I think I’ve just about gotten used to the fact that we are in 2026 now! One month checked off, and it was definitely a blink and I missed it kind of month. It was great though, pretty busy, and I had my first exam for my botany degree!
Reading Wrap
In January I read 4 books. One up from my new average! I found a little bit more of a rhythm with balancing everything in January, and I hope I can continue it. My reading graph is quite funny to look at, I managed to read at least 20 pages every day, and this last weekend I really made an effort to get a couple of books finished.
I had a real mix of books this month, and I do wonder if that’s another reason it went so well. A mystery, a fantasy, a romance and a non-fiction made for a great variety and I was never bored.
- Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd. The second book in Nora Breen Investigates, this was the secret book I read, and now I can talk about it! I looove Nora, she’s a fab character and the mystery was just the right amount of complicated without being outlandish.
- Ancient by Luke Barley. Luke is a woodsman, and this is a look into what that actually entails. He works primarily in ancient woodlands, and his love for these habitats is evident in the pages. He touches on a lot of different things here, from craft and arboriculture, to conservation and history. Loved it.
- The Snowball Effect by Haley Cass. A contemporary sapphic romance. Despite being over 500 pages, I read it very quickly. It was cute and fun, though could probably have used a good edit.
- The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings. A crazy fantasy set in New Orleans where music is magic. Going into this one, you really need to just sit back because it is nuts, and you will be confused! The characters are great though, and it is a fun read so it’s definitely worth it.
Books Aquired
A few of my pre-orders came in this month, most notably The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao, which I have been soooo excited for! I’m definitely hoping to read it in February. I also got my special edition of book 3 of Green Rider, The High Kings Tomb from The Broken Binding, and my pre-order of Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett.
Publisher wise, the folks at @HarperFiction sent me an arc of The Memory Bookshop by Song Yu-jeong, translated by Shanna Tan. It’s a short book, so I’m hoping to squeeze that in asap before it’s published!
I have to say, this is probably the most beautiful selection of covers I’ll have together this year haha.
Reading Challenges
As I said in my 2026 goals post, the only challenge I am doing now is r/Fantasy Book Bingo. 2025’s edition ends on March 31st, and I have 6 books left.
I didn’t manage to fill a spot in January, but I am optimistic for the next two months!
Blog Wrap
January was fairly busy with all the wrap up’s and new year bits and bobs, plus I finally got a review up!
REVIEWS:
DISCUSSIONS:
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Top Reads in Five Words
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Trends of 2026
- Let’s Talk Bookish: 2026 Anticipated Releases.
- Let’s Talk Bookish: Underrated Books
- Let’s Talk Bookish: January Freebie
OTHER:
- December Wrap-Up
- 2025 in Bookish Stats
- Top Reads from 2025
- 2026 Reading Plans & 2025 Review
- 2025 End of Year Survey Part 1
- 2025 End of Year Survey Part 2
- WWW Wednesday: 21/01/26
- WWW Wednesday: 28/01/26
Life Wrap
The first few days of January brought us a lot of unexpected snow! It was so pretty up on the moors.
I had my first botany exam for my degree, and we also started our lab experiment block.
I also did a lot of knitting this month, and I have really enjoyed making a variety of projects.
Pages of Emma 
Leave a reply to Keira @Keira’s Bookmark Cancel reply