ShortBookandScribes January 2026 Reads, Book Post and Stats
Hello and welcome to my January round up.
In terms of viewing pleasures, my main enjoyment in January came via The Traitors. In recent years I’ve gone right off reality shows and so, despite its popularity, I hadn’t watched the first three series, although I did watch the celebrity version. I’m kicking myself now because it is SO good and I was absolutely rooting for lovely Stephen and his fellow traitor Rachel to win.
I’ve also been watching series 2 of After the Flood which I think I’m enjoying more than series 1 and I’m making my way through Shetland too. I started watching it when it was first aired but for some reason I stopped. I had to restart from the beginning of course and I’m now up to series 7 and enjoying it so much.
So to the books and my first two books of 2026 were coincidentally about hotels. They couldn’t be more different to each other though.
An incredible story of a woman who is in a hotel room with her lover when it comes under siege. Will be one of my favourite books of the year.
Hopeful Hearts at the Wartime Hotel by Maisie Thomas
Book two in a trilogy about three women stepping outside their comfort zones and expected roles in wartime. A lovely read.
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
Gorgeous bookish story of Tilly who receives the gift of a book each month for a year from her late husband Joe.
Vivian Dies Again by C.E. Hulse
An unusual and clever story of calamitous Viv who is stuck in a time loop and keeps being murdered over and over.
The Wartime Mother by Lizzie Page
The third in the Wartime Evacuees trilogy follows Francine who is sent to live with Winnie. Both provide comfort to the other. An enjoyable wartime story.
The Mirage by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Morland Dynasty book 22 continues the story of the family in Victorian times.
The Cause by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Book 23 – Morland Place is being run into the ground and Lady Venetia Fleetwood continues with her plan to become a fully-fledged doctor.
I also posted a guest post by Linda MacDonald about her book, Meeting Lydia, which has just been made available again on Kindle.
Book post received this month with thanks to the named publishers:
The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski (sent by Penguin Figtree)
A Cottage in the Country by Katie Fforde (sent by Bloomsbury)
The Café on the Coast by Christie Barlow (sent by One More Chapter)
Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth (sent by The Borough Press)
What Really Happened to Me by Ellie Barker (sent by EdPR)
Woodspring by Elizabeth Buchan (sent by Corvus)
I was also one of the lucky winners of a giveaway by Sally Page, my prizes being one of her gorgeous Plooms fountain pens (Plooms was set up by Sally) in a colour of my choice (I chose bright pink) together with The Book Lover’s Journal 2026 which has so much space to record my reads plus lots of interviews with authors.
I also bought:
The One Who Got Away by Sarah Rayner
Welcome to the Neighbourhood by Jane Fallon
And these two with gorgeous sprayed edges:
Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven
My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
Finally, my Storygraph stats for January:
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I’m about 1/3 way through the audiobook of Room 706 and at the moment (whispers) not a fan. Frankly I’m finding it hard to care about what happens to Kate or James but hoping that might change.
When you said you were going to read it I thought it probably wasn’t your thing. Hope it picks up for you though.