Reading Wrap-Up: January 2026

The six books I read this month, what I thought about them, and which ones might speak to you!

Jan 28, 2026

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How can a month simultaneously feel like it’s lasted three years and also like it’s flown by in three minutes? Wherever you are and however quickly or slowly this month has felt, I hope you have found some wonderful books to spark your curiosity, feed your soul, inspire your positive action, calm your nerves, or whatever you have most needed as we begin this new year.

Below you’ll find my thoughts on the six books I read in January, two fiction and four nonfiction. And since I shared my Top 10 Nonfiction and Top 10 Fiction of 2025 in lieu of a monthly wrap-up last month, I thought I’d mention my December reads here, too.

Let me know which of these you’ve read and/or will now be checking out!

January Wrap-Up:

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

I don’t typically read much fantasy, but for whatever reason I decided to begin my 2026 reading year with a book in this genre. What a delight! I had such a good time following librarian-turned-jam-shop-owner Kiela as she and her plant friend, Caz, started the next chapter of their lives in essentially a new world. The found family element of this story touched my heart multiple times, as did the examples of kindness, trust, and the courage it takes to put yourself out there and try something new. I immediately put the next book in the series on hold at my library and look forward to cozying up in this world again.

Life In Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin

I’ve read most of Rubin’s published works, starting with The Happiness Project (still my favorite of hers) over fifteen years ago up to last year’s Secrets of Adulthood, which we had such interesting discussions about in our nonfiction book club (come join us!). She begins Life In Five Senses with a bit of a wake-up call she had regarding her vision, which then led to her exploration of our five senses, the importance and value of each, and how much richer our lives can be when we pay closer attention to them. Some interesting insights shared along with a good reminder not to take our senses for granted.

Find Your People by Jennie Allen

A really nice refresher on the importance of relationships and how to more fully cultivate them in our lives. This was my second book by the author (I remember enjoying Get Out Of Your Head a few years back) and I appreciated her willingness to share not only her ideas and suggestions, but also the challenges and struggles she experiences on the topic, too. I love the phrase ‘deep community’ found in the book’s subtitle, which feels so much more meaningful to me than ‘surface level’ or ‘quantity over quality;’ I’ve since been exploring and experimenting with more ways to bring even greater depth to various relationships in my life, both longstanding ones as well as new ones.

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Euphoria by Lily King

As I mentioned back in my September wrap-up after reading Lily King’s latest, Heart The Lover, she has solidified her placement on my ‘favorite authors of all-time list,’ and Euphoria further cemented that standing. This was quite a unique story, both in general as well as in my experience with King specifically, and it admittedly took me a little while to get into - but once I was in, I was in. Inspired by the work and life of Margaret Mead, the bulk of this story focused on three anthropologists and their experiences, professionally and personally, in various fictional places, settings, and cultures. Her descriptive writing is so convincing I actually had to look up some of the places and details she wrote about to reaffirm this was all fiction, crafted completely from her imagination. I am aiming to complete King’s entire back list this year and am enjoying every step in the journey.

From Paycheck To Purpose by Ken Coleman

Every so often, while searching for one particular book in my library’s catalog, I come across a completely new-to-me title that I end up putting on hold as well - which was exactly the case with From Paycheck To Purpose. With my life’s work and my coaching firm’s name focused on meaning and purpose, how could I pass this title up? I really enjoyed Coleman’s approach for getting clear on your dream career and defining the work that matters to you, followed by useful ideas, helpful examples, and practical actions to support the do-ability of his suggestions. I am always interested in how others view purpose and what it means for them, and I appreciated Coleman’s perspective, as well as his encouragement and optimism throughout the book.

100 Rules For Living To 100 by Dick Van Dyke

Speaking of optimism, let’s talk about Dick Van Dyke’s recent book! I remember him from the wonderful Mary Poppins movie; other than that I haven’t really followed his career, so I wasn’t sure if this book would speak to me. Any doubts disappeared within the first few pages and I ended up completing this one in quite a short period of time. I adored Van Dyke’s optimistic attitude, how he found and honed his passions, the influential people (such as his school drama teacher) whom he credits for making such an impact in his life, his approach to handling regrets from the past, the fact that he still performs in an a capella group (The Vantastics - classic!)… I could go on and on. The timing of this book arriving in my life could not have been better, and if you could benefit from a dose of delight - mixed in with some difficulty and tragedy, too, as a full life will contain - I recommend picking this one up. It also brought to mind a previous book club pick, The Well-Lived Life, written by centenarian Gladys McGarey, which I also recommend.

*Both the cover and the contents are absolutely beautiful. Can’t wait to discuss in book club!*

Next Month’s Book Club Pick: Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton

We kicked off the book club year in January with excellent discussions about How To Winter by Kari Leibowitz. With members from both the northern and southern hemispheres, as well as some participants experiencing their first winter in a completely different environment, our discussions were rich with ideas, experiences, unique perspectives, and inspiration. So fun!

Next month, we’ll be discussing one of the most beautiful and surprising books I read in all of last year: Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton. Reading And Purpose Nonfiction Book Club members will receive the Reading + Reflection Guide - filled with reflection prompts, related recommended titles, podcast episodes and additional resources for further exploration, and more - next week. You are welcome to join us! Simply upgrade your subscription and you’re an automatic member.

December 2025 Reads:

Since I posted my year-end lists and articles in December and didn’t share my typical monthly wrap-up, I thought I’d at least mention the titles here. Feel free to comment below if you’d like to hear more about any of these books - I loved almost all of them!

Your Turn!

What book kicked off your reading year? What standout(s) did you read in January? Share your recommendations in the comments below!

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