Best and Worst Books I Read in January 2026

January was an unforgettable month of reading, especially because I finally read Harry Potter Order of the Pheonix for the very first time! If you’re here for honest book reviews, mood-matching recommendations, and a little bit of magic ✨ — you’re in the right place.

Here’s how my January 2026 book stack ranked from worst to “oh my gosh yes” plus links and quotes to pull you in.

🥉 3. Woman Down — 2.5 ⭐ (Disappointing)

I went into Woman Down by Colleen Hoover hoping for Verity — but honestly, this was so far from it. It was marketed as a thriller, was thriller in the room with us? No, the main character was insufferable, the plot was just meh. Would not recommend.

I’m not writing an apology to people who don’t know the whole story but choose to take sides regardless.

― Colleen Hoover, Woman Down

What would that feel like? To love a man who can only love you part-time? To be the one left behind, always waiting for stolen moments, knowing that someone else gets the best of him while you only get the leftovers?

― Colleen Hoover, Woman Down

Following attraction and intrigue over instinct and common sense is a very good description of crazy.

― Colleen Hoover, Woman Down

🥈 2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — 5 ⭐

5 stars Obviously – Snapes voice!!

Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect.

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Youth can not know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young.

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

🥇 1. My Husband’s Wife — 5 ⭐ (Psychological Thriller Perfection)

This one was the star of the month. My Husband’s Wife instantly gripped me with its twisty storytelling. It’s the kind of book that keeps you up way past your bedtime, because you need to know what happens next.

Imagine: you go out for a run, come home… and your husband’s wife answers the door 😳… but you’re the wife…

Yes. It gets weirder and better.

Everyone lies and everyone dies. Those are the only two things you can be sure of in this uncertain world. Twilight is my happy place. That thin line of time that separates night from day, and day from night. Twilight. Sunset. Nightfall. When we give things different names, it’s easier to pretend they’re not the same. Like love and heartbreak. No joy lasts forever. No sorrow lasts forever, and time is too precious to waste.

― Alice Feeney, My Husband’s Wife

There is something calming about being surrounded by something more powerful than you, and being this close to the ocean makes me feel alive.

― Alice Feeney, My Husband’s Wife

📊 Final Rankings — January 2026 Reads

Rank	Book Title	Rating	Vibe
🥇	My Husband’s Wife	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Mind-bending thriller
🥈	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Magical, emotional, addictive
🥉	Woman Down	⭐⭐✨	Missed potential