2026

January - 2 books; 197,861 words.

• As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom Through Radical Resistance by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson - really interesting political theory, although I think I have to read more Indigenous political theory to truly understand it. 8/10; 102,502 words.
• The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by JRR Tolkien - reread. I really enjoy the delightful writing style not in place in either the Silmarillion or LOTR. 7/10; 95,359 words.

February - 1 book; 479,103 words.

• Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien - reread. Incredibly enjoyable, but I still prefer the Silmarillion.

March - 5 books, 387,291 words.

• The Elements of Eloquence: Secrets of the Perfect Turn of Phrase by Mark Forsyth - good book, but unfortunately I already knew most of the things that Forsyth mentioned. However, it was nice to find words to things I've been doing for years - like zeugma. 7/10; ~50,000 words.
• The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy - finally got around to reading Roy's second novel! I'll be honest, I enjoyed her debut (The God of Small Things) much more, but it was still very good. 9/10; 130,853 words.
• Borderlands / La Frontera: the New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldúa - Anzaldúa's work was interesting in the fact that her thoughts were interesting, but I can't say I agree with many of them. She was quite obviously a part of the political lesbian movement (that being a lesbian is an active, political rejection of men), which I don't agree with, and also posed that cultural appropriation and stealing of Indigenous property was because white people lacked spirituality? And then there was the odd, hallucination-like process she detailed for her writing process. The cultural appropriation point is probably the one I disagree with most in this book; it suggests that cultural appropriation and stealing of Indigenous property was to fill a void and thus that white people aren't (at our core) at fault for these practices. She also has some interesting ideas about the feminine being inherently better than the masculine. Although the result of what she talked about was interesting, the underlying theory I find much to disagree with. 6/10; 50,019 words.
• The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan - I'll be honest, a lot of these experiences mirror my own as Chinese. There was one passage describing Lena's Chinese features (or rather, lack thereof) that pretty much hit exactly what I feel about my own appearance. There was this distinct loss of culture that permeated how I feel about my own loss of culture. I have often thought that I have never truly read about someone like me; this remains true, but The Joy Luck Club comes closer than anything else. Coupled with Tan's poignant writing, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. 9/10; 91,419 words.
• Dear Life by Alice Munro - a collection of short stories. The first two I very much disliked, but I found myself enjoying every subsequent story more. I especially enjoyed "Pride" and "Night". 8/10; ~65,000 words.

April - 4 books; 530,337 words.

• Celtic Myths and Tales complied by J.K. Jackson - I've been slowly working on this one for ages. It feels wrong to put it here, though, because I've been reading it over the course of six months. 6/10; ~350,000 words.
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - (reread). Forgot how much I love this book. 73,404 words.
• Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger - I like the philosophical ideas, but not as good as Catcher. 7/10; 52,000 words.
• Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger - I really, really enjoyed this one. Franny and Zooey's siblings Seymour and Boo-Boo get their own stories within this book. The stories are all quite nice and tidy. 8/10; 54,933 words.

May - 4 books; 264,913 words.

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - (reread) Just as delightful as the last time. Also kicks off my slightly disjointed Jane Austen six major novels reread by writing date. 9/10; 77,780 words.
• Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction by Arundhati Roy - Roy's prose is excellent in nonfiction as in fiction.I'm not super familiar with Indian politics, but this book paints quite an alarming picture. Nonetheless, I deeply enjoyed reading it. 8/10; 56,620 words.
• Walking With the Comrades by Arundhati Roy - another rather alarming picture of Indian politics. I hope we can leave the water in the rivers. Also included Mr. Chidambara's War, another essay by the author. 7/10; ~10,556 words.
• Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen - (reread). I read this some years ago; right after I read Persuasion, and this was the second I read. I disliked it compared to the other Austen books, but I do really like it now. 7/10; 119,957 words.

June - 4 books, 527,318 words.

• Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen - (reread). Still my least favourite Jane Austen. 5/10; 122,204 words.
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - (reread). Also enjoyable, I like the moral parts but Fanny and William are like. the only good people there. 8/10; 160,460 words.
• Emma by Jane Austen - (reread). So much better upon reread. Definitely my new favourite Austen book. 9/10; 160,996 words.
• Persuasion by Jane Austen - (reread). I liked it, not much changed there, I'll be honest. 9/10; 83,658 words.