Jan Reading Review ☃
thoughts on books from January
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Happy 2026, friends! I hope January has treated you kindly. I’m in the USA, and this month has been full of anger and despair, but also of community, love, and support. Like the emotions of this month, my book selections have been a real mixed bag. Aside from fiction/lit fic, I read some macabre nonfiction and haunting poetry. I’ve been mostly sticking to my 2026 rules (see below) but did pick up the special edition paperback of Don’t Let the Forest In by cgdrews. I’m also crocheting a granny square for each book I read this year with the goal of a complete blanket by Dec 31! Check all of those out below as well 🧶
As always, I’ve included my TBR at the end of the post. Don’t forget to comment because I want to know what’s on your TBR list 📚
Sour Cherry - Natalia Theodoridou
Ok, technically I finished this in the last week of December, so no granny square for her. This is a modern retelling of Blackbeard, the mythologized serial killer. It’s hard to describe this novel because it genuinely feels like nothing I have read before. There are dreamlike parts contrasted with stage directions and personal addresses from our narrator. Ghosts and fairy tales are used as a provocative allegory for abuse without it ever feeling childish or overdone. Natalia Theodoridou is also a queer and trans author, with this stunner being his debut! I am eagerly awaiting more of his work.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
When I Arrived at the Castle - E.M. Carroll
I loved this graphic novel. Sapphic vampires in twisting, turning worlds. Is this the narrators first time at the castle? How many, if any, have come before her? I really can’t say more without giving too much away regarding the plot. The illustrations are gorgeous with the palette sticking to black, white, and red.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science - William M. Bass, Jon Jefferson
My first non-fiction of the year! I took forensic anthropology in college and got to work with cadaver bones, learning to identify race, gender, and age. This brought me right back to that class. I wouldn’t recommend for those squeamish around death, dying, and cadavers, though. Each chapter follows a case Dr. Bill Bass worked through his 50+ year career, either as an independent or with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. One of the most notable stories in the book recounts consulting with the son of The Big Bopper to answer questions surrounding his father’s death. The Big Bopper was one of the three musicians who died in the plane crash immortalized as “the day the music died” by Don McLean in American Pie. I had a lot of fun with this one!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am The Rage: A Black Poetry Collection - Dr. Martina McGowan
Through a blend of personal experiences and shared collective pain, in I am The Rage, Dr. Martina McGowan engages readers in a vital dialogue about racial trauma and inequality.
This collection is breathtaking in its prose and heartbreak. The narrator is specifically addressing White people, using the capital “You” to point the finger, a spotlight. As a white person, these poems made me uncomfortable — but that’s the point! Because comfortable is complacent and being complacent with the state of the US right now does not align with my values. I cannot say enough good things about this collection. My favorite, or most impactful poems, were “Benediction Number 9,” “A New Song,” and “Traffic Stop.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Bewitching - Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Told through three interweaving timelines, The Bewitching is a tale about, well, witchcraft! From Mexico to New England, we follow the story of strange happenings surrounding Minerva, her great-grandmother Alba, and the subject of Minerva’s master’s thesis, Beatrice Trembley, who disappeared from campus in 1934. This had me gripped from start to finish and is, in my opinion, Moreno-Garcia’s best showing yet. I don’t think I would call this “dark academia” exactly, but if you like mysteries set at colleges in New England, you will love this!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The League of Lady Poisoners: Illustrated True Stories of Dangerous Women - Lisa Perrin
This is a collection of 25 women poisoners, from Cleopatra to Jane Toppan. The book is broken down into motive sections: money, love, political power, etc. Lisa Perrin also provides beautiful illustrations throughout. This was easy to fly through but deeply researched. Perrin does an amazing job of providing historical context and nuance is discussing some really bad women. I was left wanting though; 25 women made for short chapters, and I wanted more insight into some of these cases. Overall, a fun read with beautiful visuals.
⭐⭐⭐
Tantrum - Rachel Eve Moulton
This novel was simply confusing. It’s broken into three sections, and each read like an entirely different story. The first portion centers on Thea, her family, and new daughter Lucia who may or may not be demonic. The opening scene is visceral and griped me right away, but then the novel promptly lets the read free fall as it moves into sections two and three. Section two dispelled all of the intrigue of part one, making the body horror feel jokey. Section three was just a soap opera with the themes being slammed into your face. Do you get it? It’s about trauma! Get it, get it, get it?? Such a disappointment.
⭐⭐
DNF ⚰
Hard Copy by Fien Veldman
TBR ✨
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
The Darkness Greeted Her by Christina Ferko
Crafting for Sinner by Jenny Kiefer
I'm disappointed the lady poisoners only got 3 stars because that sounds intriguing.
i am so curious about Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab. it's on my TBR, too, let me know if you pick it up and what you think about it