Reading Round-Up: August 2024

Here’s what I read, listened to, and watched in August 2024!

BOOKS

I read 8 books in August: 3 in print, 3 in e-book format, and 2 in audio format. They were:

1.       My West Side Story: A Memoir by George Chakiris and Lindsay Harrison (E-BOOK, Non-fiction Challenge)

2.       A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne, (Narrated by Tim Curry) (AUDIOBOOK)

3.       Superman Batman: Saga of the Super Sons by Bob Haney, Dick Dillin, Vince Colletta, Tex Blaisdell, and others (PRINT; Graphic Novel Challenge)

4.       Stormgate Press Quick Reads Book #1: The Purple Mystique by Charles Millhouse (PRINT)

5.       Tournament Manners: A Martial Arts Mystery by Jess Faraday (E-BOOK)

6.       In the Hands of Women by Jane Loeb Rubin (PRINT) REVIEW HERE

7.       The Butterfly Mosque: A Young American Woman's Journey to Love and Islam by G. Willow Wilson (AUDIOBOOK; Non-fiction Challenge)

8.       A Princess of Mars: Shadow of the Assassins by Ann Tonsor Zeddies (e-book) REVIEW HERE

STORIES

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.       “The Darkness Between the Stars” by Richard Thomas in Lightspeed Magazine #171, edited by John Joseph Adams

2.       “Resistance” by Cat Rambo

3.       “The Quality of Mercy Is Not Strain'd” by Archita Mittra

4.       “Under the Skin” by Deborah L. Davitt

5.       “Mud Maidens Rise” by K.A. Wiggins

6.       “Look at the Moon” by Dominique Dickey

7.       “What's in a Name?” by Matthew Hughes

8.       “Child of the River” by Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe

9.       “The Lazarus Cabal” by Sean Lee Levin, from The Lazarus Cabal, edited by Michael Croteau

10.   “Daily Nightly” by Jim Beard, from Moonstone Double Shot May 2024, edited by Joe Gentile

11.   “Streets of Blood” by Richard Scanlan

12.   “The Time Capsule” by Alice Towey, from Clarkesworld #214, edited by Neil Clarke

13.   “The Sort” by Thomas Ha

14.   “A Night in Purple” by Charles Millhouse, from Stormgate Press Quick Read Book #1: The Purple Mystique, edited by Charles Millhouse

15.   “Death in Purple” by Charles Millhouse

16.   “Into the Valley of Death” by William Meikle, from Creature Feature, edited by William Meikle

17.   “Home from the Sea” by William Meikle

18.   “A Rock and a Hard Place” by William Meikle

19.   “One Ear Left Over” by Jonathan Olfert, from Beneath Ceaseless Skies #413, edited by Sean H. Andrews

20.   “An Isle in a Sea of Ghosts” by J.A. Prentice

21.   “Once There Was Water” by Katie McIvor, from The Dark #111, edited by Sean Wallace

22.   “The Operculum Necklace” by Megan Chee

23.   “Bite Me, Drink Me, Get Me” by H. Pueyo

24.   “To Call the Lightning” by Rebecca Burton, from Kaleidotrope Summer 2024, edited by Fred Coppersmith

So that’s 24 short stories in August. Less than “1 per day” again, which keeps me slightly behind for the year! (August 31st was the 244th day of 2024.)

MOVIES

I watched four movies in August:

1.       We Are Doc Savage (2024)

2.       Logan (2017)

3.       The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

4.       West Side Story (1961)

The week ending August 31st was the 35th week of the year, so I’m still behind on the “1 movie per week” challenge.

TELEVISION

·       Batman: Caped Crusader Season 1, Episodes 1 – 10 (10 episodes) REVIEW HERE

·       Slow Horses Season 3, Episodes 1 – 6 (6 episodes)

·       Only Murders in the Building Season 4, Episode 1 (1 episode)

·       The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2, Episodes 1 – 3 (3 Episodes)

That’s 20 episodes of television, which puts me still well below the “1 per day” I was shooting for and keeps me behind the pace for this challenge.

LIVE THEATER

I saw two live theatrical performances in August:

1.       Back to the Future: The Musical (Winter Garden Theater, New York City) REVIEW HERE

2.       Once Upon a Mattress (Hudson Theatre, New York City) REVIEW HERE

Summary of Challenges:

“To Be Read” Challenge: This month: 0 read; YTD: 6 of 15 read.

366 Short Stories Challenge: This month:  24 read; YTD: 226 of 366 read.

Goodreads Challenge: This month: 8 read; YTD: 83 of 120 read.

Graphic Novels Challenge:  This month: 1 read; YTD: 16 of 52 read.

Non-Fiction Challenge: This month: 2 read; YTD: 14 of 12 read.

Read the Book / Watch the Movie Challenge: This month: 0 read/watched; YTD: 2 read/watched.

Movie Challenge: This month: 4 watched; YTD: 21 of 52 watched.

TV Shows Challenge: This month: 20 episodes watched; YTD: 169 of 366 watched.

Live Theater Challenge: This month: 2 shows attended; YTD: 11 of 12 attended.

READING ROUND-UP: July 2024

Here’s what I read, listened to, and watched in July 2024!

BOOKS

I read 15 books in July: 9 in print, 3 in e-book format, and 3 in audio format. They were:

1.       Represent! by Rosalie Mastaler, Hunter Mastaler and Brant Day (PRINT)

2.       Let the Games Begin by Rosalie Mastaler, Hunter Mastaler and Betty Yuku (PRINT)

3.       Hunter's Tall Tales by Rosalie Mastaler, Hunter Mastaler, and Danelle Prestwich (PRINT)

4.       A Scout Is Brave by Will Ludwigsen (E-BOOK) REVIEW HERE

5.       Caesar Now Be Still (Wilson Hargreave #1) by Frank Schildiner (E-BOOK) REVIEW HERE

6.       Changes in the Land by Matthew Cheney (PRINT)

7.       Prez: Setting a Dangerous President by Mark Russell, Benjamin Caldwell, Wilfredo Torres, Mark Morales, and others (PRINT, Graphic Novel Challenge)

8.       Reflections (Indexing #2) by Seanan McGuire (AUDIO)

9.       Star Trek Adventures: The Operations Division Supplemental Rulebook by Chris McCarver, Andy Peregrine, Jack Geiger, and others (PRINT)

10.   Dancing on the Edge by Russ Tamblyn (AUDIO, non-fiction challenge)

11.   Lovely Creatures by KT Bryski (PRINT)

12.   A Stick-Figure Macbeth by Mya L. Gosling (PRINT) REVIEW HERE

13.   Super Sons: The Complete Collection Book 1 by Peter J. Tomasi, Jorge Jiminez, Patrick Gleason, Carlo Barberi, and others (PRINT, graphic novel challenge)

14.   We by Yvgeney Zamyatin, translated by Clarence Brown (AUDIO)

15.   Victory Harben: Tales from the Void, edited by Christopher Paul Carey (E-BOOK, ARC (book to be published in September)

STORIES

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.       “The Last Lucid Day” by Dominique Dickey in Lightspeed Magazine #170, edited by John Joseph Adams

2.       “The Only Writing Advice You'll Ever Need to Survive Eldritch Horrors” by Aimee Picchi

3.       “The Heist for the Soul of Humanity” by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek

4.       “The Aliens Said They Want to Party” by Joel W.D. Buxton

5.       “Songs of the Sorrow of Thorns” by Amayah Perveen

6.       “The Red Queen's Heart” by Vanessa Fogg

7.       “A Guide on How to Meet the Deity of Many Faces” by Oyedotun Damilola Muess

8.       “Between Above and Below” by Carrie Vaughn

9.       “The Girl Who Loved Peacocks” by Seanan McGuire, from the Author’s Patreon

