Hello, welcome back to The Book Club!
Now, I will admit, I dropped off my reading slightly towards the end of last year. I started off with great intentions and then just stopped. Was it a reading slump? Possibly. Was it more that I couldn’t find the right book to read? Also, a possibility. However, it’s a new year, and I am back on it with my reading and eager to dive into some new stories!
Let’s Rewind Quickly!
If you’ve followed my content for a while, you may have seen a few of these Book Club themed posts in the past. I try to mix them with aspects of reading and book inspired games/features to share. Previously, I’ve explored creating a book nook in The Sims 4 as well as more games that are all about reading, selling books and just everything that book lovers enjoy!
I’ve also dived into the likes of Tales of the Shire, a Lord of the Rings inspired game and the very cosy Tiny Bookshop game back in the Summer.
Although this time around, I only have a couple of small crossovers to share.
Books x Gaming
One thing that I do enjoy is discovering how books and gaming can come together in various different ways. This time around, we have one game that’s inspired by novels, manga and a television show as well as one that lets you run your own little bookshop in some picturesque locations.
Solo Leveling
Back in the middle of 2025, I decided to dive into the world that is Solo Leveling. I was going in blind, knew a little bit about the novels and the television show. Initially, I started with reading the first of the novels to help me get an idea of the world I was stepping into. So far so good and I was enjoying what I was reading.
Then, one day, I randomly stumbled across Solo Leveling: ARISE OVERDRIVE on Steam. Currently, the game is sat on my Steam Wishlist so that I can pick it up when my backlog isn’t so chaotic however, it certainly looks like a fun game to check out. I’m also aware that there’s a mobile game with a similar name, Solo Leveling: Arise, which is one I’ll likely check out in the meantime and on the go.
When I first discovered Solo Leveling, I didn’t know just how far the universe and franchise stretched so it was a pleasant surprise coming across the gaming side of things. I’m excited to continue reading the novels, I’m nearly on to book four now, but also to explore the gaming side in the future.
Tiny Bookshop
I first played Tiny Bookshop back in August and have loved playing it ever since. Curating my own little shop of books, recommending new reads to customers and discovering some new-found favourites of my own!
The game also recently received a new Winter update back in December, and I’ve finally taken the time to check it out. Especially the new decor items that have been fun incorporating into my own little bookshop set up!
Tiny Bookshop is still one of my favourite cosy games that I love to sit down and just relax with after a long day. Even though I’ve been making slow progress, it’s been fun combining both books and gaming all together into one.
The Status of my To Be Read Shelf
I’ve actually spent some time reorganizing and decluttering some of my books. Part of this was to rehome and donate some books I’ve either read, I’m no longer interested in or are ones that I just feel someone else would enjoy reading instead.
That being said, I have picked up a few physical and digital books for my 2026 reading journey. However, there’s already so many more upcoming releases that have caught my attention that I’m somewhat considering picking up as they release too.
As for my current read(s), I have a few on the go. I’m making slow but steady progress through Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao ahead of the release of The Elsewhere Express that launches in a few days time. Without spoiling Water Moon, I definitely recommend reading it, especially if you enjoy cosy and whimsical romance style stories set in Japan.
I also started a new series. This being the first of the Mistborn trilogy from Brandon Sanderson. I’ve seen so many people talking about this series and many of Sanderson’s other books, so I thought, let’s give it a go. Sadly, I have decided to stop for now because I’ve been struggling with the font style and size in the paperback copy I picked up. It’s a shame as I had started to enjoy what I was reading. However, I will be looking at getting an alternative version, likely on my Kindle, where I can edit the font into one that I can read more easily.
Has anyone else experienced something similar to this?
The last book on my radar, is actually a debut from an author called Shen Tao called The Poet Empress. It releases officially in the UK on 20th January 2026, and it’s already out ahead of its release date in selected Waterstones stores. You can imagine my surprise when I stumbled across it this weekend. This is one book that I saw in an upcoming releases video on TikTok that caught my attention and one I’ve been excited to read since learning about it.
For now, that’s it for this first edition of The Book Club for 2026. I’m curious and excited to see where my reading journey takes me this year, both in gaming along with my ever-growing To Be Read list.
What have you been reading or playing that’s been inspired by books at the moment? Let me know in the comments below or on social media!
Want to see what The Book Club has previously got up to? You can take a read right here!
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