A Solid Start To The Year // January Wrap-Up
Apologies that this post has taken so long to be written and posted, but as you can see, it was a solid start to the year.
I’ve played around with how I’m going to review books going forward. There will now be a quick overview with the book’s synopsis, followed by a spoiler-free review. And then a few spoiler bullet points that will be hidden. I thought this might be helpful if anyone wants to discuss the book in more detail. Or agrees with specific moments that I’d otherwise have kept hidden in previous reviews.
Hopefully, you’ll like this new way of doing book reviews. Let’s get into it…
The Night House by Jo Nesbo
???? Genre: Contemporary Horror
✨ Tropes: Creepy House in the Woods
???? Pages: 320
???? Spice: None
⏳ Format: Hardback
Book Synopsis:
“WHEN THE VOICES CALL, DON’T ANSWER… In the wake of his parents’ tragic deaths fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote town of Ballantyne, where all is not as it seems.
Richard quickly earns a reputation as an outcast, and when a classmate named Tom goes missing, no one believes him when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie.
No one, that is, except the enigmatic Karen, who encourages Richard to pursue clues the police refuse to investigate. He traces the number to an abandoned house in the woods. There he catches a glimpse of a terrifying face in the window. And then the voices start.”
Spoiler Free Review
I haven’t read a Jo Nesbo book before, but this premise really intrigued me. It ended up being more than I thought I was getting. There were some genuinely creepy moments and a few very descriptive scenes. I didn’t them expect at all, especially based on how certain scenes were initially set up.
A lot of genres tend to follow a familiar script, so it was refreshing to be thrown off with some unexpected twists. You can really tell that Nesbo writes in a very character-forward way. Though that’s not to say the settings aren’t well described.
Overall, I rated this 3.5/5 stars. The book is split into three parts and as we move forward, particularly when the biggest twist hits, the story leans into some unusual paranormal territory. While interesting, I don’t think it complemented the final section as well as it could have. Personally, I think the story would have worked better if it had focused more on just the first and last sections.
Spoiler Review
Click here to read
• The first part gave me strong 90s YA horror nostalgia rather than contemporary horror vibes. By the end, it leans much more into psychological thriller territory.
• Richard is, honestly, a little shit in this book. I found it really hard to like him at first.
• Some of the twists are fairly obvious, but I appreciated how Nesbo created convincing false leads. I genuinely thought Richard’s parents had died at his own hand, as the taboo and secrecy surrounding their deaths really suggested that. The inclusion of domestic violence was a genuine surprise and not something I saw coming.
Smile For The Cameras by Miranda Smith
???? Genre: Slasher Horror
✨ Tropes: Final Girl, Masked Killer and Isolated Setting
???? Pages: 304
???? Spice: Low level
⏳ Format: Hardback
Book Synopsis:
“Twenty years ago, Ella Winters was the it girl. She made a name for herself in Hollywood and throughout America as the sole survivor in the cult-classic slasher Grad Night. But the real horror is what happened when the cameras weren’t rolling, something terrible that Ella and her co-stars agreed never to speak of again.
Shortly after the movie’s premiere, Ella disappeared from the acting scene under the pretense of caring for her ailing mother, hoping for a quiet life out of the spotlight to ease her guilty mind.Since her mother’s passing, Ella has decided to return to the silver screen. And with the cast and crew of Grad Night in the process of filming a reunion documentary, Ella has an express ticket back into Hollywood’s good graces.
Weighed down by the secret she’s been keeping all these years, Ella apprehensively makes the trip to the original set–a cabin in rural Tennessee–to reunite with her castmates for the first time in more than a decade. But when the actors begin to meet the same gruesome fates as the characters they originally played, falling victim to someone dressed as the Grad Night villain, it’s clear their secret is out.”
Spoiler Free Review
If you love a slasher movie, then this book is absolutely for you. Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith has all the hallmarks of a 90’s slasher film. While also exploring the flip side of how we look back on them today. Whether that’s from an artistic, storyline, or moral point of view.
This book dives into the many opinions surrounding the slasher genre and gives a sharp insight into the seedy, exploitative side of Hollywood. I genuinely did not expect the ending at all. I went into this with one outlook and finished it with a completely different one.
It was also such a quick read. The writing style is suspenseful without being overly complex, which made it really easy to fly through. I especially enjoyed the dual timeline as everything came together towards the conclusion.
Overall, I rated this 4.5/5 stars.
Spoiler Review
Click here to read
• I did not see it being Fiona in the end. I couldn’t work out how she would be connected to the original cast and crew and genuinely thought it was heading towards a “movie boyfriend is the killer” storyline. Which it kind of was, just not in the way I expected.
• The psychological blackout Ella experiences, to the point where she genuinely believes she killed someone else, was an incredible twist.
• I really liked the strength of the surviving characters. I was also surprised that it didn’t end with just the final girl and that more than one person survived.
