Yo wtf?
2026 so far
Yoooooo, what the fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck?????????
I try to keep this newsletter light and fun, but we have to acknowledge the traumatic start to the year. It’s terrifying, infuriating, and so devastatingly predictable.
Writing this is inherently a frivolous exercise in public preening, but it feels especially shallow now when it feels like the world is burning around us.
But hey, I genuinely feel like I’m putting a little bit of joy out in the world so I persevere. Times are hard, but there is still joy and culture to behold. Let’s enjoy what we can while we can.
I turned 35 a few weeks ago and death has been on my mind (how light and fun!!). Each year I am grateful to age another year because growing older is a luxury. All of this is temporary. We speak about growing old, but none of it is guaranteed. How lucky are we that we’re still here in this moment, experiencing the world, ugly as it is beautiful?
And here I am, writing this newsletter, adding to my digital footprint. When death passes through my mind, I do think of what I would leave behind if I were to pass onto the next realm at this very moment.
Would this newsletter blow up once I’ve passed? Would my genius finally be realized just as I turn into the dust in the wind? And how soon would people realize I am as unreliable of a narrator as I am?
Times are so fucking hard right now. But we are still so lucky to be here. Find the light where you can because what’s the fucking point otherwise? Experience joy, please!
January Book Reviews
I have been in a Heated Rivalry psychosis for the last 6 weeks. I have read 5 books this month and they have all been from Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series. I will list them in order of the series, but not in the order I read them. I read them in the following order: 1, 2, 6, 5, 4, and will get to 3 eventually.
Game Changer: 3 stars
What I liked about this book: The book that creates the universe. Necessary, charming, and it was fine. Had I read the books first I don’t know if I would have continued reading the other books. This book has been adapted into episodes 3 and 5 in the show and follows Scott and Kip.
Who I’d recommend this book to: anyone who is a completionist and must read the whole universe in chronological order; anyone who liked the Scott and Kip parts of the show the most.
Medium of the book: E-book. The person who narrates books 1-3 is horrendous. Don’t waste your time listening to them.
Judging a book by its cover: Scott is a blonde bottom in the book! I think they did a good casting these characters because they are hotter than the source material in my opinion.
Heated Rivalry: 5 stars (Nominee for the Golden Martini for Book of the Year)
What I liked about this book: Incredible, perfect book. The show adapted this book incredibly well. The love! The sex! The yearning!! All of it was so good.
Who I’d recommend this book to: anyone who is in a reading slump and needs to experience joy; anyone who is interested in dipping their toe in the romance genre.
Medium of the book: E-book and I just picked up a physical copy for my own library
Judging a book by its cover: Cute!
Common Goal: 3 stars
What I liked about this book: This was my least favorite of the series. This book follows Kyle, the demon twink bartender from Kip’s bar on the show. Kyle is hooking up with Eric, Scott’s teammate, who is going to retire because he’s in his early 40s.
The book focused too much on the age gap between Kyle and Eric (15 years) for my liking. I thought it was immature and everyone just needed to get over it. This has the most “kinky” sex scenes in the series, which is to say they play with edging and handcuffs.
Between the two, I preferred reading in Eric’s perspective more than Kyle’s but neither was particularly compelling.
Who I’d recommend this book to: completionists; demon twinks.
Medium of the book: audiobook; the narrator for books 4-6 is much better and I enjoyed this experience. I don’t know if I would have kept going if I was reading this.
Judging a book by its cover: Fine.
Role Model: 4 stars
What I liked about this book: CHUBBY BOY REPRESENTATION. I liked this book a lot and I hope these characters get incorporated into the show. This book follows Troy, a gay hockey player, and Harris, the team’s social media manager. Everyone in this series is a ripped, conventionally attractive gay man except for Harris. Harris has my body type. Harris is thiqque. Harris for sure grew up getting his clothes from the husky section. The sex scenes in this book were hot and the romantic arc was very satisfying.
Who I’d recommend this book to: former husky section shoppers.
Medium of the book: audiobook and I will eventually buy a physical copy for my own library
Judging a book by its cover: Cute!
The Long Game: 5 stars (Nominee for the Golden Martini for Book of the Year)
What I liked about this book: EVERYTHING. This book continues Shane and Ilya’s relationship a few years after Heated Rivalry ends. Although they are together, there is still yearning and pining. Great sex scenes and the part on the airplane made me cry real tears. I loved this one so much and I cannot wait to see it adapted into the show.
Who I’d recommend this book to: anyone who doesn’t want to wait for season 2 of the show to know what happens next.
Medium of the book: e-book and now I’m listening to the audiobook because I’m unhinged.
Judging a book by its cover: Melts my heart
My Favorite People’s favorite things.
I love the Celebrity Shopping lists on The Strategist and the “10 Essentials” videos on GQ’s YouTube channel. I think you can learn a lot about people based on their favorite things. This recurring segment highlights some of My Favorite People’s favorite things.
Uh oh, I am my own Favorite Person again.
Please enjoy 35-year-old-me’s favorite things in my own words.
Burma Superstar: Burmese food is inherently a fusion of Chinese and Indian cuisine due to Myanmar’s geography. The spices, the textures, and the smells are incredible and I would eat at this restaurant on a weekly basis if my budget allowed for it. Everything is delicious but I recommend the garlic eggplant (add shrimp), the shan noodles, mint chicken, coconut chicken curry, coconut rice, and the samosa salad. Wash it down with a Burmarita or two. They have an incredible cookbook that I highly recommend. I have been able to recreate several dishes and I love being able to say “hay Burma Superstar en la casa.”
Cholula Green Hot Sauce: I’m a green salsa bitch and I put this on everything. It’s pretty mild heat-wise so I apply it liberally on eggs, sandwiches, salads, bagels, and anything else that can be enhanced. It was the very first thing I unpacked when I recently moved offices at work.
BART: The Bay Area Rapid Transit is iconic. I hate driving and I love being able to stare dramatically out of the window on my commute to work.
Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups: It feels illegal to check out of Trader Joe’s without putting one of these in my basket. The dark chocolate is crunchy and the bite is always satisfying. A delicious reward for enduring the terrible parking lot.
Blundstones Boots: My transformation into pretentious Bay Area intellectual (the vibe I’m always striving for) felt complete once I bought these. They were my present to myself for getting through my challenging work project and I wear them almost every day.
Existing at the same time as Heated Rivalry: What a time to be alive! Gay hockey romance has been my guiding light for 2026 so far.
Uni-ball Ultra Micro Point pens: I discovered this pen through Mel and I immediately ordered a box for myself. It’s a 0.38 mm point pen and I loved writing with it. Perfect for filling out forms, making to-do lists, and writing love letters to myself.
Real Housewives of Salt Lake City: No one is doing it like the Sisters of Salt. If you’re not already on-board, please remember that you’re not too smart for reality television. Engage in the culture and give these Mountain Time Zone divas some of your precious attention. It will be worth it.
Cara Cara navel oranges: The superior citrus.
My yoga mat: I bought an expensive yoga mat on a whim in 2013 and have cherished it ever since. It has helped me get through two episodes of sciatica and dozens of Groupon yoga classes. I took it with me to Kentucky and would use it when on foal watch. The farm’s owner saw me doing yoga in the barn aisle once and said, “wow, our cowboy really is from California.” Martini likes it, too.
Stealing “sisters of salt” thank u