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What I Read in January 2026
10
items January’s reading leaned heavily into history, humanity, and the enduring power of connection. From memoirs and historical fiction to thrillers and literary favorites, these books explored how people survive, love, and make meaning during extraordina...
Sections
5
Community, Friendship & Human Connection
Historical Fiction That Illuminates the Past
Mystery, Suspense & Escapist Reads
Memoirs & Real Lives
Beloved Classics & Literary Comfort
Community, Friendship & Human Connection
Stories where relationships take center stage.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved the way this novel was written and how the story quietly evolved over time. The structure felt intimate and intentional, allowing the emotional depth to unfold naturally rather than all at once. What begins simply grows into somethin...
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another strong and enjoyable novel from Kate Quinn. What stood out most to me was the connection among the women of the Briar Club—the way their relationships unfold, deepen, and quietly sustain one another. The sense of community is at the ...
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
Historical Fiction That Illuminates the Past
Novels that bring overlooked or uncomfortable histories into focus.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A beautiful but heart wrenching book. I had not read much about Italy’s fascist involvement in World War II or how deeply the Jewish community in Rome was affected, and I appreciated experiencing this history through such a personal lens. Th...
Eternal by Lisa Scottoline
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ While the main characters in this novel are fictional, the story itself is rooted in a shocking and very real history. The book is based on the kidnapping and mistreatment of children at a Tennessee children’s home and the trafficking of tho...
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I enjoyed this novel, though I found it a bit slow at times. It tells an unusual and quietly restrained love story, one that unfolds more through atmosphere and observation than action. I appreciated the way it invited a different way of looki...
Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Mystery, Suspense & Escapist Reads
Engaging stories that balance intrigue with readability.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another excellent installment in the Detective Bruno series. The Resistance Man delivers everything I’ve come to love about these books: thoughtful mystery, rich sense of place, and Bruno’s steady moral compass. The plot is engaging without ...
The Resistance Man: A Mystery of the French Countryside by Martin Walker
⭐️⭐️⭐️½ I enjoy Freida McFadden’s thrillers because they reliably deliver good twists while remaining easy, quick reads. The Housemaid is no exception. It is fast paced, engaging, and perfect when you want a suspenseful story that doesn’t require he...
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Memoirs & Real Lives
Stories grounded in truth, personal reckoning, and lived experience.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This autobiography was a bit longer than it needed to be, but overall, I found it very good. Jane Fonda is truly an extraordinary woman, and her life reads like a front-row seat to cultural history. The people she grew up around and encounte...
My Life So Far by Jane Fonda
⭐️⭐️⭐️ The first part of this book was very difficult to get through, as Virginia describes the abuse she suffered as a child and her entrance into Jeffrey Epstein’s world. It is heartbreaking to read what she endured and how early her life became de...
Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice by Virginia Roberts Guiffre
Beloved Classics & Literary Comfort
Stories that are simply fun to revisit.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I enjoyed this book just as much as the movie, which is saying a lot. The humor is sharp, playful, and wonderfully self aware, making it a joy to read from start to finish. It has the same charm, wit, and heart that made the film so memorabl...
The Princess Bride by William Goldman