Here are the titles I gave five stars this month. A list of all the titles I read this month is at the end of this post. In January 2026, I read 31 books, 10 of those being audiobooks. I read 5 books from my shelves and my most read genre is once again cozy mysteries! 

Tell me – what have you read that you enjoyed?

Frosted Frappe Felony by Tonya Kappes – This series and latest entry is perfect for readers who love a community-centered amateur sleuth, coffee shop mysteries, and mysteries that unfold with clever clues and cozy charm. I finished this in a day, curled under a warm blanket. Roxy Bloom’s Bean Hive Coffee Shop is the heart of the town and the cozy and delicious descriptions made me feel as if I were right there, snug in her shop.

All My Bones by PJ Nelson (Old Juniper Bookstore Mysteries #2) – Southern cozy mystery with great humor, wonderful characters and a killer plot (haha, see what I did?). I grabbed this on audio and absolutely adored it. Old bookshop, a buried skeleton and a small town full of grudges.

The Tattered Cover by Ellery Adams – “It was a dark, rainy night at Nora Pennington’s Miracle Books when a mysterious death brings the Secret, Book, and Scone Society into the Halloween season on the trail of a murderer…” I cannot say enough good things about the Secret, Book, & Scone Society mystery series (this is book 8). They are excellent in print and audio. They have just the perfect blend of cozy and darker themes/struggles that make the characters so real. And the book love is not to be missed. 

This Is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch by Tabitha Carvan – This was just SO much fun to read. This is a “hilarious, heartfelt memoir about one woman’s midlife obsession with Benedict Cumberbatch, and the liberating power of reclaiming our passions as we age, whatever they may be.” You gotta go with it when you first start…if you’re like me you might think, “ok this is too much,” but stick with it and you will see where she is going. I wanted to hug it when I finished and shout from the rooftops about my passions! So fun! 

Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates by Cheryl Klein – This was so funny and thoughtful and kind and real (despite it being about talking hamsters). Don’t we all say things that we later think about and realize maybe that wasn’t exactly what we were trying to say? And this shows how to fix that! And the art of compromise – no to talking while reading, yes to chatting while eating – sounds perfect to me. Love love love!

Big by Vashti Harrison – This is an absolutely stunning book both in illustrations and message. The author’s note deserves 5 gold stars, as well. I hugged it when I finished and then immediately read it again.

The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly – I read this page-turning middle grade science fiction story in one sitting. I loved the characters so much. Our story is set in 1999 and features twelve year-old Michael and his teenage sitter Gibby. One day a confused and slightly different teenager named Ridge appears in their apartment complex. It turns out Ridge is from the WAY future and he has traveled back in time, as the world’s first time traveler. So much love for the story and the found family elements. 

All the books I read in January 2026:

Gull and Bones Sally Goldenbaum

MSW: Destination Murder Jessica Fletcher

Meet the Newmans Jennifer Niven

Trapped and Tested Sharon Marchisello

In Skein Sight Rebecca McKinnon

A Texas-Sized Fake Out Michele Dunaway

A Bone to Pick Charlaine Harris

Tippy Toe Murder Leslie Meier

Buried in a Bog Sheila Connolly

The Little Lost Library Ellery Adams

MSW: A Vote for Murder Jessica Fletcher

MSW: Dying to Retire Jessica Fletcher

The Little Spark – 30 Ways to Ignite Your Creativity Carrie Bloomston

The Mating Game Lana Ferguson

The Queen Who Came in From the Cold S.J. Bennett

Death and Dinuguan Mia P. Manansala

The Mysterious Death of Junetta Plum Valerie Wesley

I Eat Poop.: A Dung Beetle Story Mark Pett

While Everyone is Sleeping Sarah Mackenzie

A Grimm Warning Chris Colfer

Olivetti Allie Millington

Drama Raina Telgemeier

The Secret of the Old Clock Carolyn Keene

Mayhem and Malice in Malta Victoria Tait

Frosted Frappe Felony Tonya Kappes

All My Bones PJ Nelson

The Tattered Cover Ellery Adams

This Is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch Tabitha Carvan

Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates Cheryl Klein

Big Vashti Harrison

The First State of Being Erin Entrada Kelly