寻觅你最明媚的四月天

books read: 2026 march

2026-04-06T00:47:58Z

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.

( Books, March 2026 )

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.

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books read: 2026 february

2026-03-05T22:09:18Z

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.

( Books, February 2026 )

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books read: 2026 january

2026-02-09T02:16:50Z

Hellloooo 2026! We're still here, somehow, after the world's most exhausting month.

I read a lot of cnovels as escapism, and have a lot of fun books I'm excited to read on my TBR list. Work is in its busy period but still managing to read and watching a cdrama as a break. Glory/玉茗茶骨, which aired in December into this January, has been a delight so far (25/36 episodes). I love it so much. I haven't loved a main male lead and main female lead so much in forever. And their dynamic! They carried me the first half of the drama when every other character was getting on my nerves. Now some of the other characters are improving, but I maintain my love of Rong Shanbao and Lu Jianglai.

Anyway, Super Bowl is happening, and I am recapping my reads from January.

( Books, January 2026 )

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books read: 2025 december

2026-01-04T20:05:10Z

Well, due to the possibly impending loss of LJ, I did import meiface@LJ to this account, which has overwritten my profile and tags. So be it. (Oh, the years of history are probably worth it.) Also created a mirror of my writing comm, chineseink, to save all that fic I never bothered to upload to AO3. Will I now? Eh.

Meanwhile, it's back to work tomorrow so slowly dragging my mentality back out of tropey cnovels and into caring about the real world. But there's still so many things I want to read!

( Books, December 2025 )

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2025 books in review

2026-01-01T15:40:34Z

end-of-year book ask
How many books did you read this year? 185

( Way more under here. )

General thoughts:
My biggest branching out this year was audiobooks! I can make it work for nonfiction but not fiction. Generally, nonfiction has become easier for me to read now that I'm in the habit; there are so many interesting topics! In some ways, fantasy has become harder because I'm pickier about whether people can balance convincing worldbuilding, character dynamics and relationships, interesting plot, and compelling prose. Mysteries I kinda know what my groove is. Webtoons and romance I'm also pretty picky but kinda know what works for me.

What reading goals do you have for next year?
I always want to tackle my TBR list and reread more, so setting some concrete goals:

- read at least one book I own but haven't read each month
- curate a reread list and work on that over the year
- read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, one chapter a day

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2025 in review: highlights and lowlights

2025-12-30T19:25:31Z

End of the year means time for annual reflection posts! Here's 2025.

( 2025 in Review )

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books read: 2025 november

2025-12-07T22:07:41Z

Made it through the last week of events for the semester, just social gatherings and planning emails for the rest of the couple weeks of work before winter break. Slowing down now in my community engagements as well, thankfully. I just want to have down time again to read books and watch shows. Maybe do a puzzle or two.

( Books, November 2025 )

Slightly under the weather (thanks, Kevin!) but doesn't feel too bad. Hopefully can get through the week -- then off to Philly for a hockey game with Michelle!

Enjoying Heated Rivalry (Crave adaptation) lately: Jacob Tierney, I love you.

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books read: 2025 october

2025-11-08T14:31:21Z

Did October go by quickly or slowly? Hard to say, but I read some! Going back to my weekend of more reading + F1 + chores and social stuff, I guess.

( Books, October 2025 )

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books read: 2025 september

2025-10-06T00:23:33Z

In September, everyone got sick. Then Kevin got better just in time to separate his shoulder. So that's been fun while I coordinate our schedules in order to drive him around and also pick up more of the usual chores/errands while juggling a super busy work schedule. It's okay!! He's recovering and the work is mostly fun things, and I am also enjoying the beautiful weather and have inserted fun plans amid the work stuff. But also I need to sleep more and get back into my regular pilates routine.

Interspersing my days with random m/m webtoons and WayV travel vlogs keeping me sane. Have I mentioned I love WayV? The multilingualism really gets to me. Everyone has pretty faces and decent songs and choreo (they are Extremely Heterosexual though, particularly after my stint with OnlyOneOf), but oh man the 3-4 different languages and cultures they mix into their videos? I'm obsessed. I really am a sucker for understanding Chinese variety jokes, I guess.

