June 2026 Wrap-Up & Favorites

Source: personal collection

Hello fellow reader! We're already halfway through and I suddenly decided to start a side quest. The side quest is to watch all Ghibli films starting with Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind to their latest The Boy and The Heron. So far it goes great. I discovered some old but gold titles.

    

	Jasmine Tea - Eileen Chang (★★★)
	This Penguin Archive collects three Eileen Chang novellas and short stories. The first one, Jasmine Tea, follows a reserved young man named Nie Chuanqing who's domestically abused. He held resentment towards his classmate, Yan Danju, because he found out the truth about his mother and Yan Danju's father. Somehow he blamed Yan Danju for his situation. His rage made him blind to logic and he couldn't think clearly, to the point that he almost killed Yan Danju. They say the Jasmine Tea in the title refers to the bitterness of the story, how tragic and sad the story is. Honestly I can't understand it. Since I love jasmine tea because of its aroma. So the bitterness is still enjoyable because of the aroma. But the story is sad, depressing and it has the same tone as the second one, The Golden Cangue. This story theme is about family relationship so toxic that it becomes controlling and repressive like a metaphorical cangue. While the last one, Traces of Love, centers around a woman, Mrs. Mi, who's trying to compare the bond she had with her husband, to the bond her husband had with his ex-wife. For Mrs. Mi, this was her second marriage and she married Mr. Mi out of convenience. However, after Mr. Mi's ex-wife became sick and he took care of her, Mrs. Mi became reflective of her relationship with Mr. Mi. One thing I'd say about Chang's writing is they are so atmospheric. She liked to open her stories by setting the scene, which would take us, the readers, into her world. She was so descriptive about the environment, which to me, successfully set the mood of the story. Although I've never lived in China and am not a Chinese, the issues she brought up are culturally relevant to what I experience as an Indonesian. That being said, I could relate to what her characters feel. The theme of Chang's story is unapologetically human. It's tragic and sad but romantic at the same time, which I appreciate a lot. After reading this Penguin Archive, I'm interested in reading Chang's other work. I recommend this one to read.
	The Driver's Seat - Muriel Spark (★★★)
	The Driver's Seat is my first time reading Muriel Spark. This is even the first time I heard of Muriel Spark. I was intrigued by the premise. It sounds so menacing. The fact that the main character is a woman interests me. I love books about unhinged women. It's such a creepy novella, I love it. When I read it, I already knew from the get-go that our protagonist was a disturbed woman. She's in search of a man that is totally her type. The ending is shocking, although we already get hints along the way on what will happen to our protagonist. It's more about the why instead of who. This novella definitely makes me want to read Spark's other books. If you read Gillian Flynn's works and like them, you can try picking up this one.
	Notes on Nationalism - George Orwell (★★★)
	This Penguin Modern Mini collects Orwell's 3 essays revolving around the theme of Nationalism. In the first essay, Notes on Nationalism, Orwell explained his definition of nationalism and the characteristics of people who follow nationalistic sentiment. Since this essay was written during World War II, he used Nazism and Antisemitism as example. He described how nationalist people think and what effect they cause on their surroundings by using World War II as example. While the second one, Antisemitism in Britain, focuses more on antisemitism. This topic is relevant nowadays because of Palestine. The last essay, The Sporting Spirit, is also relevant since by the time I read and wrote this post, FIFA World Cup 2026 was happening. In this essay, he didn't specifically talk about the soccer competition. The main idea is how he argued that sports competition between nations in general is 'war without the guns' which I think it's true. It's an open secret that sporting events, especially the host country selection process can be political. A lot of ethical and morally questionable things can happen in the process. Sporting event, if done fairly, it could evoke harmonism among nations. In reality, sometimes sporting event can fuel intense nationalism which leads to aggression. Overall, I've always loved Orwell's works. So if you do too, and haven't read the essays in this collection, I highly recommend reading this Modern Mini.

June Favorites

Films

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

This is my first time watching this film. This film easily become one of my favorite Ghibli fantasy film. The theme discussed in this film is environmental issue which is the kind of theme Miyazaki is famous for. Nausicaa is my favorite female character from Ghibli aside of San from Princess Mononoke. Though the big difference is Nausicaa leans more towards pacifist resolution. I was skeptical at first but I end up enjoying this film more than I expected. The theme, the characters, I personally think this film is ahead of its time.

My Neighbor Totoro

No I haven't watched Totoro before, this is my first time watching the film. I've been to Ghibli museum and Ghibli park in Japan and I haven't watched the film before I went there. Totoro is the most famous character by Ghibli. I initially thought My Neighbor Totoro is one of those lighthearted, fluffy, and whimsical children film. It surprised me that it holds much more depth than that. Maybe because I watched it when I'm already an adult who've been through a lot so I have the tendency to dissect the film and not just consume it as it is. The last act of the film moved me to tears. It's a coming of age which I think is subtle in presenting the underlying issue. There's actually a darker theory of the film circulating on the internet; but I refuse to believe it and choose the overcoming grief of mother's condition and environment change interpretation instead.

Kiki's Delivery Service

I was actually excited to watch this film because when I went to Ghibli park and visited Kiki's house, it's fun. Her house is so adorable I love it. Kiki's Delivery Service is also a coming of age film. It follows Kiki, a witch, who became an adult and trying to build her life in another city alone (technically, with her cat Jiji). This one is more on the whimsical side. There's one scene which imprinted in my core memory very well, which is the scene where she's trying to overcome her burn-out by talking to a painter. That scene heals me. Easily one of my favorite Ghibli films, I highly recommend it.

Only Yesterday

A rewatch and I still love this film so much. If I have to choose one favorite Ghibli film that's more grounded, this one would be it. It's a retrospective film which I could totally relate to. The soundtrack is beautiful. It brought up a theme of anti-escapism I think. It challenges the idea of moving into countryside and slow living lifestyle. If you actually have the option of choosing that kind of life. Would you be brave enough to actually do it. I think it's a compelling thought because we often romanticize that kind of life. I recommend this film to watch.

There you have it! So far I'm planning to watch two Ghibli films every week. With that plan, I think I'll be able to finish this side quest this year. Books I finished this month are mostly from Penguin Archive and Penguin Modern Mini. So, easier to tackle which I feel optimist about. Overall, it's a good month. How about yours? did it go according to what you want?