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst
???? Genre: Cosy Fantasy Romance
✨ Tropes: Grumpy x Sunshine
???? Pages: 384
???? Spice: Low level
⏳ Format: Hardback & Audio (Dual Read)
Book Synopsis:
“Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she is turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the Great Library of Alyssium.
When, years later, Terlu wakes up, she finds herself on a nearly deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. The only other human on the island is a grumpy – but surprisingly sweet – gardener. He offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes and freshly baked honey cakes – at least until she’s ready to sail home.
But Terlu can’t return, and doesn’t want to. And when she learns that the magic that sustains the greenhouses is failing – causing the death of everything within them – Terlu knows she must stay and help. Even if that means breaking the law again. Assisted by the gardener, a sentient rose, and a winged cat, Terlu must uncover the spell that will save the island – and possibly also find herself a fresh chance at love and happiness along the way.”
Spoiler Free Review
I am so happy to be back in this world. The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst was a complete joy to read. The Spellshop was a favourites of last year, and somehow this one topped it for me, earning a 4.5/5 stars.
I love a grumpy x sunshine trope, and this delivered all the broodiness. This time, we follow Terlu, who has been punished for creating Caz, the sentient spider plant we first meet in The Spellshop. I really loved how this story connects back to the first book and how naturally it sits within the world Durst has created. It never felt forced or out of place.
I also loved that the found family theme carried over into this book. The characters genuinely surprised me, and the ending was such a heartwarming moment. This book felt like the perfect telling and, for the moment, conclusion to Terlu’s story.
Spoiler Review
Click here to read
• The way Durst describes Terlu’s confinement as a statue was both heartbreaking and fascinating. It’s the kind of concept you might think about in passing, but the detailed exploration of being frozen and aware was incredibly well done.
• Rijes at the end of the book absolutely got me. I loved seeing her care for Terlu in a way Terlu’s own family never quite could. Even though there was love there, it really highlighted that “not everyone will fully understand you” dynamic. Especially when it comes to family.
• The romance with Yarrow was everything I wanted. Slow burn, yearning, and built on genuine feelings rather than convenience. I was so happy for Terlu to have something real.
• Terlu discovering that Caz is still alive was easily the best part of the ending. Such a perfect emotional payoff.
Girl, 11 by Amy Suiter Clarke
???? Genre: Crime Mystery
✨ Tropes: Obsessive Truth Seeker
???? Pages: 352
???? Spice: None
⏳ Format: Paperback & Audio (Dual Read)
Book Synopsis:
“The countdown has begun… True-crime podcaster Elle Castillo has been obsessed with The Countdown Killer for decades. Twenty years ago, he established a gruesome pattern of taking and murdering three girls over seven days, each a year younger than the last. No one’s ever known why he followed this pattern, or why they stopped abruptly after the eleventh victim. Most believe him to be dead. Elle knows he is not and is hellbent on serving historic justice. When the kidnappings start up once again, Elle must confront her responsibility in forcing the killer out of hiding. She needs to stop the deadly countdown and convince both the authorities and her podcast audience, before the Countdown Killer can claim his next victim.”
Spoiler Free Review
I thoroughly enjoyed the mixed-media format in Girl 11 by Amy Suiter Clarke. We follow Elle Castillo, a true-crime podcaster, and watching her switch her brain into work mode during the podcast segments was genuinely interesting.
I really liked how Clarke carried her writing style consistently through the mixed media elements, and pairing the audiobook alongside the physical read gave a fully immersive experience. It added an extra layer that made the story feel more real and engaging.
I also enjoyed the glimpses into Elle’s everyday life, from the mundane routines to the life she’s built with her husband. While some of the twists were predictable, they were still surprising in how they were revealed. The way everything slowly interconnected was very well done.
If you’re able to dual read this with the audiobook, I’d highly recommend it. There’s something about hearing the voices attached to the characters that really makes this story linger with you. A solid 4/5 stars.
Spoiler Review
Click here to read
• The concept of counting down the victims by age, from 21 to 11, and the killer operating in sets of three was such an inventive and unsettling idea.
• There were moments where the police investigation felt unrealistic, either in how things were handled or not handled at all. That said, when you watch enough true-crime documentaries, you can also see how mistakes like these do happen.
• The reveal that Elle was the girl who got away felt obvious from early on, but I really liked how the book paced the reveal and wove it so seamlessly into the present-day storyline.
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
???? Genre: Thriller
✨ Tropes: Haunted Past
???? Pages: 384
???? Spice: None
⏳ Format: Paperback & Audio (Dual Read)
Book Synopsis:
“Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into a rambling Victorian estate called Baneberry Hall. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a memoir called House of Horrors.
