After reading two amazing fantasy novels, it was refreshing to switch to reading Joan Didion’s Note to John, a deeply personal essay in which Didion reflects on her struggles with anxiety, depression, and her sense of self during therapy sessions addressed to her husband, John Gregory Dunne. The piece reveals her vulnerability and self-examination as she tries to understand her emotional patterns, fears, and identity.

This was my first read from Samantha Soto Yambao, a lyrical fantasy about a young woman who inherits a mysterious pawnshop where people can trade away their pain, memories, or regrets. As she uncovers the shop’s secrets, she must decide whether erasing suffering is worth the cost to love, identity, and human connection.

I started my 2026 with reading R.F. Kuan’s Katabasis. Truly an amazing read with many classic literature references to Dante Inferno, the setting and storyline focal point.