WWW Wednesday – 16 September 2026

On September 16, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 Comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

The Facilite Con by Dick Wybrow (ebook)

I was in the mood for something a little unusual this week so I decided to check out the fun science fiction heist novel, The Facilite Con. An entertaining novel from Dick Wybrow, The Facilite Con sees an unusual crew attempt to pull off a deadly heist. I’m having a good amount of fun with this book so far, and I’m currently halfway through it. I’m hoping to knock it off in the next day or two and I’m curious to see where this book goes.

Settle Down by Jeremy Robinson (Audiobook)

After deeply enjoying Jeremy Robinson’s other epic 2026 novel, 30Seven, I was very eager to read his next novel Settle Down. A dark and powerful read with a great hook, Settle Down follows the survivors of a plane crash who are forced to contend with a brutal alien invasion that took place while they were trapped on a desert island. I have been powering through the audiobook version of Settle Down this week, and I am nearly at the end. I will probably knock Settle Down off very soon, and I cannot wait to see how this deeply compelling story comes to an end.

What did you recently finish reading?

Five Voices by Tamara Moss (ebook)

I had an amazing time getting through the cool Australian young adult murder mystery Five Voices by Tamara Moss recent. Featuring an intriguing narrative about a group of podcasters caught up in the murder of one of their own, Five Voices was extremely good and really worth checking out.

The Infinite State by Richard Swan (Audiobook)

I managed to finish off the exceptional audiobook The Infinite State by Richard Swan this week. A captivating science fiction novel that sees several protagonists attempt to survive the tyrannies of a fascist space empire, including by buying their own planet, The Infinite State was an incredible book, and one I’m hoping to review soon.

The Daughter’s War by Christopher Buehlman (Hardcover)

I finally got the chance to read the dark fantasy novel The Daughter’s War by Christopher Buehlman this week. A prequel to Buehlman’s impressive novel The Blacktongue Thief, The Daughter’s War was a brutal novel that saw a protagonist attempt to survive a war against a ravenous goblin horde. This ended up being an amazing read and I’m now ready to dive into the next book in the series, The Thrice-Bound Fool, when it comes out later this year.

What do you think you’ll read next?

We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman

The next book I’m hoping to dive into is the highly entertaining murder mystery, We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman. One of my most anticipated novels for the second half of 2026, We Chase Shadows is the sequel to Osman’s previous exceptional novel, We Solve Murders, and will see some of Osman’s more unique protagonists attempt to uncover another international mystery. I have no doubt We Chase Shadows going to be one of the top books of 2026, and I look forward to listening to it’s epic audiobook format.

That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Spring 2026 To Be Read (TBR) List

On September 8, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday is an indie freebie. While this is an interesting topic, it’s not one that I had a lot of good examples for, so instead I’m going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because it’s the start of Spring 2026, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Spring (Autumn for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 September 2026 and 30 November 2026 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles, and I even have some early copies of a some of them (I’m hoping to read them soon). I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2026.

Honourable Mention:

Adam & Eve by Jeffrey Archer – 6 October 2026

The final book from the legendary Jeffrey Archer.

SHOT by Shelley Burr – 27 October 2026

A gritty and intense Australian thriller from an outstanding rising crime fiction star.

Monsters of Ohio by John Scalzi – 3 November 2026

The always highly inventive John Scalzi presents another crazy science fiction novel, with the weird but no doubt entertaining Monsters of Ohio

Absolon Creed by R. S. Ford – 10 November 2026

An upcoming fantasy novel with an excellent sounding plot and an awesome cover.

Top Ten List:

Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor – 10 September 2026

The first book I want to feature on this list is the horror thriller Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor. A compelling and unique standalone novel that sees a family encounter unusual behaviour and dark secrets in the supposedly tranquil town of Serenity Falls. I am extremely curious to see where Tudor takes this new story, but I’m very confident that I’m going to enjoy Serenity Falls, especially after having a blast with Tudor’s previous novel The Gathering.

