Moonlit Missives

Blue Moon 2026

Lei — Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Did you know that a blue moon is the second full moon in a month? 🌝 Now you know!</p>

Adventures</h2>
A lotta firsts this month ☝️</p>

🆓 Free Comic Book Day</strong> 🔖 May started strong with Free Comic Book Day and this year, for the first time, I actually read all my picks the same day!</li>
🪷 Museum visit</strong> 🖼️ My first museum visit in a while (definitely this year), to go see the Keerat Kaur</a> exhibit. This woman paints, sings, embroiders, makes ceramics and it’s all on display in a little hallway. I was very glad for the introduction and hope she gets more room in the future! The colours were so dreamy. 🧜🏾‍♀️
</div>
froggo!</p> </li>
🎤 Porchfest</strong> 🎵 It was a delight to experience Porchfest for the first time! We saw acts from a porch (with a window as a stage for accompanying puppetry), a street corner, and a sidewalk (as we sat in the grass of the median). I liked the softness of a low-key event, the random passers-by, and how organic it all felt.
</div>
Johnny Turbo</p> </li>
🛼 Roller Derby</strong> ⭐ I finally caught a roller derby event! There’s only a few here each year, on weekends during peak summer months, so while I’ve been interested for a while, it never worked out. For my first time, four friends came along and we got to figure out the rules, gestures, and penalties together. It seemed like super supportive sport and I’d be down to see some more (and I possibly can, given that it’s the start of the season).</li> </ul> Reading</h2>

The Compound</a> by Aisling Rawle 🇮🇪 I binged this in a (very late) night, which is a testament to how thrilling I found it! The part that made the experience for me is that I was taking notes as I went along and made predictions of what I thought might happen. Pleeeeease read this, I want friends to talk to about it.</li>
You Should Be So Lucky</a> by Cat Sebastian 🇺🇸 This book was given to me by a dear friend PLUS we found a bookshop hosting a book club on it! While we weren’t enthused by the (lack of guided) discussion, it was so great to be able to go through each of our sets of notes on the book. I love buddy reads.</li>
Beck Sisters</a> trilogy by Trish Doller 🇺🇸 I was looking for romance set in Ireland, which was only in the third book, so yes, I did read the whole series just for that. In the end, I liked the first book Float Plan</em> the best, because of how descriptive the sailing scenes were! A great example of “write what you know”.</li>
For comic book club, I read Absolute Wonder Woman, Vol. 1: The Last Amazon</a>, which was way witchier and better than I expected. 🇺🇸</li>
I learned a bit about Adlerian theory</a> from The Courage to Be Disliked</a> by Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga, which was fun to read through a Japanese lens. 🗾</li>
To continue my art exploration, I read The Five Lives of Hilma af Klint</a> by Philipp Deines 🇩🇪</li> </ul>
Watching & Listening</h2>
This month, I tried a new format of a media tracker, where I note down what I read, watch, listen to, play, and go see. It’s been super fun! I started with something only textual which I could not</em> see myself wanting to look back on, so I’m very excited to have landed on something more visual.
</div>
shoutout to my traveler's notebook ♥</p> </p>

🎬I revisited the movie Flushed Away</em> with friends, and it aged way better than expected. Plus, the DVD extras unexpectedly upped the nostalgia factor!</li>
🃏 Completely hooked on The Best in Jest</a> Guess the Character episodes. I like how they make each other laugh, and in turn, makes me laugh.</li>
🍡 Jumped back into Japanese women’s wrestling by watching the All Star Grand Queendom</a> PPV (though I couldn’t quite stomach the match with the staple gun & roses… 🥀)</li>
…plus lot more YouTube than TV these days!</li> </ul>
Playing</h2>

😻 In Hello Kitty</a>, I unlocked the yoga instructor - PROTEEEEEEIN!</li>
⚗️ I dabbled in PotionCraft</a> and am looking forward to exploring it more.</li>
📦 Wrapped up unpacking</a>, which ended in a cute queer twist I wasn’t expecting. And yes, I collected all the sticker achievements, including the one where you have to flush all the toilets 😂</li>
🌏 Way too much GeoQuiz</a> - my best score is 147!</li> </ul>
Eats</h2>
All my food highlights this month are Japan-related 🗾
</div>
me, as captured by my bestie</p>
</div>
Japan Week savoury</p>
</div>
Japan Week sweets</p>
</div>
made with friends!</p> </p>
Delights</h2>