10.   “The Terms and Conditions of Kindness” by James Bennett, from The Dark #110, edited by Clara Madrigano and Sean Wallace

11.   “That Maddening Heat” by Ray Cluley

12.   “Every Hopeless Thing” by Tia Tashiro, from Clarkesworld #214, edited by Neil Clarke

13.   “Pellucidar: Dark of the Sun” by Christopher Paul Carey, from Victory Harben: Tales from the Void, edited by Christopher Paul Carey

14.   “Victory Harben: Clash on Caspak” by Mike Wolfer

15.   “Victory Harben: Stormwinds of Va-Nah” by Ann Tonsor Zeddies

16.   “Victory Harben and the Lord of the Veiled Eye” by Christopher Paul Carey

17.   “Jason Gridley of Earth: Across the Moons of Mars” by Geary Gravel

18.   “Beyond the Farthest Star: Rescue on Zandar” by Mike Wolfer

19.   “Grottmata” by Thomas Ha, from Nightmare Magazine #142, edited by Wendy N. Wagner

20.   “Automaton Boy” by Sara S. Messenger

21.   “The Museum of Cosmic Retribution” by Megan Chee

22.   “Tamaza's Future and Mine” by Kenneth Schneyer, from Asimov's Science Fiction 582/583, edited by Sheila Williams

23.   “The Phantasmagoria of Castle Specfel” by Greta Hayer, from Kaleidotrope Summer 2024, edited by Fred Coppersmith

So that’s 23 short stories in July. Less than “1 per day” again, which puts me slightly behind again for the year! (July 31st was the 213th day of 2024.)

MOVIES

I watched one movie in July:

1.       The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)

The week ending July 28th was the 31st week of the year, so I’m still way behind on the “1 movie per week” challenge.

TELEVISION

·       Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2, Episodes 1 – 20 (20 episodes)

That’s 20 episodes of television, which is well below the “1 per day” I was shooting for and keeps me behind the pace for this challenge.

LIVE THEATER

I didn’t get to any live theatrical performances in July!

Summary of Challenges:

“To Be Read” Challenge: This month: 0 read; YTD: 6 of 15 read.

366 Short Stories Challenge: This month:  23 read; YTD: 202 of 366 read.

Goodreads Challenge: This month: 15 read; YTD: 75 of 120 read.

Graphic Novels Challenge:  This month: 2 read; YTD: 15 of 52 read.

Non-Fiction Challenge: This month: 3 read; YTD: 12 of 12 read.

Read the Book / Watch the Movie Challenge: This month: 1 read/watched; YTD: 2 read/watched. (I read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie earlier in the year and finally watched the movie this month.)

Movie Challenge: This month: 1 watched; YTD: 17 of 52 watched.

TV Shows Challenge: This month: 20 episodes watched; YTD: 149 of 366 watched.

Live Theater Challenge: This month: 0 shows attended; YTD: 9 of 12 attended.

READING ROUND-UP: June 2024

A little late in the month, here’s what I read, listened to, and watched in June 2024!

BOOKS

I read 9 books in June: 4 in print, 4 in e-book format, and 1 in audio format. They were:

1.       Next of Kin (Stardust and Ashes Book 1) by Melinda Mitchell (PRINT, Sparta Books Book Club pick)

2.       Losing Hit Points by Kristopher Mielke (E-BOOK)

3.       The Unwanted by Jeffrey Ricker (E-BOOK, To Be Read Challenge)

4.       Fever by Jordan L. Hawk (E-BOOK)

5.       The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag (PRINT, Graphic Novel Challenge)

6.       You Like It Darker: Stories by Stephen King (PRINT)

7.       Captain Kid Volume 1 by Mark Waid, Tom Peyer, Wilfredo Torres, Kelly Fitzpatrick, and A Larger World (PRINT, Graphic Novel Challenge)

8.       Pangs by Jerry Wheeler (E-BOOK, To Be Read Challenge)

9.       Indexing (Indexing #1) by Seanan McGuire (AUDIO)

STORIES

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.       “The Waking Sleep of a Seething Wound” by dave ring in Lightspeed Magazine #169, edited by John Joseph Adams

2.       “Udo Gehler and the Virgin Bitch of the Resistance” by Andrea Kriz

3.       “The Help Hotline” by Dominica Phettleplace

4.       “Warning Notes from an Annihilator Machine” by Oyedotun Damilola Muess

5.       “Sparrow and the Parasol” by Varsha Dinesh

6.       “An Otherworldly Cat Tells You the Secrets of the Universe” by Megan Chee

7.       “In the Hands of the Mountain God” by Deborah L. Davitt

8.       “The Weight of Salt” by Shanna Germain

9.       “No One Leaves for Good” by Seanan McGuire, from the Author’s Patreon

10.   “Two Talented Bastids” by Stephen King, from You Like It Darker: Stories

11.   “The Fifth Step” by Stephen King

12.   “Willie the Weirdo” by Stephen King

13.   “Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream” by Stephen King

14.   “Finn” by Stephen King

15.   “On Slide Inn Road” by Stephen King

16.   “Red Screen” by Stephen King

17.   “The Turbulence Expert” by Stephen King

18.   “Laurie” by Stephen King

19.   “Rattlesnakes” by Stephen King

20.   “The Dreamers” by Stephen King

21.   “The Answer Man” by Stephen King

So that’s 21 short stories in June. Less than “1 per day” again, which puts me slightly behind again for the year! (June 30th was the 182nd day of 2024.)

MOVIES

I watched five movies in June:

1.       Beautiful Thing (1996)

2.       Gamera vs. Jiger (1970)

3.       Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)

4.       Gamera: Super Monster (1980)

5.       Jim Henson Idea Man (2024)

The week ending June 30th was the 26th week of the year, so I’m still way behind on the “1 movie per week” challenge.

TELEVISION

·       Shoresy Season 3, Episodes 1 – 6 (6 episodes)

·       Doctor Who (2024) Season 1, Episodes 6-8 (3 episodes)

·       Dead Boy Detectives Season 1, Episodes 1 – 8 (8 episodes)

·       The 77th Annual Tony Awards (1 episode)

That’s 18 episodes of television, which is well below the “1 per day” I was shooting for and keeps me behind the pace for this challenge.

LIVE THEATER

·       The Play That Goes Wrong Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Central Valley PA

·       N/A, Mitzi Newhouse Theatre, Lincoln Center, NYC

Summary of Challenges:

“To Be Read” Challenge: This month: 2 read; YTD: 6 of 15 read.

366 Short Stories Challenge: This month:  21 read; YTD: 179 of 366 read.

Goodreads Challenge: This month: 9 read; YTD: 60 of 120 read.

Graphic Novels Challenge:  This month: 2 read; YTD: 13 of 52 read.

Non-Fiction Challenge: This month: 0 read; YTD: 9 of 12 read.

Read the Book / Watch the Movie Challenge: This month: 0 read/watched; YTD: 1 read/watched.

Movie Challenge: This month: 5 watched; YTD: 16 of 52 watched.

TV Shows Challenge: This month: 18 episodes watched; YTD: 129 of 366 watched.

Live Theater Challenge: This month: 2 shows attended; YTD: 9 of 12 attended.

READING ROUNDUP: April 2024

Here’s what I’ve been reading, listening to, and watching in April 2024!

