I’ve finally gotten back into somewhat of a routine after traveling and getting sick with the flu. Back to uploading semi-regular unscheduled blog posts and newsletters — although I think I’ve decided to keep these newsletters as a monthly occurrence. This is partly because I’ve just started up a new subscription on Substack for more of my writing, so realistically, sticking to a monthly newsletter instead of weekly is more sustainable. (You’ll see at the end of this newsletter).
On daily gratitude
Listing at least three things we’re grateful for every day is a practice we’ve all heard of but probably don’t have a habit of doing. Kinda like how we all know that we should drink more water but it doesn’t mean we’re actually doing it. It’s one of those things where we know it’s a good thing to do and will probably be beneficial somehow but for some reason, those few extra minutes it takes to think about what good came out of the day is overwhelming. Or maybe we just don’t really care to make it a habit. Either way, I’ve created a simple journaling format to help you get started:
What you’ll need:
A small notebook (I use this Paperblanks one in an A6 size, or mini)
Your favorite pen (I use a Pilot G-2 0.38)
A book review: “Yellowface” by Rebecca F. Kuang
Goodreads Synopsis: Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena’s a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn’t even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.
So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel. But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.
“in other words”
This one is something new and something a bit out of my comfort zone. I’ve always wanted to write more fiction and essays but for some reason, these topics felt more vulnerable and not normally something I write on my main blog. So I’ve decided to create a new space on Substack to release my fiction and essays. I’ve called it “in other words” — a place to share the fictional worlds I’ve created outside of reality and reality from my perspective in the form of essays. Some of my posts will be free to read but readers also have the option to become monthly paid subscribers which gives them access to my long-form posts. No pressure either way, but if you’d like to join me in this new direction, check out my Substack here: