February 2025 Books and Reading Notes

At long last, over two months since I cracked it open, I finally finished Doctor Zhivago. It was a long read – mostly beautiful, occasionally frustrating, and above all definitely worth the effort.

Now I am reading short fiction, to help reset my brain. Currently I am working my way through The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966, which, in addition to being full of superb short prose and poetry, is an interesting time-capsule of the state of literature almost seventy years ago.

Acquisitions

  1. R.T. Samuel, Rakesh K., Rashmi R.D. (editors), The Blaft Book of Anti-Caste SF (Blaft Publications)

Reading List

Books

  1. Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago [2025.02.14]

Short Prose

  1. Jim C. Hines, “Kitemaster” (Patreon post) [2025.02.11]
  2. Samuel Beckett, “Dante and the Lobster”, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.14]
  3. Jack Kerouac, “October in the Railroad Earth”, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.14]
  4. Patsy Southgate, “A Very Important Lady”, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.16] – [Note: I could find almost no information at all on Patsy Southgate online. Anything I found was as a side note to other writers and creative types. The two obituaries I could find, from 1998, were behind paywalls. Perhaps I will gather some sources and put together a Wikipedia page.]
  5. Kameron Hurley, “At the Crossroads of Many Futures” (Patreon post) [2025.02.16]
  6. Tobias S. Buckell, “The Last Cathedral of Earth, In Flight” (Patreon post) [2025.02.17]
  7. Alexander Trocchi, “From Cain’s Book“, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.18]
  8. John Rechy, “From City of Night“, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.18]
  9. William Eastlake, “Portrait of an Artist with Twenty-Six Horses”, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.18]
  10. Carlos Fuentes (Lysander Kemp, translator), “The Life Line”, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.21]
  11. Juan Rulfo (Lysander Kemp, translator), “From Pedro Páramo“, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.22]
  12. Octavio Paz, “Todos Santos, Día de Muertos”, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.24]
  13. Henry Miller, “Defense of the Freedom to Read”, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.24]
  14. William Eastlake, “Three Heroes and a Clown”, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.25]
  15. Terry Southern, “Red-Dirt Marihuana”, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.25]
  16. William S. Burroughs, “Deposition: Testimony Concerning a Sickness”, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.26]
  17. Eugène Ionesco, “Foursome”, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.26]
  18. Martin Williams, “Charlie Parker: The Burden of Innovation”, The Evergreen Review Reader, 1957 – 1966 [2025.02.28]

January 2025 Books and Reading Notes

January was a good month for acquisition, but not a good month for reading.

Acquisitions

  1. Sheree Renée Thomas and Lesley Connor (editors), The Map of Lost Places (Apex Book Company) [2025.01.14]
  2. David Estes and Dyrk Ashton, Kraken Rider Z: Thunder Kraken (Wraithmarked Creative, LLC) [2025.01.15]
  3. Stephen Leigh, A Fading Sun [2025.01.24]- A gift from the author, received at ConFusion 2025 (inscribed)
  4. Stephen Leigh, A Rising Moon [2025.01.24] – A gift from the author, along with the previous books, received at ConFusion 2025. (inscribed)
  5. J.D. Barker and Christine Daigle, Heavy are the Stones (Hampton Creek Press) [2025.01.25] – Received as part of an ARC giveaway, by the authors, to the attendees of ConFusion 2025.
  6. Brandon Butler (editor), The Science Fiction Tarot (tdotSpec, Inc) [2025.01.25] – An anthology created for a Kickstarter campaign. I picked this up at ConFusion 2025, where Storm Humbert, one of the anthology contributors, had copies for sale. (inscribed)

Reading List

Books

  1. Jordan S. Carroll, Speculative Whiteness [2025.01.27]

December 2024 Books and Reading Notes

This was an excellent month for book acquisitions. For reading, not so much. Various events conspired to keep my attention span at a minimum, plus it being December I picked a classic Russian novel to read. This year it was Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago, which is brilliant, but requires dedicated time to read, and that has simply not been possible. Maybe in January.

So I round out 2024 with 50 acquisitions and 65 volumes read, as well as close to 200 short stories. All in all, not a bad year.