Also I watched the Thai BL drama Moonlight Chicken and resentfully cried my way through all eight episodes. What the fuck! It makes me depressed to be on this earth, but also was very sweet and hopeful in the end. I was deeply annoyed by the fan comments on each episode though, because they weren't taking in the show as a whole but just there rooting for their specific actor or couple faves and singing their praises. (Thai BL world has set couples, I guess. Anyway, their fans seem intense.)

( Books, September 2025 )

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books read: 2025 august

2025-09-11T19:37:35Z

Trying not to get sick! Kevin was dying this week and only just turned the corner toward recovery (still dying) while I am trying to not get caught up in it. Busy week next week.

Distracted by all the work prepping for our upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month. Anyway!

( Books, August 2025 )

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books read: 2025 july

2025-08-11T23:37:26Z

Cnovels, webtoons, and summer make for a lot of reading!

God, I can't believe it's August now. Racing toward the start of the semester.

( Books, July 2025 )

Currently watching Vincenzo on the strength of good ratings a passing review that the brothers had a weird vibe going on. They did, but not like in the Love and Let Lie webtoon (a little more murderous) so eh. Going with it to see how the evil Babel group is finally taken down. Way more murderous trucks than guns in Korea (but the guns do eventually show up too).

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books read: 2025 june

2025-07-06T23:54:52Z

Summer on campus means a much quieter work season for me as well! Correspondingly, reading more (also I picked up webtoons and cnovels again, so that helped).

( Books, June 2025 )

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books read: 2025 may

2025-06-08T01:10:59Z

May felt like a long month: while it slowed down at work significantly as students left campus, my schedule still felt full of community engagements. Both in good ways and exhausting ways. Some highlights: local AAPI artist showcase, a weekend trip to Toronto, launching a small APIDA restaurants week, participating in a book club, going to an AAPI summit in Albany, and posting my own mini recs on Instagram. Watching lots of OnlyOneOf.

I also read a lot and got much more into webtoons! They make for very easy reads, both physically on my phone and mentally not a heavy lift. So many interesting things on my to read list though (including favorite rereads) and I'll be traveling a bit next week, so the plane rides should provide good reading opportunities.

( Books, May 2025 )

Prepping for the Stray Kids concert I'm attending at the end of the month. I can name all 8 members, recognize 5 consistently, and know 2.5 songs. I'm working up to knowing like 5 songs by the concert!

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books read: 2025 april

2025-05-14T00:23:44Z

I almost forgot my book recap for last month! So here it is, belated. It was a busy month but I did manage to read (webtoons!) and now that the semester is over, I've got time for fun and work/social justice reading. April was rainy with surprise snow, but it felt distinctly like spring emerging out of winter. May so far has been absolutely gorgeous.

( Books, April 2025 )

Enjoying reading more webtoons, and currently also making time for some dramas! Enjoying Perfect Match right now for low-stakes historical romance.

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books read: 2025 march

2025-04-12T16:51:42Z

The spring semester is flying by and staying busy, but I did get a mini trip down to Florida during part of spring break which was nice!

Still managing to read, but recently got deep into my new 4th gen kpop group after almost 12-13 years out of the scene...damn, I forgot how much content there is to consume, with MVs, dance practice vids, behind the scenes, variety shows, and now lives and so much more... OnlyOneOf does make me happy though, from their music and choreo to their absolute dumbassery (and pro-LGBTQ+ representation and support). It really is strange to be so aware of the business aspect of the way they sell personalities and relationships in kpop though. Even when it's "behind the scenes" or live from their dorms, it's still very obvious when they're working. Anyway, it is mostly fun for now. I'll enjoy it while I can!

( Books, March 2025 )

Once I survive April, it'll slow down significantly in May! For some rest.

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books read: 2025 february

2025-03-07T01:45:07Z

Just need to get to Spring Break...one more day! Spring semester flying by. I have no thoughts to share about my life, just a book recap dump. (I'm journaling daily irl!)

( Books, February 2025 )

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books read: 2025 january

2025-02-15T22:21:06Z

A busy mid January through mid February, but I have a breather now. I can catch up on doing the recap of my January reading.

( Books, January 2025 )

The snow doesn't stop! It's beautiful and cold and I am tired of cleaning snow off my car constantly. But winter persists...couple more months, probably.

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books read: 2024 december

2025-01-05T02:18:40Z

Just spent 7 hours today with our local AAPI civic/cultural org, doing a work retreat and getting dinner. Establishing human connections, sharing our reasons for being involved in the group, and brainstorming goals for the future of the org. Happy 2025! Here's to building.

