Burch Blog, Reading Log

I read a short story (almost) every day. An experiment in keeping track of what I read, with notes and thoughts.

By Aaron Burch

· Launched 2 years ago

How Much Does Size (and Effort) Matter?

Wherein I write a little about how Tacoma is the best thing I’ve written, but also a part of me can't help but devalue it for its brevity and distrust…

Jun 8•Aaron Burch

15
4
2

On Deletion As Revision

some short notes on what I've been reading, plus ~3k words deleted from my current manuscript, The Last Lock-In

May 31•Aaron Burch

15
2
3

Seeing Sunn O))): Notes on Extremity & Patience & Boredom & Giving Yourself Over to Something

(+ a few notes on some recent reads; 2026 reading log returning soon...)

Apr 23•Aaron Burch

16
4
2

“If you build it, they... might not come, but at least you did something” (+ 2026 reading log, week 8)

Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Camille Bordas, John Updike, Samantha Schweblin, Curtis Dawkins...

Feb 28•Aaron Burch

27
8
6

“Metrics of Success” + 2026 reading log, weeks 5, 6, & 7

Samantha Schweblin, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Jon Raymond, Sarah Anderson, Isabelle Fang, Camille Bordas, John Updike, Nina McConigley, Curtis Dawkins...

Feb 21•Aaron Burch

26
15
4

2026 reading log, week 4 (+ one week 'til TACOMA release!)

Aram Mrjoian, Justin Taylor, Julian Robles, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, John Updike, Samantha Schweblin, Jessica Treadway, Camille Bordas...

Jan 30•Aaron Burch

14
5
1

2026 reading log, weeks 2 & 3

JT LeRoy, Curtis Dawkins, Emma Binder, Judy Budnitz, Iphgenia Baal, Katherine Dunn, Bobbie Ann Mason, Brian Evenson, William Pei Shih, Melissa…

Jan 22•Aaron Burch

13
2
3

2026 week 1 reading log

Lindsey Drager, Debbie Urbanski, Iphgenia Baal, Curtis Dawkins, William Burtch, Andrew Porter, Katherine Dunn, Bobbie Ann Mason...

Jan 8•Aaron Burch

9
2
1

May 2025: Short Story Month!

stories from Phil LaMarche, Lori Ostlund, Arthur Bradford, and Lauren Groff, plus a first attempt at an ongoing, fluid list of the "best" stories of the…

May 4, 2025•Aaron Burch

10
1
3

2025 week 11 reading log, plus some thoughts on teaching & beginnings

Yiyun Li, Brian Evenson, Lorrie Moore, Rita Bullwinkel, William Maxwell, Miranda July...

Mar 21, 2025•Aaron Burch

10
7
2

2025 week 10 reading log, plus some thoughts on language & word choice

Emily Fridlund, Joseph O'Neill, Lorrie Moore, Rita Bullwinkel, Alejandro Zambra, Miranda July...

Mar 14, 2025•Aaron Burch

9
3
2

2025 week — less "reading log," more "diary blog" this week

spring break week off... including taking "off" some reading

Mar 7, 2025•Aaron Burch

3
3

Burch Blog, Reading Log

I read a short story (almost) every day. An experiment in keeping track of what I read, with notes and thoughts.