Star Wars: Edge of the Abyss by Rebecca Roanhorse – 15 September 2026

I’m going to get my Star Wars fiction itch scratched in a few weeks when I get the chance to read Edge of the Abyss. The second book in the Reign of the Empire series, Edge of the Abyss serves as a sequel to The Mask of Fear and will examine the early days of the Rebel Alliance from the perspective of several key figures from the Star Wars extended universe. This second entry is written by Rebecca Roanhorse, and I cannot wait to see how Roanhorse dives into this amazing period of the Star Wars canon.

We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman – 15 September 2026

There was no way that I couldn’t include the incredible upcoming novel We Chase Shadows on this list. The next book from the hilarious Richard Osman, We Chase Shadows is a sequel to the outstanding novel, We Solve Murders (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024) and will see the unlikely protagonists of the first book investigate a new global conspiracy. Sure to feature Osman’s trademark blend of incredible storytelling, great characters and impressive humour, We Chase Shadows will likely be one of my favourite books of the year, and I cannot wait to dive into it.

The Only Way Out is Up by Django Wexler – 29 September 2026

One of the more exciting and fun sounding books coming out in the next month is The Only Way Out is Up by the very talented Django Wexler. An intriguing progressive fantasy novel that will follow a young man and his constructed companion as they attempt to survive in an elite fighting tournament, The Only Way Out is Up has so much potential, and I know that I’m going to have a blast reading it.

King’s Ransom by Matthew Reilly – 29 September 2026

While there are some great crime fiction reads coming out in the next three months, the one I predict is going to be the most over-the-top and enjoyable is King’s Ransom by Australian author Matthew Reilly. The sequel to Reilly’s outrageous 2025 novel, The Detective, King’s Ransom will see returning protagonist, the unusual Sam Speedman, compete against several other elite private detectives to solve a particularly deranged crime. Sure to be an exceptional and highly addictive read, I cannot wait to get my hands on King’s Ransom.

The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman – 13 October 2026

Possibly the most anticipated fantasy novel still left for release in 2026 is The Thrice-Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman. The sequel to Buehlman’s beloved The Blacktongue Thief, The Thrice-Bound Fool will see the two protagonists from the first novel, a secretive thief and a deadly knight, traverse a dangerous fantasy landscape, trying to stay ahead of an array of lethal assassins. Set to be an intense and highly addictive dark fantasy read, I have no doubt The Thrice-Bound Fool is going to be something special.

Ghosts of the Void by Jonathan Maberry – 13 October 2026

A must read for me in the next three months is the final book in Jonathan Maberry’s NecroTek series, Ghosts of the Void. Following on from the exceptional first two books in the trilogy, NecroTek and Cold War, Ghosts of the Void will see a group of human scientists and their fallen comrades attempt to escape ancient space gods as they fight a seemingly unwinnable war. I cannot wait to see how this dark and powerful trilogy comes to an end, and I have no doubt that Maberry will load up plenty of twisted tragedy.

The Hollow by Michael Connelly – 3 November 2026

After already impressing this year with Ironwood, legendary crime fiction author Michael Connelly has another amazing sounding book coming out later this year with The Hollow. The first book in several years to feature his iconic protagonist, Harry Bosch, as the sole main character, The Hollow will see an older Bosch investigate a dark secret from his childhood. Set to be a particularly intense and momentous entry in Conelly’s shared crime universe, The Hollow has the potential to be a particularly impressive novel, and I look forward to reading it.

The Wolves of War by John Gwynne – 3 November 2026

Next up we have is the upcoming fantasy novel, The Wolves of War by John Gwynne. Another compelling fantasy adventure novel with a Viking-inspired story, The Wolves of War sounds like an exceptional read in a cool new world. After deeply enjoying Gwynne’s previous Bloodsworn Saga (The Shadow of the Gods, The Hunger of the Gods and The Fury of the Gods), I am very confident that I’m going to have an amazing time with this fantasy epic, which I will probably try to enjoy on audiobook.

