Reading Lately: January 2026 Book Reviews

Which books are worth the read and which should you skip? Find out what books I’ve been reading lately and whether I recommend them.

I’m kicking the year off right with plenty of new 2026 book releases hot off the press. 

I decided to take full advantage of my Spotify audiobook hours, my Book of the Month club, and my advanced review copies from NetGalley to read some of the hottest new releases. While I was underwhelmed by a few, I had some very solid reads.

While I was visiting family in Colorado over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, I visited the hot springs with my sister-in-law and her friends. Apparently, they have a book club where the read a book and then watch the movie. Not going to lie, I was super jealous and possibly inspired to start my own book & movie club. Until then, I decided I’d add my reviews for the books turned movies I watched this month.

Scroll down to see my reviews, and, as always, be sure to let me know what you’ve been reading lately in the comments!

Camille Bayliss suspects her husband Ben, a hotshot lawyer, has been hiding dirty secrets for years but she can’t prove it because he tracks her every move. Aubrey Price blames Ben for the death of her parents a decade ago. Together, Aubrey and Camille hatch a plan to switch places for twelve hours so Camille can spy on Ben. When Ben is found murdered the next morning, only one of them has an alibi.

After the success of her bestselling thriller First Lie Wins, Ashley Elston returns with a complex mystery covering three timelines and multiple character perspectives. Although the author clearly states the who and when of each chapter, I initially had a hard time keeping everyone straight and the jumping narrative might be even harder for audiobook listeners to track. With a crazy premise and plenty of twists and turns, Anatomy of an Alibi was an entertaining read. However, it lacked that extra spark that really elevates a great thriller.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Viking Penguin through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 13 January 2026
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In a sequel to The Last Thing He Told Me, Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter Bailey have settled into a new life five years after Owen disappeared. When Owen suddenly reappears at one of Hannah’s exhibits, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger. Forced to run, Hannah must do everything she can to protect Bailey from Owen’s past while realizing there might be only one way out for the three of them.

The First Time I Saw Him is an unnecessary sequel written solely so the tv adaptation of The Last Thing He Told Me could have a second season. Admittedly, I wasn’t very invested in the first book so I probably should have just skipped the sequel. People who enjoyed the The Last Thing He Told Me will probably be grateful for more backstory and a happily-ever-after for Hannah and Bailey. As far as the writing, my biggest complaint is that the pacing was all over the place. Dave constantly flips from action to introspection and from past to present, dragging the whole book down to a dull slow pace.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 6 January 2026
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Music executive Theo is tasked with reviving the Future Saints, a pop band that has been tanking ever since the death of Ginny, the band manager and the lead singer’s sister. When lead singer Hannah channels her grief into a new rock sound, Theo uses it to create a new tour and a new album. But Hannah’s increasing volatility seem to be sabotaging all of Theo’s efforts as grief and fame don’t seem to mix in this story of sisterhood and the ghost that haunts us.

The Future Saints shines with a memorizing story of grief spiraling into addiction and a mental breakdown. You can’t help but root for devil-may-care Hannah as her desperation to keep her sister’s memory alive results in creativity and growing fame yet also drives her to the breaking point. With a thought-provoking look at the exploitation of the music industry, Theo’s kindness serves as a compassionate counterbalance to Hannah’s volatility and their slow burn love story hits perfectly. The Future Saints is an unputdownable tale that showcases the messiness of humanity in all its highs and lows.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 20 January 2026
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Homeschooled is a memoir of a mother’s overwhelming love and the dangers of an unregulated education system. When he was nine years old, Stefan Merrill Block’s mother pulled him from school fearing it was stifling his creativity. With homeschooling having just become legal in Texas, she taught Stefan in their living room with formal math lessons and random unhinged projects. After five years, Stefan begged to go back to public school where he was in for a rude awakening as a freshman. 

In the vein of Jennette McCurdy’s I’m Glad My Mom Died, Stefan Merrill Block’s memoir shows the danger of a mother who manipulates her love to force her child to fill some desperate need inside themselves. Block’s memoir is heartbreaking and shocking as his mother neglects his education and stifles his interactions with his peers. Block’s struggles to reintegrate in high school and the lasting repercussions of his homeschooling years warn of the dangers of unregulated homeschooling for those who use it to hide their neglect and abuse from public view.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 6 January 2026
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On New Year’s Day in Australia, medical student Lexi is about to take the leap to more-than-friends with her roommate Jack when bad news arrives: Lexi’s father and brother died in a skiing accident. Suddenly, Lexi finds herself next in line to the throne of England, a role she had publicly disavowed. Returning to London, Princess Alexandrina must face her grieving sister-in-law hiding a secret and an uncle desperate to ascend to power. When her grandmother gives her one year to decide, Lexi must weigh her loyalty to the crown versus the desires of her heart.

