Doing Just Fine

January 2026

Dear Reader,

When I wrote you two months ago, I had tall reading goals and read I did!

In addition to these pictured, I read The Brothers by Stephen Kinzer, Gliff by Ali Smith, Palestine by Nur Masalha, Illegality, Inc. by Ruben Andersson, Race and Reunion by David W. Blight, and Euphoria by Lily King — to name a few.

Outside of reading, my household has been on call (and continue to be) through a family member’s health issues and amongst that, I spent some time at a different family member’s hospital bed as they underwent surgery. I hope dearly that the end of your year has involved less of the medical industrial complex. I can say that there are still many caring caregivers out there, despite everything they have been through, and for that I am grateful.

Previously, I had worried that by letting my introversion reign and by retreating into reading, that I would be limiting my imagination. Introverts must be laughing, because it was the exact opposite. Now, I have a book idea for the book after the next book I’m writing knocking around in my brain. The characters were intruding on my thoughts so much that I had to write so they would simmer down and let me think. My year of not writing has gotten off to an unsurprising start :]

So, I’ll juggle the writing with my day job and with reading and my hobbies will suffer from it, but time is limited. Time is limited and our lives are finite. I hope you let that knowledge distill what is important to you, so that you can spend this year & all the next with those you love and who love you back.

Sincerely,

Thao

P.S.

Thank you for sticking with me through the in-between: in between novel publication, in between drafts, in between big "social media worthy" life moments, and through the little bumps and valleys of every day / most days.

I have finally put most of the books I mention in my newsletters into my affiliate Bookshop! Purchasing through this link means I get a small percentage of sales. Be sure to change the shop if you prefer or buy from your local independent book store!

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