Shan's Channel
My 2026 goal on Goodreads this year is to read 30 books. I recently purchased a Kindle, and have found myself reading more than ever! I tend to read mostly historical fiction, but have enjoyed exploring different genres this month. I read 7 books in the month of January, and am here to give you my honest thoughts and personal rankings of these books. I will try not to spoil!
- The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
You may have heard of this book as it became very popular in 2025. This is such a unique read as the entire book is written in letter writing form. It was a quick read, but I was amazed at the depth of the character building that was achieved. Overall, a breath of fresh air and would recommend if you are looking for a quick, beautiful story.
Rating: 5 ⭐️’s
2. The Wedding People by Alison Espach
I honestly just skimmed what this book was even supposed to be about, so was very surprised when I got like 30 pages in. However, I appreciated the exploration of mental health and vulnerability in this book, although do believe it missed the mark just slightly in parts. What I most enjoyed is that this could have easily turned into a love story, which it had elements of, but continued to keep the focus of the book on the main character and her mental health journey. I enjoyed the character development of the supporting characters in this book.
Rating: 4.75 ⭐️’s
3. Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Ok this is a tangent…however it is relevant. I grew up reading a lot of romance novels. It started with Sarah Dessen in middle school and then I moved on to Nicholas Sparks. Somewhere over the years I deviated away from romance novels. So, this was one of the first romance novels I have read in years, and I was reminded why I liked them so much! This was a beautiful story, slightly unrealistic in my opinion, but still fun to read. I felt like I knew what was going to happen in the end but still wanted to keep reading and enjoyed the story along the way!
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️’s
4. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb
This was an interesting story of a therapist explaining client stories, intertwined with her own journey in therapy, with some background on her life and journey. I found this a really interesting story and enjoyed the vulnerability in which the author explored her own story and how she related to those of her patients. Having been to therapy myself, I did find the inner thoughts and information on how therapists are trained interesting.
Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
5. Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
I know this book is really popular right now. I don’t know, I was just not that interested throughout the book. I appreciate how the book followed the characters throughout multiple decades. I just didn’t find myself connecting to any of the characters, and found myself bored throughout the book.
Rating: 3 ⭐️’s
6. The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
This was an overall fun and extravagant read. I found the plot to be a little ridiculous and over the top. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to reading smut, but I found myself wishing the characters developed a deeper emotional connection, as I felt like I got the picture they were physically attracted to each other. I swear I am not even that prude! Was still overall fun to read.
Rating: 3 ⭐️’s
7. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
I used to love dystopian novels growing up. I don’t think this book was bad, I think it’s just me. The book was overall a little graphic and too intense for me. I found the writing sometimes hard to follow and questioned what the point of some of the paragraphs were.
Rating: 3 ⭐️’s
I hope you all were able to enjoy some books in January! I would love to hear all of your thoughts on any of these books if you have read them!