Instead of the cutesy romance I was expecting, I was pleasantly surprised to find The Heir Apparent is a thought-provoking contemporary fiction novel with a love story included. Armitage hits on the weight of loyalty. Should Lexi accept her family legacy and use that power to do good in the world? Or should just reject the frivolousness, isolation and power games inherent to the role and live her life as a normal citizen? With obvious parallels to current British royalty, The Heir Apparent slowly reveals Lexi’s complicated family history and the price they have paid for being royalty.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 2 December 2025
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Margot Lee Shetterly recounts the little known true story of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians and engineers. Often segregated from their white colleagues, these fierce women used pencil and paper to calculate the physics needed to land men on the moon. From the early days at NACA during WWII to the creation of NASA, these women fought for respect and equality as they worked behind-the-scenes to change the world.

It’s never a good sign when you realize you are two-thirds of the way through an audiobook and you can’t name a single character. Margot Lee Shetterly takes an important topic and utterly fails to make it interesting. While I learned a lot about aeronautics and workplace sexism and segregation, Shetterly doesn’t convey personalities for any the women causing them to all merge together. With little drama and poor narrative writing, Hidden Figures remains a dry academic read that won’t engage the casual reader. 

My Rating:
Publication Date: 6 September 2016
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In June 1972, five burglars were caught in the Watergate offices of the Democratic National Committee. Washington Post assigned political reporter Bob Woodward to cover the minor incident and quickly Woodward suspected more was going on. Teaming up with Carl Bernstein, Woodward spent years slowly unraveling a major conspiracy involving President Nixon and all his closest political advisors. Often alone among the media, Woodward and Bernstein’s persistent investigative reporting eventually lead to the downfall of President Nixon.

Usually I prefer to read a book before I watch the film adaptation but I’m so glad I broke that rule for All the President’s Men. Woodward and Bernstein’s investigation uncovered a massive conspiracy with dozens of people and the movie helped me keep the major players straight. I was fascinated by Bernstein and Woodward’s persistence as the constantly pick at the edges of the conspiracy until they slowly reveal the meat of the entire scheme. While the movie cuts out at Nixon’s reelection, the book continues until the revelation of Nixon’s incriminating Watergate tapes. A major piece of investigative reporting, All the President’s Men reminds you of the importance of a free press to keep government in check.

My Rating:
Publication Date: 5 June 1974
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Poppy and Alex have been best friends for years even though she’s a wild child full of wanderlust and he’s an introverted bookworm. Although she lives in New York City and he still lives in their hometown, every year they take a week-long vacation together. Until two years ago, when their trip ended in a falling out. Now Poppy convinces Alex to take one final vacation with her in an attempt to fix their relationship … and maybe even fall in love.

I wasn’t particularly impressed when I read People We Meet on Vacation. I found Poppy extremely annoying and thought Alex deserved better. However, I was completely charmed by the film. Emily Bader’s Poppy is perfectly endearing in her exuberant charismatic way while Tom Blyth’s Alex is lovable and disarming. The chemistry between Poppy and Alex shines and the movie provided the perfect blend of romance and comedy. I’m now excited to see the rest of Emily Henry’s books come to life.

My Movie Rating:
Publication Date: 11 May 2021
Movie Release: 9 January 2026
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph | More Info
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

In June 1972, five burglars were caught in the Watergate offices of the Democratic National Committee. Washington Post assigned political reporter Bob Woodward to cover the minor incident and quickly Woodward suspected more was going on. Teaming up with Carl Bernstein, Woodward spent years slowly unraveling a major conspiracy involving President Nixon and all his closest political advisors. Often alone among the media, Woodward and Bernstein’s persistent investigative reporting eventually lead to the downfall of President Nixon.

All the President’s Men is a slow atmospheric film with an all-star cast. Both renowned actors, Robert Redford (Bob Woodward) and Dustin Hoffman (Carl Bernstein) knock it out of the park while Jason Robards won an Oscar for best supporting actor for his portrayal of their editor. You can feel the intensity as Woodward, Bernstein, and the Washington Post put their reputations on the line with their persistence despite White House pressure. Debuting only four years after the Watergate break-in, All the President’s Men was contemporary to the actual events which gives it an astounding realistic feel. The movie explains the complex conspiracy so well that I’m glad I watched it before I read the book.

My Movie Rating:
Publication Date: 5 June 1974
Movie Release: 7 April 1976
Learn More: Goodreads | StoryGraph
Buy Now: Amazon | Apple Books

I always seem to have multiple books going at once. Here’s a peek at what I’m currently reading.

What’s up next for me? Before I let you go, here are a few of the titles I’m hoping to get through this upcoming month.

Be sure to come back next month to see which ones I read.

Which Books Did You Read in January?

What books did you love this month? Which books can you not wait to read? As always, let me know in the comments!

More Book Lists to Enjoy:

• Reading Lately: December 2025
• January 2026 Book Releases
• The Best Book Clubs for 2026
• Booklist Queen’s 2026 Reading Challenge

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