A reading review of Q3 2026

abbybathurst

15 hours ago

6 min read

We're officially in autumn, which means that we're heading into the final quarter of the year, so here is my reading review of Q3 2026.

Continuing my reading review series, I'm back with a reading review for Q3 of 2026, where I talk about all the books I read in the third quarter of the year.

Q3 was a busy quarter for me, and it meant I didn't read as many books compared to the first two quarters of the year. However, I did manage to reach my reading goal and make some progress on the two reading challenges I set myself for this year.

I have quite a few books I would like to read still in the remaining three months, especially around Christmas. But for now, let's get into my reading review of Q3 2026.

WriteWatchWork's Reading Review

Total Number of Books Per Month

In Q3, I made some great progress with my Goodreads Reading Goal for the year. I reached my goal of 65 books and have since exceeded that, as I read a total of 22 books across the third quarter.

In July, I read 7 books; in August, I read 8 books; and in September, I read 7 books.

Most-Read Genre

I read a fair few genres throughout Q3. Some of these were fantasy, thrillers, and even a novella-in-flash.

However, my most-read genre, much like Q2, was romance.

Most-Read Author

In the third quarter of the year, I read 21 different authors, some of whom I have read before and others who were new to me.

The different authors I read in Q3 2026 were:

Ali Hazelwood
Andrea Hannah & Rebecca Mix
Ayana Gray
Bailey Hannah
B.K. Borison
Becka Mack
Carley Fortune
Chelsea Curto
Danya Kukafka
Devney Perry
Heidi Swain
Homer
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Kandi Steiner
Krista and Becca Ritchie
Laurie Gilmore
Layne Fargo
Merit Niemeitz
Sophie Van Llewyn
Tahereh Mafi
Thea Guanzon

My most-read author was Layne Fargo, as I read two of her books: The Favourites and They Never Learn. The authors who were new to me included Andrea Hannah and Rebecca Mix, Ayana Gray, Chelsea Curto, Danya Kukafka, Devney Perry, Homer, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Merit Niemeitz, Sophie Van Llewyn and Thea Guanzon.

Favourite Books

Out of the 22 books I read throughout Q3, I rated five of them five stars. So, like always, I'm going to pick my top three books of the quarter.

The first book I'm choosing is Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry. I have never read a Devney Perry book before, but I have heard such good things. So, when I started this fantasy novel, I expected to enjoy it. However, I didn't realise that I would love it so much; I had to force myself to put it down and actually work. Shield of Sparrows is an incredible book and therefore has to be my favourite of the quarter.

Up next, we have Love Wells Kept by Bailey Hannah. If you've read some of my blog before, you'll know that I love Bailey Hannah as an author. Love Wells Kept was a highly anticipated read for me, and it lived up to expectations. It made me laugh, cry, and feel all the emotions that come with the second-chance, marriage-in-trouble tropes.

The third book I'm going to choose is And Now, Back To You by B.K. Borison. This is book two in the Heartstrings series, and having rated book one five stars, I knew I would enjoy this When Harry Met Sally-inspired romance novel. I had such a fun time reading And Now, Back To You, that I just had to include it in my top three.

Credit: WriteWatchWork
Credit: WriteWatchWork
Credit: WriteWatchWork

Moving on to some honourable mentions, some of the other books I loved included: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, Face Off by Chelsea Curto, The Favourites by Layne Fargo, I Killed the King by Andrea Hannah and Rebecca Mix and Hawk & Sparrow by Ayana Gray.

Favourite Authors

Choosing my favourite authors of a quarter is always challenging because it's tempting to pick the three who wrote my favourite books of the quarter. Whilst one of the authors below is an author of one of my top three books of Q3, the other two authors aren't.

So, first up we have Devney Perry, who wrote Shield of Sparrows. When reading Shield of Sparrows, I became so engrossed in the characters and fantasy world that Devney Perry created. I immediately bought book two and would love to read more of Devney Perry's backlist moving forward.

