books read: 2026 march

[meitachi]

Somehow it's April 2026 and we're still alive. How many years have I experienced already in the past 3 months?

Well, this month will be busy with work events, so trying to find the balance in everything else. Eating, sleeping, working out, making time for rest and relaxation, reading, connecting with myself -- as so much of this month will be connecting externally. Can't wait for the slowdown in May so I can plan to watch things! F1 also on a break this month (...thanks, war we started with Iran) so at least one fewer thing to juggle.

1. The Foolish Gong is Reborn by 多金少女猫 - Cnovel where the main character is reborn to his 18 year old self, meets his current husband also as a teenager, and realizes the "restrictions" by his husband in their marriage stem from childhood trauma and also love. It's weird to describe but it was kinda cute in practice, as they sort of rekindled their relationship as teens and actually grew to know and appreciate each other. The main character retains his adult memories the whole time though, and it was addressed but never really meaningfully. Whatever, it's mental fluff, they're happy together in the end. I guess that's fine..



2. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke - The only way I was going to tackle this behemoth of a book was to read a chapter a day, the way I tackled The Count of Monte Cristo. It worked! In the end, I'm still wrestling with how much I enjoyed the story itself, but I deeply admire and respect the worldbuilding and history woven into Regency England. Both Strange and Norrell were sympathetic at times and deeply unlikable at other times, but they felt like fully fleshed characters in a very deeply drawn world. Funny how to combine the creeping dread of the mystical and magical with the mundanity of everyday English life as well. I almost wish I cared more about fairies.



3. A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith - (The Trials of Gabriel Ward #2) The sequel might have been even stronger than the first book. I really enjoyed the characters again, especially: bachelor King's Counsel and reluctant amateur sleuth Gabriel learning to push his own boundaries in the world, demonstrating his care for people of all classes and backgrounds but also learning how to navigate relationships with them. I love how the mystery and court case are interwoven and enjoy the red herrings and depiction of society and interpersonal relationships that form the background of the main storylines. Very much looking forward to the next book in the series.



4. Lord Sidley's Last Season by Sherry Lynn Ferguson - A very fun romp of a Regency romance, though it truly has a ludicrous premise where everyone things this beautiful rich titled lord is dying upon his return from India and therefore must marry quickly. The female main character is reluctantly charmed by him but she's already engaged and anyway, only in London to learn to paint. Naturally there's a silly and somewhat annoying young relative, some mild subverted expectations, and a happy ending of course.



5. Perfect Victims and the Politics of Appeal by Mohammed El-Kurd - "Why must Palestinians prove their humanity? And what are the implications of such an infuriatingly impossible task?" Sometimes you just need people to state the obvious truths we are all obfuscating for some reason. Why do we only talk about the innocents, the women and children? Why would it be okay to perpetuate genocide on the "guilty", the men who fight? If we believe in human rights, no human deserves this kind of framing, targeting, state-sanctioned violence.



6. Yotsuba&! Vol 4 by Kiyohiko Azuma - Yotsuba's lovely daily life adventures with her neighbors and her dad. Reminding us to enjoy every day, find curiosity and delight in the little things.



7. The First Commandment by Taengja - Webtoon that is deeply toxic and fucked up but starts with the hilarious premise of the Russian mob trafficking and then owning people in a South Dakota town. A tale of an older brother who is obsessed with his younger brother and wants to prevent the "darkness" and dirtiness of the mob from touching him, but also doesn't want to set him free, and his younger brother who was equally obsessed back but doesn't understand how much he's being protected and now thinks his older brother is evil and wants to run away with his new love, whose family is with the feds (DEA I think?). Anyway, they're not related. No one ever goes there!! They choose each other in the end. Everyone suffers!



8. Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh - A slow, meditative read. Published in 1990 and so much is still applicable today. I am exploring the tenets of Buddhism and mindfulness that resonate with being present, being grateful, and acknowledging our interbeing/interconnectedness to life on earth -- people and more. I'd like to explore more of Buddhism eventually, I think, to see if any of the eight paths or things on reincarnation mean anything to me, or if it's primarily this sense of presence, peace, and gratitude that make sense.



9. Kissing Girls on Shabbat by Sara Glass - A memoir from someone who grew up in a Hasidic Jewish community, wrestled with mental illness that was never discussed/addressed in her family, survived two marriages to men (and their rabbis, essentially), became a therapist, before finally leaving her family and community and coming out as lesbian. (Apparently also had a drug addiction in there somewhere, but that will be in her next book.) There was a lot going on in this memoir and it was hard to read at times, remembering it was someone's real life. But absolutely compelling and fascinating for a glimpse into an otherwise very closed-off community. (The author came to do a talk on campus too; she was great.)



10. Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen - From the same author as The Magic Fish, which I adored -- another YA graphic novel. Set in high school, I think, with an incredibly diverse and likeable cast of characters (and diversity in terms of sexuality, body size, ethnicity, class, immigration status, etc. but none of them there to Make A Statement as much as they just happened to be). A story about burnout and grief and how to find connections with people -- those made intentionally as well as those who we have to be careful not to take for granted. It's about friendship, family relationships, and a little romance. All centered around a community theater putting on a fairy tale play about a bear prince. Beautiful art, and a little fairy tale (East of the Sun, West of the Moon) interwoven throughout. Warm, sweet, and made me cry a bit.



11. Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes by Chantha Nguon - A really fascinating memoir that I listened to on audiobook; it was narrated by the author's daughter and I appreciated all of the Khmer pronunciation. The author was raised going to a French private school in Cambodia in a fairly well off family before fleeing Cambodia as Pol Pot came into power -- escaping to Saigon and living in reduced means there until the fall of Saigon meant the North Vietnamese took over and life got even worse. They fled on boats to Thailand, spent time in the refugee camps there, before being denied resettlement to the West and were instead repatriated back to Cambodia. I think this is the first memoir I've read telling that story, since so often I read of Vietnamese refugees who made it to the U.S. to start life over there. But to have to go back to a ravaged Cambodia and start over there? Wow. Also incredible recipes throughout and a story of incredible pain, resilience, grief, and persistence.



12. Elyza by Clare Darcy - An absolute favorite new author, how had I not read her before? Very frothy Regency romance with all the silly antics of a Heyer romp, but an incredibly likeable main character and a fun enough, uber competent love interest. There is an attempt at fake dating/courtship to make others jealous, stern matrons and sanctimonious suitors, shenanigans that send people all across the countryside, and a happy ending. Delightful. Pursuing some of the author's other books from the library posthaste.



13. Have You Eaten Yet: Stories from Chinese Restaurants Around the World by Cheuk Kwan - Stories gathered from 20-30 years of the author's life and work, interviews and past documentaries as he traveled the world to talk to different Chinese restaurant owners in all kinds of fascinating places starting from Alberta, Canada and spanning Mauritius, South Africa, Peru, Argentina, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, and India (Darjeeling, Kolkatta). Not the usual places we tend to picture in the west (North America, Europe, Australia). It is really interesting to hear these anecdotal stories of how the Chinese diaspora ended up in these countries and how these specific individuals became restaurant owners. Much more a collection of personal stories than a formal history or sociological analysis, but compelling -- and will make you hungry.

Cnovels: 1
Webtoons: 1


Waiting to see if Ten will renew his SM contract or if things will change. Listening to TOP's new album and in my 2nd gen kpop feels. What a privilege it is to have lived and to still be here.