BOOKS

I read 14 books in April: 7 in print, 3 in e-book format, and 4 in audio format. They were:

1.       Triad Blood (Triad #1) by ‘Nathan Burgoine (PRINT)

2.       The Brides of High Hill (Singing Hills Cycle #5) by Nghi Vo (E-BOOK)

3.       Macbeth (an undoing) by Zinnie Harris (PRINT) (also saw a live production)

4.       Triad Soul (Triad #2) by ‘Nathan Burgoine (PRINT)

5.       Becoming by Michelle Obama (AUDIOBOOK, Non-Fiction Challenge, 2024 TBR Challenge)

6.       Stories of a Lifetime by Dan Rather (AUDIOBOOK, Non-Fiction Challenge)

7.       Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes Book 1) by Travis Baldree (E-BOOK)

8.       The Champions Classic: The Complete Collection by Tony Isabella, Bill Mantlo, Don Heck, John Byrne and others. (PRINT, Graphic Novel Challenge)

9.       House of Slaughter Volume 3: The Butcher's Return by James Tynion IV, Tate Brombal, Werther Dell’Edera, Antonio Fuso and Miquel Muerto (PRINT, Graphic Novel Challenge)

10.   House of Slaughter Volume 4: Alabaster by James Tynion IV, Sam Johns, Werther Dell’Edera, Letizia Cadonici and Francesco Segala (PRINT, Graphic Novel Challenge)

11.   All The Names They Used for God: Stories by Anjali Sachdeva (AUDIOBOOK, short story challenge)

12.   Paradox Lost by Roberta Pescow (E-BOOK, short story challenge)

13.   Breaking Bold and Brave: A Fan's Journey Through One of Comics' Greatest Titles by Jim Beard (introduction by Paul Kupperberg) (PRINT, Non-Fiction Challenge)

14.   Harry Clarke by David Cale (AUDIOBOOK)

STORIES

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.       “A Pedra” by Endria Isa Richardson, in Lightspeed Magazine #167, edited by John Joseph Adams

2.       “Under a Star, Bright as Morning” by David Anaxagoras

3.       “Mother's Day, After Everything” by Susan Palwick

4.       “Limping Towards Sunrise” by Rich Larson

5.       “a testament to indirection, an enigma, the sun above” by Mitchell Shanklin

6.       “How To Know Your Father Is a God” by Modepeoluwa Shelle

7.       “Salemo” by David Marino

8.       “Travelers' Tales from the Ends of the World” by Vandana Singh

9.       “A Traveler's Guide to Fantastical Countries” by Seanan McGuire, on the Author’s Patreon

10.   “Vivisepulture” by James Bennett, from The Dark #107, edited by Sean Wallace

11.   “Water Like Broken Glass” by Carina Bissett

12.   “Imago” by Steve Rasnic Tem

13.   “Dead But Dreaming Still” by Michael Kelly

14.   “The Coffee of Torcat” by Devin Miller, from Beneath Ceaseless Skies #404 edited by Scott H. Andrews

15.   “The Lark Ascending” by Eleanna Castroianni, from Clarkesworld #211, edited by Neil Clarke

16.   “An Intergalactic Smuggler's Guide to Homecoming” by Tia Tashiro

17.   “Stitched to Skin Like Family Is” by Nghi Vo, from Uncanny Magazine #57, edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas

18.   “The Best Ever Cosplay of Whistle and Midnight” by Annalee Newitz

19.   “Three” by ‘Nathan Burgoine, from Blood Sacraments: Gay Vampire Erotica, edited by Todd Gregory

20.   “Possession” by ‘Nathan Burgoine, from Erotica Exotica: Tales of Sex, Magic, and the Supernatural, edited by Richard LaBonté

21.   “Bound” by ‘Nathan Burgoine, from Not Just Another Pretty Face, edited by Louis Flint Ceci

22.   “The World by Night” by Anjali Sachdeva, from All the Names They Used for God

23.   “Glass-Lung” by Anjali Sachdeva

24.   “Logging Lake” by Anjali Sachdeva

25.   “Killer of Kings” by Anjali Sachdeva

26.   “All the Names They Used for God” by Anjali Sachdeva

27.   “Robert Greenman and the Mermaid” by Anjali Sachdeva

28.   “Anything You Might Want” by Anjali Sachdeva

29.   “Manus” by Anjali Sachdeva

30.   “Pleiades” by Anjali Sachdeva

31.   “A Life in the Service” by Roberta Pescow, from Paradox Lost

32.   “Bad Left Turns” by Roberta Pescow

33.   “A Monster's Tears” by Roberta Pescow

34.   “Be Right Back” by Roberta Pescow

35.   “A Presence Beyond the Shadows” by David Lee Summers, from Arithmophobia: An Anthology of Mathematical Horror, edited by Robert Lewis

36.   “The Artful Eagle” By Barbara Krasnoff, from Kaleidotrope Magazine, Spring 2024, edited by Fred Coppersmith

37.   “Where the Girls Who Were Eaten Alive Live” by R.K. Duncan

38.   “Pillow Fort” by Alexandra Munck

39.   “Harry Clarke” by David Cale, from Harry Clarke

40.   “Lillian” by David Cale

41.   “Necessary Evils” by ‘Nathan Burgoine, from Raising Hell: Demonic Gay Erotica, edited by Todd Gregory

42.   “Intercession” by ‘Nathan Burgoine, from Wings: Subsersive Gay Angel Erotica, edited by Todd Gregory

So that’s 42 short stories in April. More than “1 per day” for the first time this year, which puts me back on pace for the year! (April 30th was the 121st day of 2024.)

MOVIES

April was an improvement over March because I managed to watch four movies in April:

1.       Knock at the Cabin (2023)

2.       Gamera vs. Viras (1968)

3.       Just What the Doctor Ordered (2021)

4.       Doctor Who: The Movie (1996)

TELEVISION

·       Heartstopper Season 1, Episodes 1-8 (8 episodes)

·       Heartstopper Season 2, Episodes 1 – 8 (8 episodes)

That’s 16 episodes of television, again not the “1 per day” I was shooting for, and slightly worse than February’s total.

LIVE THEATER

It was another good month for live theater:

·       Macbeth (an undoing), Polonsky Shakespeare Center, Brooklyn, NYC

·       Water For Elephants, Imperial Theatre, NYC

Summary of Challenges:

“To Be Read” Challenge: This month: 1 read; YTD: 2 of 14 read.

366 Short Stories Challenge: This month:  42 read; YTD: 121 of 366 read.

Goodreads Challenge: This month: 14 read; YTD: 41 of 120 read.

Graphic Novels Challenge:  This month: 3 read; YTD: 11 of 52 read.

Non-Fiction Challenge: This month: 3 read; YTD: 7 of 12 read.

Read the Book / Watch the Movie Challenge: This month: 0 read/watched; YTD: 1 read/watched.

Movie Challenge: This month: 4 watched; YTD: 9 of 52 watched.

TV Shows Challenge: This month: 16 episodes watched; YTD: 79 of 366 watched.

Live Theater Challenge: This month: 2 shows attended; YTD: 6 of 12 attended.

Reading Round-Up: March 2024

Here’s what I’ve been reading, listening to, and watching in March 2024!

