Books Read in January 2026

 Here we are again! Another month, another year, another list of books read. It has been a trying month, and unfortunately I expect it will be a trying year, but I am grateful that there are so many wonderful books in the world to help me through.

Books Read in January 2026

1. This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher--Picked this up at a local bookstore who advertised this for their romance book club. The premise--4 members of an epic fantasy quest 10 years later--was exciting, however, while the ironic self-aware tone was humorous, it was also very detached, and I therefore had a hard time caring about or identifying with any of the characters until like 2/3 of the way through, which is just way too long. I feel like I finished it just to finish it and because I was so excited by the premise. There were definitely highlights but it was ultimately a miss for me, I think.
2. All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert--I enjoyed this as much as I enjoy all of her books--there's something about her authenticity and honesty and the way she looks at the world which I find really helpful in sorting through/thinking about some of my baggage even though mine is very different than hers. Very interesting to learn more about love addiction, addiction in general, and also just the hard parts of being human.
3. Mate by Ali Hazelwood--So, I've enjoyed Hazelwood's romances for a quick read in the past even though I have some issues with them. I wanted to try one of her fantasy books, so I picked this up at the library. I actually really enjoyed the werewolf politics aspect of this novel but it's mostly a romance. The romance was compelling but the, ahem, other stuff was not for me.****mild discussion of spicy stuff so skip if you don't wanna hear it****                                                         the werewolf sex scenes grossed me out a lot, and it is just, ahem, not for me. I will be avoiding werewolf romance/erotica and anything that advertises knotting in the future (the consent issues with that also bother me a lot although it's somewhat mitigated here). 
4. Sister Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Finding Freedom by Christine Brown Woolley--So I've caught episodes of Sister Wives here and there, though I'm by no means a regular watcher and not at all caught up on recent seasons. However, Christine was always my favorite and I heard in the news/general zeitgeist that she had left Kody, and, since I like reading memoirs way more than watching reality shows, I was interested in her memoir when it came out. She has a great voice, and I loved hearing from her point of view and learning what it was like to grow up and live in polygamist Mormon groups. It's really different from anything I've experienced or am familiar with, so it's interesting to learn and think about that point of view and also see her transformation in viewpoint and how she's affected by the larger world. Very happy for her where she's at, and glad she has a husband who truly cherishes her, good relationships with the kids, and maintained her special friendship with Janelle.
5. Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez (Book club read)--So--I absolutely hated this and was ready to DNF it because of the opening scene (threatened dog death--did not end up happening) and how much I hated both main characters in the beginning. I skipped forward and tried to read more since it was for a book club and the rest of the book is much better--I liked the characters better, the issues with dementia, family, and long-distance relationships had depth. I'd consider reading Jimenez again but I hope her other books have better beginnings!
6. Latke'd and Loaded by Jessica Topper--Another fun Hanukkah romance--I loved how the mistaken identities tropes played out here and especially loved Jonah as a character!
7. Match Me If You Can by Heidi Shertok--So, I'm really glad this book exists because it's an interesting peek into the modern Orthodox world. I also enjoyed the characters Ashira and Caleb and all the twists and turns. However, it could have used some more editing because some sections were just repetitive and unnecessary--like, we get what the characters' issues are, you don't need to hit us over the head with it. Ashira is one of these hilarious feisty women that I don't relate to but love reading about--reminds me a lot of Sara Goodman Confino's characters--and I definitely admire her bravery in the face of what she's dealing with and her persistence in her community and acceptance of people/Jewish characters who choose to live differently too.