Series and Sequels - Episode 1

Last time we spoke it was about the excessive TBR phenomenon and my plans to reduce that down to zero. That's right, zero! I want to go right back to having no unread books in my home and only going to the bookshop to purchase with the intent of immediately reading. Achieving this is going to take some determination, and what better way to increase motivation than by doing challenges. The first challenge for me (and you should you wish to join in) is to finish or get up to date with five series you are in the middle of.

Five is not an intimidating number right? We can totally do this. The freedom of this challenge is that you can pick the series, so feel free to bash out some short series or fully commit to the epics as you see fit. I'm planning on doing a good mixture here of longer and shorter series. Here is what I'm planning on reading. 

The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb

Yes, alright! I can hear you all screaming at me. The Realm of the Elderlings is an 18 book (if you include novellas) epic fantasy series, but I am on the final stretch and have only 2.5 books to go. This series is great for a challenge as it is comprised of multiple smaller series following different characters at different points in time. This epic fantasy series is lauded as one of the greatest, and so far I have to agree. It starts off following a young boy called Fitz. Bastard to the throne, he is thrust into the "quiet" service of king's assassin. Fitz is a fascinating character and you watch him grow to adulthood across this tale, getting to know him better than most people know their own family. Hobb's character driven writing is unparalleled and this is a series that gets its hooks in you and never lets you go. Finishing this series will be devastating for me as I have been so immersed for so long. 

The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne 

John Gwynne is one of my favourite modern fantasy writers. The Bloodsworn Saga is a viking-esque trilogy based around nordic mythology. It follows a wide cast of characters with varying bloodthirsty histories as they navigate the awakening of old and deadly magic. I have read book one and loved it, especially the way John writes women and motherhood. I had been putting off reading this series until I knew more of his books were on the horizon. He has a new series debuting later this year so it's time to get down to business. 

The Shepherd King by Rachel Gillig 

Rachel Gillig's unique gothic writing style intrigued me last year when I read The Knight and the Moth so picking up her other published series is a must! The Shepherd King is a duology starting with One Dark Window. As a child Elspeth survived a magic plague. She is the only person ever recorded to live through the fever of darkness spreading through the blood, but all magic comes with a price. For Elspeth this price is the demonic creature living beneath her skin, growing stronger and more vocal with every passing year. All Elspeth wants to do is live a quiet life of obscurity, but fate has a different plan when she is drawn to the capital and immersed in political intrigue. I cannot wait to get my teeth into this series, I sense a binge coming on! 

Moonfall by Sarah A Parker 

Everyone and their mother is talking about this series right now! The second book came out exactly one week ago and it has been lighting up online. This series is marketed as romantasy, but I disagree. Having read the first book and embarking shortly on the second book I would call this an epic with a romantic sub-plot. This series follows Raeve, a bloody assassin honed into a weapon by all the people trying to break her. Raeve's memories are shoved deep inside the icy lake of her mind, but something Other stirs beneath the surface, dredging up secrets she would rather keep hidden. When Raeve meets Kaan her world implodes and she is thrust into the midst of these devastating truths. The world is shifting, kingdoms are clashing and dragons are falling from the sky. This series is phenomenal and I am definitely prioritising it in the coming weeks. 

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

This series started out self published and I honestly cannot believe it wasn't picked up by traditional publishing sooner. I have read book one, Legends & Lattes, but I have Bookshops & Bonedust and Brigands & Breadknives still to read. These books are so much fun. They take the mickey so well out of the "change of pace to small town bakery owner" trope, but at the same time are an ode to the cosiness of these tales. The first novel follows Viv, a war orc who now wishes to retire to her favourite city and start a coffee shop. Armed with her strong motivation and a helpful amount of treasure, she forges new friendships and carves out a home she can call her own. This series is such a good reading slump buster and works so well to make you feel relaxed and cosy if you are in need of some lower stakes. 

