End of the Year Book Tag!

Hello! 

I’ve been a faithful listener of Books Unbound for 6 years. I had initially been introduced to the podcast hosts, Ariel and Raeleen, through their respective booktube channels over a decade ago now. I bought and fixed up my own old house right along Ariel’s house project, and took a lot of inspiration on my projects from her videos on YouTube. 

This tag was created by Ariel ten years ago to gear up for the last quarter of the reading year. Time to reflect on what we’ve read so far and what we hope to accomplish in the last few months of 2025. 

Now, without any further preamble…the tag!

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1. Are there any books (series) you started this year that you need to finish?

Unfinished books? None that I have put down or forgotten about.  

Unfinished series? Dear god, do I ever. According to my reading spreadsheet, I have 39 series that I have not finished or caught up on. Yikes.

I’m going to give myself a shameless little pat on the back here and say that I did finish a whopping 10 series this year and completed my goal. Anything extra in series continuation will be a bonus gold star next to my name. 

2. Do you have an autumnal book to transition you into the end of the year?

I’m currently reading two that are guiding me into those wonderfully melancholy months. 

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft:

An exquisitely dreary little dark academia-fantasy following Lorelai on the research trip of a lifetime to find the well where magic begins. When her mentor is found murdered on the ship, Lorelai is thrusted into the intricacies of an academic cohort forged through decades of war and friendship. The only member she knows is innocent of the murder is her academic rival: the whimsical and beautiful naturalist, Silvia von Wolff.

Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen:

Gothic horror set in Netherlands 1887, Lucy receives a disturbing letter from her twin sister, Sarah. A leathery corpse was found in the peat bogs of Sarah's husband's lands. Sarah's obsession with the bog woman becomes all-consuming until her letters to Lucy turn deranged. Lucy is spurred to action by concern and pays a visit to the estate.

Upon arrival, Lucy finds a husk of her twin--an emaciated creature who refuses to eat, raves about the bog woman, and has unusual cravings. Lucy must unravel the events leading to her sister's mysterious affliction if she hopes to cure her.

3. Is there a new release you're still waiting for?

Yes, absolutely! This has been a rare year of preorders for me!

Mate by Ali Hazelwood - Though I didn't necessarily love Bride, I have loved absolutely everything else Ms Hazelwood has written, and I'm loathe to skip anything she pens at this point. This sequel is supposed to follow a new couple that I'm certainly far more interested in than I was with Misery and Lowe. I am cautiously optimistic that Mate will deliver.

The Mockingbird Court by Juneau Black - I am utterly devastated by the announcement that this book will be the last installment of Shady Hollow. These books made me realize a fondness for cozy mysteries I never would have found otherwise. I'm looking forward to one last romp with our sluethy reporter, Vera Vixen.

The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell - I'm really excited for the sequel to Impossible Creatures. My preorder just arrived!

Book 1 took me by completely surprise, captured my heart, broke it, then reforged it with love. We follow Christopher, who discovers a baby griffon and steps into the magical world of Archipelago. When he meets up with Mal and realizes magic is rapidly fading from the world, they embark on a quest to save it.

No one does "magical" the way middle grade fantasy does, and this one, along with its illustrations, is a standout in the genre.

Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore - The final book in Dream Harbor is finally in my hands. What is there to say about this series that hasn't already been said? It's an atmospheric little small town romance following quirky twenty-somethings just figuring their shit out. There's the perfect amount of spice, corny convenience, and just a touch of angst.

Does it do anything outside the scope of the genre? No. Is it this generation's greatest love story? Also no. Are the book titles obnoxiously buzz-wordy? Perhaps. Do I eat it up like it's my last meal on death row? Sure!

4. What three books do you still want to read before the year is over?

Hopeless by Elsie Silver - I am apparently putty in the hands of a Canadian rancher. I am okay with this. I read the first four books of Elsie Silver's Chestnut Springs while on vacation this summer. Binging series is not normally my thing, but I was fully addicted. I'm very excited to finish things out and read Hopeless. (And then... eagerly jump into Silver's other works.)

Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli - I actually have no excuse for why I still have not finished this duology. I devoured Heartless Hunter (or Crimson Moth if you live outside the US). I was sooo excited for Rebel Witch to come out. My audiobook hold on Libby for Rebel Witch came and went TWICE. Am I scared it won't live up to expectations? Is my brain scrambled?

I AM still excited to read this book! I need to see what happens next between Rune and Gideon. I will read this damn book before the year is out.

Summers End by Juneau Black - So funny story... I do have a preorder coming for The Mockingbird Court, but I'm actually still a book behind in the Shady Hollow series. I'm sure it is common sense then why this one is on the list.

Good news! It's cozy murder mystery season!

5. Is there a book that you think could shock you and become your favorite of the year?

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab – Okay, I admit. This one may be a bit of a gamble for me. I have loved when Schwab wrote fantasy/sci-fi in Vicious. I had perfectly middling feelings toward her literary style in Addie LaRue. This book is marketed as similar in style to Addie LaRue, so I did consider skipping it. However, I am just a sucker for vampires. I do enjoy a more literary/gothic approach to vampires, so there is a real chance this book could be a smashing hit for me. Fingers crossed! I want to love Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil so badly.

6. Have you already started making reading plans for 2026?

In 2025, my goals were too specific and limited my ability to mood read. I’m actually going to decrease the number of goals I set next year. The goals from this year’s list that will continue on to next year will be to finish/catch up 10 series, read 10 nonfiction, and to continue my Stephen King stretch goal. 

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And that's the tag, folks! I'm having a really great reading year so far. I'm so excited to see how the last few months go!