Acquisitions

  1. Michael Moorcock, The Whispering Swarm [2024.12.01] – Purchased at Bluestocking Bookshop in Holland, Michigan
  2. Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The City of Mist (Subterranean Press) [2024.12.05] – My Christmas gift to myself this year, from Subterranean Press.
  3. New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine #3 – Kickstarter reward from their successful campaign.
  4. New Edge Sword & Sorcery Magazine #4
  5. Phil Tucker, Dawn of the Void (self-published) [2024.12.28]- The deluxe collected omnibus of the Dawn of the Void trilogy, from Tucker’s Kickstarter campaign.
  6. Anaïs Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, volume 1: 1931-1934 [2024.12.30] – Purchased on a whim from Argos Books
  7. Peter Pomerantsev, This is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality (Public Affairs) [2024.12.30] – Purchased from Books and Mortar during a walk around town.
  8. Victor Serge, What Every Radical Should Know About State Repression (Seven Stories Press) [2024.12.30]- Purchased from Books and Mortar during a walk around town.
  9. Jeff VanderMeer, Absolution [2024.12.30] – Purchased from Books and Mortar during a walk around town.

Reading List

Books

  1. Eva Baltasar (Julia Sanches, translator), Mammoth [2024.12.03]

Short Prose

  1. Jim C. Hines, “Goblin Lullaby” [2024.12.22]
  2. Tobias S. Buckell, “By Throat and Void” [2024.12.22]

November 2024 Books and Reading Notes

November wasn’t such a great month for reading, mostly due to the existential dread of watching democracy die in the USA. Other than that, things are great!

Acquisitions

  1. Jordan S. Carroll, Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right (University of Minnesota Press) [2024.11.01]
  2. Kateřina Čupová (Julie Nováková, translator, Damian Duffy, lettering), R.U.R: The Karel Čapek Classic (Rosarium Publishing) [2024.11.07]
  3. Yuri Herrera (Lisa Dillman, translator), Season of the Swamp (And Other Stories) [2024.11.12]
  4. Evergreen Review Reader 1967 – 1973 (Four Walls Eight Windows) [2024.11.14]
  5. Cheryl S. Ntumy, Songs for the Shadows (Atthis Arts) [2024.11.30]
  6. Ihor Mysiak (Yevheniia Dubrova and Hanna Leliv, translators), The Factory (Atthis Arts) [2024.11.30]

Reading List

Books

  1. Elvira Navarro (Christina MacSweeney, translator), A Working Woman [2024.11.12]
  2. Mona Arshi, Somebody Loves You [2024.11.21]
  3. William Gibson, Spook Country [2024.11.27]

Short Prose

  1. Jim C. Hines, “A Game of Goblins” [2024.11.25]

October 2024 Books and Reading Notes

October was quite busy so I didn’t read as much as I would have liked. But what I did read was most excellent!

Acquisitions

  1. Morgan Talty, Fire Exit (And Other Stories) [2024.10.02]
  2. Michael J. DeLuca, The Jaguar Mask (Stelliform Press) [2024.10.06]
  3. Dave Klecha and Tobias J. Buckell, The Runes of Engagement (Tachyon Publications) [2024.10.06]

Reading List

Books

  1. Jorge Luis Borges – Conversations [2024.10.10]
  2. Dave Klecha and Tobias J. Buckell, The Runes of Engagement [2024.10.14]
  3. Jack Ridl, All At Once [2024.10.17]
  4. Norah Lange, Notes from Childhood [2024.10.25]

September 2024 Books and Reading Notes

In contrast with last month, September was an excellent month for short fiction. I have dozens of issues of various magazines and journals lying around my house unread, as well as probably close to 100 anthologies and short story collections awaiting my attention.  Any progress is better than no progress.

Acquisitions

  1. Cassie Hart, Sloane Leong (editors), Death in the Mouth, vol. 2 [2024.09.12]
  2. Neil Kaufman, Darkness Is as Light To You [2024.09.21]
  3. Dorothy Roberts, Killing the Black Body [2024.09.26]
  4. Jack Ridl, All at Once (CavanKerry Press) [2024.09.28]

Reading List

Books

  1. Fleur Jaeggy, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.05]
  2. Dreamforge #2 [2024.09.14]
  3. Dreamforge #3 [2024.09.16]
  4. Dreamforge #4 [2024.09.22]
  5. Neil Kaufman, Darkness Is as Light To You [2024.09.24]

