2026 Popsugar Reading Challenge - January Update

Happy Saturday everyone!  Today I'm sharing my my first update on my January progress for the year long reading challenge called the 2026 Popsugar Reading Challenge.  In January, I completed 11 books for a total of 11 read so far out of 50 total books on my tbr.  I'd say that's excellent progress so far.I think I'm going to have good reading year!  You can see my original tbr here.  Keep reading to see my thoughts on the books I read in January for this challenge:

17. A book about your favorite event in the Winter Olympics

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An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena was hit and miss for me and it didn't hold my attention as much as I was wishing it would. My favorite part was that one of the characters has the same first name as me. That was a bit exciting!

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

38. A book with any type of fruit on the cover or in the title

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James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl wasn't quite a favorite for me.  I loved the tone and style but I wasn't all that invested in any of it. The Willy Wonka call forwards (since this was Dahl's first kid's book) was pretty cool though.  I might have to rewatch the movie now that I've read the book.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

12. A book with "pop" or "sugar" in the title

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Step Aside, Pops (Hark! A Vagrant #2) by Kate Beaton was awesome and has become a new favorite! Now I will absolutely have to read everything else she has never written.  Why did I put this off for so long!

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

46. A sapphic comic

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I was not expecting to love Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Vol. 1 (Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon #1) by Shio Usui so much.  Romance isn't really my thing at all, but this was just kind of delightful.  I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.  I'm glad I just stumbled up on this series opener.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

7. A book about a granny hobby

 

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The Spellshop (Spellshop #1) by Sarah Beth Durst was pretty nice.  While I enjoyed the tone and style, I don't think it needed to be quite as long.  I'll definitely be back for book two, <i>The Enchanted Greenhouse</i>.  You know, I wouldn't mind seeing this adapted in a movie, as long as it was able to get the sense of whimsy that is.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

18. A love story that defies social boundaries

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I didn't expect to love The Wild Robot Escapes (The Wild Robot #2) by Peter Brown just as much or more than book one, but this was amazing. I'll admit that I was misty-eyed more than once.  I can't wait to read the next installment - and hopefully the upcoming movie adaptations.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

41. A book in a different format than your usual: physical, audio, eBook

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Weeping Woman Way and Slumber are easily my two favorite stories from The Liminal Zone (The Liminal Zone #1) by Junji Ito which is a collection of four. The first especially felt like it could have been right at home in The Twilight Zone. The Spirit Flow of Aokigahara and Slumber weren't bad by any means they just didn't catch my attention in the same way.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

32. A book with an underwater civilization

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Dark Life (Dark Life #1) by Kat Falls was pretty interesting and unique, but not quite enough for me to continue the series.  I will say though that I liked the setting probably the most of everything.  The characters just weren't quite there for me.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

49. A book with a mention of your zodiac sign

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I realized pretty quickly that The Astrology House by Carinn Jade wasn't for me. Also before this I only knew my sun sign which is Leo, so at least I can say that this inspired me to look up what my moon and rising signs are. It turns out that my moon sign is Aries and my rising sign is Capricorn. Within the story, I guess that puts me closest to Rick (our sun and moon signs are the same, his rising sign is Cancer). I mean, I know nothing about what the moon and rising are supposed to mean, but that's okay.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

30. A travel ghost story

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Frozen Charlotte (Frozen Charlotte #1) by Alex Bell  is a book I had no expectations for at all.  I did appreciate it's very atmospheric and creepy.  I have to wonder though why would you download a ouija board app and then be surprised by what happens.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

16. A book less than 260 pages

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The Making of England, 55 B.C. to 1399 (A History of England #1) by C. Warren Hollister is a general history textbook that covers 1,454 years worth of English (or pre-English) history.  It is an interesting place to start if you're interested in the topic.  I wish it could have gone into more detail on a variety of the topics presented though. I did appreciate the included illustrations and that it provides a good bibliography for those interested in learning more.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

Are you participating in this challenge?  Have you read any of these books?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!