BOOKS

I read 8 books in March: 4 in print, 3 in e-book format, and 1 in audio format. They were:

1.       Something is Killing the Children Volume 7 by James Tynion IV, Werner Dell’Edera, Miguel Muerto and others. (PRINT, GRAPHIC NOVEL CHALLENGE)

2.       Death Comes Too Late by Charles Ardai (E-BOOK, ARC) REVIEW LINK

3.       Crone Unleashed (Crone Wars #4) by Lydia M. Hawke (PRINT)

4.       Chita: A Memoir by Chita Rivera (AUDIO, NON-FICTION CHALLENGE)

5.       The Vineyard Remains by Addison McKnight (E-BOOK, ARC) REVIEW LINK

6.       A Voice Calling by Christopher Barzak (E-BOOK)

7.       Mammoths at the Gates (Singing Hills Cycle #4) by Nghi Vo (PRINT, REREAD) REVIEW LINK

8.       Seven Swords by Evan Daugherty, Frederico Dallochio, Riccardo Latina, Valentina Bianconi, and Dave Sharpe (PRINT, GRAPHIC NOVEL CHALLENGE)

STORIES

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.       “Let the Star Explode” by Shingai Njeri Kagunda, in Lightspeed Magazine #166, edited by John Joseph Adams

2.       “An Incomplete Body Has No Answers” by Angela Liu

3.       “The Three Thousand, Four Hundred Twenty-First Law of Robotics” by Adam-Troy Castro

4.       “Islands of Stability” by Marissa Lingen

5.       “Fragments of a Symbiotic Life” by Will McMahon

6.       “Kopki and the Fish” by Alex Levine

7.       “Only Some of True Love's Miracles” by P H Lee

8.       “Season of Weddings” by Sharang Biswas REVIEW LINK

9.       “The Home Front” by Charles Ardai, in Death Comes Too Late

10.   “Game Over” by Charles Ardai

11.   “The Day After Tomorrow” by Charles Ardai

12.   “The Case” by Charles Ardai

13.   “Goin' West” by Charles Ardai

14.   “The Shadow Line” by Charles Ardai

15.   “Nobody Wins” by Charles Ardai

16.   “Jonas and the Frail” by Charles Ardai

17.   “The Deadly Embrace” by Charles Ardai

18.   “Don't Be Cruel” by Charles Ardai

19.   “Mother of Pearl” by Charles Ardai

20.   “The Fall of Man” by Charles Ardai

21.   “Fathers and Sons” by Charles Ardai

22.   “Sleep! Sleep! Beauty Bright” by Charles Ardai

23.   “Masks” by Charles Ardai

24.   “My Husband's Wife” by Charles Ardai

25.   “Secret Service” by Charles Ardai

26.   “A Bar Called Charley's” by Charles Ardai

27.   “A Free Man” by Charles Ardai

28.   “The Investigation of Things” by Charles Ardai

29.   “Hello! Hello! Hello!” by Fiona Jones, in Clarkesworld #210, edited by Neil Clarke

30.   “Big Bad” by Chandler Baker, from Amazon’s Creature Feature collection

31.   “Best of Luck” by Jason Mott

32.   “The Pram” by Joe Hill

33.   “Ankle Snatcher” by Grady Hendrix

34.   “It Waits in the Woods” by Josh Malerman

So that’s 34 short stories in March. More than “1 per day” for the first time this year, which catches me up a little bit but still behind pace for the year so far. (March 31st was the 91st day of 2024.)

MOVIES

March was an improvement over February because I managed to watch one movie in March:

1.       Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967)

TELEVISION

·       Slow Horses Season 2, Episodes 2-6 (5 episodes) REVIEW LINK

·       Love, Death & Robots Season 2, Episodes 1 – 8 (8 episodes)

·       Love, Death & Robots Season 3, Episodes 1 – 9 (9 episodes)

·       Star Trek: Discovery Inside the Final Season (1 episode)

That’s 23 episodes of television, again not the “1 per day” I was shooting for, but slightly better than February’s total.

LIVE THEATER

It was a good month for live theater:

·       Drunk Shakespeare, Ruby Theater, NYC (for goddaughter’s 21st birthday) REVIEW LINK

·       Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age, Studio 54, NYC (cabaret-style show)

·       All The Devils Are Here, DR2 Theater, NYC (2nd time seeing Patrick Page’s 1-man show about Shakespeare’s villains) REVIEW LINK (from the first time I saw the show; 2nd time was as great)

Summary of Challenges:

“To Be Read” Challenge: This month: 0 read; YTD: 1 of 14 read.

366 Short Stories Challenge: This month:  34 read; YTD: 79 of 366 read.

Goodreads Challenge: This month: 8 read; YTD: 27 of 120 read.

Graphic Novels Challenge:  This month: 2 read; YTD: 8 of 52 read.

Non-Fiction Challenge: This month: 1 read; YTD: 4 of 12 read.

Read the Book / Watch the Movie Challenge: This month: 0 read/watched; YTD: 1 read/watched.

Movie Challenge: This month: 1 watched; YTD: 5 of 52 watched.

TV Shows Challenge: This month: 23 episodes watched; YTD: 63 of 366 watched.

Live Theater Challenge: This month: 3 shows attended; YTD: 4 of 12 attended.

READING ROUND-UP: February 2024

Here’s what I read, listened to, and watched in February 2024!

BOOKS

I read 9 books in February: 5 in print, 2 in e-book format, and 2 in audio format. They were:

1.       Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned by Alan Alda. (AUDIOBOOK, 2024 TBR CHALLENGE, NON-FICTION CHALLENGE)

2.       The History of Sketch Comedy: A Journey Through the Art and Craft of Humor by Keegan Michael Key and Elle Key (PRINT, NON-FICTION CHALLENGE)

3.       Aftermarket Afterlife (InCryptid #13) by Seanan McGuire (E-BOOK, ARC (publishes March 2024)) Read my review HERE

4.       Batman: Wayne Family Adventures #1 by CRC Payne, Starbite, Maria Li, Lan Ma and Suzie Blake. (PRINT, GRAPHIC NOVEL)

5.       A Feast for Starving Stone (Chefs of the Five Gods #2) by Beth Cato. (PRINT)

6.       Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself by Alan Alda. (AUDIOBOOK, NON-FICTION CHALLENGE)

7.       Santa Claus and His Works by George P. Brewster and Thomas Nast (PRINT)

8.       New Super-Man Vol 1: Made in China by Gene Luen Yang, Victor Bognanovic, Richards Friends, David Sharpe and others. (PRINT, GRAPHIC NOVEL)

9.       Korak at the Earth’s Core (Dead Moon Super-Arc #1) by Win Scott Eckert. (E-BOOK, ARC (publishes March 2024, PREORDER HERE) Read My 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 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.       “Companion Animals in Maho Shojo Kira Kira Sunlight” by Stewart C. Baker, in Lightspeed Magazine #165, edited by John Joseph Adams

2.       “Scarlett” by Everdeen Mason.

3.       “The Pearl Captain” by Christopher Rowe

4.       “But From Thine Eyes My Knowledge I Derive” by Phoebe Barton

5.       “A Sojourn in the Fifth City” by P H Lee

6.       “Further Examination and Capture of Candle Skulls Associated with the Baba Yaga” by Mari Ness

7.       “What Becomes of Curious Minds” by Wen-yi Lee

8.       “An Elegy for the Former Things” by KT Bryski

9.       “Not A Drop to Drink” by Seanan McGuire, on the Author’s Patreon

10.   “Valentine's Dave” by ‘Nathan Burgoine, Candy Hearts Charity Anthology, edited by Lee Blair

11.   “Bee My Valentine” by Beck Grey

12.   “Dreaming of you in Freefall” by Seanan McGuire, novella included with the novel Aftermarket Afterlife (InCryptid #13)

13.   “The Cut Cares Not for the Flesh” by George Sandison, from Nightmare Magazine #157, edited by Wendy N. Wagner

14.   “Dusk” by Angela Slatter, from The Dark #105, edited by Sean Wallace

15.   “The Interspatial Accessibility Compact's Guidelines for Cross-Cultural Engagement” by Dane Kuttler, from the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Winter 2024, edited by Sheree Renee Thomas

16.   “Off The Map” by Dane Kuttler, from the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Jan-Feb 2023, edited by Sheree Renee Thomas (REREAD)

17.   “Dawn of the Deathslayer” by Christopher Paul Carey, novella included with the novel Korak at the Earth’s Core

18.   “The Fallen: A Tale of Pellucidar” by Mercedes Lackey, from the Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. website

19.   “Jason Gridley of Earth: Across the Moons of Mars” by Geary Gravel, novella included with the novel Red Axe of Pellucidar

So that’s 19 short stories in February. Far less than “1 per day” for the month, and way off pace for the year so far. (February 29th  was the 60th  day of 2024.)