Anyway, let me quickly wrap up my December reading:

( Books, December 2024 )

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2024 books in review...

2025-01-01T01:37:19Z

Combining my usual end-of-year book recap with one found on tumblr.

end-of-year book recap

How many books did you read this year?
156

Did you reread anything? What?
Only 6 rereads: Totally Captivated, And Then There Were None, Small Gods, Thief of Time, The Only Gold, I Want to Go Home!

What were your top five books of the year?
Shubeik Lubeik - Deena Mohamed
The Tainted Cup - Robert Jackson Bennett
The English Understand Wool - Helen DeWitt
Gastro Obscura by Cecily Wong, Dylan Thuras
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories - Ken Liu

( And more! )

What reading goals do you have for next year?
I want to reread more of the books I own. I want to tackle my pile of unread books I own. I'd also like to read more classic lit/books from before 1900. And I vaguely want to not add new books to my existing TBR, which I am permitted only to access via library (or if I already own it). In which case, I'd better add any 2025 releases I want to my TBR now...

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2024 in review: highlights and lowlights

2024-12-31T02:27:45Z

A big major life shift this year, with moving across the country and changing jobs all in one fell swoop. Of course that stands out, and so my year feels like it is divided in half: first half in Houston, wrapping up at AST; second half in Rochester, settling into a new job and trying to establish routines and connections. I guess F1 was my throughline this year.

( 2024 in Review )

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books read: 2024 november

2024-12-05T01:01:34Z

Suddenly it's December! It's snowed in Rochester, light but beautiful; the roads were treated so they were easy to drive on. Will enjoy this snow before we get hit with the worse stuff. January and February get even colder.

Had a nice Thanksgiving and looking forward to Christmas/winter break. Planning a lot for spring semester events. Trying to stay healthy, cozy, connected.

( Books, November 2024 )

As we start getting to the end of the year, I'm also thinking about the new year and what I want to read. A few new things, sure, plus the books I own that are unread. But I also want to do more rereads! So many beloved books deserve revisiting.

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books read: 2024 october

2024-11-08T02:30:01Z

Well, here we are, post-election, in the world we made. I've been on an emotional roller coaster and will probably continue cycling through my feelings. Right now, I am mostly exhausted -- not just emotionally but also physically. I need to sleep soon. But here is a recap of books I read in October.

( Books, October 2024 )

Moving forward I am resolving to read less news and pay less close attention to every movement on the national political scene. I need to tune in more to what is happening here, where I am, through my work and through where I choose to get involved in the Rochester community. I have impact I can make here, connections and coalitions I can build here, and I can give myself a little more breathing room. I'll read more in November, too.

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books read: 2024 september

2024-10-06T19:09:56Z

A very busy September at work, plus traveling and a major festival, meant I didn't read that much. Did a couple in that last weekend when I was sick though! (Still fully recovering my energy reserves.)

( Books, September 2024 )

Life updates? Made Thanksgiving plans, adjusting to work and Rochester, hating F1...yeah, let's not get into that. Sports were a mistake (she says with a Buffalo Bills game on the background). Cool days are coming with fall, so going to try to enjoy the leaves, the cider, the cozy mornings where it's hard to get out of bed...

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books read: 2024 august

2024-09-04T00:25:46Z

August seemed to fly by: more time on the job, meeting people and being social, getting out a little bit in the Rochester area (plus we visited Buffalo). We need to do more outdoor parks/beaches and more one-day drives. So many cute things within an hour or two!

Did read a bit! F1 had summer break, then came back. We're traveling one weekend in September, to NYC, so hopefully that is a fun trip.

( Books, August 2024 )

The library system here frustrates and confounds me, but it serves its baseline purpose. :') Plus I need to work through the books I own...

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books read: 2024 july

2024-08-05T01:29:41Z

Started the new job! Reading will go down next month as I acclimate, I guess. Most of these were done before I started, but I'm trying to carve out evenings and weekends again -- balancing it with life errands/chores and also other social things. Making friends? Just being friendly with colleagues at this point, and also working on getting my office together. (I have an office!) It'll eventually feel more like me.

( Books, July 2024 )

Watching the Olympics during this F1 summer break. Sports!

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