The Sword of Rome by Simon Scarrow – 5 November 2026

The final book on this TBR list is the next entry in the always awesome Eagles of the Empire series, The Sword of Rome by Simon Scarrow. A very intriguing new addition to one of my favourite series, The Sword of Rome will see two veteran Roman officers thrown into a new chaotic battle for survival, with their families held hostage back at Rome to ensure they succeed. Sure to be a particularly epic book in an outstanding series, I cannot wait to read The Sword of Rome.

Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. There are some impressive books coming out in this part of 2026, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a bit of reading to do in the near future.

Book Haul – 10 August 2026

On August 10, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

I’ve had an excellent couple of weeks for books, as I was lucky enough to receive some incredible and amazing new novels from publishers and Netgalley. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including books that have the potential to be some of my top reads of the year. I cannot wait to dive into them, and I so excited to see how they all turn out.

We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman

Let’s start this Book Haul post off strong with the new Richard Osman novel, We Chase Shadows. The sequel to Osman’s exceptional novel, We Solve Murders, We Chase Shadows will see some of Osman’s more entertaining protagonists embark on another international investigation to catch a deadly killer. I absolutely loved We Solve Murders and I have no doubt this amazing sounding sequel is going to be one of the best novels of 2026.

Choppy Water by Jack Heath

I also was very happy to receive an early copy of the new Jack Heath novel, Choppy Water. One of the more anticipated Australian releases of 2026, Choppy Water will feature a compelling locked-room mystery as a fugitive attempts to uncover a killer aboard a quarantined cruise ship. I love the sound of Choppy Water, and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into Heath’s latest crazy crime fiction read.

The Mortons by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld

One of the more unique novels I recently received was the fantastic crime fiction novel, The Mortons. Written by the team of Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld, The Mortons follows a talented scion of a family of professional killers and manipulators, who find themselves dragged into a dark conspiracy surrounding their family. I’ve actually already finished The Mortons, and it turned out to be a deeply compelling and memorable novel I couldn’t get enough off. Highly recommended, I’m hoping to review The Mortons soon.

He Who Fights With Monsters by Travis Deverell (Shirtaloon)

I’ve recently received the cool LitRPG novel He Who Fights With Monsters by Australian author Travis Deverell, better known as Shirtaloon. A paperback reprinting of the author’s online LitRPG sensation, He Who Fights With Monsters sounds pretty amazing, and I’m hoping to dive into the massive novel soon.

Templar Assassin by Angus Donald

Angus Donald continues to explore the Mongol horde from a unique perspective with his next book Templar Assassin. The sequel to his fantastic historical fiction novel Templar Traitor, Templar Assassin will continue to explore the life of an apparently rogue Templar Knight, who journeyed into Asia and joined the army of the legendary Genghis Khan. I look forward to reading this book, which should provide some excellent historical adventure and intrigue.

The Reckoning by Vikki Petraitis

Vikki Petraitis continues to write timely and thought-provoking Australian fiction in 2026 with her latest novel The Reckoning. Following on from her previous novels The Unbelieved and The Stolen, The Reckoning once again returns to small town Australia divided to gender violence, when a poisoning targeted at two freed rapists threatens to kill multiple people. I am very curious to see where Petraitis takes her latest story, and The Reckoning will likely end up being one of the more intense and powerful Australian reads of 2026.

The Cruise by Naïma Brown

An intriguing new thriller that sees a woman and her squad of best friends attempt to get revenge on a man who wronged her many years ago. The Cruise sounds like a great book, and I look forward to diving into it.

Full Circle by Chris Hammer

An exciting and intriguing standalone thriller from one of Australia’s best-known authors, Chris Hammer, Full Circle sounds like a great novel, and I’m hoping to finally read something from Hammer after all these years.