Thrifting</strong>: I found an great vintage leather coat for only $23!!! Plus a couple pole outfits 👙</li>
Running</strong>: It’s been getting me outside and I got to appreciate all the spring flowers in full bloom 🌸
</div> </li>
Purse</strong>: I’ve made a ton of progress on the purse kit that I (regrettably) impulsively bought in the fall, so at least it’s delighting me now!</li>
Knitting</strong>: My friend got me knitting legwarmers and it’s slowwwwwww going but in a way that I don’t mind 🧶
</div>
on borrowed needles 😬</p> </li> </ul>

Flower Moon 2026

Lei — Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Y’all ready for a “quieter” April update? At least I can promise flower pics! 💐</p>
Adventures</h2>

Battlewar</a> (the show Alex & I started talking at!) 🤼 FINALLY put on the match we’d all been waiting years for, Mononc St-Jacques vs Thomas Dubois! It wasn’t the most amazing match, but what a relief to no longer be wondering about it.
</div>
finally</p> </li>
My friend was in a Just For Laughs comedy showcase (it’s an audition for the bigger summer shows), so it was fun to get out on a random Wednesday to support her! 🎤</li>
Confabulation</a> 🗣️ This was on my 2026 Bingo and I got to share it with three friends new to the event and medium. My one storytelling performance remains the most vulnerable I’ve felt on stage, despite having performed improv, burlesque, and even a singing gig. There’s always at least one story that makes me tear up. And this time, the first storyteller gave me a craving for ensaymada</a>…</li>
Bagel Burlesque</a> 🥯 I went to both nights!!! My highlights were ASL+LSQ interpretation on Friday, headliner Roxy Reverie (reversable sequin pasties 🤩), and drag king Stretcher Hartout.
</div>
Friday performers!</p> </li>
Oolong workshop</a> 🫖 The perfect activity for a slow Sunday morning - divine! I got to experience Gong Fu style tea for the first time, complete with the adorable teapot, pitcher, and aroma + tasting cups. I’ve never enjoyed 7g of tea more than during this workshop. And I’m extra convinced that oolong is my fave type of tea.
</div>
time to add new teaware to the wishlist?</p> </li>
Mystery Wrestling</a> 🔮 We got to meet Mano Po!!! 🇵🇭 They’re from Toronto, so well worth the drive to Gatineau. I think my girl Kingsley has what it takes to make it bigger.
</div>
but they should be mano po-ing me...</p> </li>
Full Gisele</a> 💄 My first Tuesday night drag show! Dragroulette was defs the most exciting part, because the host collected songs from the audience, and everyone got surprised as to which queen/king would perform to each song. I love Montreal, y’all. You can support artists every night of the week, every week 💖</li> </ul>
Reading</h2>
Another slow reading month, but I have a couple book clubs and buddy reads to look forward to in May!</p>

Armed with Madness</a> by Mary M. & Bryan Talbot I was inspired to pick this up by a new friend who studied surrealist women artists like Leonora Carrington, who this book is about.</li>
Coming to That</a> by Dorothea Tanning Poetry by another surrealist artist! My fave poem was about a woman waving at trees (hi trees! 👋🏾)</li>
Apothecary Diaries v10-15 I gave in and binged this batch! It’s getting deeper (while I’m still slowwwwwwwly making my way through the anime).</li>
Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard Volume 1</a> A book club pick!</li>
Every Day I Read</a> by Hwang Bo-reum, trans. Shanna Tan Did I pick this up to try and get myself outta my reading slump? Yep! I think it’s working though, given my 10+ annotations in the book.</li> </ul>
Watching & Listening</h2>

Pimsleur Greek</a> In a burst of energy, post-teaching, I decided to borrow this from my library. My Greek friend has been picking up Filipino words, and it felt exciting to return the exchange with to her in this way. So far, I appreciate that it’s phonetic and all my past math classes prepared me perfectly for all the letters. π for p, duh!!</li>
Dear Nina</a> I’ve been pondering a lot about friendship in the past few months and the algorithms must know, because they surfaced this podcast to me. It’s been fun to pick and choose which episodes interest me in the moment.</li> </ul>
Playing</h2>

