Reading Report July/August 2025

Of course I read the monthly offerings by E. H. Timms and J. Scott Coatsworth, as well as the weekly stories Kaje Harper posts. She has wrapped up a serial which I wrote about in an earlier post.

Finished John Maddox Roberts’ Ancient Roman mystery novel “Saturnalia.” Great fun! Re-started his novel “The Temple Of the Muses,” which I started reading about twenty years ago. Started it again.

Read “The House Party At Smoky Island,” by L. M. Montgomery. A short story from the author of “Annie Of Green Gables.” Set in the Canadian islands she knew so well, this one first appeared in Weird Tales magazine, and it’s about a gathering you might want to skip…

Beta read a fine short-story by a friend of mine which I will not say any more about until it’s published.

Finally got my copy of ‘Nathan Burgoine’s fine collection “Upon the Midnight Queer,” which I’d read online and bummed through some of the stories. Hadn’t thought that when I’d ordered it months ago, I ordered it for my Kindle which I still haven’t fixed!

Got another of Burgoine’s books, his latest YA “HiLo,” called “Dogs Don’t Break Hearts.” Started in reading it. Marvelous as always!

Read Ramsey Campbell’s short story “Someone to Blame.” It’s inspired by M.R. James’ “Count Magnus” and is a fun, spooky read with the hallmarks of both authors. In the anthology “Classic Monsters Unleashed,” full of tales based on classic horrors.

Started reading “Mars The Avenger,” an Ancient Roman mystery by Alan Scribner. A Judge is called to investigate a disappearance in Rome in 158 A.D.

Got a big book of Manga (not MAGA) comic stories about Urusei Yatsura written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. The series was a smash hit in Japan and the book is very funny. All about a luckless schmuck who accidentally proposes to a space princess. Takahashi said she was influenced by American TV shows like “Bewitched” and “I Dream Of Jeannie.”

And I ordered an anthology (“Scaring and Daring,”) for another story and found “The Boy Of LaMancha Rides A Glass Horse,” by Carlos Hernandez. I first heard of the story when the author read from it at the 2023 World Fantasy Convention in Kansas City. Don’t remember clearly, but it may be intended to be the start of a series. If so, it will be a fun read!

Next month, I will probably report on reading the story I bought the book for in the first place.

Until then, happy reading!

Here’s a link to “Scaring and Daring.” https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/221452829-scaring-and-daring