Robin’s Recs 2026: A Personal Reading Challenge

January 3, 2026 Lark_Bookwyrm Challenges 4

Bookwyrm's Hoard challenge graphic: Robin's Recs: a personal reading challenge

Robin’s Recs 2026: A personal reading challenge

Over the years, Robin (our adult child) has recommended or given a number of books to me. They know me pretty well, and they are good at picking things I will enjoy. And yet for some reason, I haven’t gotten around to reading a lot of their recommendations yet. I set up this challenge last year, and failed it pretty badly—I only finished three of the books on the list, and of those, I only reviewed one. (I’m still in the middle of at least two more.)

So my goal for this personal reading challenge in 2026 is to read at least 6 of the books Robin has recommended or given to me (that I haven’t already read, I mean.)

Here is the list I’ll be choosing from, plus any additional books Robin gives me or recommends during 2026. I already own many of these in one format or another, either given to me by Robin or bought based on their recommendation. I added the books Robin gave me in 2025 that I haven’t yet read. (Books and series listed alphabetically by author. Books with a * were gifts from Robin.)

NOTE: I will update this post periodically throughout 2026, to show what I have read or am reading.

Brigands and Breadknives (Travis Baldree) *
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath (Moniquill Blackgoose) *, and the sequel, To Ride a Rising Tide.
the Lady Trent series (Marie Brennan) – I read and liked the first one years ago, but stalled out in book two. Robin says they get really good around the end of book two, so I plan to try again.
Briggs’s Dictionary of Fairies: Banshees, Boggarts and Other Folklore Creatures (Katherine M. Briggs) *
In Other Lands (Sara Rees Brennan) * – PARTWAY THROUGH
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi (Shannon Chakraborty) *
Gwen and Art Are Not In Love (Lex Croucher) *
Sorcery and Small Magics (Maiga Doucy)
Best Hex Ever (Nadia El-Fassi) * – READ!
The River Has Roots (Amal El-Mohtar) *
the Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney mysteries (Claudia Gray)
Bryony and Roses (T. Kingfisher)
Babel (R. F. Kuang) *
Wildwood Dancing (Juliet Marillier)
the Marvelous Light trilogy (Freya Marske)
The Starless Sea (Erin Morgenstern) *
Automatic Noodle (Annalee Newitz)
the Scholomance series (Naomi Novik) *** (Robin gave me all three)
the Discworld series (Terry Pratchett)
The Midnight Bargain (C. L. Polk)
the Witchmark trilogy (C. L. Polk)
A Darker Shade of Magic and the rest of the trilogy (V. E. Schwab)
The Cartographers (Peng Shepherd) * – PARTWAY THROUGH
the Tomes & Tea series (Rebecca Thorne) * – I read book #1 in 2025, but need to read the other three
the Murderbot series (Martha Wells)