What I Read ♥ January 2026
I started off 2026 strong by beginning the New Year with multiple 5-star reads! Even with all the craziness that went on (and is still raging on) in January. I found escapism through books and ended up reading more than I intended to, 6 books! Out of the 6 books I read in January, I awarded it 5 stars! I also managed to read all the books in my Capricorn TBR. I would consider that a very successful reading month!
For 2026, I adjusted my star reading rating scale by adding an N/A, which is intended for books that I prefer not to rate, such as memoirs.
Make sure to follow me on Goodreads to be updated on what I’m reading and on StoryGraph if you’re curious about my book statistics.
My star reading rating scale
★★★★★/5 – Loved it! I would reread and recommend this book to others.
★★★★/5 – Kept me entertained. There were a few things that bothered me. I would reread.
★★★/5 – Didn’t love or hate and would recommend to others.
★★/5 – Did not enjoy it and probably skimmed through most of it to get to the end.
★/5 – I hated it and regret wasting my time!
DNF – Did not finish.
N/A – Not Available. Meant for memoirs or books I prefer not to rate.
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The Housemaid by Freida McFadden ★★★★★/5
Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.
I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.
I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late. But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am. They don’t know what I’m capable of…
The Housemaid series has been a series that has been recommended to me by so many for years! I don’t know why I kept putting it off, but now that I’ve finished the first book in the series, I get the hype! There were so many unexpected twists! I loved it! I’m actually currently reading the second book, so I can’t wait to see what unfolds in the series next. I also want to eventually watch the film when I complete the series.
You can purchase The Housemaid here
It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn ★★★★★/5
A groundbreaking approach to transforming traumatic legacies passed down in families over generations, by an acclaimed expert in the field
You know I love reading a good self-help book! It Didn’t Start With You discusses how unresolved family trauma can continue into future generations if left undealt with and how one can overcome and heal past generational wounds to end the cycle. This was so fascinating to read, though a bit obvious at times. It actually left me curious about the undisclosed history in my family tree. I do have a big family!
You can purchase It Didn’t Start With You here
The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery by Brianna Wiest ★★★★★/5
This is a book about self-sabotage. Why we do it, when we do it, and how to stop doing it—for good. Coexisting but conflicting needs create self-sabotaging behaviors. This is why we resist efforts to change, often until they feel completely futile. But by extracting crucial insight from our most damaging habits, building emotional intelligence by better understanding our brains and bodies, releasing past experiences at a cellular level, and learning to act as our highest potential future selves, we can step out of our own way and into our potential. For centuries, the mountain has been used as a metaphor for the big challenges we face, especially ones that seem impossible to overcome. To scale our mountains, we actually have to do the deep internal work of excavating trauma, building resilience, and adjusting how we show up for the climb. In the end, it is not the mountain we master, but ourselves.
Continuing on my self-improvement journey. I read The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest. The Mountain Is You mainly focuses on self-sabotage and how we often are what’s stopping ourselves from moving forward in life, and what you can do to help propel you to get past the theoretical mountain. I found it really insightful and motivational, especially with it being the beginning of the year.
I do believe I have read all of Wiest’s self-help books now! Out of all of them, I do believe this is one of her more gentle books. I’ve mentioned in the past that her books can be a bit harsh, almost to the point of toxic positivity. However, I would consider The Mountain Is You to be a great entry point for Wiest’s work.
You can purchase The Mountain Is You here
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata ★★★★/5
Keiko has never fit in, neither in her family, nor in school, but when at the age of eighteen she begins working at the Hiiromachi branch of “Smile Mart,” she finds peace and purpose in her life. In the store, unlike anywhere else, she understands the rules of social interaction―many are laid out line by line in the store’s manual―and she does her best to copy the dress, mannerisms, and speech of her colleagues, playing the part of a “normal” person excellently, more or less. Keiko is very happy, but the people close to her, from her family to her coworkers, increasingly pressure her to find a husband, and to start a proper career, prompting her to take desperate action…
My first reread of the year and my second book in my Capricorn TBR! This short but strange book about what happens when we let others’ opinions make us want to conform to fit the societal standards. Just like the first time I read this novel, I loved it. I love how the main character knows who they are despite wanting to change for the people she loves. It’s a bit sad at time but I was satisfied with the ending. In fact, I’m now tempted to reread Earthlings, another book by Sayaka Murata!
You can purchase Convenience Store Woman here
Meet Addy: An American Girl (American Girl: Addy #1) by Connie Rose Potter ★★★★★/5
Addy Walker’s family is planning a dangerous escape from slavery in the summer of 1864. But before they can make the escape, the worst happens–Master Stevens decides to sell some of his slaves, including Poppa and Addy’s brother, Sam. Addy and Momma take the terrible.
My first American Girl book! If you didn’t read my 2026 reading goals, this is your sign to go see why I’m reading the historical American Girl books! I decided to start with Addy’s series first because I heard it’s the best out of all the historical character books. Plus, February is Black History Month and I would like to be able to read all six of Addy’s books in her series before he end of the month.
Meet Addy was an emotional journey, which I expected, I mean, it discusses escaping slavery towards freedom. However, hearing this story from young and innocent Addy’s perspective was heartbreaking. But, I was captivated the entire time! The end of the book does end with many unanswered questions. However, as I mentioned, there are six other books in the Addy’s series which I hope answers all these questions.
You can purchase Meet Addy here
The Compound by Aisling Rawle ★★★★★/5
Lily—a bored, beautiful twentysomething—wakes up on a remote desert compound alongside nineteen other contestants on a popular reality TV show. To win, she must outlast her housemates while competing in challenges for luxury rewards, such as champagne and lipstick, and communal necessities to outfit their new home, like food, appliances, and a front door.
The cameras are catching all her angles, good and bad, but Lily has no desire to leave: Why would she, when the world outside is falling apart? As the competition intensifies, intimacy between the players deepens, and it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between desire and desperation. When the producers raise the stakes, forcing contestants into upsetting, even dangerous situations, the line between playing the game and surviving it begins to blur. If Lily makes it to the end, she’ll receive prizes beyond her wildest dreams—but what will she have to do to win?
I began January with a 5-Star read, and I ended the month with a 5-star read! The Compound is a reality television show based in the desert with 20 contestants, 10 girls and 10 boys. What essentially starts as a reality dating series turns out to be a Hunger Games-esque survival journey set in the background of a dystopian world. I thoroughly enjoy this book! It was so compelling and entertaining! I also loved all the messages that this book is trying to tell you. It’s obvious, but so important as well!
My only complaint was that they didn’t really mention too much of what’s going on in the outside world. You get some hints, but it’s never fully disclosed. It’s up to interpretation. But it didn’t bother me too much to knock down a star.
You can purchase The Compound here
Have you read any of these books? What did you read in January?