His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon. Now, Maggie has inherited Baneberry Hall after her father’s death. She was too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. But when she returns to Baneberry Hall to prepare it for sale, her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the pages of her father’s book lurk in the shadows, and locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous.
Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself – a place that hints of dark deeds and unexplained happenings. As the days pass, Maggie begins to believe that what her father wrote was more fact than fiction. That, either way, someone – or something – doesn’t want her here. And that she might be in danger all over again . . .”
Spoiler Free Review
I read this for the before or after prompt for Kayla from BooksandLala’s Buzzwordathon. And it’s been sitting on my TBR for a while. I’ll be honest, I’ve had a few hits and misses with Riley Sager, but Home Before Dark was definitely a hit for me.
It leans into classic haunted house tropes, but what really made this work was how they’re presented through Maggie’s perspective alongside her father’s, via the book he wrote about Baneberry Hall. That dual narrative was so well executed. The shifting writing styles, the plot structure, and the moments where we flash back to Ewan’s book all worked together perfectly.
It created a genuinely suspenseful story that I didn’t want to put down. 4/5 stars.
Spoiler Review
Click here to read
• The twist with Maggie being revealed as the “killer” felt predictable at first, but the second twist, that it wasn’t her but Marta, completely caught me off guard. I was fully gripped at that point.
• The idea that Elsa could have been a secret lover to Ewan was really well handled. The younger nanny or babysitter trope involving the father is so overdone, but I liked how Riley Sager approached it here without it feeling lazy or gratuitous.
• The intricate details of the house and all the accidents that occurred there were woven so seamlessly into the story, especially how they were framed as part of this supposed supernatural phenomenon.
• I really liked that Maggie chose to write her own story at the end, after spending so many years uncovering the truth about her past. It felt like a satisfying and fitting conclusion.
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
???? Genre: LGBTQIA+ Fantasy
✨ Tropes: Grumpy x Sunshine
???? Pages: 339
???? Spice: Low
⏳ Format: Hardback & Audio (Dual Read)
Book Synopsis:
“Reyna and Kianthe dream of opening a friendly book shop together, serving the very best tea and cakes. Worn wooden floors, plants on every table, firelight drifting between the rafters – all complemented by love and good company. But Reyna is an elite bodyguard to a vengeful queen, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence. Leaving their lives behind seems . . . impossible. Yet they flee to Tawney, a town nestled in the icy peaks of dragon country. There, they open the bookstore they’d always wanted. What follows is a tale of mishaps, mysteries, dragons, and a murderous queen throwing the realm’s biggest temper tantrum. Through it, these two women will discover what they mean to each other – and their world.”
Spoiler Free Review
This is categorised as cosy fantasy, which usually makes you think mid fantasy, low stakes. I’d actually class this more as high fantasy, mid stakes. It does take away from the cosiness slightly, but the warmth is still very much there.
It had a slower start than some of the fantasy books I’ve read recently, so it’s one that took a few chapters to settle into. But once it gets going, I really enjoyed it. There’s political tension, found family, and even fighting dragons.
The dual POV between Reyna and Kianthe, gives the story balance and lets you see both the emotional and political sides of what’s happening. It’s also lovely to see LGBTQIA+ representation centred in a fantasy like this, without it feeling tokenistic. I gave this 4/5 stars.
Spoiler Review
Click here to read
• Reyna walking away from the Queen and essentially committing treason for love was such a strong opening move. It immediately raised the stakes more than I expected for a “cosy” fantasy.
• Kianthe choosing to leave her position as Mage of Ages felt just as rebellious but in a quieter way. I liked how both women sacrificed power in different forms. It sparks the conversation of women’s place in society. And how a woman’s worth is dependant on what they can offer.
• The way the tea shop becomes a symbol of safety and chosen family, even with everything happening around them, really reinforced the heart of the story.
January’s Reading Stats
As always, putting everything into TheStoryGraph App, I found…
I read 6 books!
A total of 2,102 pages.
100% of the books read were fiction.
Genre-wise we have thriller, horror, romance, fantasy and mystery. So A mixed bag and you can tell I took part in Winterween!
My average rating for the month was 4.08. Which is a great start to the year.
It says 100% were read in print which they were, but I have enjoyed dual reading with the audiobook on in the background more this year.
I’ve recently found that with the amount I read at work, dual reading helps me keep locked on the story. And not have my mind drift elsewhere.
January’s Book Haul
Keeping my rules in mind, I hauled…
- Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland (Next in a series)
- The East Wind by Alexandria Warwick (Next in a series)
- Books ands Bewitchment by Isla Jewell (Pre-Order)
- The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson (Book Club)
I was really impressed with how strict I was buying books this month. If you didn’t read my reading plans for 2026 post; Unless it’s for a book club, the next in a series, or a new book by a favourite author, I have to have read my book for the week before I can buy anything new.
And that was my solid start to the reading year. How did your January reading go?
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As always, thanks for reading…