Minami Lane</a> 🏗️ Hello Kitty Island Adventure has gotten a bit slow in the end game, so I picked this little game up. I like that I get to build up my cute street (without too many options), make the villagers happy, and pet cats.</li>
Water Sort</a> 🧪 My mindless game for quick breaks, which I’m sharing because I spent an embarrassingly long time looking for an ad-free version 😅</li>
Strange Horticulture</a> 🪴 I almost forgot that I played this! It was fun for the puzzles but I have to admit that the story didn’t interest me all that much. I might still try its sequel, Strange Antiquities</a>.</li> </ul>
At my sister’s recommendation, I’m considering inKONBINI</a>! I’ll definitely check out the demo at the very least. Do y’all have short game recs? Venba</a> is another shortie on my list, recommended by another lovely friend!</p>
Eats</h2>
Scrolling back through my photos, my response is damn girl, you ate a loooooooot of fun stuff this month!
</div>
alllll the noms</p> </p>
Highlights</p>

I made Iraqi Red Rice & Chicken Stew from this cookbook</a> 🇮🇶</li>
Cinnamon rolls from at Rollys (the options!) and Bernice (the quality!) 🌀</li>
Ice cream season has started anew 🍦</li>
Dim Sum 🤤</li> </ul>
Restaurant shoutouts: Falafel Yoni, Frite O Folie (smash burgers!!), Malatang (hot pot by weight), Itaewon 🇰🇷 Honestly, it’s my friends that deserve the shoutout for being my reason to try all of these yummy spots 🫶🏾</p>
Delights</h2>
Flowers! Junk journaling! Brodie cuddles! Terrasses! Mini trains! Running!
</div>
</div>
</div> </p>
This coming month, I do not promise that May will be quieter, not in this season of this city 😅</p>

Pink Moon 2026

Lei — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Above zero degrees! Rain!? Feels like spring here, time to recap!! 🌂</p>
Adventures</h3>

USPORTS Final 8</a>* 🏀
</div>
companion plush</p> This event absolutely delivered</em> with entertaining, competitive games! Am I disappointed that Carleton is back on top again? Yes, but at least the ride was fun. My highlights were seeing U of C’s potential, seeing Quebec teams do better than expected, and the relief of UVic salvaging the weekend with a bronze medal (and Shadynn Smid dunks).</li>
Line dancing 🤠 One of my 2026 Bingo squares was to line dance, and I’m so happy I found an inclusive space to try it out again. Here’s to moreeeee 🪩</li>
Cabane Panache 🍁
</div>
sugar smile</p> I love a snowy festival - Montreal does not</em> let the cold prevent us from celebrating, especially maple times.</li>
ABBA Candlelit Concert 🕯️ </div>
thousands of candles</p> The best birthday present!!! 💝 I was pleasantly surprised by the ambiance and LOVED that the string quartet was a group of women who’ve been playing together for over two decades, since uni. As someone who has barely a uni friend left in the city… wow!!</li> </ul>
Reading</h3>
Welp, as to be expected from my typical March, I finished two books this month:</p>

Give Me a Sign</a> by Anna Sortino, for both the Read Harder Challenge</a>and the Anti-Brain Rot Challenge</a></li>
Who Deserves Your Love</a> by kc davis (thanks to my friend for recommending this after I had recommended her davis’ other book), the ideas in here are still percolating in my mind and probably for the next while… lots on boundaries and what we are responsible for in relationships.</li> </ul>
I’m a little sad at how little I read, but I did read a tonnnnnnn of manwha!! A sampling:</p>

re-read of Romance 101</a> - so adorable, with a great supporting characters</li>
My Far Too Tumultuous Marriage</a> - the equivalent sugar 🍭</li>
The Dawn to Come</a> - moody!</li> </ul>
Watching</h3>

Pursuit of Jade</a> - Thanks to my sister for getting me into this! My first true watch of a cdrama. I love that you can TELL that women are in the writer’s room by how much of a baddie the lady lead is. FEMALE GAZE FTW</strong> 🌸</li>
Mystery Wrestling</a> - My beloved promotion has been abroad recently, so we’re stuck watching streams. That can be fun too though, because you get the full commentary experience. My highlight was seeing their crossover show with Baka Gaijin + Friends</a> because how freaking creative is it to wrestle on a tiny square mat in the middle of a packed restobar in Japan. 👹</li> </ul>
Playing</h3>

