My July 2026 TBR primarily consists of ARCs simply because I’ll be on the move a lot this month. (Also, I’m really behind on ARCs.) Luckily, I have some good ones to read and I’m excited about all of these. But first, I need to finish EMPIRE OF STORMS, which is a must. Then I’ll have two books left in the series, which I think is manageable before the next ACOTAR books come out.
Anyway, to those of us who’ll be enduring the heat dome for the next 5 days or so, stay safe, good luck, hunker down. I hear reading is a good, cool thing to do.
Priority Reads
EMPIRE OF STORMS by Sarah J. Maas: I picked this up at the end of June because I felt like I was treading water with almost everything else I read last month. I needed something “comforting” to get me back into the swing of things. Plus I need to finish this series before the next ACOTAR book comes out.
THE WITCH BELOW THE DREAMING WOOD by H.G. Parry: I know I have a lot of overdue ARCs (see below), but I just might pick this July ARC up first. It’s an Arthurian story, so you all know I’m a sucker for that. “From the author of The Magician’s Daughter comes a historical fantasy where dreams come to life and Arthurian legends are reborn, perfect for fans of The Everlasting and The Once and Future King.“
THE FEYWILD JOB by C.L. Polk: This is a carryover from my June 2026 Pride Month TBR. But it’s also an overdue ARC, so it fits in here. “Sparks fly when bitter exes are forced to team up for an elaborate Feywild heist, in this cozy fantasy romance by the bestselling author of the Kingston Cycle and Even Though I Knew the End.“
DAUGHTER OF THE OTHERWORLD by Shauna Lawless: This is the first book of Lawless’s next series, which is related to her Gael Song trilogy. The second book of this newest series comes out later this year, so I need to catch up.
STRANGE FAMILIARS by Keshe Chow: This is another overdue ARC, but from May. Despite all the hype around it, I really didn’t see a lot of reviews around the blogosphere for it. “Two scholars of magical veterinary science must put aside their lust and loathing to save the world in the first installment of this whimsical, romantic, dark academia duology.“
Hopeful Reads
I’m not sure what else I’ll pick up, but I’m hoping to finish a couple of books I started at the end of June: THE SECRET LIFE OF ALBERT ENTWISTLE by Matt Cain and A MARVELLOUS LIGHT by Freya Marske.
Have you read any of these books that are on my July 2026 TBR list?
I’ll be looking out for your reviews of The Feywild Job and The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood, two books I would have requested if I didn’t already have too many July ARCs. Try to stay cool!
It looks like you have a pretty great lineup for July. Do you still want to buddy read The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood?
Yes, let’s do it! I’m trying to finish EMPIRE OF STORMS first (400 more pages to go 😵💫), then I was planning to move on to THE WITCH BELOW THE DREAMING WOOD.
I had no idea more ACOTAR books were coming out 😂 I thought that series was done! Looks like you have a great read list for July. I saw some hype around Strange Familiars but I also haven’t seen any reviews now that I think about it. I hope you enjoy it and all your other reads!
Omg Dini, how have you managed to avoid any ACOTAR announcements on social media?! 😂 Good for you! 😂 Yea there’s 2 books coming out, one in October I think and the other in January. But the publisher still hasn’t released any info about the books…not their titles, not their synopses, and nothing about whether there’ll be different editions (so many folks are holding off on preordering bc of that…SJM’s publisher is milking this that’s for sure!).
Oh I’ve seen Strange Familiars too but you’re right I haven’t seen a lot of reviews about it… I didn’t like the author’s previous read but it sounds intriguing.