I have combined my reading in March and April because I read very few books and short stories during the two months. I explained why in my post on April 3. Still, there is rarely a good reason not to read. Either you read well or you don’t. My reading in January and February was slightly better.
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The highlight of my reading was my interview with author James Reasoner based on his ‘alternate history’ story The Blood of the Fallen.
I also enjoyed reading Hell Town Shootout, a Gideon Miles western novelette by Edward A. Grainger (David Cranmer), which I will be reviewing soon. I'll also be reading more adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles in coming months.
Novels & Novellas
1937 - The Citadel by A.J. Cronin
1939 - No Orchids for Miss Blandish by James Hadley Chase
1962 - America, America by Elia Kazan
2014 - Hell Town Shootout by Edward A. Grainger (David Cranmer)
Short Stories
1930 - Gladiator by Philip Wylie, 1930
1951 - The Fog Horn by Ray Bradbury, 1951
1953 - Carrera's Woman by Richard Marsten (Ed McBain)
1959 - Look Death in the Eye by Lawrence Block
2002 - The Blood of the Fallen by James Reasoner, 2002
Apart from this I also read three essays from an old edition of The Reader’s Digest New Pocket Companion belonging to my wife. Two of these essays, ‘The Night I Met Einstein’ by Jerome Weidman, an American playwright and novelist, and ‘When You Dread Failure’ by A.J. Cronin, the Scottish novelist and physician, were interesting. I read Cronin’s piece in context of The Citadel where the main protagonist is a doctor and realised just how seriously the author took himself as a physician first and then as a writer.
Meanwhile, on May Day, I resolved to read one story every day from May 1 through May 31. Yesterday, I read Butcher by the late mystery author Richard S. Prather. He knew how to write about mutilated victims without being gory. I’m basing my opinion on just that one story. I'll be reading short stories across different categories though noir fiction, western, detective-mystery, and espionage will dominate my reading. In the first week of June I'll line up all 31 stories I read. It will be a labour of love and, hopefully, revive my reading spirit.
I also enjoyed reading Hell Town Shootout, a Gideon Miles western novelette by Edward A. Grainger (David Cranmer), which I will be reviewing soon. I'll also be reading more adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles in coming months.
Novels & Novellas
1937 - The Citadel by A.J. Cronin
1939 - No Orchids for Miss Blandish by James Hadley Chase
1962 - America, America by Elia Kazan
2014 - Hell Town Shootout by Edward A. Grainger (David Cranmer)
Short Stories
1930 - Gladiator by Philip Wylie, 1930
1951 - The Fog Horn by Ray Bradbury, 1951
1953 - Carrera's Woman by Richard Marsten (Ed McBain)
1959 - Look Death in the Eye by Lawrence Block
2002 - The Blood of the Fallen by James Reasoner, 2002
Apart from this I also read three essays from an old edition of The Reader’s Digest New Pocket Companion belonging to my wife. Two of these essays, ‘The Night I Met Einstein’ by Jerome Weidman, an American playwright and novelist, and ‘When You Dread Failure’ by A.J. Cronin, the Scottish novelist and physician, were interesting. I read Cronin’s piece in context of The Citadel where the main protagonist is a doctor and realised just how seriously the author took himself as a physician first and then as a writer.
Meanwhile, on May Day, I resolved to read one story every day from May 1 through May 31. Yesterday, I read Butcher by the late mystery author Richard S. Prather. He knew how to write about mutilated victims without being gory. I’m basing my opinion on just that one story. I'll be reading short stories across different categories though noir fiction, western, detective-mystery, and espionage will dominate my reading. In the first week of June I'll line up all 31 stories I read. It will be a labour of love and, hopefully, revive my reading spirit.
Good luck with your Mayday challenge Prashant - sound like an excellent idea.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sergio. I'll need plenty of luck. With short stories, I'm playing safe. Fortunately, I love reading them.
DeleteWell, life does occasionally intrude with our reading, Prashant. :) I wish I could enjoy short stories as much as you obviously do. The only ones I seem to be able to get through are the vintage mystery ones and even those I don't read unless there's nothing else going on. But I've been reading quite a bit lately, it's been that kind of Winter into Spring for me.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your labor of reading love.
Yvette, thank you. Luck is what I need. I have a definite plan to read more novels and short stories this month. I also want to go back and read some of the classics I have missed out on. Henry James and Victor Hugo, to name just two. Let me see how it works out.
DeleteI'm woefully behind in reading because of final exams and grading.
ReplyDeleteCharles, the last couple of months have been hectic on account of home renovation and other stuff. Things are settling down and I should have more time (and energy) to read.
DeleteI like Prather's short story "Dead Giveaway" better than I like his novels.
DeleteI have also read and enjoyed the first two of David Cranmer's Gideon Miles books. I believe other writers have also written Gideon Miles books under the Grainger name
Peter, you are right about other writers contributing to the Gideon-Miles series. I'll be reading them as well. I have not read Richard S. Prather's novels yet.
DeletePrashant, good luck with that aim. From your list above I have the Hadley Chase book somewhere, and might encounter the Block story in a collection of his I have,
ReplyDeleteCol, I read the Chase story as part of my "First Novels" challenge. I read most of his paperbacks in my teens and twenties.
DeleteNice collection there Prashant - and what a range of dates!
ReplyDeleteMoira, thank you. I definitely need to read more, though.
DeleteI look forward to hearing about your 31 stories in May, Prashant. I am doing well to read one every two weeks, although I do sneak additional ones in now and then.
ReplyDeleteTracy, thank you. So far so good. I have been reading one short story a day, mostly noir, but I'll be branching out to other genres soon. It's already putting me back in the mood to read.
DeleteGood luck, Prashant. I have Hellltown on hand TBR. I've rerad some Jerome Weidman a long time ago, comedy, I think.
ReplyDeleteOscar, thank you. There is plenty of action in this Gideon Miles story.
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