for the year is to get through 12 classics. So far, I’ve managed…4? I’m not doing as well as I hoped at the beginning of the year. Oh, well. I pulled Emma by Jane Austen off the shelf, and I’m hoping to get to that this month. I’ve heard there’s some matchmaker fun in it, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that works out.

What are you hoping to read in June?

May 2026 TBR List

April 29, 2026 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

29 Apr

April was a great reading month for me! Until the last week or so, I thought I was doing pretty poorly, but looking back, I had 3 or 4 five-star reads out of the 9 books I read, which is nothing to complain about! I didn’t get through all of my April TBR list, but that’s okay; I’ll get to those books one day.

For May, I’ve decided to try to keep my list a little shorter than normal—I aimed for seven books, then remembered that I have an ARC in the queue for May, so I ended up with eight on the list.

The Deep End of Love by Christina Suzann Nelson

Upcoming release:

Publishing May 19: The Deep End of Love by Christina Suzann Nelson. After What Happens Next blew me away last year, I knew I wanted to read more of Nelson’s books. I realized recently that I haven’t followed through with the determination to find more of her titles, so when I saw this story come up, I jumped on it. I have high hopes for another solid story!

Read Your Bookshelf Challenge:

A place in the title: Rilla of Ingleside is one of the books I didn’t get to last month, but I’m still eagerly anticipating reading it. I was delighted to realize the title fit May’s prompt!

Here Burns my Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

A-Z Reading Challenge:

H: Here Burns My Candle is a book a friend recommended to me last year. I believe it’s something of a Biblical retelling, set in Scotland. Since I love books that feature both of those subjects, I’m eager to dive into it!

P: Pirate Sealer was a second-hand find somewhere. I loved Catherall’s Camel Caravan when I was younger, so I’m intrigued to see what I think of this story!

Z: I heard about Louis Zamperini in a devotional recently, and his story sounded interesting. I was delighted to realize we have a biography about him on the shelf, so this became my nonfiction pick for the month.

Louis Zamperini by Janet and Geoff Benge

5 x 5 Reading Challenge:

A backlisted title: I’ve been wanting to read Memory’s Door for several months now, after being pleasantly surprised by Soul’s Gate (which I was not expecting to enjoy…at all!). This has been on my TBR list for a good 5+ years now, and since I keep thinking about it, I think it’s about time to pick it up.

Just for fun:

I got A Month of Summer and The Book Thief out of the library a couple of weeks ago, and haven’t had time to pick either up yet, but I’d love to get to at least one (preferably both) before they have to go back! Lisa Wingate has written several books I thoroughly enjoyed, and I’ve heard a lot of good things about The Book Thief (WWII, Nazi book burnings, hiding Jews…I’m certain it’ll be good), so I’m looking forward to both stories.

What are you hoping to read in May?

April 2026 TBR List: History, classics, and continued series

April 9, 2026 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

9 Apr

I was a little shocked this morning to look back and realize that my last TBR list blog post was from last June—almost a year ago! It’s been a busy year, and to be honest, I’ve been struggling with a certain amount of content creator’s fatigue (not sure if that’s a thing, but we’re going with it). I’ve consistently been making TBR lists, and oh, have I found some good books, but generally speaking, I haven’t had the mental space to try to write about them.

Anyway, I’m back—and I’m eager to share the titles I’m looking forward to reading this month!

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy cover

Read Your Bookshelf Challenge:

A weapon on the cover: I’ve been intrigued by Gold for Prince Charlie ever since I thrifted this book a year or two ago. Since I know hardly anything about Prince Charlie or the Stuart line, but know this is a notable event in English history, I was excited to pick this up. Definitely an adult read (due to some language and a few off-color references), but a good read so far!

The title has a conjunction: I’m so excited to have Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy back on my TBR list. Gary D. Schmidt is one of my favorite authors, and if the first chapter is any indication, this will be a great read.

5 x 5 Reading Challenge:

A classic: I’ve loved reading the Anne of Green Gables novels over the past year, and I’m sad that Rilla of Ingleside is the only one left (guess I’ll just have to re-read the series). I’ve heard great things about this one and am eagerly anticipating diving into it!