Short Prose

  1. Fleur Jaeggy, “I Am the Brother of XX”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.01]
  2. Fleur Jaeggy, “Negde”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.02]
  3. Fleur Jaeggy, “The Last of the Line”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.02]
  4. Fleur Jaeggy, “The Gentleman and the Lizard”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.03]
  5. Fleur Jaeggy, “Agnes”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.03]
  6. Fleur Jaeggy, “The Aseptic Room”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.03]
  7. Fleur Jaeggy, “The Heir”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.03]
  8. Fleur Jaeggy, “Portrait of an Unknown Woman”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.03]
  9. Fleur Jaeggy, “The Black Lace Veil”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.04]
  10. Fleur Jaeggy, “An Encounter in the Bronx”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.04]
  11. Fleur Jaeggy, “The Aviary”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.04]
  12. Fleur Jaeggy, “The Visitor”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.04]
  13. Fleur Jaeggy, “Adelaide”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.05]
  14. Fleur Jaeggy, “Tropics”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.05]
  15. Fleur Jaeggy, “Cat”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.05]
  16. Fleur Jaeggy, “Osmosis”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.05]
  17. Fleur Jaeggy, “Names”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.05]
  18. Fleur Jaeggy, “The Hanging Angel”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.05]
  19. Fleur Jaeggy, “The Perfect Choice”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.05]
  20. Fleur Jaeggy, “FK”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.05]
  21. Fleur Jaeggy, “The Saltwater House”, I Am the Brother of XX [2024.09.05]
  22. Alyssa Eckles, “Home”, Dreamforge #2 [2024.09.06]
  23. Andrew Jensen, “Sid”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.08]
  24. Marie Vibbert, “Loitering with Mathematical Intent”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.09]
  25. Tyler Tork, “Tea with Gibbons”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.09]
  26. L.P. Melling, “Luna’s First Eclipse”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.09]
  27. Blake Jessop, “I See Punk Elephants”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.09]
  28. G.M. Periera, “Sudan”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.09]
  29. Gregory L. Norris, “Hysterical”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.09]
  30. Michael McCormick, “Snow, 2562”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.09]
  31. Adam Fout, “We Are Cherished”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.09]
  32. Mark Gallacher, “Pioneer”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.09]
  33. Lif Strand, “Being Me”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.09]
  34. Davide Mana, “Sapiens”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.10]
  35. Deborah L. Davitt, “Arcology”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.10]
  36. Lucy Stone, “Haunting the Present”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.11]
  37. Emily Mah, “Wrath of a Lightweight”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.13]
  38. L. Deni Colter, “The Weight of Mountains”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.14]
  39. David Weber, “A Certain Talent”, Dreamforge#2 [2024.09.14]
  40. Jane Linskold, “A Question of Truth”, Dreamforge #3 [2024.09.14]
  41. Gustavo Bondoni, “A Sip of Pombé”, Dreamforge #3 [2024.09.15]
  42. Isaac E. Payne, “Esclados the Red”, Dreamforge #3 [2024.09.15]
  43. Hal Y. Zhang, “The Specular Boy”, Dreamforge #3 [2024.09.15]
  44. Scott Paul Hallam, “Fire in the Sky”, Dreamforge #3 [2024.09.15]
  45. Mary Soon Lee, “Wrong Turn”, Dreamforge #3 [2024.09.15]
  46. Jennifer R. Donohue, “Fundamentals of Search and Rescue”, Dreamforge #3 [2024.09.15]
  47. Josh Rountree, “Revolutions Per Minute”, Dreamforge #3 [2024.09.16]
  48. George Nikolopoulos, “Our New Home in the Stars”, Dreamforge #3 [2024.09.16]
  49. Jim C. Hines, “On the Efficacy of Supervillain Battles in Eliciting Therapeutic Breakthroughs” (Patreon) [2024.09.16]
  50. John Jos. Miller, “The Ghost of a Smile”, Dreamforge #4 [2024.09.17]
  51. Marie Croke, “Cessation of Civilization”, Dreamforge #4 [2024.09.17]
  52. Kurt Pankau, “Autoimmune”, Dreamforge #4 [2024.09.18]
  53. Gary Kloster, “Hot Times in Shady Pines”, Dreamforge #4 [2024.09.18]
  54. Anna Madden, “The Last Petal”, Dreamforge #4 [2024.09.21]
  55. Sally Wiener Grotta, “Beyond Our Hidden Stars”, Dreamforge #4 [2024.09.22]
  56. Robert E. Harpold, “Extremophile”, Dreamforge #4 [2024.09.22]
  57. Donald S. Crankshaw, “Dreamforger”, Dreamforge #4 [2024.09.22]

August 2024 Books and Reading Notes

In August I returned to short prose for the first time since May. It is a strange consequence of having little free time or attention that I have space in my head for fractions of large stories, but not complete smaller stories. Will need to investigate and submit my notes to the Academy.