MOVIES

I somehow managed to watch zero movies in February, thanks largely to work travel taking me to cities where I had friends to hang out with and to a bit of a head-cold. However, I did manage to watch some television:

TELEVISION

·       Doctor Who Season 4, Episode 7 (1 episode, REWATCH)

·       Love, Death & Robots Season 1, episodes 1 – 18 (18 episodes)

That’s 19 episodes of television, again not quite the “1 per day” I was shooting for.

LIVE THEATER

No live theater in February, either.

Summary of Challenges:

“To Be Read” Challenge: This month: 1 read; YTD: 1 of 14 read.

366 Short Stories Challenge: This month:  19 read; YTD: 45 of 366 read.

Goodreads Challenge: This month: 9 read; YTD: 19 of 120 read.

Graphic Novels Challenge:  This month: 2 read; YTD: 6 of 52 read.

Non-Fiction Challenge: This month: 3 read; YTD: 3 of 12 read.

Read the Book / Watch the Movie Challenge: This month: 0 read/watched; YTD: 1 read/watched.

Movie Challenge: This month: 0 watched; YTD: 4 of 52 watched.

TV Shows Challenge: This month: 19 episodes watched; YTD: 40 of 366 watched

Live Theater Challenge: This month: 0 show attended; YTD: 1 of 12 attended.

READING ROUND-UP: January 2024

The first monthly summary of what I’ve been reading, listening to, and watching in 2024!

BOOKS

I read 10 books in January: 5 in print, 5 in e-book format, and 0 in audio format. They were:

1.       What Moves the Dead (Sworn Sword #1) by T. Kingfisher. (E-BOOK)

2.       Phantom on the Scan by Cullen Bunn, Mark Torres, David Sharpe. (PRINT, GRAPHIC NOVEL)

3.       What Feasts at Night (Sworn Sword #2) by T. Kingfisher (PRINT, ARC (publishes February 2024))

4.       Highlands Book One: The Portrait of Amelia by Philipe Aymond. (PRINT, GRAPHIC NOVEL)

5.       Highlands Book Two: The Survivors of Blackwater by Philipe Aymond. (PRINT, GRAPHIC NOVEL)

6.       We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker. (E-BOOK)

7.       Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. (E-BOOK)

8.       Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire. (AUDIOBOOK, REREAD)

9.       The Birds & Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier. (E-BOOK)

10.   Hellstrom: Evil Origins by Gary Freidrich, Herb Trimpe, Don Perlin, Bill Mantlo, and others (PRINT, GRAPHIC NOVEL)

STORIES

I have a goal of reading 366 short stories (1 per day, essentially, although it doesn’t always work out that way) this 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.       “Five Views of the Planet Tartarus” by Rachael K. Jones, in Lightspeed Magazine #164, edited by John Joseph Adams

2.       “Shadow Films” by Ben Peek.

3.       “Night Desk Duty at the Infinite Paradox Hotel” by Aimee Ogden

4.       “We Shall Not Be Bitter at the End of the World” by David Anaxagoras

5.       “A Saint Between the Teeth” by Sloane Leong

6.       “In the Tree's Hollow” by Lowry Poletti

7.       “Farewell to Faust” by Adam-Troy Castro

8.       “To Be a Happy Man” by Thomas Ha

9.       “The Silver Sea” by Seanan McGuire, on the Author’s Patreon

10.   “Ten Thousand Crawling Children” by R.A. Busby, Nightmare Magazine #136, edited by Wendy N. Wagner

11.   “The Forgetter” by Andrew Snover

12.   “The Birds” by Daphne du Maurier, from The Birds & Other Stories

13.   “Monte Verita” by Daphne du Maurier

14.   “The Apple Tree” by Daphne du Maurier

15.   “The Little Photographer” by Daphne du Maurier

16.   “Kiss Me Again, Stranger” by Daphne du Maurier

17.   “The Old Man” by Daphne du Maurier

18.   “The Carnival” by Richard Chizmar, stand-alone chapbook published by Cemetery Dance

19.   “End Game” by Martin Edwards, stand-alone chapbook published by The Mysterious Bookshop

20.   “Nothing of Value” by Aimee Ogden, from Clarkesworld #208, edited by Neil Clarke

21.   “Down the Waterfall” by Cecile Cristofari

22.   “Willow Wood” by Linda Neihoff, from Beneath Ceaseless Skies #398, edited by Scott H. Andrews

23.   “Home Bread” by R.E. Dukalsky

24.   “Miriam” by Truman Capote, Fantastic #2 (1952)

25.   “The Star Dummy” by Anthony Boucher

26.   “Most of ‘81” by ‘Nathan Burgoine, from the Author’s Website

So that’s 26 short stories in January. A bit less than “1 per day.” (January 31st was, of course, the 31st day of 2024.)

MOVIES

1.       Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), directed by James Gunn (STREAMING, Disney+)

2.       Gamera the Giant Monster (1965), directed by Noriaki Yuasa (DVD)

3.       The Birds (1963), directed by Alfred Hitchcock (DVD)

4.       Gamera vs. Barugon (1966), directed by Shigeo Tanaka and Noriaki Yuasa (DVD)

TELEVISION

·       Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 1, episodes 4 – 8 (5 episodes) (SEASON REVIEW HERE)

·       What If…? Season 2, episodes 2 – 9 (8 episodes)

·       Slow Horses Season 1, episodes 1 – 6 (6 episodes)

·       Slow Horses Season 2, episode 1 (1 episode)

·       A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1 episode)

That’s 21 episodes of television, again not quite the “1 per day” I was shooting for.

LIVE THEATER

1.       Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, NYC)

Summary of Challenges:

“To Be Read” Challenge: This month: 0 read; YTD: 0 of 14 read.

366 Short Stories Challenge: This month:  26 read; YTD: 26 of 366 read.

Goodreads Challenge: This month: 10 read; YTD: 10 of 120 read.

Graphic Novels Challenge:  This month: 4 read; YTD: 4 of 52 read.

Non-Fiction Challenge: This month: 0 read; YTD: 0 of 12 read.

Read the Book / Watch the Movie Challenge: This month: 1  read/watched (“The Birds”); YTD: 1 read/watched.

Movie Challenge: This month: 4 watched; YTD: 4 of 52 watched.

TV Shows Challenge: This month: 21 episodes watched; YTD: 21 of 366 watched

Live Theater Challenge: This month: 1 show attended; YTD: 1 of 12 attended.

Reading Round-Up: February 2021

The monthly summary of what I’ve been reading and listening to in 2021!

BOOKS

I read 12 books in February: 6 in print, 5 in e-book format, and 1 in audio format. They were:

1.       Lightspeed Magazine #129 (February 2021 issue), edited by John Joseph Adams. The usual fine assortment of sf and fantasy short stories. This month’s favorites for me were Phoebe Barton’s “The Mathematics of Fairyland,” Keith Brooke and Eric Brown’s “Me Two,” A.T. Greenblatt’s “The Memory of a Memory is a Spirit,” and Autumn Brown’s “Small and Bright.”

2.       Abbott by Saladin Ahmed (writer), Sami Kivelä (art), Jason Wordie (colors), Jim Campbell (letters), Chris Rosa and Eric Harbur (editor). This graphic novel collects the first Abbott mini-series about intrepid reporter Elena Abbott, who happens to be both black and a woman working at a white-run newspaper in 1972 Detroit. As Abbott investigates a string of unusual murders (of black men and animals), she uncovers supernatural events tied to the death of her first husband. I absolutely loved this: the pacing of the story, the multi-faceted characters (and their full representation of racial/gender/sexuality marginalized groups), and the supernatural threat – the Umbra – along with Elena’s role in fighting it. A second mini-series, Abbott 1973, has just started monthly publication.

