Continuing the monthly summaries of what I’ve been reading and listening to, and featuring the official debut of Scott Witt’s title graphic! As the year has gone on, my reading has slowed down and this month might be the lowest point regarding numbers. I did more behind-the-scenes proofreading for books coming out later in the year, but I also devoted a lot of energy to my Pride Month interview posts, and to catching up on television viewing. The books and stories I did read in June were pretty wonderful, though.
BOOKS
To keep my numbers consistent with what I have listed on Goodreads, I count completed magazine issues as “books.” I read or listened to 3 books in May: 1 in print, 2 in e-book format, and 0 in audio format. They were:
1. Lightspeed Magazine #121 (June, 2020 issue), edited by John Joseph Adams. The usual fine assortment of sf and fantasy short stories. This month’s favorites for me were Marie Vibbert’s “Single Malt Spaceship,” Matthew Kressel’s “The Marsh of Camarina,” Megan Arkenberg’s “Danaë,” Ben Peek’s “Refuge” and Ken Liu’s “What I Assume, You Shall Assume.”
2. The Grand Tour: A Jackson’s Unreal Circus and Mobile Marmalade Collection, by E. Catherine Tobler. Tobler’s newest collection gathers the majority of her short stories and novellas about the titular traveling circus of supernatural entities and includes one new story. Full Review HERE.
3. The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho. A nun joins up with a band of mercenaries to protect holy relics in this wuxia-influenced novella. Full Review HERE.
STORIES
I have a goal of reading 366 short stories (1 per day, essentially, although it doesn’t always work out that way) this year (366 because it’s a Leap Year). Here’s what I read this month and where you can find them if you’re interested in reading them too. If no source is noted, the story is from the same magazine or book as the story(ies) that precede(s) it:
1. “Still Life with Hammers, A Broom, and a Brick Stacker” by Tochi Onyebuchi, from Lightspeed Magazine #121 (June 2020 issue), edited by John Joseph Adams.
2. “Single Malt Spaceship” by Marie Vibbert
3. “The Marsh of Camarina” by Matthew Kressel
4. “Real Animals” by Em North
5. “The Postictal State of Divine Love” by Julianna Baggott
6. “Danaë” by Megan Arkenberg
7. “Refuge” by Ben Peek
8. “What I Assume, You Shall Assume” by Ken Liu
9. “Wishes and Tears” by Seanan McGuire, on the author’s Patreon page.
10. “Vanishing Act” by E. Catherine Tobler, from The Grand Tour: A Jackson’s Unreal Circus and Mobile Marmalade Collection
11. “Artificial Nocturne” by E. Catherine Tobler
12. “We, As One, Trailing Embers” by E. Catherine Tobler
13. “Liminal” by E. Catherine Tobler
14. “Blow The Moon Out” by E. Catherine Tobler
15. “Ebb Stung By the Flow” by E. Catherine Tobler
16. “Lady Marmalade” by E. Catherine Tobler
17. “Every Season” by E. Catherine Tobler
18. “Inland Territory, Stray Italian Greyhound” by E. Catherine Tobler
So that’s 18 short stories in May. Once again way under “1 per day,” putting me further behind for the year so far. (June 30th was the 182nd day of 2020.)
Summary of Reading Challenges:
“To Be Read” Challenge: This month: 0 read; YTD: 3 of 14 read.
366 Short Stories Challenge: This month: 18 read; YTD: 133 of 366 read.
Graphic Novels Challenge: This month: 0 read; YTD: 10 of 52 read.
Goodreads Challenge: This month: 3 read; YTD: 61 of 125 read.
Non-Fiction Challenge: This month: 0 read; YTD: 6 of 24 read.
Read the Book / Watch the Movie Challenge: This month: 0; YTD: 0 read/watched.
Complete the Series Challenge: This month: 0 books read; YTD: 6 of 16 read.
Series fully completed: 0 of 3 planned
Monthly Special Challenge: June was Pride Month, so my goal was to read a number of authors from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Given that I only read three books, it’s pretty obvious I dropped the ball on this one. A few of the short stories I read were written by queer folk. Some of the books I started in June were still unfinished in July as well.
I’m declaring July a month away from special challenges to try to catch up on some of the ongoing challenges.