Dec 30, 2022Member-onlyTo all the books I’ve loved in 2022Everything from historical to MG, here’s what I loved reading most this year — There are many words to describe books. Books are transformational. It’s entertaining. It’s uplifting. It’s sadness, grief, loss, and everything in between. For best-selling author Matt Haig (whose books Reasons to Stay Alive and The Midnight Library are some of my favorite books of all time), books are therapy. …Books10 min readBooks10 min read
Sep 9, 2022Member-onlyOur Other Possible LivesAnd why it’s not worth pondering about — One of the things that still perplexes me to this day is why we, as humans, tend to think about other potential lives. Movies have been made about alternate realities, things that have gone wrong or that could’ve gone differently (example: The Family Man). Books have been written, leading us…Life5 min readLife5 min read
Jul 17, 2022Member-onlyHow to Embrace Uncertainty and the UnknownPlus, is everyone a better writer than me? And other existential questions I recently quit my job as an accountant to focus on writing and editing full-time. This is my first official week doing just that. But this is not one of those “I quit my job to pursue my…Careers5 min readCareers5 min read
May 31, 2022Member-onlyThe Duality of Life ExperiencesIt’s okay to be both — Recently, I had three separate experiences (or shall we say, scenes) which brought forth some very life-changing realizations. And with that, the realizations came acceptance about the beauty of life and how I can live it better. Below, I relay them in three scenes. Scene 1 I’m sitting in front of my…Life Lessons6 min readLife Lessons6 min read
May 31, 2022Member-onlyHow to Write a Novel in Three MonthsDon’t try this at home (plus thoughts on process) — As I write this, it’s been almost two months since I last wrote for this newsletter1 and almost three weeks since I finished a 90,000 draft of my novel. Whew. I’m still trying to grapple with what I did. Is it crazy to write a book in such a short…Writing7 min readWriting7 min read
May 31, 2022Member-onlyAmbitious at Any AgeThe thing that’s hard to teach The other day, I saw this in my LinkedIn feed. This came from one of my former bosses, the woman who gave me my first job right out of college. …Ambition6 min readAmbition6 min read
Dec 31, 2021Member-onlyBooks That Changed My Life in 2021Love, heartbreak, survival, belonging, and so many themes this year — This year, I made headlines in my own personal reading journey. I read a total of 70 books. But to anyone outside of my immediate circle, this doesn’t really mean anything except for the fact that wow, it’s 17 more books than I read in 2020. …Books8 min readBooks8 min read
Dec 10, 2021Member-onlyI Spent a Month Writing a Novel and Got Burned OutAnd yet I still want to keep doing it — This post has been sitting open on my computer for the past two days. Two days of gloriously reading an endless amount of articles online, watching videos and daydreaming (or rather, thinking about) watching The Great British Baking Show: The Beginnings before it goes off Netflix at the end of…Writing6 min readWriting6 min read
Oct 4, 2021Member-onlyHow Will You Remember Your Life?On Reevaluating Our Time — The other day, I went to the pharmacy to pick up some medication for my mom, and of course, I couldn’t help but peek. It was diazepam, a type of anxiety medication also used for seizures and muscle spasms. Now, I can tell you for a fact that my mom…Writing9 min readWriting9 min read
Sep 19, 2021Member-onlyTales of the Age of Youthful IgnoranceIf my past self could talk, this is what she’d say — In 2017, we took a trip to Disneyland to celebrate my daughter’s fourth birthday. (Oh, how I miss Disneyland). While driving to our hotel, our stomachs grumbled, reminding us that we hadn’t eaten in hours. Couple that with our desire to “try out” an In-N-Out burger, we stopped by the…Feelings7 min readFeelings7 min read
