My January Reading List
Every month, I like to share a little peek into my reading life. I’ll share a book I recently finished, what I’m currently reading and what I plan to read next. I’ll share a little bit about why I picked the book or what I thought about the book. Get ready to add a few more books to your TBR stack! Sign up for my newsletter if you’d like to receive this content automatically each month.
Just Finished: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matthew Dinniman
This trendy book is completely ridiculous and addictive. You are going to love or hate it. It is a bit of an homage to role playing games and is a mix of science fiction (aliens destroying our world) and fantasy (monsters and magic) where the surviving humans are forced to try and stay alive and complete levels in the underground dungeons all while it is being watched as an intergalactic gameshow. It is filled with dark humor and satire. I’m going to at least try the next couple, but who knows if I will be able to finish the whole series. I’ve been told the audio is excellent, but it’s only available through A**moz@n, which I opt out of if I can.
Currently Reading: Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown
This may sound weird, but I’ve not read Brown’s popular first book (The Book of Doors) yet because it was popular and too many people at the bookstore had already read it. #BooksellerProblems At the end of the year, I was reviewing a list of 2025 “top priority” books I’d made. This caught my attention because I wanted to return to reading more fantasy. It’s considered urban fantasy because it blends magical elements with a real-world contemporary setting, and I’ve found this often works well for me. I don’t mind some world building, but it’s often easier to become immersed when grounded in the familiar. I also like a good secret society storyline and there’s a bookstore! The basic premise is about the existence of a secret society based in a London bookshop, tasked with finding and protecting ordinary objects with magical powers from falling into the wrong hands. One of these objects emerges, setting off a dangerous pursuit around the world. It’s kept me turning the pages so far!
Up Next: Escape! by Stephen Fishbach
Although currently on a watching hiatus because I do not have the right streaming service (curses), I’ve been a dedicated and proud watcher of Survivor since season 1. My opinions on the show and why I love it are for another conversation, but I am 100% ready to read this book by a popular former participant. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that the premise is as follows: A propulsive debut novel following a has-been reality TV star and a disgraced producer who get one last shot at fame on a show set on a remote island, only to realize that the stakes are beyond what they ever imagined. It publishes January 27.
Supporting small businesses and independent bookstores is important to me. If you plan to purchase any of the books and do not have your own local indie to support, please consider ordering your books from Chapter One Book Store. You can learn more about the store and my partnership with them here. Please know that I do not receive any financial compensation for books that you purchase from their store and that is by choice!
As a small thank you if you do place an order with them, use the code BOOKED2026 when you check out to receive 10% off your purchase. You will find links to each book by clicking on the book cover or the linked title. These links also give you a more detailed description of each book!
