January was a supremely tough month in my house. My family went through multiple illnesses and viruses that knocked us all out, work has never been busier, and our senior pup was repeatedly as sick as we were. For most of the month, it felt like we were only just keeping our heads above water, so I was extremely surprised when I took a look at my reading stats and noticed that I somehow managed to knock out six whole books. 

Part of why I was able to read so much this month is because I’ve managed to incorporate reading into my workouts (thank you to my Kobo for enabling treadmill reading!) but I think a lot of it was also that I was just so exhausted or sick that the only thing I had the capacity for in my free time was collapsing on the couch with a book. I’m certainly not complaining about the amount I was able to read, but I do recognize it was circumstantial. I probably would have traded at least one of our battles with the stomach flu for less reading if given the choice.

That said, it’s a rare thing that I manage to squeeze this many books into one month anymore, so I’m going to take the small win amongst a sea of January awfulness. Here’s what I managed to cover while I was either sick in bed, on my couch, or some combination of the two:

Books Read in January 2026

1. Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang: WOW what a book to start 2026 with! This one was stunning. It was full of unique and horrifying magic, unlikeable characters that you grew to love, and devastating plot twists. This fantasy was my first read of the year, but I already know it’ll sit on my favourite books of 2026 list. I rated this one an easy 5 stars with a full review to come.
2. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells: my sixth book in The Murderbot Diaries series and it was just as excellent as all the rest. I loved the return to the novella format in this one, and it’s been a delight to see Murderbot continue to grapple with his feelings for freedom and humanity amongst even more murder mysteries. Another 5-star read for me with a full review to come.
3. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans: I picked this one up explicitly because the hype around it is so extreme right now. It’s a story told explicitly through correspondence, mostly letters and emails, through the POV of a main character who is nearing the end of her days. Watching her move through her trauma and past with the wisdom that can only come from a life lived was a lovely experience. I rated this one 4 stars with a full review to come.
4. A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft: I picked this one up to read on the treadmill and loved falling into the cozy, regency-style setting and story that Saft established. It was an easy and enjoyable read, though I did feel the world-building and magic lacked a bit of the depth and weight I felt they were reaching towards. I rated this one 3 stars.
5. The Hemlock Queen by Hannah F. Whitten: this is the second book in The Nightshade Crown series, and I was so disappointed to find it just wasn’t for me. I loved the premise of the first book and felt like the universe had a huge amount of potential, but book two saw all the characters stagnate and I felt like it took ages to get to any degree of action. The writing was still excellent, so I rated this one 3.5 stars, but I’m not sure that I’ll return to the series.
6. Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao: oh my goodness this was so lovely! The premise of a magical pawn shop behind a ramen restaurant in Tokyo that sweeps the characters into a different world was so whimsical, and every single chapter contained some new kind of fascinating magic. This one also had a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming, which is always a delight! I rated this one 4 stars with a full review to come.

TBR Lists

I spent more time doom scrolling this month than I normally do as I tried to recover from the different illnesses that took me down. As a result, I did manage to take note of a few books I’m adding to my TBR list, including:

• This Book Made Me Think Of You by Libby Page: this one sounds both gut-wrenching and joyous, as a woman sets out on reading-inspired adventures that come from the books recommended by her recently passed fiancé. I love a good book about books, so adding this was a no-brainer.
• Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose by Jennifer Breheny Wallace: I don’t pick up a ton of a non-fiction, but this one was recommended by Dr. Emily Oster, who’s book on an economist’s perspective of parenting was one of my favourites of the last year. I’d like to squeeze this in as a treadmill read at some point.
• Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity: a debut gothic fantasy romance that sees a woman who can see the dead strike a deal with a dangerous purveyor of dark secrets to save her brother’s life. I saw this one recommended by Shannon Chakraborty and that itself was enough for me to want to add it to my TBR.

What I’m Loving Right Now

While January was less than ideal, I still did what I could to find some goodness throughout the month. Here are a few of the things that proved to be highlights:

Wholesome, whole foods and baby’s girls enthusiasm for them

It’s no secret that we’re foodies in this household. My husband was a chef for 17 years, and I have always benefitted from his passion in this area. With winter keeping us locked inside most of the time, we’ve been focused on eating all the cold weather, home-y foods that we can, and it’s SO much fun to watch baby girl love them the way that we do. Polenta, chilli, stew, pastas; all of it she approaches with excitement and enthusiasm that somehow makes dinner even more fun. We’re having so much fun with this stage.

Treadmill reading

There’s a reason that I was able to read so much in this past month, and that reason was largely driven by treadmill reading. I have been loving reading library books on my Kobo whenever I’m getting my cardio in, and I managed to knock out two whole books that I wouldn’t have otherwise by doing this in January. I’ve taken a week and a half of hiatus from treadmill reading while I recovered from an awful stomach bug, but I’m excited to be jumping back into it this week with The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni!

Saturday mornings with family

My husband is a shift worker and as a result, our time off doesn’t always coincide. He often works on Saturday nights, so we’ve made a concerted effort to enjoy our Saturday morning’s together as a family before he heads out. Baby girl is swept off to a music class first thing with my husband, and then we grab breakfast, do some shopping, or head to a playground so she can play. By the time he heads to work, it feels like my cup is full again from all of the family time. 

February has already started on a much healthier foot, so I’m hoping I can carry this reading momentum through the next month!