Psychological thrillers dominate Waterstone’s Ballymena Top 10 as January reading continues

Waterstone’s Ballymena has revealed its latest Top 10 bestselling books, with psychological thrillers, literary fiction and popular self-help titles continuing to dominate readers’ choices as January draws to a close.

Freida McFadden claims three places in this week’s chart, reflecting sustained local demand for fast-paced, twist-heavy thrillers, while acclaimed novels by Roisín O’Donnell and Maggie O’Farrell also feature strongly.

This week’s Top 10 bestselling books

1. The Housemaid — Freida McFadden

The addictive psychological thriller that has become a word-of-mouth sensation, following a young woman whose dream job hides disturbing secrets.

2. Nesting — Roisín O’Donnell

A powerful and intimate novel exploring motherhood, displacement and survival, centred on a woman searching for safety and belonging.

3. The Housemaid’s Secret — Freida McFadden

The gripping sequel to The Housemaid, delivering more shocking twists and revelations as the story darkens.

4. The Let Them Theory — Mel Robbins

A motivational guide encouraging readers to let go of what they cannot control and focus on clarity, confidence and personal growth.

5. The Widow — John Grisham

A compelling legal thriller blending courtroom drama with moral dilemmas and high personal stakes from the bestselling author.

6. When The Cranes Fly South — Lisa Ridzen

A lyrical and emotionally resonant novel reflecting on love, memory and loss, set against a quietly evocative backdrop.

7. Heated Rivalry — Rachel Reid

A red-hot queer romantic comedy exploring rivalry, attraction and scandal between the captains of two competing hockey teams.

8. Protein In 15 — Joe Wicks

A practical, high-protein cookbook offering nutritious meals that can be prepared in just 15 minutes, designed for busy lifestyles.

9. Hamnet — Maggie O’Farrell

The award-winning historical novel reimagining the life behind Shakespeare’s tragedy, focusing on grief, family and creative legacy.

10. The Hallmarked Man — Robert Galbraith

The latest Cormoran Strike mystery, delivering a complex investigation filled with intrigue, atmosphere and forensic detail.

Harriet Tyce titles fly off the shelves

Fans of The Traitors will be pleased to hear that Waterstone’s Ballymena currently has stock of Harriet Tyce’s novels, with Blood Orange proving especially popular.

Blood Orange follows attorney Alison as she takes on the case of a woman accused of murder whilst dancing on her own fine line between an apparently perfect life and its reckless reality.

Tyce treads a dark path, asking searching questions about guilt and innocence whilst cleverly turning the tables on accused and accuser.

New release alert

• Heated Rivalry — Rachel Reid

The red-hot queer romcom that everybody is talking about, Heated Rivalry sees the chemistry between the captains of two competing hockey teams escalate to scandalous levels. A television series based on the book aired in Canada and has since made its way to the UK.

New Year, New You: Motivation and Lifestyle Reads

Waterstone’s Ballymena has also highlighted a range of motivational and lifestyle titles proving popular with readers setting goals for the year ahead.

• What’s Stopping You? — Timothy Armoo

From building a network from scratch to harnessing fear as fuel, entrepreneur Armoo delivers eleven no-nonsense mindset hacks for achieving your goals.

• Filling Meals — Lindsay Wilson

The Australian former footballer turns from the pitch to the kitchen in his debut cookbook, which boasts a hundred easy and irresistible recipes from choc-cherry overnight oats to stacked Mexican chicken salad.

• The Overthinker’s Guide To Making Decisions — Joseph Nguyen

The author of Don’t Believe Everything You Think delivers an empowering guide on decision-making, from making peace with past choices to building emotional resilience.

• The Atomic Habits Workbook — James Clear

The perfect companion to James Clear’s global phenomenon Atomic Habits, offering practical tools to help readers build good habits and break bad ones.

Events at Waterstone’s Ballymena

• Children’s Storytime – Saturday 31 January, 12pm

Join the team every Saturday for a story and colouring activities. This week’s book is How Long Is That Dog by John Bond. Suitable for toddlers up to age six.

• Fiction Book Club – Thursday 5 February, 7pm

This month’s discussion will focus on Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. Readers are invited to join for coffee, cake and conversation — everyone welcome.

The January sale continues in store, with additional hardback titles being added across fiction, non-fiction and children’s books.

Waterstone’s Ballymena has also brought back its popular ‘Blind Date With a Book’ displays, inviting customers to select a wrapped mystery title based on a few tantalising clues. The initiative has again been extended to Young Adult and Teenage titles.