A quick mid-month column this month since I am off to India tomorrow morning and won’t have time to write (though I will have plenty of time to read magazines, as it is a long flight).
First up, I’ll remind you that I reviewed a couple of TOEFL books this month. I really liked The TOEFL iBT Official Beginner’s Guide. I really did not like the new Mometrix TOEFL Guide.
Next, I read a couple issues of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. The best story I encountered was “The Last Days of Good People” by A.T. Sayre. It tells the story of a research team sent to a distant plant to study a pre-industrial civilization being impacted by a deadly pandemic. If you can I’ve been reading Analog for quite a few years now, and this is one of the best things they’ve published in recent memory. You ought to read it if you can figure out how to get a copy of the July/August 2024 issue. A free PDF version might be available during awards season. If that’s the case, I’ll post a link in a future column.
I read Catherine Liu’s “Virtue Hoarders.” One day I must compile all books of this type into the the “Test Resources Left Book Club.”
Lastly, I read the April 11, 2022 (!) issue of The New Yorker. It included a lovely profile of the actress Natasha Lyonne, to coincide with the broadcast of the second season of “Russian Doll.” That’s one of my favorite TV shows of the past five years or so. Check it out if you haven’t already. It’s on Netflix.