**I start pulling books from the shelves and stack them on the table, before moving them to my chambers. I place all ten in a pile on the floor beside my bed so I have them within reach before I sleep, for these are the next few books I want to read, or at least the ones I want to read before the year comes to a close. I snuggle myself into my bed, pull the blankets tight around me, and begin to read.**

We are getting down to the wire here with our year of reading! 2026 has completely flown by and I can’t wrap my head around the fact that we’re almost at December. Something is not adding up here. Anyway, I have a ton of books I want to get to before the end of the year, so I wanted to make a list of ten books I would like to get to before the new year starts. These will most likely make it on to my November and December TBR posts since I have been trying to get an idea of what I want to read, but I hope to get to even more than just these. But for now, here are 10 books I want to read by the end of the year.

• The Big Bad Wolf Murder by P.G. Bell

I am actually very excited to read this one. It’s a middle grade about a girl in a competition with wolves who is accused of killing one of the wolves, and was pitched for fans of Zootopia, so I have been waiting to read this in October. I plan to read this one this week, but I still wanted to put it on this list because I am very excited.

• Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek

Okay, I’ve had this book for a few years and haven’t gotten to it. I know it’s a YA fantasy based on folklore and that’s about it. Every time I see this book, it makes me think November will be the perfect month for reading it. I was going to read it last year then didn’t so I’m hoping to get to it this year. I’m a bit apprehensive about this one but I really need to read it soon.

• Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

I’ve been pushing this off for way too long. I’ve had this since 2023 and read King of Scars in 2024, so I really need to read the sequel. I wasn’t the biggest fan of King of Scars and Rule of Wolves looks soooo long, so I’ve been procrastinating this for way too long. I actually briefly started it over the summer as well before I realized it was going to take a while to get through and put it down in favor of other books. But I really want to finish it before the year ends.

• It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Ally Carter

I love a good seasonal book and I like to read at least one each year now the past few years, so I would love to choose this for my Christmas book this year. I started the first book in this series, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, at the end of last year and finished it as my first book of 2026 and loved it. It had been years since I read my last Ally Carter book so I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that I still love her books 10 years later. I am very much looking forward to this new Christmas mystery installment.

• Glorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This is another series that I need to continue with. I actually have read about four Jennifer Lynn Barnes books this year, but I still haven’t gotten to this one and I really need to. I would be okay if I didn’t get to this by the end of the year though, as long as I read it by the end of February/March. It would just be nice to read it soon.

• Fake Skating by Lynn Painter

I am sooo excited for this one! I love Lynn Painter, especially when it comes to her YA books, so I really want to read this by the end of the year. I actually haven’t been in the mood for it in the longest time, but I am finally getting that itch to pick it up, so I definitely will before the end of the year.

• Heart Check by Emily Charlotte

This is actually another YA hockey romance that I want to read soon. I feel like some of these books are perfect for winter so I would love to read it soon. This one seems pretty short as well so I feel like it won’t take long to get through, but I am intrigued and want to get to it before the end of the year.

• The Obsession by Natasha Preston

I am a huge Natasha Preston fan as you may already know, so I really need to get to her release from last year. I think this is a stalker thriller if I can remember correctly. I don’t look too much into the plot because I’m going to read it regardless, but Natasha Preston usually ends up on my favorite books of the year list so I am very excited to read this.

• Sparking Fire Out of Fate by Brigid Kemmerer

Next we have the finale to the Forging Silver Into Stars series, which also closes out the world of Emberfall since this is a sequel series to the Cursebreakers series. As much as I may want to just push this off longer so I don’t have to end it, I really do want to read it, and I feel like winter is the best time to do it. I just love the world so much, and while I don’t love this series like I do the Cursebreakers series, I love seeing the characters make appearances as well as the world and the whimsy that Brigid has created, so I really want to read this soon.

• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I have wanted to read this book for several years now, and have owned it for just about three full years. I think it being a classic has been a deterrent, plus the edition I have uses the smallest font possible, so I think I may get it from the library to see better. But I like the movie (the 90s one of course!) so I wanted to see how the book was. I would love to read it in December so I am making it my goal to at least start the book by the end of the year.

There are so many more books I want to read soon, but these are just ten of the ones I would love to get to before the year ends. I don’t know about all of you, but I am really looking forward to finding some more good books before the year ends.

xoxo,

Just another reader