3.       The Worker Prince (The Saga of Davi Rhii Book 1) by Bryan Thomas Schmidt. Schmidt takes the Moses myth and jumps in into far-future interstellar space, where the human leader of the Borali Alliance declares the first-born sons of all human Workers must be killed. The one child spared grows up thinking he’s the leader’s nephew until the truth comes out and he rallies the Workers to revolution. Fast-paced space opera with engaging lead characters and a scenery-chewing villain you can’t help but hate.

4.       Lumberjanes True Colors by Lilah Sturges (writer), Polterink! (art and colors), Jim Campbell (letters), Sophie Philips-Roberts (editor). The focus of this stand-alone graphic novel (which does not reprint material from the regular monthly Lumberjanes book) is on Ripley. Ripley, the youngest and most excitable of the ‘Janes, starts to feel like standing out and being noticed isn’t the great thing she’s always thought, and then she meets a zebracorn (yes, you read that correctly, and it’s exactly what you think) who grants her wish to fit in and be like everyone else. Downside? She’s so bland everyone forgets her, which causes problems when her fellow ‘Janes encounter a problem only Ripley’s unique persona can solve. Once again, Sturges and Polterink deliver a story that shows the power of friendship and human need to be liked/respected/needed.

5.       The Returning (The Saga of Davi Rhii Book 2) by Bryan Thomas Schmidt. In the second book of the Davi Rhii trilogy, the Workers (Vertullians) have been made full members of the Borali Alliance, but not everyone is happy about that. Political and personal tensions bubble over. Just as fun and fast-paced as the first book, while adding layers to the characters and to the society as a whole.

6.       An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography by Paul Rusesabagina. I bought this book a few years back after several people recommended it. Reading Rusesabagina’s memoir of his role in saving refugees during the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994 was an interesting experience. He has an engaging style, very personable and expressive. The early chapters do a nice job of laying out not just his personal history but a bit of Rwanda’s history that led to the genocide. But about halfway through the book, I started to question what I was reading: were his actions really as altruistic as he was painting? why does he insist on describing the Hutu leaders of the genocide movement as “good men” when they clearly aren’t? Every memoir is subjective – ask five people who witnessed the same event to describe it and you’re going to get five different stories – but this felt a bit like the author was trying to unsuccessfully gloss over things he didn’t think fit the narrative that’s been built around him thanks to the movie Hotel Rwanda. So, I’m reading more about the genocide, from other refugees/survivors. Because one of the things the author is accurate about is the lack of knowledge in the US when it comes to genocide in general and especially to genocides in other countries.

7.       Nine Bar Blue by Sheree Renée Thomas. What an amazing short story collection. Every story here was new to me, even the reprints. I have no idea how I’ve managed to not read anything by Thomas even while being aware of her via Twitter, Facebook, and posts by so many other authors – it’s kind of embarrassing. As the title implies, a lot of these stories have music as a background or basis, and many of them take place in or near Memphis. They also skirt the genre line between horror and fantasy – quite a few gave me chills and a sense of wonder. I’m planning to post a full review soon.

8.       Later by Stephen King. The protagonist of Stephen King’s third novel for Hard Case Crime calls to mind King favorites like Geordie LaChance and Bill Denbrough but is set in the 2000s. There’s a solid supernatural element to this alongside the crime, so something for everyone. FULL REVIEW HERE.

9.       Hawkman Vol 4: Hawks Eternal by Robert Venditti (writer), Fernando Pasarin, Marco Castiello, Marcio Takara (art), Jeromy Cox (colors), Rob Leigh, Richard Starkings (letters), Harvey Richards (editor). Collecting the final issues of Venditti’s fantastic reinvention/expansion of the Hawkman mythos. I regret not picking this series up in monthly format, the story is that good. The run ends as strong as it started, while leaving room for other people to work with the character. I’m planning to do a Series Saturday post sometime soon.

10.   Inside the Hotel Rwanda: The Surprising True Story … and Why It Matters Today by Edouard Kayihura. While I was reading the Rusesabagina memoir, this book and several others about the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsis in Rwanda popped up as recommendations. So, when I decided I wanted a broader look at the Hundred Days, it made sense to start here. Kayihura’s style is not as immediately personable as Rusesabinga’s; his style is more tense, fully acknowledging the danger everyone was in. Again, the early chapters cover his life pre-genocide and a bit of the country’s history – but Kayihura also extends the story beyond the end of the Genocide, covering his life and the nation’s attempts to heal. There’s also a lot of anti-Rusesabagina talk throughout the book, which matched some of what I thought was suspect about Rusesabagina’s story. I have two more memoirs (one by a female survivor, one by the leader of the UN peacekeeping forces) that I’m going to read this month to try and round out my understanding of what happened.

11.   The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography by Sidney Poitier. The only audiobook I listened to this month (I’m traveling far less these days), and what a great listen. Poitier is a wonderful storyteller (no surprise there). What I found interesting is that this is not a linear memoir; Poitier bounces between his early childhood in the Bahamas, his teen years in Miami, his adult married life and acting career and his present (at the time he recorded this) reasons for looking back. He tackles moments in life and those of his parents when those moments tie into whatever point he’s making about being human. And it’s really enthralling all the way through. And he leaves in all the natural verbal tics (the “you knows” and “you understand what I’m saying” type phrases) that most memoirists leave out. There’s nothing effected at all in his style.

12.   How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin. The first of my fiction To Be Read challenge titles hasn’t been sitting on my shelf as long as some of the other titles on this year’s list, since the book came out in 2018, but it was an appropriate choice for Black History Month, don’t you think? I had previously read a handful of these stories in other venues (“The Ones Who Stay and Fight,” “The Effluent Machine,” “Cloud Dragon Skies,” “Valedictorian,” and “Non-Zero Probabilities”) but most of them were new to me. As with the Sheree Renée Thomas collection, I really tried to savor this one, but could never put it down after just one story. Every single story is thought-provoking, whether it’s science fiction or fantasy, present-day, far-future, or otherworldly. This is not just Afrofuturism/Afrofantasy at its finest, it’s science fiction/fantasy as a whole at its finest.

STORIES

I have a goal of reading 365 short stories (1 per day, essentially, although it doesn’t always work out that way) this 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.       “The Mathematics of Fairyland” by Phoebe Barton, from Lightspeed Magazine #129 (February 2021 issue), edited by John Joseph Adams

2.       “Bulletproof Tattoos” by Paul Crenshaw

3.       “Me Two” by Keith Brooke and Eric Brown

4.       “Sidewalks” by Maureen F. McHugh

5.       “Church of Birds” by Micah Dean Hicks

6.       “The Memory of a Memory is a Spirit” by A.T. Greenblatt

7.       “Small and Bright” by Autumn Brown

8.       “Destinations of Beauty” by Alexander Weinstein

9.       “Kisser” by David James Brock, from Fantasy Magazine #64 (February 2021), edited by Christie Yant and Arley Sorg

10.   “Of Course You Screamed” by Sharang Biswas

11.   “Like a Box of Chocolates” by Dani Atkinson

12.   “Flight” by Innocent Chizaram Ilo

13.    “Inflatable Angel” by Seanan McGuire, on the author’s Patreon page.

