Quarterly Pages: January - March 2026

For the past few years, my reading goal has always been quantitative. More specifically, I aimed to read a book a week, which is roughly 52 books in a year. Achieving that amount has always filled me with a dopamine hit unlike any other, but as I consistently accomplished this goal year after year, I found myself feeling uninspired. Hence, this year, my goal is less quantitative and more qualitative.

Instead of setting the number of books I want to read, my goal is to read more diversely, which I wrote about in the last Quarterly Pages. I've expanded on this to include reading the International Booker Prize Winners, the International Booker Prize 2025, and the 2026 Longlist. As a casual reader, I've never paid much attention to awards, but last year I heard great things about Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, which was nominated for the International Booker Prize. Following my curiosity, I looked into the awards and discovered a whole new world of fiction that was unfamiliar to me, specifically translated works.

Coincidentally, my neighborhood library reopened after a year of renovations, so I took it as an opportunity to use my library card and borrow some books based on the lists.

Without further ado, here's a reading recap of everything I read in Q1 of 2026:

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

The theme for January's book club and movie club was book-to-movie adaptation. I read the book, but couldn't make it to that month's meeting as I was halfway across the world devouring Malaysian food and soaking up the sun. According to my club members, the movie adaptation took liberties with the source material. Perhaps my expectations of the book were affected by the Tumblr reposts of the movie stills back when I was a teenager, but the book wasn't what I expected at all.

The book felt more like a series of snapshots of the author's time at McLean Hospital. I can see why it was polarizing when it was first published in the early 90s, because mental health was such a taboo topic. However, I was hoping for a more in-depth, intimate look at Kaysen's time at the facility back in the 60s, when it was even more taboo. Some memoirs completely transport you into the world, but this kept us at arm's length. 3/5 stars

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

T. Kingfisher is fast becoming a favorite author of mine ever since I read Nettle & Bone for my book club. I'm slowly but surely making my way through her bibliography. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a retelling of the Brothers Grimm's The Goose Girl, which I was unfamiliar with, so I read the Wikipedia summary to see if I could spot any similarities or understand specific references. I would say this wasn't necessary because the book is strong without understanding the source material.

Our main character, Cordelia, lives an extremely sheltered life with her sorceress mother. Her only friend is Falada, her mother's white horse. When a suspicious murder occurs in their small town, they leave in the middle of the night for a remote country manor of a wealthy older man, the Squire, and his unwed sister, Hester. Due to their diminishing finances, Cordelia's mother is determined to seduce the Squire into marriage, which does not go unnoticed by Hester. Hester has to solve a tricky puzzle: how would she save her brother from the clutches of the sorceress and the meek but kind Cordelia from her own mother?

I had such a good time reading this book. From the magical setting to the high-stakes problem, I was hooked from the beginning and invested in the characters' well-being. I even grew attached to the side characters, most notably Hester's friends who come to stay at the country manor and intervene in the proposal. T. Kingfisher hasn't disappointed me yet. 4/5 stars

Strange Houses by Uketsu

Was this the best beach read? Not really due to the plot's grim nature, but was it entertaining? Yes.

This is the second book by Uketsu, this time revolving around a writer and his friend investigating the unusual floor plan of a Tokyo house. As they dive into the home's floor plans and history, they uncover how the unconventional architectural details are part of a longstanding family lore.

Although I found the mystery gripping enough to hold my attention, the reveal was disappointing because it felt too farfetched. The first book, Strange Pictures, was a little outlandish, but this was on a whole other level that I didn't appreciate. 2/5 stars

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

This book has been on my radar since the pandemic due to the sheer number of times it has been recommended by various creators over the years. It is often described as a feel-good book with magical elements, which I found to be true.

Linus Baker is a 40-year-old Case Worker from the Department in Charge of Magical Youths who has been tasked to inspect an orphanage in a classified location. As he spends time with the children and their caretaker, Arthur Parnassus, his ideas of belonging and love alter dramatically.

I'm a sucker for found family stories. This is exactly it, I loved seeing how the children cared for one another, their home, and their caretakers. It's also a story about accepting and embracing differences instead of being afraid and hateful. I would describe this book as a warm cup of tea on a rainy day. It's comforting and wholesome. 4/5 stars

Note: While reading reviews of this book, I saw some controversy surrounding the author and the book, which you can read more about in this blog post.

