meitachi | books read: 2026 february

It's March! Which someone feels crazy to me. Lots going on in April so most of this month is going to be geared toward planning and prepping for that month, plus our first trip back to Houston since we've moved. Cramming a lot into 4 days but excited to see people and eat things, and be Too Warm. Spring finally creeping into Rochester, with our giant piles of snow finally melting, but Houston is already Hot. Of course.

Many things I want to read still! But also read some good things so far this year. And some interesting things. And some less interesting things.

Flowers of Fire: The Inside Story of South Korea's Feminist Movement and What It Means for Women's Rights Worldwide by Hawon Jung - Loved and hated this book. Well, loved this book, but was absolutely enraged by what it covered. Published in 2023 and it covers some things I'm familiar with (Korea's #metoo movement, the spycam porn everywhere) but with more concrete detail and examples, as well as additional history and infuriating detail the societal dismissiveness of women's rights and embrace of baked-in misogyny. Very good read to see behind the shiny soft power high-tech facade of South Korea's incredible global image these days, to better understand some of these deep-rooted issues that pervade today. But there is hope! In those fighting against it and making progress, even amid my constant desire to set men on fire. All of them.

After the Little Cannon Fodder was Spoiled by the Rich Boss by Bai Cao Oolong - Cnovel. Incredible webnovel -- a transmigration story but that is set dressing and barely the point. We hardly spend any time with the supposed protagonists of the novel (who are generally dismissed as 2D bad guys), but instead the focus is the spoiled wealthy MC who was originally the cannon fodder villain. His story? All about becoming obsessed with his hot, accomplished CEO older brother. It's okay though because his brother is equally obsessed with him. And it's all fine because the MC is adopted, so they're not blood-related! But truly the kicker is that everyone else in this MC's life is also an obsessed brother-con but they're all not blood-related so it's okay? I see you avoiding the censors, author. Surely there are not this many familial adoptions pervading these rich families. It's just hilarious. Extremely tropey, not at all serious, good if you're into the pseudo-incest vibes.

Thief of Night by Holly Black - (Book of Night #2) I barely remembered the first book from years ago, but diving into this book brought it back pretty quickly. I enjoy Charlie as a protagonist because she's a mess and not good at kicking ass, but does keep fighting to stay alive despite herself. She loves and resents everyone around her: her sister, her ex-boyfriend who is now a shadow/ghost thing, her mom, her mentor... Messy feelings, real threats from people more powerful than Charlie (who is in many ways still a cog in the machine despite her special designation), and a cathartic ending. Overall a fun urban fantasy series.

The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game by C. Thi Nguyen - A nonfiction book by a philosopher and game enthusiast, contrasting why the arbitrary rules in games gives us a limited freedom for creativity compared to the way that metrics and algorithms can capture us in pursuit of goals ("maxxing" literally everything) that aren't even ours. Started strong and interesting and he made a very compelling case for games (including physical hobbies like rock climbing and fishing) but did get a bit dry on value capture. Or maybe I needed more examples? I feel like the Four Horseman metaphor was a bit tortured and unnecessary -- I can't remember any of them except Scale; maybe Parts? It distracted from the main points he was making about how metrics necessarily flatten out nuance and expertise to become more universally measurable. I wish here had been a little more on algorithms, and fewer italics. Perhaps I just need to reread parts.

He's So Stingy by Chang Yan - Cnovel. Two weeks after reading this I have no recollection of it, but I think someone sold his debt to a rich guy and in return helped him sleep at night. Literally sleep. Except the guy didn't actually have insomnia? Anyway, it was entertaining in the moment (and how many webtoons are also based on this indentured servitude premise) but ultimately, truly, not memorable.

The Devil Is a Marquess by Elena Braden - A Regency romance about a titled but broke marquess who slept around (for money!) and was an antagonist/villain in a previous book in this series I did not read -- and the "spinster" girl who is so tall and so redheaded with such womanly curves of course no man wants her. Except for this arranged "cash for title" marriage where he instantly falls in lust with her, and she instantly falls in love with him because he naturally stopped his drinking and whoring ways and now works hard on a farm and -- okay. I could've enjoyed the premise but the execution was just so grating. She is oblivious to her beauty and his obsession with her. He is oblivious to her love for him and thinks he's not worthy because of a secret deal he took to get her with kids. Maybe I hated this couple by the end. Each of them was insufferable but I hope they make each other happy, I guess.

Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba - The last of Kashiwaba's three translated-to-English children's novels. Fantastical (spoiler: ghosts) but fun, and I really loved the fairy tale story-within-a-story. I also enjoy adults as seen and experienced from the perspective of a kid; she does that well.

Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher - A fun fantasy romp with goblins, elves, trolls, and more. A war with a gruesome body count, but overall it was lighthearted with great characters and comedic moments. A novella, so fairly short and not a deeply explored world.

Gig of the Day by Danbi - Webtoon. It's still ongoing but I binged the 37 available chapters and the main issue (the debt!) is dealt with -- so now where does the plot go? It's rich CEO/world's worst sugar baby, and I love our MC because he's such a softie who is good at running away vicious debt collectors (a real problem in BL world) and determined to solve his problems by working 3 gig jobs a day. Baby, that will barely pay off the interest! Go be pampered by your accidental sugar daddy CEO! No iteration of this will ever be as iddy and classic to me as Ayano Yamane's Finder series (which is not about debt, but I mean the trope that is the powerful scary CEO/hapless or feisty normie who crosses his path and sexual interest). That said, I did enjoy this one a lot and will keep following it. MC has caught feelings, knows ML doesn't do feelings, everything is going great!

Where Are You Really From by Elaine Hsieh Chou - Collection of short stories that left me with mixed feelings, much as her debut satirical novel Disorientation did. Some bits are really quite insightful, pointedly so. Some are scraping by tired tropes -- but is it commentary? Some bits are the shameful things we recognize in ourselves. Other bits are unpleasant on purpose. I mostly remember the sex bots (get that revenge, girl, but are we really retreading this idea that empowerment can only be stolen amid wider societal oppression) and the writers' retreat. I fucking hate reading the self-consciousness of writers writing writers. No one has done anything interesting with this in decades.

OK, I went to refresh and there were indeed lots of interesting themes and critiques explored in the short stories, but didn't find the writing (of the characters, or the writing itself) especially compelling. Ironically enough, the novella with the writers' retreat was probably the most fleshed out with enough there there to generate hate in me. I may dislike the character but at least that means they're distinct and substantive!

Cnovels: 2
Webtoons: 1

books read: 2026 february

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