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.