Right guys, those are the five series I am planning on finishing next. I'll be posting reviews and deep dives of these so please stay tuned, and don't forget to let me know what book series you'll be reading for this challenge in the comments. Until next time! 

Hattie x 

Is it time for tbr takedown challenge?

 Unless you are an avid reader you are probably unfamiliar with the term "tbr", but to us bookworms this word can fill us with equal measures of joy and dread. The "tbr" or "to be read" list for me has become a source of anxiety. Don't get me wrong, I love having a running list of books I would like to get to, but when it comes to the physical tbr...yikes! I currently have 85 unread books sitting on my shelves. 85! That is an obscene number, especially in these more trying economic times. Although to be fair to my past self these books have been collected over a long period of time, some of them having languished on the tbr for 5 years or more. 

No more, I say! It is time for me to carry out the "action is the killer of anxiety" mentality and tackle this physical tbr. Reading is supposed to be a relaxing hobby, a way to escape reality and visit other places. Having an enormous pile of unread books threatens to overwhelm me with guilt, not because of money spent, but because of the knowledge that I will enjoy them and have been depriving myself of that enjoyment. It is easy nowadays with the myriad "book haul" videos to become desensitised to how strange it is to hoard stories without actually consuming them. It is not the norm to go to the bookshop intending to purchase half a dozen or more books at once on a regular basis. I miss the days of going to the bookshop to buy one or two books and proceeding to just read them and would like to re-introduce this phenomenon to my life. The only thing stopping me is the 85 unread books I am about to devour and revel in. 

So what has been stopping me? I find that as soon as I label something as a task it becomes onerous, even if it is theoretically highly enjoyable. The human brain is a strange beast! I find it best to trick myself with challenges and gamification. So, may I present to you the 2026 TBR Takedown! Throughout this year I am going to be tackling this book back log one by one, giving myself smaller challenges along the way to keep my motivation high. The main crux of the challenge will be a year long book buying ban, but I will allow myself a few loopholes. The first being that pre-orders do not count and neither do books that continue a series I have already started. 

I have no doubt this will be an up and down journey, but when I think of all the wonderful stories I have yet to explore...I can't wait to get started. Join me next time in episode 1 of the TBR Takedown: Series & Sequels. 

Hattie x 

Do People Still Read Book Blogs In 2026?

 

A question has been plaguing me for a while now: do people still read book blogs in 2026? Or, have they moved over exclusively to video format? As a tiktock-o-phobe, I still feel the need for long form content, be it blogging or Youtube videos. Surely there must be others out there who, like me, are seeking blogs. Maybe that makes me a dinosaur, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. 

All that to say: hello! Here I am again, back on my blogging nonsense. I used to run this site in my late teens and early twenties (too long ago for me to own to) as a general lifestyle blog with articles on food, books, cosmetics and even a men's column from my husband's point of view. My taste in hobbies has shifted over the last decade, as is only natural, and I now find myself more inclined to discuss books and bookish topics than anything else. This means a shift of gears for the blog. I am far too attached to this domain to consider creating a new one, I spent hours crafting it, but it does need a name change. A name to match my other fledgling book platforms - Invisible Worlds Bookclub. 

Gosh, this feels momentous. Madly so considering nobody will be reading this post unless in the distant future I miraculously become social media famous as an internet librarian. However, on the off chance that I am not shouting into the void and somebody is reading here is what to expect from this page. There will be book reviews, series deep dives, author discussions and general bookish content. My main areas of interest are fantasy and classics (mostly Victorian or earlier) with a smattering of sci-fi which I have just begun to explore. 

I am sure there will be teething issues, so I will gratefully accept any suggestions from the comments. And, in case you are reading this and bemoaning yet another dinosaur typing out a blog post, please check out my Instagram page and Youtube channel for other formats. There will be regular posts across all three so please pick and choose your chosen mode of consumption and return for more! 

Hattie x