14.   “Spyder Threads” by Craig Laurence Gidney, from Come Join Us by The Fire Volume 2, (not sure who edited it)

15.   “Navigational Errors” by Lucy A. Snyder, from Fireside #88, edited by Maurice Broaddus

16.   “Ancestries” by Sheree Renée Thomas from Nine Bar Blues

17.   “Thirteen Year Long Song” by Sheree Renée Thomas

18.   “Aunt Dissy’s Policy Dream Book” by Sheree Renée Thomas

19.   “Nightflight” by Sheree Renée Thomas

20.   “River, Clap Your Hands” by Sheree Renée Thomas

21.   “Stars Come Down” by Sheree Renée Thomas

22.   “Child’s Play” by Sheree Renée Thomas

23.   “Headstatic” by Sheree Renée Thomas

24.   “The Parts That Make Us Monsters” by Sheree Renée Thomas

25.   “The Dragon Can’t Dance” by Sheree Renée Thomas

26.   “Who Needs the Stars if the Full Moon Loves You” by Sheree Renée Thomas

27.   “310 Lucy” by Sheree Renée Thomas

28.   “Shanequa’s Blues – Or Another Shotgun Lullaby” by Sheree Renée Thomas

29.   “Madame & the Map: A Journey in Five Movements” by Sheree Renée Thomas

30.   “Teddy Bump” by Sheree Renée Thomas

31.   “Origins of Southern Spirit Music” by Sheree Renée Thomas

32.   “The Ones That Stay and Fight” by N.K Jemisin, from How Long ‘Til Black Future Month?

33.   “The City Born Great” by N.K Jemisin

34.   “Red Dirt Witch” by N.K Jemisin

35.   “L’Alchemista” by N.K Jemisin

36.   “The Effluent Machine” by N.K Jemisin

37.   “Cloud Dragon Skies” by N.K Jemisin

38.   “The Trojan Girl” by N.K Jemisin

39.   “Valedictorian” by N.K Jemisin

40.   “The Storyteller’s Replacement” by N.K Jemisin

41.   “The Brides of Heaven” by N.K Jemisin

42.   “The Evaluators” by N.K Jemisin

43.   “Walking Awake” by N.K Jemisin

44.   “The Elevator Dancer” by N.K Jemisin

45.   “Cuisine des Mémoires” by N.K Jemisin

46.   “Stone Hunger” by N.K Jemisin

47.   “On the Banks of the River Lex” by N.K Jemisin

48.   “The Narcomancer” by N.K Jemisin

49.   “Henosis” by N.K Jemisin

50.   “Too Many Yesterdays, Not Enough Tomorrows” by N.K Jemisin

51.   “The You Train” by N.K Jemisin

52.   “Non-Zero Probabilities” by N.K Jemisin

53.   “Sinners, Saints, Dragons, and Haints, in the City Beneath the Still Waters” by N.K Jemisin

So that’s 53 short stories in February. Quite a bit more than “1 per day” and putting me ahead so far for the year. (February 28th was the 59th day of 2021.)

Summary of Reading Challenges:

“To Be Read” Challenge: This month: 3 read; YTD: 4 of 24 main titles read. (0 of 4 alternate titles read)

366 Short Stories Challenge: This month:  53 read; YTD: 79 of 365 read.

Graphic Novels Challenge:  This month: 3 read; YTD: 5 of 52 read.

Goodreads Challenge: This month: 12 read; YTD: 24 of 125 read.

Non-Fiction Challenge: This month: 3 read; YTD: 4 of 24 read.

Read the Book / Watch the Movie Challenge: This month: 0; YTD: 0 read/watched.

Complete the Series Challenge: This month: 0 book read; YTD: 0 of 14 read.

                                                          Series fully completed: 0 of 4 planned

Monthly Special Challenge:  February was Black History Month and Women in Horror Month, so my challenge, as usual, was to read as many Black authors and women horror writers as I could, and with hopefully a few overlaps. I read 5 books (An Ordinary Man; Nine Bar Blues; Inside the Hotel Rwanda; The Measure of a Man; and How Long ‘Til Black Future Month) by black authors, which was not quite half of the total books read for the month. Most of those short stories I read by black authors were accounted for by the Sheree Renee Thomas and N.K. Jemisin collections, but there was also work by Gidney, Ilo, and Brown. Thomas and Jemisin also accounted for most of my minimal “women in horror” reading, alongside short stories by Seanan McGuire and Lucy A. Snyder.

March is Women’s History Month, so my intent is to read as many female authors as possible.

Book Review: Superman Vs. Wonder Woman

TITLE: Superman Vs. Wonder Woman (Tabloid Edition)

AUTHOR: Gerry Conway, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Dan Adkins, Gaspar Saladino, Jerry Serpe, Joe Orlando

73 pages, DC Comics, ISBN 9781779507204 (hardcover)

DESCRIPTION: Originally published as All-New Collectors’ Edition C-54 by DC Comics in 1977 as a part of their Tabloid-sized run of comics, Superman Vs. Wonder Woman is an “untold epic of World War Two,” pitting these two powerful friends and members of the Justice Society of America not only against each other in an ideological battle over the impending creation of the atomic bomb, but also against Axis super-humans Baron Blitzkrieg and Sumo the Samurai for possession of a prototype.

MY RATING: 4 stars out of 5.

MY THOUGHTS: I still own the original tabloid size comic edition of this (as well as Roy Thomas's 90s Young All-Stars retcon of how the story played out in a continuity in which there was no Superman or Wonder Woman during World War II, but that’s a topic for a different post entirely), but it had been over a decade since I'd last read it, and I'm a sucker for nice hardcover re-issues.

The brighter colors and more pristine paper of this re-issue makes the art really pop. Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez is one of those artists who pretty much defined my early love of DC Comics (along with Dick Dillin on Justice League of America, Kurt Schaffenberger on various Superman Family books and Shazam!, Jim Aparo on The Brave and the Bold, and Neal Adams on Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman among many others, but I digress), and this is one of my favorite stories drawn by him.

The story holds up well enough. The requirement that Supes and Wonder Woman had to fight first felt a bit forced to 11-year-old me and still does ... but it gives us a great set piece on the Moon that introduced a "lost city" I'm not sure anyone ever followed up on. The physical fight is thrilling, but there’s also the ideological battle between the adopted American who think the country that raised him can’t be in the wrong and the “princess of peace” who recognizes the full danger of atomic energy. That was heady stuff for an eleven-year-old to wrap his head around. Now fifty-four, I recognize that while the dialogue expressing the heroes’ viewpoints falls into the grandiose style of pronouncements that Conway, Roy Thomas, and others were known for in the 70s, the questions they struggle with (Superman’s almost-unquestioning faith in national leadership, Wonder Woman’s frustration at those same leaders ignoring the devastating uses to which scientific discoveries can be put, and when national pride supersedes common sense) are still with us today.

Baron Blitzkrieg has been one of my favorite villains since his first appearance. This was his second and was quite a few years before Roy Thomas further developed his origin and his history in All-Star Squadron. He personified the ego of the Nazi movement for me for a long time (as odds as he was with the completely ineffectual Nazis of Hogan’s Heroes, one of my favorite television shows as a kid) Sumo the Samurai debuted here and his sense of honor (misguided as it was being tied to his national pride) intrigued me. The fights between Superman, Wonder Woman, Baron Blitzkrieg and Sumo are the artistic highlight of the book for me, Garcia-Lopez’s layouts of large action shots and emotional close-ups keeping the action moving. And I always wished the fight between Blitzkrieg and Sumo had been given a little more room to breathe.

I had forgotten just how little Lois Lane and Steve Trevor are given to do in this one. Given this was 1977, with the Wonder Woman show on TV and the Superman movie about to come out, it feels odd that Lois and Steve are sidelined the way they are. Lois gets a few scenes, but they’re mostly for yelling at or about Clark, and Steve has only one, in which he essentially gaslights Diana over what she did/didn’t see. I also admit I’ve always been disappointed that despite the background art on the front cover, DC’s version of Uncle Sam never appears in the book.