I finally got the Greenhouse in Hello Kitty Island Adventure!!! 💚</li>
Pixel Dungeon</a> is my airplane game of choice, and I had my best run yet this time - getting past level 20! As a rogue girlie, of course 🥷🏽 Do I have to delete this game as soon as the flight lands? OUI, lest I stay up too many nights just making more attempts…</li> </ul>
Delights</h3>

Dancing in new legwarmers lovingly made for and gifted to me 🎀</li>
Getting these DREAM nails after years of dreaming of them🧡 My nail tech had such fun.
</div>
thank you Dahee!!!</p> </li>
Surprising my love with a new haircut 💇🏻‍♀️</li>
My thrift clothing haul - I left sooooo much room for this in my suitcase, with the highlight being the gingham dress that I actually already got to wear, yay for peeks of spring! 🌱</li>
A tail-wiggling capybara plush, gifted to me by my sister who knows me so well 🍊</li>
Feeling cozy in the giant green puffy cocoon vest also gifted to me by my sister 🥰</li>
Pulling cards from the Fairies Oracle Deck</a></li>
Almost completing the Beginner tricks card after ~6 months of consistency at my pole studio with my fave teacher 🩰</li> </ul>
Eats</h3>

Having (and learning to cook) my dad’s fish sinigang</a> 🍲</li>
CINNAMON BUNZ galore, I am obsessed y’all. I promise the red one was DELISH guava, not ketchup… 🌀
</div>
i swear it's guacva + pistachio</p> </li>
fondueeeeeee chez mon amie 🫕</li>
Actually filling vegan food 🍠
</div>
shoutout to TULA</p> </li>
Hot honey pepperoni 🍕</li> </ul>
So yeah, I survived DST! Here’s to a quieter April, this past month was busy enough for a year 🥲 I’m craving slower, quality time outside to catch as many buds and blooms I can. 🌷 snail girl spring anyone?</p>
As always, HUGS to y’all 🤗</p>
* did I keep this wiki page updated with scores? why yes, yes I am the superfan who did</em> 🪭</p>

Blood Moon 2026

Lei — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Can you believe the sun is setting closer to 6pm than 5pm already?? I’m ready for crocuses while I try not to dread losing an hour to DST 💜</p>
Reading</h2>
As expected, a slower reading month now that work is in full swing. I calculated that I read ~$233 worth of books from public libraries this month, woohoo libraries!!!</p>
Favourite Reads</h3>

Apothecary Diaries</a> v4-9 ⚗️by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao It just keeps getting better!! I couldn’t believe how v6 ended AND I had to wait before picking up v7.</li>
Non-things: Upheaval in the Lifeworld</a> by Byung-Chul Han, trans. Daniel Steuer I wasn’t expecting to enjoy a philosophy book so much. Though I’m not sure I enjoyed</em> it as much as I enjoyed how much I connected with it. Many quotes were read to y’all via voice note, and I hope more of you pick this up. I meannn: “There is no fundamental difference between being reachable at all times and being enslaved.” 🙀</li>
Before You Go Extinct</a> by Takashi Ushiroyato, Kanato Abiko Another existential read, but manga featuring penguins with guns? The first story is the most shocking/difficult, so stick with it. 🐧</li>
In the cold of February, it was also nice to re-read some Rebekah Weatherspoon</a> romances.</li> </ol>
Playing</h2>
Nothing new here! My greatest achievement was completing the Gargantuan Garden Goals</a> quest in Hello Kitty Island Adventure - why is Wish Me Well so demanding? 😹</p>
Eats</h2>
More than half the photos sent to my sister are food, so here are the highlights:</p>