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Nikki is the daughter of immigrants in London, where she works at a local pub to make ends meet while she figures out what she wants to do with her life. She spent most of her life distancing herself from the traditional Punjabi community, but on a whim, she applied for a creative writing instructor position at the Punjabi community center. Due to a miscommunication, her class was meant to be an English literacy program where a group of widows showed up to learn the basics. The class soon evolves into an erotic storytelling class when one of them finds a spicy book on Nikki's desk.

I thought this book was so endearing and surprisingly spicy! We actually get to read the erotic stories told amongst the widows in class, and let me tell you, these women have a very vivid imagination. I had a lot of fun getting to know the various characters, rooting for them and their weekly English lessons, and seeing close-knit relationships. There is also an underlying mystery that Nikki investigates, which kept me on my toes. 4/5 stars

But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

I wrote about this book in February's Downtime Diaries. 3.5/5 stars

Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman

This has been floating around horror BookTok for a while, with many ranking it as a top read for the year. The central question is what happens if the far right is possessed by propaganda?

Noah Fairchild lives in Brooklyn, a long drive from his conservative parents in Virginia who have been watching far-right cable news for years. When he hasn't heard from his mom in a long time, he drives home to find his childhood home in a terrible state and his parents in a trance with TVs around the house blasting the equivalent of Fox News. When the program announces the "Great Awakening", his parents attack him, and he is forced to defend himself. Noah must make it home to his family, ideally in time for Christmas, before the country literally tears them apart.

This was a gruesome read with some scenes that made me gasp or cringe in disgust. It can get extremely gory and stressful as Noah tries to escape the South on foot. At a couple of points, my fitness watch actually sent me a reminder to relax because it said my "stress levels were high". I definitely had to pace myself with this one. Although it does succeed in the horror department with the possession of far-right believers into these violent zombies, I don't know if I particularly enjoyed reading it. Maybe if the story were told through a character that I cared for, I would have enjoyed this. 2.5/5 stars

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

This book was reviewed in March's Downtime Diaries. 1.5/5 stars

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

I wanted to read the book before the movie came out, but for some reason, I have not gone to the cinema to watch it yet. I opted for The Drama instead, oops.

As someone who is still new to the sci-fi genre, I knew this read was a crowd favorite. After reading it, I can understand why. Despite the technical science aspect of the book, there is so much heart in this story. By now, you would have heard of Rocky, a fan favorite in the movie, and the hype is real. He is extremely lovable in the book. I grew so attached to him and Grace that even after the book ended, I couldn't help but wish for more.

If you're like me and are new to the genre, just power through the science stuff and you'll be fine. At times, I had to reread certain parts, but just know that they're not essential to the storyline. I'm hoping to catch the movie before it leaves theatres to see how true the adaptation is! 4/5 stars

Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico

Many millennial readers that I follow described reading Perfection as looking into the mirror, which genuinely intrigued me because I can't remember the last time a book made me feel that way. Upon reading the first few pages, I could immediately see why. From the aesthetics of the couple's apartment to their lifestyle, it's one that we either aspire to have or can find parallels in our lives.

Perfection follows Anna and Tom, a millennial expat couple living in Berlin. They are digital creatives who freelance in various projects, designing brand identity and writing copy for hotels and local businesses. In the evenings, you can find them partying at art galleries, enjoying long dinners, or watching Netflix. Although their life may seem "social media perfect", dissatisfaction sets in when the work starts feeling repetitive, friends start moving back home, and having children. As they seek a more fulfilling life, they take radical steps to figure out their next chapter.

This book captures the complexities of contemporary life. In a time when we can witness so many different lives existing on our phone screens, it feels like there are limitless possibilities and ideal ways of living, yet what path would ultimately be fulfilling for us? There were moments in this book in which I felt incredibly seen, especially the desire to recapture one's zest for life when feeling stuck. I would love to read more books that capture that in-between feeling when you're no longer young and want to go out every night, but also not old enough to be locked into a routine. 4/5 stars

I'm glad that I finally had some 4-star reads this quarter. This year, I'm trusting my gut and picking up whatever piques my interest the most. I'm determined to read at least one 5-star read in Q2. Wish me luck!