What I Read: September 2022

This month has flown by, my friends! I feel like it’s impossible that I actually read the 12 books reviewed below because I’ve been so busy this month with back-to school and things. I’m volunteering the equivalent of a part time job running my dad’s campaign for county auditor and as the PTA council Reflections specialist.

My word count for September was 400 words short of my 4,000 word goal, but not too terrible overall, considering. I ended up writing 2-3 days a week instead of 4 and making up the word count by writing slightly longer. I need to drill into my head that 250 words doesn’t actually take that long, so I’ll just sit down and actually do it.

branches of tree with yellow leaves in autumn
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I finished one story whose working name is “Reclaiming the Desert” but is also known as Solar Punk Utah in my file system. It’s a story about the ecological restoration of Utah and the mending of family relationships divided by a gulf of faith. Hopefully I’ll find a good home for it soon. Submissions are happening, though who knows if they are going well. 7 submissions out this fall, but no bites yet.

We released three episodes of Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree last month: one on Netflix’s The Adam Project, one on the anime film Mirai, and one on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

For October, I’m going to continue writing short stories and start work on my grad school applications. So crazy that this is really happening. Book reviews after the jump!

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What I Read: August 2022

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School’s back in session and I’m working to get back on the writing horse. My goal for the fall is to write 250 words at least 4 days a week. And I restarted up my critique group after our summer break, which feels like a feat unto itself given how many critique groups dissolve and fall apart. Hopefully they’ll keep me accountable. I also plan to submit something every Friday. Not all of these will be fiction, but I figure getting myself out there is a good habit to get into. I’m also running social media my dad’s political campaign for the next two months, so I’m keeping myself quite busy.

My reading life is also busy! I finally signed up for Netgalley and found some books I’m really excited to take a look at. Plus the internet seems to be dropping recommendations left and right that I can’t wait to pick up. Does anyone else feel like there’s a book avalanche right now?

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What I Read: July 2022

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I’m back! A two-week vacation in DC with my husband for our 15th anniversary plus a short family vacation with my parents and siblings was just what I needed after the hecticness of June. Though vacations have their own special brand of hecticness, the packing and unpacking, the chaos of not having any sort of routine or rhythm. Now there’s less than a week until the kids start school again (assuming they can all stay healthy, which given what’s been happening here the past few weeks is in doubt).

And I got a piece of good news last night: my short story “Birthright” received an Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future contest for volume 39, quarter 2. It’s not one of the top spots, but it does put me in the top 500 or so out of the thousands of entries they received. This was my first time entering, so this result makes me optimistic about my future chances–and my fiction-writing in general. I had almost talked myself out of fiction writing, having decided that I’m more of an academic and want to get an MA rather than an MFA. But now I’m all excited to start writing stories again.

Speaking of stories, this month’s book reviews include DNFs (that’s “did not finish”) and a lot of extra vacation reading. Nine books in all, which is pretty high for me. Check them out after the jump.

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What I Read: May 2022

I’ve been having a blast in the “fairy tales and other speculative fictions” class I’ve been taking at BYU this term. In fact, it’s almost over! Most of my reading this month was for the class. I have a good stack of books I’m halfway through but can’t seem to make progress in because of all the assigned reading. I forgot how much time college courses absorb. But no regrets, because I’ve also done of lot of reading on theories of speculative fiction, which doesn’t show up here, as it’s mostly articles, but will no doubt help me in future research.

Writing updates: I didn’t make the cut for the Mormon Lit Blitz this time, but I’m very intrigued by the titles of the finalists. If you’re reading along, join me on social media to chat about the entries. For my class’s final project, I’m working on a paper about Piranesi and the power of stories in the pandemic. And this weekend I’m presenting at the Mormon History Association conference about Mormon colonialism in Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive. This builds off of last year’s paper on Mormon theology in the series. If you missed it, also make sure to check out the latest episode of Pop Culture on the Apricot Tree about films and faith crisis based on an essay by Chris Wei. I think it’s our best episode yet!

Book reviews after the cut.

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What I Read: April 2022

It’s a speculative fiction blitz this month with only four book read. I’m a little surpri My nonfiction reading has been tied up with a couple projects including finishing my presentation for the Mormon History Association conference in June. I’m going to be talking about Mormon colonialism in Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, which has been fun but exhausting to research. I also started my reading for the graduate class in speculative fiction I’m taking on a post-baccalaureate basis. This is one of my goals for 2022; I’m hoping it will help me decide whether I really want to go back for an MA or MFA in the next few years.

I’ve also squeezed a little fiction writing in, submitting to a couple flash fiction contests. I didn’t make the cut for the Mormon Lit Blitz, but I’m excited by the titles of this year’s semifinalists. Tune in on May 30 to start reading with me!

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