Anti-Brainrot Reading Challenge 2026

date: 2026-01-01 author: Lei

last updated: 2026-05-29

RULE #1: read for at least one 45 min session per day where you annotate what you read

As someone who’s already a consistent reader, I didn’t think this rule was useful to me! Instead, my goal is to keep notes while I read.

JAN: https://betweenleavesandletters.substack.com/
FEB:
- https://www.english-exlibris.com/2026/01/26/alumna-spotlight-anna-sortino/
- https://philosophyandfiction.substack.com/p/ownvoices-never-made-sense
MAR: https://oua.ca/sports/mbkb/2025-26/releases/award_winners
APR: https://vanderhacks.substack.com/p/what-would-you-like-to-remember
MAY: https://ezgo.ardswc.gov.tw/en/column/4876/

Overall author ratio (sans manga) - 13 BIPOC : 30 white

😭 This has been harder than expected!

✅ a play OR poetry collection: Kim’s Convenience by Ins Choi
✅ a graphic novel: Eight Billion Genies by Charles Soule, illustrated by Ryan Browne
✅ an anthology/short story collection: Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
✅ a translated book: The Apothecary Diaries, v1 by Natsu Hyuuga, art by Nekokurage

✅ a book with a Queer/LGBTQIAP+ main character: Sing Anyway by Anita Kelly
✅ a book with Disability Rep: Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino
✅ a book by an author NOT in North America: a fire like you by Upile Chisala
✅ a book by a Black author who is ALIVE: The Unboxing of a Black Girl by Angela Shanté
✅ a book by an Indigenous / Native American / Australian Aboriginal author: The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
✅ a book by a SWANA author: Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi
✅ a book by a Latinx author: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
a book by an East Asian/South East Asian author who is not Chinese, Japanese, or Korean
a book by a South Asian author who is not Indian (does not include South East Asian)

See RULE #1 ☝🏽 - I’m only going to do this for notable things because intentional consumption includes doing things just for fun (mindfully).

This is where this challenge gets to homework-y for me. The areas I want to learn more about are:

Tea
- JAN: Attended a tea workshop, finished reading Tea by the Camellia Sinensis crew, read Between Letters and Leaves
- APR: Attended an oolong workshop, cementing it as my fave type of tea 💖
Nature cycles (moon, daylight flowering, seasons)
- JAN: Tracked the increase of daylight hours (up to 9hr in my area now!)
- FEB: Attended a Filipinx full moon event (learned a bit about Mayari)
- MAR: Celebrated maple season 🍁
- APR: Caught the first crocuses, daffodils, and tulips 🌷
- MAY: Detoured to catch the neighbourhood magnolias in bloom 🌸

JAN: Morning Glory Milking Farm (more enjoyable than expected!), Eight Billion Genies (less liked than expected!)
FEB: Lots of existential conversations because of Before You Go Extinct and Non-Things
MAY: You Should Be So Lucky book club!