Chapter Fifty Three
A friendly reminder to celebrate and appreciate our achievements more in 2026...
Hey you,
How are things?
I had to write a letter to myself before writing to you because I didn’t want the first letter you received from me in 2026 to unnecessarily burden you. You know how it is with all the big emotions and feelings that come with the new year, there was no need to add my morbid thoughts to everything you have going on, lol. How are things though?
Seriously. There is so much I want to tell you. I can feel myself vibrating from all the stuff I’m holding back but I really do have to pace myself. So, first things first, I feel like it’s my sacred duty to remind you to relax and ignore all the noise about the “new year, new me” shenanigans. I’m a strong believer in “you can change your life on a random Tuesday at 4pm.” So, do not put pressure on yourself, my beloved. We can make changes whenever we want.
You already follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and on the Podcast, I’ll try my best to make sure I’m not repeating stuff you already know. Well, except to remind you about the 2026 #somethingbookishreadingchallenge, it would be really cool if you tried one of the prompts. Check out the challenge page on Storygraph, lots of readers add their picks there, it’s a treasure trove of recommendations.
Now, back to my main reason for writing to you today…
Beloved, I’d love for you to be kinder to yourself moving forward. I saw a post by my self adopted big sister, Wana Udobang and I was able to better sift through my thoughts about this “issue.”
Can I blame social media for this? We’ve legit trained ourselves to experience our wins through the lens of other people’s responses, as if our achievements only become real when they’re reflected back to us in the right way, by the right people. Why is that?
And yes, I know it’s deeply human to want to be seen. To want the people we care about to care about what matters to us. But somewhere along the way, we started keeping score, poisoning our own joy by looking out for who noticed, who showed up, who posted, who didn’t. This can’t be healthy and the truth is, people have their own lives, their own struggles, their own distractions. And the worst part is, we completely ignore those who show up and celebrate with us.
So what if, instead, we let ourself feel the fullness of what we’ve accomplished without needing it to be validated by an audience? What if we gave ourselves permission to be privately proud, to sit with our own sense of satisfaction without immediately seeking external confirmation that it’s warranted?
This year, let’s be kinder to ourselves. Celebrate quietly when you need to. Let some victories be just yours. Your wins don’t need a panel of judges. They don’t require unanimous approval. They’re yours because YOU earned them, not because someone else agreed that you did.
Reading: I’m currently reading 9 books (my greed sickens me.) At first, it started off with me trying to not finish any more books because I had done my wrap-up for December 2025 but now, my TBR looks so tempting and I’m just starting all these books! Do follow me on Storygraph, this year I promise to give more than star ratings, I’m not crazy about full reviews anymore(unless I’m paid to) but I will share a sentence(or 2) with my thoughts. Also, I won’t give books 2-star ratings anymore, I will hate with my full chest, it will either be 1, 3, and then, I can stress about 4-5 stars.
Watching: Culinary Class Wars has me by the neck right now, it has become my all-time favourite cooking show. I’m also watching, IDOL I, Typhoon Family, and Would You Marry Me. 24 hours is not enough for me anymore, there’s so much to watch, and read, and listen to, and experience. Ugh! Also, here’s a side quest idea that I’ll be trying out, whenever I read a novel in translation, I will also watch a movie from that country.
What I’m most excited about: is what the universe has in store for me. I generally don’t go out of my way to create vision boards, things tend to work out better for me when I stay open to receiving whatever comes. I’m also curious to know what 2026 has in store for me.
Something I’m loving: Drinking warm/hot water between the hours of 6am-11am and 5pm-11pm has been the best support for my bowels, if you suffer from the same problem, I think you should give it a try.
Something small that recently brought me joy: Colouring! You already know this is my new favourite hobby but I found an app on my tablet that is so much fun.
the before… 
the after… I even paid the one-time subscription fee so I don’t see ads anymore. It’s called Happy Colour and it’s available at iOS and android app stores. There’s endless pictures, beautiful colours, and no timer.
You should check out: My co-host for The Litty Podcast, Karachi, created this phenomenal journaling guide called Life in Practice: A Guided Journey and I think you will be able to gain a lot from it. If you’re interesting in pursuing a career in publishing and you’re in Nigeria, do check out this remote position. Friendly reminder to subscribe to Sade Onabowale for musings and thoughts on pop culture and the state of the world from the perspective of a cool Nigerian woman living in Nigeria. Two of my favourite authors, Nnamdi Ehirim and Adesuwa O'man Nwokedi are now on Substack, so you should definitely subscribe.
Special shout-out: Businesses that make things easier will always have my heart. The Heartist Village has launched a digital version of their very popular colouring book for the tablet folks, you can purchase it HERE. I’m also a big fan of The Squiggly Way and their very thoughtful products, that physical journal is just chef’s kiss. If you want to go out and hang with more bookish folks, I highly recommend checking out The Booklover’s Retreat(TBR).
Something I’m looking forward to: Documenting more for myself. I’ve started writing the books I complete in a notepad, I include the author and where the book is set or author’s origin if it’s fantasy or dystopian sci-fi books. As a hot beverage girlie, I now have a journal for the teas and coffees I drink. I’ll also be more intentional about writing out my recipes, I make a lot of cool stuff in the kitchen, it’s a shame to keep it all in my head.
Podcast: In November, I combined the wrap-up with a guide on how to sustain a community. Here’s a link to the December wrap, and the most recent episode is my 2026 Bookish Ins & Outs.
Events: At this moment, there nothing on the Something Bookish calendar for the quarter, if anything changes, it will be communicated early.
Book Club: I started a new book club! And all the details you need to know are in a separate page on Substack now dedicated to all things book club, so let’s meet over there.
Website: The Something Bookish website has now been live for 7 months! You’ll find book excerpts, author interviews, themed reading lists, and other fun stuff. If you want to contribute or send in a feature, just send an email to thesomethingbookishstore@gmail.com
Friendly Reminder…
Please remember to hydrate, eat well, sleep well so you can poop well. Most importantly, don’t forget to give yourself the grace you always extend to others. You need it too, okay?
If you love my content, you can support me by buying me a cup of tea (I’ve finally found a way for non-Nigerian residents to contribute too) or you can give me a shout-out on social media or in real life (prayers are fine too).
See you on the other side, Dearest.
XOXO
Thanks for the love!
You're amazing! Thank you so much!