A recommended book: While one of my brothers was in the hospital recently, a friend brought Torpedoed in for him to read. It proved to be a gripping story, and I’ve been wanting to read it ever since he finished.

A Christian classic: The Screwtape Letters has been on my mental TBR list ever since I missed out on reading it in school. I’m hoping to read it a little at a time after my morning devotions this month.

A backlisted ARC: I have a few ARCs that I’m still trying to get through, and Under the Bayou Moon is one of those. It’s been long enough since I got the book that I know nothing about it, but I’m drawn to the beautiful, peaceful-looking cover.

Buzzword Reading Challenge:

A title that includes an occupation: I was thrilled to realize that the next book in The Starlore Legacy series, Merchant, fits this prompt—it also goes along with my goal of catching up on this series this year! I’m expecting this will be a quick, enjoyable read.

A title that includes a part of a house: Eric and Karlsson-on-the-Roof is a book I picked up a while back at a thrift shop. I’ve loved some of Astrid Lindgren’s books, and this was one I wanted to try. Unfortunately, my 6-year-old sister got bored with the story about halfway through, and we weren’t appreciating some of the attitudes coming through, so we DNFed it. I’d like to finish reading it before passing it on, so I know how the rest of the book plays out.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion- Vol. 8 cover

Just for fun:

I picked up The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass the other night, because I wanted something light to read just before bed. The first chapter? Delightful. I love the idea of a character with a pet pig, and the descriptions and story set-up were spot-on. I can’t wait to read more!

In my last post, I mentioned that I’ve been enjoying the Emma M. Lion series. I finished volume 7 yesterday, so I only have one more volume to read before I’m caught up. I’m eagerly anticipating reading volume 8, but I’m also sad that I’ll have to stop flying through these books soon and wait for volume 9 to be released.

What are you hoping to read in April?

A Few of My (Current) Favorite Things

March 13, 2026 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

13 Mar

Favorite book(s):

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion series has delighted my heart in the last few months. Full of heartwarming whimsy, hilarious escapades, and rich, diverse, relatable characters, if you’re looking for a fast, easy, engaging read, I’d highly recommend these stories. Plus, I’m in love with the new British covers—aren’t they cute?

Emma M. Lion books 1 and 2 by Beth Brower

Favorite song:

This one has been playing on repeat in my head for a while. I love the new-to-me tune and thoughtful style, and the solid Biblical truths in the lyrics are a great encouragement.

Favorite craft:

I experienced something of a revival in my crocheting around the beginning of the year. With some gentle encouragement from Grandma, I finally completed an afghan that’s been in the works for years, and I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying the results! I’m now working on a lacy tablecloth for my dresser top—such fun!

Favorite poem:

Okay, this probably technically should go under the “song” category, but since I haven’t sung it before—only read it in a hymn book—I’m counting it as a poem. It was written by Paul Gerhardt, translated by John Wesley, and is a paraphrase of Psalm 37. I found the words quite encouraging!

Give to the winds your fears,
Hope, and be undismayed;
God hears your sighs and counts your tears;
God shall lift up your head.
Through waves and clouds and storms
He gently clears the way.
Wait now this time, so shall this night
Soon end in joyous day.

Favorite drink:

A dear elderly friend inspired me to try a small cup of tea just before bed, as a way to relax before going to sleep. Since it pairs well with my preexisting habit of reading before I go to sleep, I gave it a try, and I’m in love with the routine. Chamomile tea is my go-to, and I’m thrilled that we can grow it ourselves. The other day, I enjoyed listening to Emma M. Lion and picking chamomile flowers to dry for the winter.

What are some of your current favorite things?

2026 Reading Goals (& 2025 Goals Recap)

January 13, 2026 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

13 Jan

I love setting goals, whether or not I actually end up achieving them. Last year, I set rather ambitious goals for my reading life, and surprisingly, most of them were met! I can’t say the same about some of my personal goals, but hey…maybe that can improve. 2026 is a chance for a restart, right?

One of the biggest things that helped me achieve these goals last year was that I wrote them down where I could easily access them, and I frequently refreshed my memory on what exactly they were. That’s something I’m currently trying to figure out how to do with my non-reading goals for 2026, as that was a game-changer for me last year on the reading front.

