January 2026 Reads

2026 got off to a decent start. I didn't get through four books, because for the fourth one, I chose an audiobook, and I didn't have a lot of occasions for listening to an audiobook. Then I realized I wasn't going to hit my goal, so I also got Wuthering Heights to reread in anticipation of the movie coming out, and it is HARD reading! I will continue to work on both of these books as well as my February books.

So, a rundown of my January reads (that I completed!):

1) Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors I really enjoyed this. It was about a family of girls and it gave the perspectives of each one. It explored the similarities and differences between them and how they had been affected by their upbringing. It had funy parts, sad parts and the characters were really relatable and interesting. I will definitely check out other books by this author. One thing I really liked about this book is that it was set in the US and the UK, and the characters had parents from the UK who lived in the states, so that was relatable for me.

2) The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins This book was on my TBR list, but as I started it, I realized that I had started and abandoned another book by the same author, so I was worried I wouldn't like it. the book I abandoned (The Villa) was one of those switching back and forth between times, which I am really over, I find there are way too many of them and they mostly just annoy me now! Fortunately, The Heiress only did this a little, and not until later in the book, so I was already invested! It was pretty entertaining. One of those books that keeps you invested through the twists and turns, but is overall pretty forgettable once you have reached the last page. I wouldn't say I would rush to read more by this author, but I found this one okay.

3) Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See I really enjoyed this one. It is very much the kind of story I like. I find historical fiction fascinating, especially when it is a time or location that I'm not familiar with and 15th century China definitely qualifies! It tells the story of an upper class woman who is raised by her physician grandparents and gains knowledge of medicine in a time when this was not usual for women. The book explores gender and class issues in the time and place and demostrates that even for pampered upper class women, life could be seriously unpleasant. I love reading books that remind me that even as a relatively poor person in the modern world, life is pretty darned great!

That is all I finished for this month, I will update on the DNF (yet!) books once I complete them!