Shadow of Dragons by Jacob Peppers

An intriguing epic fantasy novel with an awesome sounding plot. I am really hoping to get a chance to read Shadow of Dragons this year, and I’m sure I will love it.

Five Voices by Tamara Moss

The final book I recently received is the young adult thriller Five Voices by Tamara Moss. An excellent sounding novel about murder and mystery surrounding a group of young podcasters, Five Voices sounds like a fantastic read and I’m very excited to check it out.

Well, that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post. As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in. Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2026 (Mystery, Thriller and Historical Fiction)

On July 1, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, List, Murder Mystery, ThrillerLeave a comment

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. In this list, I continue to examine my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2026. While my other list of the night looked at the best upcoming fantasy and science fiction novels, this list will look at the crime fiction, thrillers, and historical fiction novels that I am most excited for in the next six months.

Just like with my previous article about upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, this was a bit of a difficult list to pull together. Even after I excluded fantasy and science fiction novels from it, there were still a ton of great books I could feature, and I had a hard time deciding what to cut. I was eventually able to whittle it down to a top ten list (with an honourable mentions section), and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Just like with my fantasy and science fiction list, the following list does a great job of highlighting what books I am most excited for in the second half of the year, so let us see what makes the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

The Unknown by Riley Sager – 4 August 2026

An intriguing and spooky thriller from the always impressive Riley Sager.

King’s Ransom by Matthew Reilly – 29 September 2026

A new book from one of Australia’s best-known authors, Matthew Reilly, King’s Ransom sounds like a fantastic novel with a layered detective plot behind it. I’m very keen to read this book, although I’m leaving it as an honourable mention for now as I still need to read the initial book in this series, The Detective.

The French Illusion by John Grisham – 29 September 2026

Another intriguing and intense legal thriller from the legendary John Grisham, this time involving a kidnapping in Paris and the lawyer sent in to help.

Choppy Water by Jack Heath – 3 November 2026

A fun upcoming novel from one of my favourite Australian authors, Jack Heath. Choppy Water (no cover yet) has a very entertaining plot about a murder on a cruise ship, that I know I’m going to love.

Top Ten Tuesday:

One of Us is Guilty by Steve Cavanagh – 28 July 2026

The legal shenanigans of Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series look set to continue with the awesome sounding new book, One of Us Is Guilty. In this latest book, conman turned lawyer Eddie Flynn needs to figure out which member of a rich and supposedly perfect couple committed a brutal murder and which one is innocent. I love the sound of this cool new plot from Cavanagh, and I can’t wait to see the author’s next batch of crazy legal antics unfold.

Duel of Beasts by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 30 July 2026

The amazing author duo of Boyd and Beth Morrison look set to continue their exciting historical adventures with the upcoming fourth Tales of the Lawless Land novel, Duel of Beasts. Bringing back wandering knight Gerard Fox and his wife Willa as they journey across Europe, Duel of Beasts sees the two protagonists venture through medieval Spain to protect a recently widowed noblewoman from a vengeful relative. However, their latest adventure pits them against a menagerie of deadly beasts that are unleashed to hunt them throughout the countryside. This new book sounds just as fun and over-the-top as the previous Tales of the Lawless Land entries, and I have a feeling this one is going to be particularly entertaining.

Bad Neighbours by Joanna Jenkins – 4 August 2026

The next book I am excited to check out is Bad Neighbours by Australian author Joanna Jenkins. The author’s third book, Bad Neighbours will follow on from the excellent How to Kill a Client and The Bluff and sees Jenkin’s lawyer protagonist investigate the murder of a vagrant at her seemingly perfect new apartment building. Based on how impressive Jenkin’s last two novels have been, I strongly believe that Bad Neighbours will be one of the stronger Australian crime fiction novels of 2026, and I cannot wait to dive into it.