Hojicha tiramisu from Ri Yue</li>
Fried ice cream</li>
ALL the fish balls at Soup Zen Hot Pot</li>
Chocolate-pear french toast at Lola Rosa - my first time having their brunch!</li>
Bombay Mahal FEAST</li>
The Jinjin</a> 3 tresors hoji at their pop-up</li>
Indonesian / Malay feast at Satu Lagi</li> </ul>
I’d be remiss not to shoutout the Rockaberry carrot cake brought by my art buddy, and this homemade pizza 🤤 (you know it’s good if it’s got me eating olives!)</p>
</div>
homemade pizza 🍕</p>
Tea</h2>
Now that I have my gaiwan</a>, my fave tea has been the oolong Shui Xian Lao Cong</a>, which I picked for being the most roasted option, yummmm. It’s been a bit of learning curve to not burn myself pouring from the gaiwan while not dumping leaves into the teacup 😅 Special mention to the fancy Gong Mei</a> too, which is my first taste of aged white tea! It’s super delicate and subtle! “Nothing like those dreadful potpourri vendors” - my fave review quote of late 😂</p>
</div>
my best matcha pic</p>
Watching</h2>

HIGHLY entertained by season 5 of Single’s Inferno! jinjja</em>??</li>
Slowly watching the Apothecary Diaries anime - I love knowing and anticipating what’s coming, hehehe</li> </ul> </div>
Adventures</h2>

Art Class 👩‍🎨 - I’m in another art journal class! It’s my fave kind, because we get to try all kinds of techniques and we’re encouraged to collage a ton, which has always been fun for me. Plus, if I don’t like what we did, I can easily cut up the page or cover it up, unlike a canvas.</li>
Sound Bath 🎶 - At the recommendation of a friend, I tried a cozy sound bath experience for the first time. I definitely fell asleep for at least the first 20 minutes, sorry to the others that had to deal with my gentle snores 😂 It was lovely to have such a restful time, which I’ve felt in yin yoga classes too. Recharging!</li>
Book Bedazzling ❇️ - After this (free!!!) bookstore event, I’m SO tempted to buy my own bedazzling set (hint hint 😉), but I have too many pending crafts…
</div> </li>
Kent Monkman exhibit</a> - As moving as promised ❤️‍🩹 I loved the irreverence, beauty, SCALE, and unflinching nature of many of the pieces. We went on a really crowded day so I do wish I could have returned on a quieter one.</li> </ul>
Sports</h3>

Bring It On</a> all-women wrestling show!!! What a treat to see live, including Ava Lawless, all the way from Calgary 🤠</li>
Watching the Olympics - Piper & Paul’s ice dance made me tear up 🥹</li>
Cheerfest - because I’ve always been curious about cheerleading
</div>
the team from Mexico!!</p> </li>
Basketball - my first live game of the year was with a friend who’d never been! We sat courtside, which never gets old to me ⛹️</li>
Pole & Pilates (& Twerk) are all continuing to bring me joy 💓</li> </ul>
Text me what y’all are enjoying these days, and please, start going to bed earlier!</p>

Snow Moon 2026

Lei — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Happy full moon!</p>
It’s been a very full month, despite the cold, snow, dark, and work. Here are my highlights 🌟</p>
Reading</h2>
Reading has been FULL STEAM AHEAD 🚂💨 Did I start the month trying both the Anti-Brain Rot Reading Challenge</a> and this year’s Read Harder Challenge</a>?? Yes. Do I have too many books now? Yup 😅 Still, it was fun to read so widely to start the year. Here’s my progress, if you’re curious: RHC</a>, ABRC</a>.</p>
Favourite Reads</h3>

With the Fire on High</a> by Elizabeth Acevedo ❤️‍🔥 I purposefully read the audiobook because the author is the narrator and also a spoken word poet! It’s worth it for the emotions she adds to the story. I didn’t think I’d enjoy a teen mom story this much.</li>
The Apothecary Diaries</a> v1-3 ⚗️by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao Thanks to all my friends who recommended this series! I fell in love in the first volume, borrowed as an ebook from the library (via Libby</a> + my Kobo, dream team!) and decided that I must buy the series. But GUESS WHAT?? My sister heard me, and my parents decided to gift it to me through my local comic shop 🥹 So now I get to pick them up, one-by-one, as a continually giving birthday present 💝</li>
The Unboxing of a Black Girl</a> by Angela Shanté 📖 My poetry pick of the month! Shanté is such</em> a former teacher, with little footnotes for every poem for further reference and reading.</li> </ol>
I’m not sure if I enjoyed</em> these, but I keep thinking about them:</p>
How Can I Help You</a> by Laura Sims (thrillerish, set in a library)</li>
To Be Taught, If Fortunate</a> by Becky Chambers (my fave sci-fi author, though this one hit me in the existentialism a little too hard)</li>
Algospeak</a> by Adam Aleksic (@etymologynerd - pretty sure I first found him through this tea vs cha video</a>!)</li> </ul>
Playing</h2>
Hello Kitty Island Adventure</a>!!! Getting to play makes me feel like I’m not working too hard, even if I “worked” in-game to catch all the in-season fish 😹</p>
Thanks to my friend who always assigns a card game project I tried FIVE new card games:</p>

