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Archive for December, 2024

Phish (Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, December 28-31, 2024) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Madison Square Garden, New York City, Phish on December 28, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 28-31, 2024] Phish

Last year I took my family to Phish on New Year’s Eve and we had a great time.  The show was fun and being in New York City after midnight was a hoot.

I have gone to at least one show of their New Year’s run for the past few years, but this year I just didn’t feel like it.

Getting to the City is a pain and I was looking forward to relaxing and having no late nights for a while.

So, even though there’s probably going to be an amazing New Year’s spectacle planned, after seeing Gamehendge last year (my 17th Phish show), I ‘m taking some time off.

 

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Ally Carter–The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year (2024) [audiobook 2024]

Posted in Ally Carter, Audiobooks, Funny (ha ha), Morality, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Romance, Saskia Maarleveld, Violence, Zachary Webber on December 26, 2024| Leave a Comment »

[LISTENED TO: December 2024] The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

This is probably the first romance book that I’ve listened to.  Technically it’s a romance mystery, but the format is pretty distinctively romance.

I can say that I really didn’t enjoy the more romancey parts of the book.  Not because of the romance, because heck, almost all books have a romance component.

But I found this romance to  be beating us over the head with the fact that a) Maggie HATES Ethan and b) Ethan is REALLY HOT.  Again, I’m fine with the romance angle and even these tow components of the romance, but jeez, how many times did Carter have to tell us these two things.

Every time she saw Ethan she pointed out his hot arms or his studly abs.  And every time she saw him she told us how much she hated him.

And, hey, Ally Carter, trust your reader that they can hold information for more than a few pages.

This may have seemed more obnoxious to be in an audio book format.  Saskia Maarleveld did a great job in both male and female voices.  But hearing some of those same phrases repeated over and over was annoying.  Zachary Webber did a good job as Ethan (towards the end of the book, Ethan starts getting his own POV), but I actually enjoyed Saskia’s voice more.

So a basic plot summary.  Mystery author Maggie Chase hates Ethan Wyatt, a fellow author at their publishing imprint. He’s good-looking, popular with literally everyone and the guy can NEVER get her name right. (more…)

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Muriel Spark–“The Leaf-Sweeper” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #25] (1953)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Ghosts, Hingston & Olsen, Muriel Spark, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 25, 2024] “The Leaf-Sweeper”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Muriel Spark.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  Although today doesn’t have an interview just this blurb:

It’s December 25. To officially conclude the 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar, we present a story about pamphlets and ghosts from the one and only Muriel Spark. As always, thank you so much for reading. We hope you enjoyed it, and that you have an excellent rest of your holiday season.

This was a strange ghost story.  A woman passing an asylum tells the story of Johnnie Geddes, a man who started the Society for the Abolition of Christmas.  (more…)

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Thomas Hardy–“The Thieves Who Couldn’t Help Sneezing” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #24] (1877)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, Thomas Hardy on December 24, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 24, 2024] “The Thieves Who Couldn’t Help Sneezing”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Thomas Hardy.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  Although today doesn’t have an interview just this blurb:

It’s December 24. Thomas Hardy, author of Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess of the d’Urbervilles, died in 1928 and was unavailable for an interview.

This is one of Hardy’s earliest short stories.  It seems like it is going to be a Christmas-related ghost story, because a man sets out n horseback on a spooky, foggy night.  But there are no ghosts.  Rather, he is set upon by bandits who steal his possessions and his horse.  (more…)

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Jennifer Croft–“Anaheim” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #23] (2022)

Posted in Canadian Content, Cats, Christmas, Hingston & Olsen, Jennifer Croft, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, Walt Disney World on December 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 23, 2024] “Anaheim”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Jennifer Croft.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  Although today doesn’t have an interview just this blurb:

It’s December 23. Jennifer Croft, author of The Extinction of Irena Ray, has not prepared an acceptance speech.

I was concerned that I wouldn’t like this story.  It was longer than others and it started kind of slow, with a main character who was unsatisfied with things.  Ho hum. (more…)

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Josh Riedel–“The One with the Multiverse” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #22] (2023)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Friends, Hingston & Olsen, Josh Riedel, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 22, 2024] “The One with the Multiverse”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Josh Riedel.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview. And this opening blurb sets the tone

It’s December 22. Josh Riedel, author of Please Report Your Bug Here, also once splashed in a fountain for title-credits purposes.

This story has a lot of elements that I like–pop culture, multiverses, identity confusion.  And although I never really liked Friends, I do enjoy stories that involve the sitcom.

So this story was pretty fun for me. (more…)

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Hannah Pittard–“Wars and Winters” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #21] (2009)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Hannah Pittard, Hingston & Olsen, Marriage Trouble, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 21, 2024] “Wars and Winters”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Hannah Pittard.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.

It’s December 21. Hannah Pittard, author of We Are Too Many, can feel the solstice coming a mile away.

This is the story of a woman who is involved with a married man.  They work at the same university during Fall semesters. She waits for him to return each year.  (She taught full time for a third of his salary). (more…)

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Carmen Maria Machado–“The Things Eric Eats Before He Eats Himself” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #20] (2019)

Posted in Canadian Content, Carmen Maria Machado, Christmas, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, Yuck! on December 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 20, 2024] “The Things Eric Eats Before He Eats Himself”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Carmen Maria Machado.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  This one begins with this blurb:

It’s December 20. Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House, doesn’t engage with Craigslist for this very reason.

This story’s odd title is in fact very literal. (more…)

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Damian Tarnopolsky–“Chris Cornell” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #19] (2024)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Damian Tarnopolsky, Hingston & Olsen, Isaac Babel, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 19, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 19, 2024] “Chris Cornell”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Damian Tarnopolsky.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief (or in this case lengthy) interview.  This blurb starts things off:

It’s December 19. Damian Tarnopolsky, author of Every Night I Dream I’m a Monk, Every Night I Dream I’m a Monster, can solo just as well on an acoustic.

This story has an unusual title to be sure.  It’s even more unusual because Chris Cornell doesn’t really have anything to do with the bulk of the story.  He’s more for setting the story in time (the narrator was listening to Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog and Nirvana on CD when the story takes place). (more…)

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Alexandra Wuest–“The Exhibition” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #18] (2023)

Posted in Alexandra Wuest, Artists, Canadian Content, Christmas, Death, Hingston & Olsen, Mark Binelli, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 18, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 18, 2024] “The Exhibition”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Alexandra Wuest.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  Her blurb says:

It’s December 18. Alexandra Wuest will take a paper map if you have one.

It’s not very often that this collection has an author I haven’t read before, but here’s one. (more…)

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