Book Reviews – January 2026

Welcome back to SGL, my friends! Thanks for coming by and spending some time here on my little corner of the vast wildness that is the internet. I’ve been incredibly busy with so many things, that reading has continued to take a backseat. But, it’s made it even more cozy when I do get to settle down with a book

Fair Blows the Wind (Talon and Chantry #1) by Louis L’amour – When Tatton Chantry’s father is killed and his home burned by the British, he flees Ireland – vowing to return and reclaim the land that is rightfully his. On his way to London, he is trained and armed, so that when he does arrive, he is a wiser and more dangerous man. He works and struggles to save money, investing in trading ventures. But during a trip to the New World, he’s attacked and marooned on the wild Carolina coast. Here he must move cautiously, for more than Indians surround him. But a dazzling opportunity arises – one of wealth and of love – if he can only survive pirates and a vengeful swordsman that calls for his death.

~this was one of the few that I’ve read of his that weren’t westerns. While it still, of course, had L’amour’s voice and style, I found it to be quite different from his normal. But I still enjoyed this story of Tatton Chantry and expect that I’ll come back to it, along with reading more in the series.

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier – Living in a castle in Transylvania with her father and sisters, Jena and her frog, Gogu, are well aware of the dangers of the wildwood that surround her home. But every month on Full Moon, Jena and her sisters go through a portal to the Other Kingdom and spend an evening dancing. The Other Kingdom is one of magic – wizards, soothsayers, fairies, dwarves and other beings. But one month, another sort of beings intrude on the festivities -Night People. Jena is instantly on guard against them – the stories all agree that they are dangerous – but they are not the only ones to cause havoc in her world. Jena’s cousin, Cezar, has a thirst for revenge against the loss of a beloved older brother and is determined to make the Other Kingdom pay. Can Jena protect her family, the wildwood and their friends in the Other Kingdom from both threats? And will she miss true love in the process?

~I love starting this book on New Year’s Day. I don’t know how the tradition started, but it makes me happy. The book has got one of the best beginnings. Jena and Gogu’s story holds me spellbound every time, as well as following her sisters’ stories- Tati, Iulia, Paula and Stela. This is, obviously, a young adult fantasy story that is quite clean, all the same, before giving it to a younger reader, I’d recommend reading it ahead of time so that you know if it is suitable or not for them.

Currently Reading:

Leave It To Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse (audiobook, Librivox)

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Cybele’s Secret by Juliet Marillier

Upon Waking by Jackie Hill Perry

Gate of Trust – Shaar Habitchon by Rabbeinu Bachya Ibn Pakudah

Hope When It Hurts by Kristen Wetherell

Hopeful Up-comings:

The Library of the Unwritten

Sherwood

What are you reading? Tell me below, I’d love to chat!

~Did you see my Favorite Reads of 2025 post?

Tags: book review, book reviews, books, fair blows the wind, juliet marillier, louis lamour, wildwood dancing