Happy Mochi</a> - great theme, simple fun 🍡</li>
Oh My Socks!</a> - ALWAYS down to try an Antoine Bauza game and he delivered 🧦</li>
Garden Variety</a> - felt AI-designed?? skip!! 😬</li>
Scout</a> - not as circus-y as I expected, need to try again to decide if I like it 🎪</li>
Play Nine</a> - I’m as surprised as you might be that this was my fave! The rules are easy to pick up, the rounds are quick and it has a luck-based mechanic that makes play exciting most turns ⛳</li> </ul>
Ooh, and I got to play another cozy session of Earthborne Rangers</a>, a co-op, adventure, environmentalist game. 🌱</p>
And yes, Alex beat me at Heat</a> on the LAST TURN of the game and I’m still a lil’ salty about it, especially because it wasn’t just luck, I</em> derped. 🏎️</p>
Tea</h2>
I got to enjoy a Camellia Sinensis workshop this past month, and the most memorable one was the 30+ year-old pu er that smelled like a stable and tasted like licking damp, musty barnwood 🤣 Happy year of the horse?? 🐴</p>
Some other standout tea experiences:</p>

Golden Leaves</a> from Cha Noir - tastes BUTTERY somehow?? 💛</li>
Nepalese Tea</a> from Camellia Sinensis 🍵</li>
Black tea that a friend brought me back from a fancy Edinburgh high tea spot</li> </ul>
Eats</h2>
As it was my birth day month, I got to feast several times:</p>

Kamayan (eat-with-your-hands) FEAST chez mon amie 🥰</li>
Brunches galore</li>
kfried chicken</li>
bulgogi stew for the cold</li> </ul>
Watching</h2>

Finished: Dimension 20: Fantasy High</a> - improvisers are amazing and D&D and I loved the John Hughes inspiration ✊🏽</li>
In the middle of: St. Denis Medical</a> - great at making both me & Alex laugh! Sometimes too relatable…</li>
Mystery Wrestling</a></li> </ul>
Adventures</h2>

Pole + Pilates - I was super consistent this month, and I hope to continue that into February</li>
Embodied Writing Workshop - I tried this with a friend and it was a lovely mindful space (which DELISH chai)</li>
Puppy Yoga!!!</li> </ul>
Whew! What a month 🤩 Stay warm out there 🧣</p>
HUGS!</p>

Anti-Brainrot Reading Challenge 2026

Lei — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

last updated: 2026-05-29</em></p>
RULE #1: read for at least one 45 min session per day where you</del> annotate what you read</h2>
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.</strong></p>
RULE #2: read at least 1 article/essay per month on any topic that interests you</h2>
JAN: https://betweenleavesandletters.substack.com/</li>
FEB:

https://www.english-exlibris.com/2026/01/26/alumna-spotlight-anna-sortino/</li>
https://philosophyandfiction.substack.com/p/ownvoices-never-made-sense</li> </ul> </li>
MAR: https://oua.ca/sports/mbkb/2025-26/releases/award_winners</li>
APR: https://vanderhacks.substack.com/p/what-would-you-like-to-remember</li>
MAY: https://ezgo.ardswc.gov.tw/en/column/4876/</li> </ul>
RULE #3: read at least 1 book by a BIPOC author for every book you read by a white author</h2>
Overall author ratio (sans manga) - 13 BIPOC : 30 white</p>
😭 This has been harder than expected!</p>

JAN: 3 BIPOC to 14 white</li>
FEB: 8 BIPOC to 5 white</li>
MAR: 0 BIPOC to 2 white</li>
APR: 0 BIPOC to 2 white</li>
MAY: 2 BIPOC to 7 white</li> </ul>
RULE #4: read at least 1 book from the following 10 genres (7/10)</strong></h2>

