Constructor’s Notes (read me after solving)
Hi hello!
I always find April to be a good time to take stock of how my year is going — have I started any of the lofty plans I had in store for myself at the beginning of the year? And am I happy with the set of things I’m currently spending my time and energy on?
I set myself the goal this year to read more books, or more accurately, to become a person who reads *habitually* (I used to be this person but at some point I quietly replaced reading with scrolling and now here we are). Anyway I’m pleased to report that I am currently on my 15th book of 2026, which I consider to be a big success. I’ve developed a setup for reading which is more friendly for my particular flavour of dyslexia, and I’ve been alternating between novels and short story collections to vary up the pace. This process has definitely given me more of an appreciation for short stories too! Some recent favourite ones which I still regularly think about:
- “Where Are You Really From” by Elaine Hsieh Chou
- “Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory” by Raphael Bob-Waksberg
- “Rejection” by Tony Tulathimutte (this one is absolutely not for the faint of heart but it is incredible)
- “Out There” by Kate Folk
Anyway yes, the puzzle. Today’s grid feels a bit like a relic from the past, as I’ve been holding onto several of the entries in it for a long time. For example, 36A is one that I thought would be fun to hold back until it was close to May 3rd, as that’s when “Dracula Daily” begins (which by the way, if the idea of that sounds fun, you can sign up to their mailing list to be a part of the 2026 real-time read-along!)
Thanks for solving!