The Uncorked Librarian is an online literary magazine filled with book and movie lists to inspire travel. Take the low-key Uncorked Reading Challenge with fun seasonal bingo cards. Never miss out on a new book release.
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📚 Hottest Fiction Books of 2026 & Get Ready For Our Bonus "To-Be-Read Pile" Reading Challenge ✨
In a world of AI and questioning who and what is real, a kind "ask" for you to leave a testimonial that I may post on the website
A reminder of our Iceland Reading Challenge
A review of the best book I've read this year, so far (published last year, whoops)
Most Anticipated Books In Fiction In 2026
It was extremely hard to narrow down this list to 12 books, which runs through about July 2026.
I received complimentary copies of these books from their respective publishers via NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Find affiliate links below that earn me commissions at no extra cost to you.
As we are about halfway through the first bingo card of 2026 Uncorked Reading, as well as our new bonus Iceland challenge, it's time to talk about our bonus TBR pile reading challenge scheduled for sometime between April and August.
This is all your fault. You keep suggesting great books, and we keep adding them to our lists.
So, let's work on clearing up our growing to-be-read piles. You know, all the books we've acquired or listed as "to-read" over time (in all formats) that we still haven't gotten to.
I prefer to format this challenge as a full-size bingo card with 9 themes, including a free space.
No, not really, but DO tell others that I'm a real person, please...
Generative AI is destroying the blogging/online media publication industry - and ya know, forests and water and energy and Copyright and creativity and art and soul...
It's getting harder and harder to tell what is real and fake online. I even follow a Reddit thread for this. In a world that is becoming very robotic and fake, it is important to let new readers who find us know that we are the real deal.
One quick way to help: write a brief testimonial for the homepage of The Uncorked Librarian. Let us know how our group, website, newsletter, etc has helped you.
Free Space; OR read a nonfiction book or watch a movie
Romance or mystery novel
Upload this bingo card to any app or editing program that you like. The size is 1080px by 1080px. If you prefer using Canva, here is a link to easily edit this template (just upload your book covers).
I've also added this bonus challenge to The StoryGraph at the bottom of our current one. While the timeframe is now until March, you know us... Read across Iceland all year, if you like.
Spotlight On A Book I Recently Loved: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans Book Review
Description: In her seventies and going blind – with other friends and family facing the struggles of aging - Sybil Van Antwerp is still on a journey of self-discovery as she learns more about her adoption and who she was and has become in this lifetime.
Told entirely through humorous but, at times, cringe-worthy, self-centered letters, emails, and other forms of correspondence, we learn the story of this unlikable, sometimes awful, privileged, and problematic caricature of an older woman.
Yet, we find ourselves wanting to understand all of her dimensions. You might even find yourself cheering for her – or, like some of our Uncorked Readers, not. Universally, I think many of us know a Sybil.
Why I Love It: The Correspondent would make for an excellent, timeless book club book. For our Uncorked Reading Challenge 2026, I’d count this one towards grandmacore (and not the cozy ascetic kind), friendship, family, and footprints (because letters, to me, leave footprints).
Evans put careful thought into the intricate details of this novel, from a Leap Year in the dates to the comical email subject headings. I love the unique storytelling through letters, especially the notes Sybil sends to authors as an avid reader. She even “befriends” the ancestry database’s customer service rep. It’s a unique, beautifully written story.
This helps offset costs like website hosting, insurance, tech, accounting, and programs I use to keep this website running. It also helps pay for my time and any additional writers.
The Uncorked Librarian is an online literary magazine filled with book and movie lists to inspire travel. Take the low-key Uncorked Reading Challenge with fun seasonal bingo cards. Never miss out on a new book release.
Good Morning Reader, It is time to start planning 2027 Uncorked Reading Challenge Bingo. Please complete this Google Form by November 15, 2026. We will have 4 "generic" quarterly bingo cards, one bonus places bingo card, and one bonus historical fiction & nonfiction card. Expect group reads. I may add a specific one-theme-a-month challenge for those who read one book a month. And don't forget: discussions have moved to Raptive Community. Thank you; thank you! Can’t wait. Take the survey....
Good Morning Reader, Two quick things I need you to do before we jump into our final bingo card of the year: Please take a minute to add The Uncorked Librarian as a "preferred source" (here). In a world of AI slop, this tells Google that The Uncorked Librarian is a reliable, quality publication. This action will also help to improve and tailor your search results. Give The Uncorked Librarian a follow on YouTube. I'll occasionally share some fun travel videos. Right now, I have up Salem,...
Good Morning Reader, I know we say this every year, but how the heck is it almost July already?! Seriously! Let's get ready for our third Uncorked Reading Challenge bingo card. ✨ I've added a few book suggestions from my recent reads, too. ✨ 🏃🏻♀️ In A Rush? This newsletter has: Q3 bingo cards with themes and 2-5 book recommendations for many of them My recent "sunburn" books under our "sun" theme... Our bonus TBR Pile bingo card reading discussion questions and schedule An extra TBR Pile...