✅ literary fiction: The Compound</a></em> by Aisling Rawle</li>
✅ historical fiction: How to Survive the North</a></em> by Luke Healy 🌌</li>
✅ fantasy: Morning Glory Milking Farm</em></a> by C.M. Nascosta 🐮</li>
✅ science fiction: To Be Taught, If Fortunate</a></em> by Becky Chambers 🚀</li>
horror</li>
✅ romance OR thriller: The Long Game</a></em> by Rachel Reid ❤️‍🔥</li>
classics</li>
✅ history/politics Tea: The Drink that Changed the World</a></em> by Laura C. Martin</li>
science</li>
✅ memoir/biography: All Who Go Do Not Return</em></a> by Shulem Deen 🕎</li> </ul> RULE #5: read at least 1 book from each of the following 4 formats (4/4)</strong></h2>
✅ a play OR poetry collection: Kim’s Convenience</em></a> by Ins Choi</li>
✅ a graphic novel: Eight Billion Genies</em></a> by Charles Soule, illustrated by Ryan Browne</li>
✅ an anthology/short story collection: Magic for Beginners</em></a> by Kelly Link</li>
✅ a translated book: The Apothecary Diaries</a></em>, v1 by Natsu Hyuuga, art by Nekokurage</li> </ul>
RULE #6: read from at least 1 book from each of the following 9 categories (7/9)</strong></h2>
✅ a book with a Queer/LGBTQIAP+ main character: Sing Anyway</em></a> by Anita Kelly</li>
✅ a book with Disability Rep: Give Me a</em> Sign</em></a> by Anna Sortino</li>
✅ a book by an author NOT in North America: a fire like you</a></em> by Upile Chisala</li>
✅ a book by a Black author who is ALIVE: The Unboxing of a Black Girl</em></a> by Angela Shanté</li>
✅ a book by an Indigenous / Native American / Australian Aboriginal author: The Truth According to Ember</em></a> by Danica Nava</li>
✅ a book by a SWANA author: Chicken with Plums</a></em> by Marjane Satrapi</li>
✅ a book by a Latinx author: With the Fire on High</em></a> by Elizabeth Acevedo</li>
a book by an East Asian/South East Asian author who is not Chinese, Japanese, or Korean</li>
a book by a South Asian author who is not Indian (does not include South East Asian)</li> </ul>
RULE #7: create your own critical media journal: write down notes or reviews on each book you read, movie/show you watch, and each article/essay you read</h2>
See RULE #1 ☝🏽 - I’m only going to do this for notable things because intentional consumption includes doing things just for fun</em> (mindfully).</p>
RULE #8: create your own personal curriculum for the year or for each “semester” of the year</h2>
This is where this challenge gets to homework-y for me. The areas I want to learn more about are:</p>

Tea

JAN: Attended a tea workshop, finished reading Tea</em> by the Camellia Sinensis crew, read Between Letters and Leaves</a></li>
APR: Attended an oolong workshop, cementing it as my fave type of tea 💖</li> </ul> </li>
Nature cycles (moon, daylight flowering, seasons)

JAN: Tracked the increase of daylight hours (up to 9hr in my area now!)</li>
FEB: Attended a Filipinx full moon event (learned a bit about Mayari)</li>
MAR: Celebrated maple season 🍁</li>
APR: Caught the first crocuses, daffodils, and tulips 🌷</li>
MAY: Detoured to catch the neighbourhood magnolias in bloom 🌸</li> </ul> </li> </ol>
RULE #9: do a buddy read or join a book club and discuss at least 1 book with other people</h2>

