After a month hiatus stemming from SPSFC responsibilities and a truncated lunch break, November has brought me back to sci-fi/fantasy short fiction, and I’ve come across some truly exceptional work. I didn’t read a bad short story all month, with the monthly “other reads” category both shorter and higher in quality than it usually is.… Continue reading November 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus

I circled around to some classic SFF short fiction this month, and some of them are classics for a reason–there are some real gems out there. It was my sparsest month of the year for novel-reading, with just a single novel both started and finished in the month of September. But I also read the… Continue reading September 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus

August in the Tar Vol household was an attack of real life, and I had to consult my spreadsheet to even remember what I read this month. But the whirlwind-hampered memory doesn’t mean there weren’t some excellent reads this month, both short fiction and more extended work. So let’s get right to it. Short Fiction… Continue reading August 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus

After over two months without a five-star rating for a novel or novella, July was a return to excellent reading, with two novellas and two novels that I have rated at 17/20 or higher. I haven’t gotten any of the reviews posted, but there are some glowing reviews coming for August, with sneak previews here… Continue reading July 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus

My long fiction slump continues, with no five-star reviews for a second consecutive month. But I’ve read some absolutely tremendous short stories this year, so let’s take a look at them. Short Stories June Favorites “Mono no aware” (2012) by Ken Liu. Ken Liu writes the most touching stories, and this one, about an attempt… Continue reading June 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus

A new baby this month meant that reading was a bit on the sporadic side (and I think the new baby fatigue may be partially responsible for the dearth of five-star ratings, with apologies to the stories that were on the borderline), but there was still a lot of good in May’s reading, including the… Continue reading May 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus

Got back on track with the novels this month, although picking up sequels to books I’d loved is definitely playing things on easy mode. But the trend of finding stellar short fiction continued. I think experimental stories by folks named Sarah are my new favorite thing. Short Stories April Favorites “Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather”… Continue reading April 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus

A short month, but no lack of quality. Rounding-up my February reads and posts. Short Stories February Favorite “The ThoughtBox” (2020) by Tlotlo Tsamaase. An emotionally abusive boyfriend brings home a device that allows the couple to hear each other’s thoughts. It doesn’t go well. Really gripping story that always has another layer. Strong Contenders… Continue reading February 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus

I’m reading a lot more short fiction as the new year begins, and since they don’t get their own reviews, I thought they warranted a monthly round-up post. I’ll also include some notes at the end about the longer works I’ve been reading this month, but this is mostly a chance for short stories to… Continue reading January 2021 Round-up and Short Fiction Focus