There’s a small continuity mistake that probably didn’t bother eleven-year-old me, but which stands out now. The Earth-2 Clark and Lois would have been working at the Daily Star (not the Daily Planet) in 1941, under editor George Taylor (not Perry White). Not a huge deal, obviously, but one of those things someone at DC at the time (if not editor Orlando, then in-house continuity guru E. Nelson Bridwell at least) should have caught.

This really was a fun trip down nostalgia lane, and makes me want to re-read some of the other tabloid editions from the era (Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali was re-released in hardcover a few years ago, and Superman Vs. Shazam has been reprinted several times (but not in hardcover tabloid format as far as I know). I still own my original copies of Superman Vs. Shazam, Superman and Spider-Man, and Batman Vs. The Hulk. I should dig those out.

Here’s my actual original copy, discoloration and all:

Reading Round-Up: April 2020

Continuing the monthly summaries of what I’ve been reading and writing.

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 11 books in April: 5 in print, 5 in e-book format, and 1 in audio format. They were:

1.       Lightspeed Magazine #119 (April 2020 issue), edited by John Joseph Adams. The usual fine assortment of sf and fantasy short stories. This month’s favorites for me were Yoon Ha Lee’s “Always The Harvest,” Andrew Dana Hudson’s “Voice of their Generation,” Celeste Rita Baker’s “Glass Bottle Dancer,” and Fred Van Lente’s “Neversleeps.”

2.       The Long Goodbye (Philip Marlowe #6) by Raymond Chandler. Marlowe makes a friend, and the friend commits murder and goes on the run, leaving Marlowe to figure out what really happened while he’s arrested as an accomplice. Listened to the abridged audiobook narrated by the always excellent Elliot Gould.

3.       The Burglar in Short Order by Lawrence Block. Finally, a collection of every short story, vignette and non-fiction piece featuring or about the writing/creation of Block’s burglar/bookshop owner Bernie Rhodenbarr. Not a bad piece in the bunch, including a new essay about how certain characters don’t age but do sometimes fade gracefully from the spotlight.

4.       Miles Morales: Spider-Man Volume 1: Straight out of Brooklyn by Saladin Ahmed, Javier Garron, others. Like I said about Seanan McGuire’s “Spider-Gwen” runs last month: Saladin Ahmed has gotten me invested in a character I knew almost nothing about before he started writing the character. I knew vaguely who Miles Morales was because of all the press when he succeeded Peter Parker as the Ultimate Universe Spider-Man and again when he was merged onto the main Marvel Earth, but otherwise my only familiarity was from the Into the Spider-Verse movie. Now I’m totally on board with Miles, his family, and his friends.

5.       Miles Morales: Spider-Man Volume 2: Bring on the Bad Guys by Saladin Ahmed, Javier Garron, others. A solid second collection, continuing Miles’ adventures and increasing the tension surrounding what new villain in town Ultimatum wants with Miles.

6.       Common Source (John Simon Thrillers #3) by Bryan Thomas Schmidt. Schmidt’s third near-future-SF buddy cop thriller lowers the city-wide stakes slightly (no terrorists looking to destroy major landmarks) but increases the personal stakes, as android cop Lucas George must deal with several of his brethren gone rogue and his Maker going missing. Full Review coming closer to the book’s May release date. (I received an Advance Review Copy from the publisher.)

7.       How to Flirt in Fairieland & Other Wild Rhymes by C.S.E. Cooney. I am really not a strong poetry reader, and I usually don’t feel equipped to judge poems on anything more than an “I liked it” scale. I can say that I enjoyed this collection of fantasy poems, all of which tell stories one wants to fall into.

8.       Carson of Venus: The Edge of All Worlds by Matt Betts. Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. launches an official, canonical new set of books starting here: the first new official Carson of Venus novel in decades. New canonical Tarzan, Pellucidar and John Carter novels will follow over the coming year. A longer review is forthcoming next week, but suffice to say I loved it and want more! (I received an Advance Review Copy from the publisher.)

9.       A Sinister Quartet, edited by Mike Allen. A wonderful collection of fantasy-horror novellas by C.S.E. Cooney, Jessica P. Wick, Amanda J. McGee, and Editor Mike Allen. I loved every part of this book, but can’t give a more detailed review at the moment pending possible review publication elsewhere. (I received an Advance Review Copy from the publisher.)

10.   The Adventure of the Naked Guide (The Blood-Thirsty Agent #3) by Cynthia Ward. Ward’s third, penultimate, adventure of Lucy Harker takes her from war-time Germany into the hidden world beneath the Earth’s crust for a reunion with family and with old foes. Non-stop action from start to finish.

11.   The Klaus Protocol by Frank Schildiner. A most excellent Russian spy thriller set in the Asian theater of war in the days before World War Two. 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.       “The Least of These” by Veronica Roth, from Lightspeed Magazine #119 (April 2020 issue), edited by John Joseph Adams.

2.       “Always The Harvest” by Yoon Ha Lee

3.       “Voice of Their Generation” by Andrew Dana Hudson

4.       “A Subtle Web: A Tale From The Somadeva Chronicles” by Vandana Singh

5.       “Bow Down Before The Snail King!” by Caleb Wilson

6.       “Glass Bottle Dancer” by Celeste Rita Baker

7.       “Neversleeps” by Fred Van Lente

8.       “The Witch Sleeps” by Rati Mehrotra

9.       “In The Land of Rainbows and Ash” by Seanan McGuire, on the author’s Patreon page.

10.   “How To Submit” by Don Redwood, from Daily Science Fiction, edited by Jonathan Laden and Michele-Lee Barasso

11.   “A Bad Night For Burglars” by Lawrence Block, from The Burglar In Short Order

12.   “Mr. Rhodenbarr, Bookseller, Advises A Young Customer On Seeking A Vocation”

13.   “The Burglar Who Strove To Go Straight”

14.   “Like A Thief in the Night”

15.   “The Burglar Who Dropped In On Elvis”

16.   “The Burglar Who Smelled Smoke”

17.   “The Burglar Who Collected Copernicus”

18.   “The Burglar Takes A Cat”

19.   “Monsters” by Jim Butcher, from Parallel Worlds, edited by L.J. Hachmeister and R.R. Verdi

20.   “The Dark of the Sun” by Christopher Paul Carey, from Carson of Venus: The Edge of All Worlds, edited by Christopher Paul Carey

21.   “The Sinister Quartet (Introduction)” by Mike Allen, from The Sinister Quartet, edited by Mike Allen

22.   “The Twice-Drowned Saint (Being A Tale of Fabulous Gelethel, the Invisible Wonders Who Rule There, And The Apostates Who Try To Escape” by C.S.E. Cooney

23.   “An Unkindness” by Jessica P. Wick

24.   “Viridian” by Amanda J. McGee

25.   “The Comforter” by Mike Allen

So that’s 25 short stories in April. Once again under “1 per day,” putting me further behind for the year so far. (April 30th was the 121th 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:  25 read; YTD: 84 of 366 read.

Graphic Novels Challenge:  This month: 2 read; YTD: 9 of 52 read.

Goodreads Challenge: This month: 11 read; YTD: 50 of 125 read.

Non-Fiction Challenge: This month: 0 read; YTD: 4 of 24 read.

Read the Book / Watch the Movie Challenge: This month: 0; YTD: 0 read/watched.

Complete the Series Challenge: This month: 1 books read; YTD: 6 of 16 read.

                                                                Series fully completed: 0 of 3 planned

Monthly Special Challenge: April was National Poetry Month, so my goal was to read some poetry. I am notoriously not a reader of poetry, but I did manage to read one poetry collection by C.S.E. Cooney.

May is Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, so my goal is to read a number of authors either from or descended from that part of the world and maybe squeeze in some non-fiction about that part of the world.