Reviewed: Everything I Read in JANUARY

I have been absolutely drowning in fantastic books--so much that it completely slipped my mind that I needed to post about my January reading!

January was a very busy month, but I still got a lot of reading done. I don't think there is a single book I finished that I didn't love, which seems unlikely but is true. I highly recommend each of the books listed below!

Reading Riches: Everything I Read This Month

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vols. 1-3, by Beth Brower

I’d heard so many people talk about loving this series, but it sounded more like a bullseye for my girls than for me. I put it on the library holds list and forgot about it. Later, I found myself without an audiobook to keep me company while cleaning and decided to give it a try.

Guys—I am hooked.

Emma M. Lion is a young woman on the cusp of coming into her maturity and has to figure out a way to keep her home, Lapis Lazuli, while still maintaining the relative who put the property in jeopardy. She takes in a tenant and befriends a Duke, but those are only two of the fun supporting cast in Emma's world. 

If you want to know what to expect, picture a Jane Austen–style social comedy filtered through a diary voice. The books are full of Emma's earnest overthinking, exaggerated inner drama, and delightfully self-serious observations. They are light, joyful, and totally charming--and the audiobooks are perfectly narrated.

My rating: 4/5

Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger

This is my second time reading Leif Enger’s incredible novel Peace Like a River, and I had the pleasure of discussing it with my book club this time.

Narrated by eleven-year-old Reuben Land, the story follows his family after a horrific event lands his brother Davy in jail. Alongside their father, Jeremiah—who seems to be followed by miracles—and their indomitable little sister, Swede, the family treks across the harsh winter landscapes of Minnesota and the Badlands of North Dakota in search of Davy.

Enger masterfully builds tension; I found myself gripping the pages, unable to do anything until the story resolved. And this was my second reading! Even knowing what would happen, I couldn’t put it down.

A few years ago, I came across John Piper’s article Not Heartwarming Christian Fiction, in which he writes of this book: 

“I fear saying something trite. I read one reviewer who said, ‘heartwarming.’ Like a rifle bullet in the head, it’s heartwarming. The heart needs something bigger and deeper than warming. And this book helps.” 

I couldn’t agree more. There’s something about this novel that evokes profound, tender emotions. It is so, so good—highly recommended to all readers.

My rating: 5/5

The Bird Hotel, by Joyce Maynard

I picked up The Bird Hotel after it was chosen as the Twin Falls Public Library’s January read.

The story follows Irene, a young American artist who arrives in a small Central American village after a personal tragedy. She checks into a neglected lakeside hotel at the base of a volcano. What she assumes will be a temporary stay becomes a life, as she restores the hotel and forms deep connections with the townspeople. Spanning decades and touched with the tiniest bit of magic, The Bird Hotel is a great story of grief, healing, and belonging. 

I learned that Maynard has spent a considerable amount of time in Central America, and it shows. The novel feels firmly rooted, coming alive through the colors, smells, and sounds of the culture. 

My rating: 4/5

Within Arm's Reach, by Ann Napolitano

Ann Napolitano is a wonderful writer, but this family saga wasn’t what I needed in January. It felt heavier than I was up for, and the characters left me more weighed down than engaged. I set it aside at about 25%.

My rating: DNF

Jayber Crow, by Wendell Berry

This book kept popping up for me in January—one of my book club friends read and loved it, and then it showed up in my podcast, YouTube, and Instagram feeds not once but three times. Clearly, it was time.

Jayber Crow is one of Wendell Berry’s Port William novels, written in 2000. What fascinates me about this series is its scope: Berry began writing about Port William in 1960 and continued adding to the community’s story until 2012. That’s a long time to live with a place and its people.

Told as a fictional memoir, Jayber Crow follows Jonah “Jayber” Crow, an orphaned barber who returns to the small town of Port William, Kentucky, in 1932. Over the course of his life, he becomes a faithful witness to the community, telling their stories as much as his own and observing how people—and places—change as the world changes around them.

This one is quiet, contemplative, and honest. Berry tells the hard truths with restraint, revealing the messiness of being human without being graphic. The result is a story that feels completely steady in the hands of its storyteller.

My rating: 4/5

How to Read a Book, by Monica Wood

Ah, I love a good Northeastern story. This novel introduces us to Violet Powell, a young woman recently released from prison and haunted by the knowledge that she is responsible for another person’s death. While incarcerated, Violet was part of a prison book club led by a retired teacher, Harriet Larson.

After her release, Violet finds herself alone in an unfamiliar town, trying to piece together a new life. A chance meeting with Harriet at a local bookstore pulls the past into the present—and unexpectedly connects them to the husband of the woman Violet killed. What follows is a quiet, searching story about guilt, grace, and the slow work of rebuilding a life.

This book has so much heart.

It does have some content warnings, so I recommend checking those out before reading.

My rating: 4/5

The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton

This is a classic novel that had long been on my TBR, but one I probably never would have picked up on my own. All I really knew was that it was set during the Gilded Age—until the Close Reads podcast crew added it to their 2026 lineup, which proved to be the proper motivation.

In the novel, New York’s old and new societies clash in the most civilized of ways, while individuals struggle to navigate desire, duty, and emerging ideas—all while trying to keep the peace with their families. 

And gosh, I loved it. Edith Wharton’s writing is bloody brilliant, if I may borrow an English expression to describe this thoroughly American novel. Drawing on her own memories and meticulous research, Wharton crafts a story of the final years of the Gilded Age that is gorgeous, fascinating, and utterly believable. This is absolutely masterful writing.

I already know this is a book I’ll return to!

My rating: 5/5

Library Additions: The Books I Bagged in January

I only made it to the thrift store twice in January, but still came home with four books. Well—three new ones, plus a better copy of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to replace my very beat-up original printing.

I also bought one new book. Sipsworth has been sitting on my TBR for a few years, and I finally found it at a great price. It was originally a planned February read, but I’m already behind and had to bump it. 🙂

Marked Passages: Thoughts That Made Me Feel, Think, or See Things Differently

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Turning the Page: Books I Can't Wait to Start

The Everlasting is a release from last year that topped Ann Bogel’s list for 2025. The girls and I loved Alix Harrow's previous novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and we’re watching our library holds list with anticipation. (It’s finally supposed to come in February!)

Another small joy on the horizon: listening to more of the Emma M. Lion saga while I clean house. (So fun.)

Since we’re already a good bit into February, I’ve obviously read a few things already—but I won’t spoil them here. I will say this: I just finished what I believe may be one of the best books I’ve ever read. My rule is that I can’t officially give a book that distinguishment until I’ve read it more than once, but suffice it to say it moved me deeply.

I don’t think a book has ever felt quite so much like a “right book, right time” read for me. I’m going to take the next few weeks to sit with it and, hopefully, be able to talk about it with some coherence in February’s post.

That brings us up to the present day. What are you reading right now? Have you had a “right book, right time” experience yourself?