DISCLAIMER: I am taking full accountability in acknowledging that it is now February 12th, 2025. I had hoped against hope that I would post this by January 31st, however, as you will read in this (very late) newsletter, I am an inconsistent person trying to be better. 

Whew, January. An objectively horrible month that seems to last longer than thirty-one days. Once the hazy glow of New Years fades, you find yourself regretting that too high of a resolution while just barely surviving the too low temperatures. 

Not to mention the fact that the country is on fire (literally and figuratively)  and a racist, sexist, abusive fascist has been inaugurated into the highest office in the government. And El*n M*sk is, like, always there for some reason. 

And I’m supposed to be motivated? I’m supposed to hit the gym every day or start a new hobby or give extra effort at work? Sorry, it’s just not possible. 

To quote something I saw on Pinterest (try to take that app away from me, America!): 

“The plants and the earth are resting. Maybe we should too. The long days will be here soon enough.”

I am resting. I am staying warm. The earth is hard and it is cold and nothing will grow right now. This is not the time to be planting seeds. Instead, I am going to preserve my warmth and strength. I am going to need them for the coming-days-slash-the-next-four-years. 

So, instead of looking outward, I am looking inward. What do I need in order to rest right now? 

I’m so glad you asked. 

Self-Care

We’ve been talking about self-care a lot at my work right now. It’s a buzzy word, especially in the field of education, where teachers are overworked & underpaid, underappreciated & overstimulated. Self-care won’t fix these systemic flaws, but, hey, who hasn’t cried while taking a bubble bath?

So I downloaded this app. What else is one to do in this day and age? It’s called “Finch,” and I’ve been describing it to others as “self-care meets Neopets/Tamagotchi.” If you don't know what either of those are, boy, you really missed out on the absolute trauma that was virtual pet death. 

When you download Finch, you’ll be assigned a virtual pet bird. Mine’s name is Pickles, and she’s absolutely perfect, thank you very much. 

You’ll then answer some basic questions about your day-to-day life and the self-care habits you currently practice. Together, you and your birdy friend can set goals, such as drinking water, getting out of bed, washing your face, brushing your teeth (and yes, these are some of my goals, and yes they are sometimes harder than they seem. Depression is a b*tch). Every time you achieve a goal, your bird grows a little. Pickles is currently a child, but with every chore accomplished and deep breath taken, I am transforming her into a teenager. (I wonder, will she be moody? Will she sneak out of the bird house while I sleep? Will she shit talk me to her friends?) 

I’ve been telling everyone about this app, and I’m not embarrassed. Life is hard. Sometimes getting out of bed needs to be celebrated by watching a virtual bird flex and cheer you on. My thinking is: if I can’t do it for myself, I can definitely do it for Pickles. 

What I’ve been reading

Reading is a huge aspect of my self-care routine, and I try to read for at least thirty minutes a day, no matter the format of the book. Usually, I go above and beyond (overachiever, I know), but some days those thirty minutes take every ounce of strength I have in me. 

January was the best reading month I’ve had in quite some time. I read banger after banger. Five stars after five stars. Ranking the books from worst to best seems quite literally impossible–nay, laughable even. But for the drama I’ll try anyway. 

I read seventeen books in the month of January. Please keep in mind that all were three stars and higher.

17. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy this book. There were parts I did enjoy. However, there were a lot of parts that were difficult to read. It’s well-written, though, and an undeniable classic. 

16. Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell

My biggest critique with this book was that it started out so strong, however it tapered off from there. Part of me wonders if I chose the wrong format (I read the audiobook), but past the 50% mark, this book did not hold my attention as well as the others on this list. 

15. The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed

The second in this series is higher up on this list. I found the narrative of this first installment to be very limited in scope, which isn’t always a bad thing, but I overall found myself wanting more. I am eager to read the third in the series, though, because the premise is so interesting.

14. All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

I love Murderbot as a character, and his narration is so lovable. The only drawback to this book (and the series as a whole) is the worldbuilding. I have a hard time visualizing the setting and understanding the politics of the world as a whole. That could entirely be my fault, though, not Wells’s. 

13. Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro

This story is excruciatingly sad. The narrow scope of Elena’s life due to her illness is heartbreaking, and this is compounded by the loss of her daughter. I had a strong inkling of how the story would end, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. While at times annoying, I understand the intention behind the author’s use of repetition, and I think my frustration with it proves that it worked. But I was frustrated nevertheless.

12. We Speak Through the Mountains by Premee Mohamed

The second in the series ups the action. The social and political commentary in this novel is incredibly prescient, and I will recommend it to EVERYONE (but especially if you like post-climate apocalypse stories). 

11. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk & translated by Antonia Lloyd Jones

Shout out to Dua Lipa! I heard about this one through her book club (she has impeccable taste, IMO!). My attention kind of fluctuated with this one. Some sections were really intriguing while others were slow. The inconsistency is why I gave it four stars.

10. White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky & translated by Olga Shartse 

This little novella pulls a punch straight to the heart! Some of the dialogue felt very unnatural to me, which I find is common in classics written during that era and speaks more to culture than craft. 

9. Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang 

This book is everything I wanted Rouge by Mona Awad to be. A nearly perfect book, albeit some slight pacing issues. 

8. Penance by Eliza Clark

No lie, I forgot I was reading fiction multiple times. The worldbuilding was especially rich. If you’re a true crime fan, read this.

(From this point on, all books are rated five stars, and therefore you should know that I had a mental breakdown trying to finish this ranking and it is entirely your fault even though no one is forcing me to do this.)

7. Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi & translated by Sherif Hatata 

Based on a real interview, this book is a stomach-churning, rage-stoking examination of one woman’s life as she awaits on death row for murder. We learn about her past and what led her to this end. This is an incredibly difficult read, and I do not recommend it lightly. 

6. Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino

A beautiful, thoughtful, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking examination of humanity through the eyes of an alien sent to earth. I ugly-cried at the end of this. See the photo below. 

5. James by Percival Everett 

It’s so strange: James was the first book I read in January, and I truly thought it couldn’t get any better than this. What a surprising reading month! James is a retelling of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the enslaved character Jim. It is so powerful.

4. The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares & translated by Ruth L. C. Simms 

This novel genuinely surprised me so much. The twist was shocking. The story opens with a fugitive taking refuge on an abandoned island. At least, he thinks it’s abandoned.

3. My Death by Lisa Tuttle 

Speaking of twists! What the actual hell happened in this one?! My jaw was on the floor. I'm not telling you anything else.

2. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman & translated by Ros Schwartz 

This is a little unfair, considering this is one of my favorite books of all time, but… 

1. Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali & translated by Maureen Freely and Alexander Dawe 

I did not see this one coming. I stumbled across a tweet (yes, a “tweet” – f*ck you, Elon!) one night that said to look nothing up about this book and read it blind. I’m so glad I listened to this, because the story grabbed me and did not let me go. I need more people to read this.

What’s next?

February is proving to be a bit slower of a reading month, but I think that’s due to the nature of the books I’m currently reading:

1. Pathogenesis: A History of the World in Eight Plagues by Jonathan Kennedy

2. An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

3. and mother-f*cking Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis 

I’m enjoying all of them, however they are demanding a bit more of my brainpower. 

Thanks for reading this. 

Maybe you’re not reading it anymore. Maybe I’m shouting into the void. 

Keep an eye out for the next newsletter at the end of February. I hope. We’ll see.