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

Read Harder Challenge 2026

Lei — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

last updated: 2026-05-29</em></p>

Microhistory</strong>
📖 Tea: The Drink that Changed the World</em> by Laura C. Martin 🇺🇸</li>
Featured on a “best book covers” list</strong>
🤔 I deliver parcels in Bejing</em> by Hu Anyan 🇨🇳</li>
YA by a Latine author</strong>
🎧 With the Fire on High</em> by (& read by) Elizabeth Acevedo 🇺🇸 🇩🇴</li>
MC who uses they/them pronouns</strong>
📱 Sing Anyway</em> by Anita Kelly 🇺🇸</li>
Nonfic about resistance</strong>
🤔 tbd, recommendations welcome!</li>
Gothic novel published in last 10 years</strong>
📖 Mexican Gothic</em> by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 🇨🇦 🇲🇽</li>
Sports book by a woman, trans, or NB writer</strong>
🤔 Personal Score</em> by Ellen Van Neerven 🇦🇺 🇳🇱</li>
Classic from Zero to Well-Read Podcast</strong>
🤔 Forever…</em> by Judy Blume 🇺🇸</li>
Romantasy with a queer and/or BIPOC mc</strong>
🤔 tbd, probably from my sister’s recs!</li>
Book recently adapted for film-TV-musical</strong>
📱 The Long Game</em> by Rachel Reid 🇨🇦</li>
By a d/Deaf author</strong>
📖 Give Me a Sign</em> by Anna Sortino 🇺🇸</li>
Try a recipe from a cookbook about a culture whose food you’ve never eaten</strong>
📖 The Iraqi Cookbook</em> by Lamees Ibrahim 🇮🇶</li>
Nonfic comic</strong>
🤔 tbd</li>
Magical realism or fabulism</strong>
📖 Magic for Beginners</em> by Kelly Link 🇬🇧</li>
By a librarian</strong>
📖 How Can I Help You</em> by Laura Sims 🇺🇸</li>
Queer picture book</strong>
📖 Julián is a Mermaid</em> by Jessica Love 🇺🇸</li>
About a cult or cults</strong>
🎧 Cultish</em> by Amanda Montell, narrated by Ann Marie Gideon 🇺🇸</li>
By an intersex author</strong>
🤔 Inverse Cowgirl</em> by Alicia Roth Weigel</li>
Nonfic about AI or social media</strong> 📱 Algospeak</em> by Alex Aleksic</li>
Set in space</strong>
📖 To Be Taught if Fortunate</em> by Becky Chambers</li>
Genre book in translation</strong>
🤔 I could count Apothecary Diaries</li>
Nonviolent true crime</strong>
📖 Cryptomania</em> by Andrew R. Chow</li>
By an African author</strong>
📖 a fire like you</em> by Upile Chisala</li>
Repeat previous challenge: 2025 nonfic about nature</strong>
🤔 Gathering Moss</em> by Robin Wall Kimmerer</li> </ol>

Moonlit Missives

Blue Moon 2026

Flower Moon 2026

Reading</h2> Another slow reading month, but I have a couple book clubs and buddy reads to look forward to in May!</p>

Eats</h2> Scrolling back through my photos, my response is damn girl, you ate a loooooooot of fun stuff this month! </div> alllll the noms</p> </p> Highlights</p>

Delights</h2> Flowers! Junk journaling! Brodie cuddles! Terrasses! Mini trains! Running! </div> </div> </div> </p> This coming month, I do not promise that May will be quieter, not in this season of this city 😅</p>

Pink Moon 2026

Reading</h3> Welp, as to be expected from my typical March, I finished two books this month:</p>

Playing</h3> I finally got the Greenhouse in Hello Kitty Island Adventure!!! 💚</li>

Blood Moon 2026

Reading</h2> As expected, a slower reading month now that work is in full swing. I calculated that I read ~$233 worth of books from public libraries this month, woohoo libraries!!!</p>

Watching</h2> HIGHLY entertained by season 5 of Single’s Inferno! jinjja</em>??</li>

Snow Moon 2026

Eats</h2> As it was my birth day month, I got to feast several times:</p>

Anti-Brainrot Reading Challenge 2026

RULE #2: read at least 1 article/essay per month on any topic that interests you</h2> JAN: https://betweenleavesandletters.substack.com/</li>

Read Harder Challenge 2026

Delights</h2>
Flowers! Junk journaling! Brodie cuddles! Terrasses! Mini trains! Running!
</div>
</div>
</div> </p>
This coming month, I do not promise that May will be quieter, not in this season of this city 😅</p>

Reading</h2>
As expected, a slower reading month now that work is in full swing. I calculated that I read ~$233 worth of books from public libraries this month, woohoo libraries!!!</p>