everything i read in january

a lil recap of the 20 books i read in the first month of the year

i started off the first month of the year by not reading at all because on new year’s eve i came down with a cold of some sort, and i just didn’t have it in me to start off the new year reading.

even though i was sick for a while, i picked up reading a few days into the year and ended january with 20 books read over the month.

i had a pretty solid reading month, quality-wise — aside from a few misses - so let’s get into it.

i’m going to do this in chronological order from first to last read.

these wrap-up posts are always free, but right now i’m offering 20% off paid subscriptions until the end of the month. if you upgrade, you’ll get 20% off for as long as you are a paid subscriber. i’ve also reduced the cost of paid subscriptions in order to make them more accessible for people. thanks for being here no matter what!)

the stepdaughter (4)
by caroline blackwood
published: 1976

written in letter format, the stepdaughter is the story of a very unhappy housewife who has been left to take care of her stepdaughter after the housewife’s husband takes off to paris.

this was a quick read — just over 100 pages — that i could’ve easily read more of. given that this came out in 1976, it was probably a little taboo for its time which makes me love it so much more.

madonna in a fur coat (4.5)
by sabahattin ali
published: 1943

the rumours are true, if you haven’t read this one: the hype is definitely worth it. it’s an accessible classic and engrossing and with men yearning.

i mean what more could you want? it will low-key also break your heart, but absolutely worth the read and i’m so glad i finally read it.

happy all the time (4)
by laurie colwin
published: 1978

this was the second book i’ve read by laurie colwin and i love her writing so much. this was simply a delight and the dialogue is some of the best i’ve read in awhile.

is this a cry for help? (2)
emily austin
published: 2026

i recieved a physical advanced reader copy (arc) of this from the publisher. i’ve loved everything i’ve read by emily austin, so it’s a bummer that this was a bust for me. i’m not sure what direction this book was trying to take, but i just didn’t fit or any of the characters compelling.

how to survive a plague (5)
by david france
published: 2016

this is the second book centring around the AIDS crisis i’ve read relatively recently. i’m not sure what else to say other than this is a harrowing, devastating and must-read about how AIDS was tackled.

the chronology of water (5)
by lidia yuknavitch
published: 2011

this is my favourite book of january. the chronology of water is a vulnerable memoir that is painful to read about, but so phenomenally written that you won’t want to put it down.

this novel will take your breath away, both because of the subject matter and yuknavitch’s writing style. nothing i’ll say will do it justice so just take my word for it.

just watch me (2.5)
by lior torenberg
published: 2026

i also received a copy of just watch me from the publisher. i hate that i was disappointed by this, because it had so much promise.

it wasn’t terrible, but when a book is highly anticipated, and it ends up being less than stellar, that just fuels the disappointment even more.

i found the writing style kind of lazy, and there was so much room for character depth that we just didn’t get. ultimately not a memorable read for me.

medicine walk (3)
by richard wagamese
published: 2014

i’ve read and loved two others by wagamese (indian horse and ragged company), so i decided it was time to finally prioritize this one. i didn’t dislike this one but nor did i love it. however, i still love wagamese’s writing, and i’m looking forward to reading the others of his that i haven’t read yet.

near to the wild heart (5)
by clarice lispector
published: 1943

i’ve dubbed 2026 my year of clarice and we started off with a bang. i love stream-of-consciousness writing and storytelling and clarice succeeds at this in spades. i can understand why this one wouldn’t work for people — i think you have to be in the right kind of mindset to read it — but if you’re in the right mindset, it’s so so worth the read.

the feminine mystique (5)
by betty friedan
published: 1963

this was definitely revolutionary for its time, and i still think it’s an important read today. i don’t think it provides a new perspective, but it offers one from a time when women’s rights were worse than they are now. i think betty friedan was a trailblazer in the second wave of feminism in the US, which is what makes this book still important.

devotions (5)
by mary oliver
published: 2017

i’ve also decided that 2026 is my year of poetry so it made sense to me to start my journey with some mary oliver. i loved this collection: there’s something simplistic about mary oliver’s writing — and i mean that in the most complimentary of ways — that makes it comforting and familiar.

assata: an autobiography (5)
by assata shakur
published: 1987

assata shakur, the woman that you were. what an incredible woman she was and i’m so glad i read this. the world was a better place when she was in it. i’m not sure what else to say.

anything is possible (5)
by elizabeth strout
published: 2017

i read five books by elizabeth strout in 2025 and i’m looking to finish up the rest of her catalogue before her newest comes out. she’s become a favourite author of mine and the way she writes about everyday, mundane life is unparallelled. anything is possible was no different.

a beast slinks towards beijing (3)
by alice evelyn yang
published: 2026

the publisher reached out and offered me a gifted arc of this — while it was out of my wheelhouse i was excited to give it a chance. it was honestly fine, but i’m not sure i would have read it had i not been offered a gifted copy. it felt a bit corny to me in the end.

the complete works of alvaro de campos (4.5)
by fernando pessoa
published: 1930

i really want to read the book of disquiet soon, but i want to read some of pessoa’s work that was published while he was alive. i’m so fascinated by him and his creation of over 20 heteronyms. this was an incredible poetry collection of ‘alvaro de campos’ and i’m looking forward to diving more into pessoa’s work.

stone butch blues (2)
by leslie feinberg
published: 1993

it pains me that i didn’t love this because leslie feinberg was such a trailblazer in the gender transformation movement. this is without a doubt a culturally significant book, and i’m so glad it means a lot to so many people. the writing style just didn’t work for me, but i will still recommend it based on its cultural importance and significance.

half his age (3)
by jennette mccurdy
published: 2026

i’ll be honest, my rating is a generous 3 because it really isn’t that good of a book. it was fine, but it’s not something i haven’t read before. mccurdy’s writing feels too try-hard-y for me and it kept trying to make points long after they were made. did she think this was edgy? i don’t know, man.

game changer (3)
by rachel reid
published: 2018

i wasn’t sure if i was going to fall into the heated rivlary hype until i did. was this groundbreaking writing? no. but it was fun and i really actually liked the two characters in this one a lot.

my sister, the serial killer (5)
by oyinkan braithwaite
published: 2018

i’d had this on my tbr (to be read) for way, way too long until i finally just picked it up one day and decided to read it — in one sitting. and just like that i was done. why did i wait so long to read this? i’m not sure.

but man, this was so good, fun and chaotic with a deeper story i wasn’t necessarily expecting. i’m mad i waited so long, but at least the wait was worth it because i loved it so much.

oh, william! (4.25)
by elizabeth strout
published: 2021

what else do i need to say about elizabeth strout that i didn’t say earlier? i love her characters so, so much. they feel like real people that could be our neighbours, which is what makes her writing so special to me.

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have you read any of these? what was your favourite read of january?