Short Stories I Read In January

It’s February 28th. So it’s time for the first Short Stories post of 2023. Today, I’m going to talk about the short stories, poetry, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episode I read or listened to in January.

Between the Stones and the Stars by A.L. Goldfuss (Lightspeed Magazine; Jan 2023 Issue 152)

The first story I read in January was Between the Stones and the Stars by A.L. Goldfuss. It’s basically about two lonely travelers (adventurers), a warrior and another with humble beginnings, who arrive at a summit that holds the chalice they both seek. When they meet, it provides something of a crossroad, for both of them. To be honest, it was an interesting concept to open with and one that proved to be an immediate hook. In a way the story turned into something of a character study, particularly in the narrator’s monologue. It was a quick read, but it was one I enjoyed.

Flower, Daughter, Soil, Seed by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty)

The next (and last) short story I read in January was Flower, Daughter, Soil, Seed. I was really excited to see this one come up, because some of my favorite stories from last year were written by Eugenia Triantafyllou. This story was just as good as the others. It had a real fairy tale-esque feel to it, since the narration starts by recounting the story of a yellow daffodil, and how it eventually spanned into years of a cycle of growing, living, moving or fleeing, death, and then rinse and repeat. The fantastical aspects were tied up in that cycle. And, while only a short time was spent with each generation, the story excelled at making me care about them anyway. All-in-all, this was another great story from Triantafyllou!

From around the web…

• In Search of New Reading Rituals [Molly Templeton; Tor.com; January 12, 2023]
• A (Brief) Love Letter To The Chemistry Of Molecules [Ashley Deng; Clarkesworld; January 2023]
• Print Run Podcast Episode 138: The Books That Made Us
• Our Opinions Are Correct Episode 124: How to build a planet

 

Music Monday (232): Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: This week, my pick is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's performance of the Perry Mason theme song (the original is by Fred Steiner). This is one of my favorite mystery/court procedural TV show tunes.  

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to It Takes Two by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock. Have a great week!

What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (229) & Book Beginnings: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Lesson One of the Scholomance: Learning has never been this deadly.

A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets. There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere. El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students.

Beginning: "I decided that Orion needed to die after the second time he saved my life."

56: "Most people get alchemy assignments to produce antidotes and preventative elixirs, or the good old standby of producing gold out of cheaper elements."

Comments: I decided to give A Deadly Education a try this year. I'd heard a lot of good things about it, and I ended up loving the story. What are you reading this week? 

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton

Title: Mythology, Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
Series: n/a
Author: Edith Hamilton
Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback
More Details: Classic; History; Mythology
Publisher/Publication Date: first published January 1, 1942

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble   

Synopsis from Goodreads...

For nearly seventy years readers have chosen this book above all others to discover the thrilling, enchanting, and fascinating world of Western mythology. From Odysseus's adventure-filled journey to the Norse god Odin's effort to postpone the final day of doom, Edith Hamilton's classic collection not only retells these stories with brilliant clarity but shows us how the ancients saw their own place in the world and how their themes echo in our consciousness today. An essential part of every home library, Mythology is the definitive volume for anyone who wants to know the key dramas, the primary characters, the triumphs, failures, fears, and hopes first narrated thousands of years ago - and is still spellbinding to this day.

My first read of 2023 was Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. I’ve known about this book for a while, and last year I finally purchased a copy for myself. I figured, since I plan to read The Illiad and The Odyssey this year that Mythology would serve as a useful primer as well as a refresher on names and places.

“Strange clouded fragments of an ancient glory, Late lingerers of the company divine, They breathe of that far world wherefrom they come, Lost halls of heaven and Olympian air.”—pg. 17

Even though the tales were summarized, I still liked the way Hamilton presented them, and, overall, I had a great time reading Mythology. The sections were succinct and conveyed enough to get a good understanding of any given story, and, as often was the effect, I naturally wanted to seek out other sources that told them in full. There was everything from profiles about the different gods, to a lengthy section about “The Heroes of the Trojan War,” as well as many recognizable myths—like the story of Cupid and Psyche and the quest for the Golden Fleece—and a short but entire section devoted to Norse mythology.

Overall, Edith Hamilton’s Mythology offered a well-rounded glimpse at its titular subject.

Music Monday (231): Hemlocke Springs, Andra Day

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Hemlocke Springs released another song. It's called Stranger Danger, and I love it. (Warning for flashing lights)

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Rise Up by Andra Day. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?