The next author I'm choosing is Ali Hazelwood. I re-read The Love Hypothesis in Q3, just before the movie's release. Re-reading this romance novel made me realise why I love Ali Hazelwood's books because I flew through my re-read and still rated The Love Hypothesis five stars.

The third and final author is Chelsea Curto. I had never read any of Chelsea Curto's books before, but I knew that a lot of people loved her writing, especially the DC Stars series. So when I read Face Off, book one in that series, I had high hopes, and it definitely exceeded them. Chelsea Curto's writing was so easy to read and I didn't want to put the book down.

Best Book Surprise

The best book surprise of Q3 has to be I Killed the King by Andrea Hannah and Rebecca Mix. I was lucky enough to be sent this book by HarperCollins, and before reading it, I didn't really know what to expect.

But I loved the blend of fantasy and murder mystery. There was a twist halfway through that literally made my jaw drop; I never saw it coming. I Killed the King reminded me of the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo, one of my favourite duologies, which made it even better to read.

I loved the multiple viewpoints from different characters, and I was constantly trying to figure out who the perpetrator was, alongside the characters. Overall, it was a fab book.

Least Favourite Book

Of all the books I read in Q3, only one did I rate below four stars, so it's my least favourite book of the quarter. The book in question is:

Bottled Goods by Sophie Van Llewyn

I actually rated Bottled Goods 3.5 stars, which in my rating system is still a good book. However, the reason why it's my least favourite is that I didn't find myself wanting to carry on reading it, which means I didn't enjoy it as much as others.

It could be because it's a novella-in-flash, and I've never really read that form of fiction before, or it could be because the subject matter of the story isn't something I generally gravitate towards.

However, I am glad I read it.

26 Books for 2026

If you've read my previous reading reports of this year, you'll know that I've set myself a challenge of 26 books I want to read in 2026.

In Q3, I managed to make progress with this challenge, reading a total of five books from this list.

The first one is Breathe With Me. I read it in August and really enjoyed it. I rated it 4.5 stars, and found it a particularly emotional and moving read with a fab found family.

The second book from this list is Meet Me At The Lake by Carley Fortune. I've loved each and every one of Carley Fortune's books that I've read, and this one was no different.

Tahereh Mafi is an all-time favourite author of mine, and in Q3, I finally got round to starting her fantasy series, This Woven Kingdom. I did enjoy this book, and am hoping to read book two soon.

And Now, Back To You, one of my favourite books of Q3, was also on this list. B.K. Borison's Heartstrings series is such a feel-good romance series, and I loved this one in particular.

The fifth and final book from my 26 Books for 2026 that I read in Q3 was The Favourites. I had heard some mixed reviews on The Favourites, and whilst I was unsure about it in the early chapters, I grew to love this Wuthering Heights-inspired retelling so much.

12 Recs from 12 Friends

The third challenge I set myself this year was to read 12 book recommendations from 12 friends. Before Q3, I had seven books left to go, but now, as we head into Q4, I only have three books left on this list, as I managed to read four across July, August and September.

The first one I read was Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka. This thriller was not what I expected at all, and so different from any other book I've read, but it was so intriguing at the same time.

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon was up next, and I really enjoyed this one. It took me a while to get used to the worldbuilding, but overall, it was a great fantasy romance.

Shield of Sparrows was also on this list, so I'm very grateful to my friend who recommended this one as I'm still obsessed with it two weeks after reading it.

The final book from this list that I read in Q3 was Face Off by Chelsea Curto. I love a sports romance, and this book has definitely kickstarted my obsession with the DC Stars series.

I still have a few books left on this list, and on my 26 Books for 2026 challenge to read before the end of the year, but I'm hoping to complete them both.

I will be back at the end of Q4 with another reading review, and plenty of blog posts in between now and then, so don't forget to subscribe below to keep up to date.

Until next time...