First, a few stats, because I love calculating them each year:

Total books read: 130 (my highest yearly total since I started tracking!)
Total nonfiction: 35 (27% of total)
Total audiobooks: 57 (44% of total)
New-to-me authors: 51
Most read author: L.M. Montgomery (6 books, which I’m very pleased about, because they were all 5★ reads!)

I’ve mentally tossed around ideas for names for 2025’s reading year, but haven’t settled on one. It could be The Year of the Audiobook, because I listened to FAR more audiobooks last year than any other year. Or, it could be Nonfiction Wins!, because last year, I finally felt like I found my groove in the nonfiction world (maybe I’m finally old enough to appreciate it?).

2025 was also the year I branched out the most in my reading, it feels like. I know I pushed myself more to embrace different genres and stories than I would normally gravitate toward, and looking at the number of new authors I tried (compared with the total number of books for the year), that feels like a success.

My goals for 2025 were many and varied. One of my unofficial goals was to try to read more deeply—to allow myself to pick up a longer book and savor it, rather than rush through because I had a certain number of books I wanted to read in a given timeframe. You’ll see that reflected to some extent in this list, but unfortunately, for the most part, I don’t feel like I did that goal justice. I was hoping to take time for a couple of longer classics from my shelves, and that didn’t happen in 2025. Oh, well—I can try again in 2026!

Read 75 books (YES!)
Read 2 Christian living/devotional-type books (YES! I hardly read any in 2024, so I was hoping to expand my reading in this area. I ended up with around 10-12 in this genre.)
Read 4 Christian biographies/memoirs (YES! I’m not sure how many of these I ended up reading in 2025, but I know my number was much higher than just four.)
Finish the 5×5 reading challenge (YES! This was basically a set of five sub-goals for me, reading 5 books each of books I’d recently purchased, books over 500 pages long, old unread ARCs, books on the writing craft, and books published in the 1970s. I loved how this both stretched and focused my reading over 2025, and I’m really looking forward to trying it again in 2026!)
Finish at least 2 reading challenges (YES! I finished 5 in 2025, just didn’t manage to complete the 2 readalongs I was hoping for—boo!)
Finish 6 series/book collections (YES! I just squeaked through on this one.)
Read approximately ⅓ of Josephus (NO, I read about 7 pages total)
Read 20 books from my TBR shelf (YES! I just barely managed to get the last two in in the last few days of December.)
Read 4 O’Henry short stories (NO, I was hoping to diversify my reading this way, but that didn’t happen.)
Read 6 Chautona Havig books (NO, I read 4, which felt like a decent effort. She’s one of my favorite authors, and I have quite a backlog to catch up on, plus I’d love to reread some of the ones I first read 8-10 years ago, so maybe I’ll be able to do more in 2026?)

Whew! That was quite the list, but I’m thankful to have completed or almost completed so many of them. It was fun pushing myself last year, and I’m hoping to do that again this year.

My reading goals for 2026 look somewhat shorter and simpler than for 2025, but I think they’ll end up being just as challenging:

Read 75 books (again, I’m hoping to read more deeply rather than trying to make a new personal record)
Read 26 books from my TBR shelf (I barely managed to read 20 from that shelf in 2025, so it’ll be interesting to see how this goes; I am planning to use the ABC reading challenge for this one, choosing one book for each letter of the alphabet.)
Get down to 12 in-progress series (I currently have 22 series in progress, so this will take some work, but I’m hopeful I’ll be able to get there!)
Read 4 O’Henry short stories (trying this one again…2026 is the year to accomplish everything, right?)
Read 5 devotional/Christian nonfiction books (last year was such a success in this area that I’d love to continue it in 2026)
Finish the 5×5 reading challenge (this is basically a set of mini-goals for myself this year: 5 Christian classics/nonfiction titles, 5 books written by Chautona Havig, 5 classics (not the same ones as the Christian classics category), 5 old unread ARCs, and 5 books others have recommended to me (because I can never seem to remember to get around to them!))

And that’s it! Do you set yearly reading goals for yourself? What, if anything (even if it isn’t measurable!), are you hoping to accomplish in 2026, reading-wise or otherwise?