The Killer’s Mark by M. W. Craven – 11 August 2026

Highly entertaining escapes are sure to occur in the upcoming thriller novel, The Killer’s Mark by M. W. Craven. The next entry in the over-the-top Washington Poe series, The Killer’s Mark will see Craven’s extremely amusing protagonists start their own private detective agency and get drawn into a sinister case filled with dark secrets and conspiracies. I have had such an incredible time reading Craven’s last two books (especially his ultra-twisty novel The Mercy Chair), and I cannot wait to see what intriguing and unusual investigation the author has cooked up for The Killer’s Mark.

We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman – 15 September 2026

Richard Osman continues his crime fiction domination in 2026 with his next novel, We Chase Shadows. The sequel to his outstanding novel, We Solve Murders (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), We Chase Shadows brings back the incredible cast of his previous novel and sets them on another globe-trotting investigation. Set to feature another hilarious and deeply clever mystery with some fantastic characters, We Chase Shadows is going to be amazing and will probably be one of my favourite books of the year.

Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor – 15 September 2026

One of the more unusual and potentially scary novels I am looking forward to in the second half of 2026, is the upcoming horror thriller from C. J. Tudor, Serenity Falls. Following a father and daughter who move to the idyllic town of Serenity Falls, this novel looks set to quickly go off the rails, with mysterious deaths and other dark secrets haunting the new inhabitants. Tudor has produced some incredible reads in the past, including her 2024 novel The Gathering, and I’m so excited to see what her next shocking book is going to contain. I did wonder if I should include Serenity Falls on my fantasy and science fiction list, but I have a feeling readers won’t truly know the cause of the dark events in this novel until the very end. As such, I’m leaving Serenity Falls as an entry on this list, and I know I’m going to love it no matter what.

Adam & Eve by Jeffrey Archer – 6 October 2026

After years of producing heartwarming and entertaining reads, the iconic Jeffrey Archer will finish off his literary career with his final novel, Adam & Eve. A historical epic, Adam & Eve will follow an unlikely couple and their journey towards World War II, with their forbidden relationship impacting the course of the war. Likely filled with compelling historical detail and fantastic character-driven drama, Adam & Eve should be an outstanding final outing from Archer, and I look forward to seeing the entire story unfold.

Shot by Shelley Burr – 27 October 2026

After finishing off her debut PI Lane Holland series (featuring Wake, Ripper and Vanish), Australian author Shelley Burr has another outstanding upcoming mystery that I’m very excited for, Shot. Set to follow a damaged true-crime vlogger as she attempts to solve a particularly infamous double murder, Shot sounds like an incredible read, and I’m already quite curious about its mystery.

The Hollow by Michael Connelly – 3 November 2026

Easily one of the books that I am most excited to check out in the second half of 2026 is the new Michael Connelly, The Hollow. Once again focussing on Connelly’s most iconic protagonist, Harry Bosch, The Hollow will see an older Bosch attempt to investigate a historic murder that has haunted him since he was a child. Thanks to its deeply personal and intense plot, The Hollow has a ton of potential, especially considering Connelly’s recent track record, and I have no doubt this is going to be one of the top books of the year.

The Sword of Rome by Simon Scarrow – 5 November 2026

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the upcoming 25^th entry in the epic Eagles of the Empire series by Simon Scarrow, The Sword of Rome. Following on from the political upheaval of Tyrant of Rome, The Sword of Rome will see the protagonists engage in another deadly mission as they travel to the edges of the Roman Empire to fight back an invading army. However, this mission could have grave consequences from the protagonists, as they must content with dangerous Roman politics and gamble with the lives of their families held hostage back in Rome. The Sword of Rome sounds like it is going to be a particularly awesome entry in one of my favourite series, and I cannot wait to see how it comes together.

Well, that’s the end of my second list. As you can see, there are some outstanding mysteries, thrillers and historical fiction novels coming out in the next six months which should prove to be amazing reads. Combine that with the fantasy and science fiction releases from my previous list and I know that I am going to have an incredible time in the second half of 2026. While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.