Happy New Year, everyone! To start off my January 2026 TBR, I plan to first focus on the two ARCs I have with January publication dates. I took a three-month hiatus at the end of 2025 to focus on books I purchased and it was lovely to do so. So the ARCs are my priority reads with the rest included below as hopefuls. I’ve been thinking it’d be fun to choose one nonfiction, one book subscription, and one random book from my shelves to read each month in addition to any potential ARCs. It’s not easy to avoid the shiny distraction of new releases, but I need to try better to get through my own physical backlog!
Anyway, with that said, here’s my January 2026 TBR.
January 2026 TBR Priority Reads
HOW TO LOSE A GOBLIN IN TEN DAYS by Jessie Sylva: I’m really looking forward to my ARC of this cozy fantasy. The cover just makes me happy. I hope it lives it to my expectations even though I don’t usually gravitate toward cozy fantasy. It’s “…the cozy tale of a halfling and a goblin who must learn to love each other despite their differences.“
SILVER & BLOOD by Jessie Mihalik: This is the second ARC I want to read this month. It looks like the first of a series of unknown length, or at least that’s what I gathered from Goodreads. I haven’t read as much romantasy lately, so it’ll be fun to get back into it. “On a deadly mission to kill the mythical beast that has been haunting her woods, a desperate mage finds her fate intertwined with the handsome, powerful man who saves her in this dark and sexy romantasy.”
January 2026 TBR Hopeful Reads
FOX AND I by Catherine Raven: I’ve been wanting to read this for a while and found a copy of this book at my local used bookstore. Lately the nonfiction I want to read is nature related, so this will help scratch that itch. “An “extraordinary” (Oprah Daily) memoir about the friendship between a solitary woman and a wild fox.“
THE NEAR WITCH by V.E. Schwab: I won this book during one of the Wyrd & Wonder festivities, a month-long even that celebrates fantasy. The UK cover (which I received) is more interesting than the US cover shown here, so it is what it is. I haven’t read Schwab in a hot second and ADDIE LARUE might actually been the only work of hers I read.
LONG LIVE EVIL by Sarah Rees Brennan: This is my pick from the books I received via my various book subscriptions. I also want to read this sooner rather than later since the sequel comes out in May. This book “…puts the reader in the villain’s shoes, for an adventure that is both “brilliant” (Holly Black) and “supremely satisfying” (Leigh Bardugo). Expect a rogue’s gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation.”
MIGRATIONS by Charlotte McConaghy: This book has been on my TBR for a while. A review I saw on bookstagram inspired me to check it out from the library. It seems rather like a good seasonal pick for winter time.
Have you read any of these books?
You always have the coolest-looking TBR lists!
Aw, thank you!
We are on the same wave length, lol. I am actually reading both How to Lose a Goblin and Silver & Blood right now. Last night I needed a break from all the cozy so I dipped into Silver & Blood. I’m enjoying both!
Hehe I’m about 1/3 of the way through HOW TO LOSE A GOBLIN IN TEN DAYS. It definitely fits the cozy vibes.
I haven’t read Migrations though I loved McConaghy’s latest Wild Dark Shore and Once There Were Wolves. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you! I’ve never read any of McConaghy’s books, but she seems pretty popular, so I hope I like it, too!
Looks like you have great reading ahead! I picked up a copy of The Near Witch a while ago and still haven’t read it, but I do want to 🙂
So many books, so little time, lol!!
I’m very curious to hear your thoughts for both Silver & Blood and Long Live Evil. Jesse Mihalik is an author I’ve had on my TBR for years, but I’ve somehow never picked her up. And I just picked up a used copy of Long Live Evil over the holidays!
Well, I finished SILVER & BLOOD last night and I have mixed feelings about it. Review to come on January 19! I’m picking up LONG LIVE EVIL next.
Ooo interesting, looking forward to the specifics.
I read the Near Witch a few years ago and I really enjoyed it! I think it was either Schwab’s debut or one of her earlier works and it kinda show, but I still like how atmospheric and compelling it was. I hope you’ll like it too 🙂
I read the first couple of pages to peek, and I agree that it seems atmospheric. It looks easy enough to read, which is good because I don’t always want a brain teaser.
I still need to read Long Live Evil, too, and am hoping to get to it before the sequel comes out. I hope you enjoy all of these and look forward to seeing your thoughts on them.
Same! That’s why I’m reading it, haha!!
I look forward to seeing what you think of both of those arcs, they both sound interesting and I really hope you enjoy them. Good luck with your plans to get through some of the physical books backlog too. I always mean to do so then get sidetracked somehow 🙈I’d love to read The Near Witch one day but I’ll probably read Fragile Threads Of Power first (as I own it in print). I wouldnt mind getting to the Villians series too tbh as I believe the finale out at some point this year. Good luck with the TBR and I hope you have a wonderful month.
I finished both ARCs and have mixed feelings about them, unfortunately. My reviews for them will go up over the next two Mondays.
Im so sorry to hear that, its always disappointing when an anticipated release doesn’t wow you. I look forward to checking out both reviews though and learning more.
Long Live Evil looks promising…well, all of these do, but that one jumps out at me. Hope it lives up to it.
I hope it lives up to its premise, as well! Hopefully I get to start it today.