August 2026 Wrap-Up & Favorites

Source: personal collection

Hello fellow readers! August was quite a hectic month for me. August was the month where I finished my Ghibli side quest, so expect more Ghibli films in this post. Here's the list of books I read in August.

    

	Aphorisms on Love and Hate - Friedrich Nietzsche (★★★)
	This Little Black Classic collects a selection of Nietzsche's aphorisms. This is the second Nietzsche book that I read. Although the previous and this one that I read are both not his full book, this one is much easier to read. The other book by him that I read is Why I Am So Clever. I have this initial image of him on my mind that he's a serious philosopher. I saw a glimpse of his wit in Why I Am So Clever, but with this one I saw lots of it, which is probably why this one is easier to digest. I have several quotes that I love from this book. Although you do have to remember that he was just a human after all and not hold whatever he wrote as absolute truth. People are allowed to have their own opinion and views, which are often shaped by their own life experience. That's what I always keep in mind when I read this book, so I still think he had interesting views on 'love and hate.' If you want to try reading Nietzsche and want to start with the small one, I recommend this one over Why I Am So Clever.
	The Body Politic - Jean-Jacques Rousseau (★★★★)
	This little black classic takes an excerpt from Rousseau's The Social Contract. Honestly, this is the kind of book that I don't usually pick up to read. Considering the current global and my country's political situation, I'm desperately trying to make sense of what's going on, or to be precise, how it could turn like this. I get a lot of insight about politics, the government, the citizen, the sovereign, and the likes from this book. Granted, the reality won't be as simple as what is stated in this book. But at least I feel like I have learned the basis of what it's all about. For a topic that I'm initially not interested in, this book is quite gripping. As a person with no knowledge of politics, reading this book required some effort. It's not an easy read for me. Will I read the full book, though? We'll see.
	Calm - Tim Parks (★★★)
	Calm contains several essays taken from Teach Us to Sit Still by Tim Parks, which recount his experience of overcoming his illness through meditation and spiritual journey. This book is perfect for skeptics because that's how Parks approached his recovering journey. I've never read Parks' writing at all, but this one is easy to read. I expected this book to be slow to read considering the central theme, but his changing views are interesting enough that I didn't feel bored at all.

August Favorites

Films

From Up on Poppy Hill

I loved this film the first time I watched it and love it again rewatching it. I love how dramatic the storyline is. One scene that's memorable to me is when the two main protagonists rode a bike and Kyu Sakamoto's song Ue o Muite Arukou played in the background. The setting and how atmospheric the film is make it feel nostalgic. It is one of Ghibli's films that I love.

The Wind Rises

I've seen clips of this film on Instagram. The main character is often referred to as the example of the 'Ghibli man.' Yet, this was my first time watching the film. The romance is sweet, but the overall story is sad. You can feel Miyazaki's fascination towards flight and aviation in this film. I highly recommend this film if you haven't watched it.

Miscellaneous

Book Picnic Reading Retreat

Ever since I discovered Ladies Who Lit, I have always envied those reading retreats. I feel that it's becoming more difficult for me to incorporate reading into my daily life. I'm a full-time office worker, and I'm not that young anymore, so I'd rather sleep or rest and not do anything else outside of work. So dedicating specific time to actually read in a different environment is a great way to refresh and rediscover my love of reading. This reading retreat is the only one that I have found so far that's being held in Indonesia. Of course I had to participate! The host is great at managing this trip and very organized; she's such a sweetheart. The fellow participants are cooperative and fun. For a group of strangers, they were easy to bond with; at least that's how it feels to me. Ten out of ten, I would do it again.

There you have it! The thing is, August was a bit hectic for me work-wise that I almost forgot that I had a reading retreat planned. So it felt like a treat for me. Though I didn't do something special on my birthday, I'm relieved that I decided to join the retreat. At least something memorable and nice happened in my birthday month.