Acquisitions

  1. Hanne Ørstavik (Martin Aitken, translator), Stay with Me (And Other Stories) [2024.08.14]
  2. Salvage #14 [2024.08.16]

Reading List

Books

  1. Jim Harrison, Farmer [2024.08.09]
  2. Jen Haeger, Whispers of a Killer [2024.08.13]
  3. Thomas McGuane, Gallantin Canyon [2024.08.27]
  4. Vanessa Angélica Villarreal, Magical/Realism: Essays on Music, Memory, Fantasy, and Borders [2024.08.30]

Short Prose

  1. Thomas McGuane, “Vicious Circle”, Gallantin Canyon [2024.08.15]
  2. Thomas McGuane, “Cowboy”, Gallantin Canyon [2024.08.17]
  3. Thomas McGuane, “Ice”, Gallantin Canyon [2024.08.18]
  4. Thomas McGuane, “Old Friends”, Gallantin Canyon [2024.08.20]
  5. Thomas McGuane, “North Coast”, Gallantin Canyon [2024.08.21]
  6. Thomas McGuane, “The Zombie”, Gallantin Canyon [2024.08.23]
  7. Thomas McGuane, “Miracle Boy”, Gallantin Canyon [2024.08.25]
  8. Thomas McGuane, “Aliens”, Gallantin Canyon [2024.08.27]
  9. Thomas McGuane, “The Refugee”, Gallantin Canyon [2024.08.27]
  10. Thomas McGuane, “Gallantin Canyon”, Gallantin Canyon [2024.08.27]

July 2024 Books and Reading Notes

July was not my best reading month. Too much work, plus prep for, and participating in, my first vacation of the year. But what my monthly reading lacked in quantity it more than made up for in quality. Plus, Viriconium was a long, extremely dense book. But well worth the effort.

Acquisitions

  1. Sergei Esenin (Roger Pulvers, translator), Wholly Esenin: Poems by Sergei Esenin (Balestier Press) [2024.07.17] – Ordered from Books and Mortar, after reading Jim Harrison’s Letters to Yesenin, and watching this documentary about Esenin, created by Pushkin House, and finding the title in the comments.

Reading List

Books

  1. Jim Harrison, Letters to Yesenin (re-read) [2024.07.02]
  2. M. John Harrison, Viriconium [2024.07.23]
  3. Sergei Esenin (Roger Pulvers, translator), Wholly Esenin [2024.07.31]

June 2024 Books and Reading Notes

June was a busy month, so I didn’t read as much as usual. But what my list lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality.

Acquisitions

  1. Voices 2024 [2024.06.08] – Acquired at the 2024 Dyer-Ives Poetry awards
  2. Silvia Federici, Patriarchy of the Wage: Notes on Marx, Gender, and Feminism (PM Press) [2024.06.15] – Purchased at Black Dog Books and Records in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  3. Maya Schenwar, Joe Macaré, Alana Yu-lan Price (editors), Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? (Haymarket Books) [2024.06.15] – Purchased at Black Dog Books and Records in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  4. Kathy Acker, Hannibal Lecter, My Father (Semiotext(e)) [2024.06.24] – Ordered from MIT Press.
  5. Christian Marazzi, Capital and Language: From the New Economy to the War Economy (Semiotext(e)) [2024.06.24] – Ordered from MIT Press.

Reading List

Books

  1. Glen Cook, Shadows Linger (re-read, e-book) [2024.06.03]
  2. Jason McBride, Eat Your Mind: The Radical Life and Work of Kathy Acker [2024.06.14]
  3. Voices 2024 [2024.06.15]
  4. Glen Cook, The White Rose (re-read, e-book) [2024.06.19]
  5. Tim Marshall, Prisoners of Geography [2024.06.29]

May 2024 Books and Reading Notes

May was a pretty good month for reading. I had some down time and managed to fill it with books, like I did regularly when I was much younger.

Acquisitions

  1. Eva Baltasar (Julia Sanches, translator), Mammoth (And Other Stories) [2024.05.07] – This is the most recent addition to my collection from my subscription to And Other Stories.
  2. Vanessa Angélica Villareal, Magical Realism: Essays on Music, Memory, Fantasy, and Borders [2024.05.18] – This was an impulse buy I made after seeing the title mentioned favorably by Jeff VanderMeer on one social media account or another.
  3. Zig Zag Claybourne, Breath, Warmth, & Dream (Obsidian Sky Books) [2024.05.20] – This was a Kickstarter reward from a recently-completed campaign. I met Zig Zag at ConFusion, back in, I think, 2016. He is a superb writer and overall a most excellent human being.
  4. Dinara Mirtalipova, Russian Tales: Traditional Stories of Quests and Enchantments [2024.05.28] – This was a birthday gift from my partner. It is gorgeous!

Reading List

Books

  1. Ian Monk and Daniel Levin Becker (editors), All that is Evident is Suspect: Readings from the Oulipo 1963 – 2018 [2024.05.08]
  2. Daniel Suarez, Kill Decision (e-book, re-read) [2024.05.10]
  3. Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Mexican Gothic [2024.05.13]
  4. João Gilberto Noll (Adam Morris, translator), Atlantic Hotel [2024.05.16]
  5. Sarah Hans, An Ideal Vessel [2024.05.18]
  6. César Aira, The Proof [2024.05.20]
  7. Corey Robin, The Reactionary Mind [2024.5.28]
  8. Glen Cook, The Black Company (e-book, re-read) [2024.05.31]

Short Prose

  1. Oskar Pastior, “Rules of the Game”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.01]
  2. Hervé Le Tellier, “A Few Musketeers”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.02]
  3. Pierre Rosenstiehl, “Frieze of the Paris Métro”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.02]
  4. Jacques Jouet, “Poem of the Paris Métro”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.02]
  5. Harry Mathews, “Sainte Catherina”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.02]
  6. Jacques Jouet, “The Republic of Beau-Locks”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.03]
  7. Ian Monk, “We Did Everything”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.03]
  8. François Caradec, “On the End of Time”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.03]
  9. Paul Fournel, “Novels”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.03]
  10. Anne F. Garréta, “N-evol”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.04]
  11. Olivier Salon, “Invisible Cities: Lille”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.04]
  12. Jacques Roubaud, “Arrangements”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.04]
  13. Frédéric Forte, “99 Preparatory Notes to 99 Preparatory Notes”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.04]
  14. Pablo Martín Sánchez, “Metric Poetry”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.05]
  15. Étienne Lécroart, “Eodermdromes”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.05]
  16. Harry Mathews, “Narrative Sestinas”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.05]
  17. Étienne Lécroart, “Counting On You”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.05]
  18. Hervé Le Tellier, “Liquid Tales”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.05]
  19. Bernard Cerquiglini, “A Very Busy Year”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.05]
  20. Olivier Salon, “Shark Poem”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.06]
  21. Ross Chambers, “Brief Encounter”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.06]
  22. Daniel Levin Becker, “Writer’s Block”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.06]
  23. Jacques Roubaud, “⊂”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.06]
  24. Marcel Bénabou, “Our Beautiful Zeroine”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.06]
  25. Paul Fournel, “The Beautiful Appetite”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.06]
  26. Valérie Beaudouin, “Northern Line”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.07]
  27. Michèle Audin, “Caroline, October 21, 1935”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.07]
  28. E. Berti & P. Martin Sánchez, “Microfictions”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.07]
  29. Daniel Levin Becker, “Epithalamia”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.07]
  30. Frédéric Forte, “The Pitch-Drop Experiment”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.07]
  31. Clémentine Mélois, “Louise”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.07]
  32. Michèle Audin, “No One Remembers”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.08]
  33. Ian Monk, “Return(s)”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.08]
  34. Eduardo Berti, “An Ideal Presence”, All that is Evident is Suspect [2024.05.08]
  35. Jim C. Hines, “Daddy’s Little Girl”, Patreon [2024.05.29]
  36. Jim C. Hines, “Gift of the Kites”, Patreon [2024.05.29]