Month: September 2017

Locke & Key, Vol 1: Welcome to Lovecraft (Locke & Key #1)

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Title: Locke & Key, Vol 1: Welcome to Lovecraft
Series Title: Locke & Key
Author: Joe Hill
Illustrator: Gabriel Rodriguez
Date Added: September 28, 2016
Date Started: July 3, 2017
Date Finished: July 15, 2017
Reading Duration: 12 days
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural/Paranormal, Graphic Novel
Recommended By: Cupcakes and Machetes

Pages: 168
Publication Date: September 29, 2008
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Media: Paperback

Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. Home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all…
 This book had some big shoes to fill since the last graphic novel series I finished was Saga (and I’m still impatiently waiting for Volume 8 to come out in January).  Once I became used to the different art style though, I realized the excellent creepiness of the story.  The beginning is a bit confusing with how it jumps back and forth between the then and now, a very important distinction since the demarcation is a horrendously tragic event.  There’s some obfuscation on who the central character of the story is going to be, and though there’s a little bit of point of view switching, the protagonist is most decidedly Bode (whose name I’m not sure how to pronounce.  As is?  Boh-dee?) instead of his older brother who captures more of the focus at the beginning, but is much more of a minor character with Kinsey, the sister, filling a more important role in both the present and the past.

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Final Fantasy Friday: Fashion Faux Pas

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Final Fantasy Friday

Longer ago than I’d like to admit, I posted a Final Fantasy Friday about Fashionistas and Fancy Fellows, in which I detailed whom I thought was the dapperest dresser of them all.  It was one half of a pair of questions, and I promised to fulfill the other side of the promise the following week.  I didn’t do it then, but I didn’t quite forget and figured I’d pull the question out a week when I was too busy or too tired to think up something more complicated.  I’m feeling a little under the weather.  The past two days have been extra stressful, and my throat is a bit sore, which could mean this asthmatic is about to develop a chest cold, so now is the perfect time to pose an easily answered question.

Who is the worst dressed Final Fantasy character?

Before I answer this, let me quote from the site I also linked in the
Fashionista” post, because it’ll give you a major clue about whom I’m about to lay the fashion smack down upon (FYI – don’t click that until you’ve seen my answer if you don’t want it spoiled).

“This outfit is preposterous.  It’s a send up of ’90s urban fashion, scrubbed clean for an appearance on The Lawrence Welk Show.  [They] look like [they’re] ready to deliver a sanitized performance of “I Left My Wallet in El  Segundo,” complete with clarinet accompaniment and bubbles floating by. “

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The State of the Reader: 9/27/17

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<–The State of the Reader: 9/20/17          The State of the Reader: 10/4/17–>

A weekly post updated every Wednesday detailing my current reading projects and where I am with them in addition to what new titles I’ve added to my to-read list.  Title links go to Goodreads to make it easier for interested parties to add any books that might strike their fancy.  I attempt to use the covers for the edition I’m reading, and I’ll mention if this is not the case.  If you have a Goodreads account feel free to friend me!  I’d love to see what you’re reading and/or planning to read.

Samples Read This Week

  1. Ink and Bone by Rachel  Caine: Kept (RWTR) – A world where the Great Library of Alexandria wasn’t destroyed, and the opening chapter/prologue is one letter from some pompous ass who happens to be royal stating that women don’t need to be education and/or only need such education as men decree, and the answer letter from his “inferior” essentially telling him to fuck off and that his daughter will be educated.  I’ve dabbled in the idea of the Library of Alexandria existing, and I have intentions of writing a story where education is freely given to all, so I’m very interested in reading this book.
  2. Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris: Kept – More psychological and depraved thrills!  Things are never what they seem when the veneer is perfect.
  3. Scythe by Neal Shusterman: Kept – When I was in Target I read the first few pages of this book, so I count that as a “downloaded sample,” since I “downloaded” it into my brain.  Regardless, I read a sample, liked it, and added it.  It’s about a world where death only exists through Reapers whose job is integral to keeping the balance.
  4. We Are the Ants by Shaun Hutchinson: Kept (RWTR) – So this book has a gay main character who consistently is abducted by aliens who tell him he can press a button to stop the end of the world in 144 days…but he doesn’t want to do it for reasons that will be explored.
  5. Eon by Alison Goodman: Kept – It’s given away right in the blurb that Eon is really Eona, a girl masquerading as a boy, because only boys are allowed to use dragon magic *huge sigh* I guess no one i this universe has read A Song of Ice and Fire.  I like the eastern influences I see in this book so far.  I hope they continue and are properly conveyed.
  6. Legend of the Guardians by Kathryn Lasky: Kept – I must have missed this one when I was doing my sample downloads, because I added it a long time ago.  This is the book that owl movie Guardians of Ga’hoole was based on.
  7. Reliquary by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child: Kept – I passed on the first book in the series The Relic, but was told that this one might be a better fit.  It seems good enough to add to my library list.
  8. The Swan Riders by Erin Bow: Kept – I’m not even sure why I downloaded the sample for this since I loved the first book in the series The Scorpion Rules, so I knew I was going to continue the series.

I finally, finally caught up on all of my samples, meaning I’ve downloaded everything up to what I’ve currently added.  There may be a few I missed, but as of now I’ve either read samples of everything on my TBR list or they’re not books I’m going to or can’t download samples of (non-fiction/reference, graphic novels/manga, pending publication and not available for download),  Bow when I add something, I’m going to try to remember to download the sample as well if applicable.

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The State of the Gamer: 9/26/17

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<–The State of the Gamer: 9/19/17         The State of the Gamer: 10/3/17–>

A weekly post updated every Tuesday detailing my current gaming projects.  I have quite a backlog of games to either play or watch, and I’m hoping a weekly article will assist with my progress as my other accountable posts have done with reading and writing.  I have an account at Grouvee, which is a essentially Goodreads for gamers, so please feel free to friend me there!

Currently Playing: 2

Title: Final Fantasy Type-0
Series: Final Fantasy/Fabula Nova Crystallis
Genre: Action RPG – Fantasy
Developer: Square Enix
Platform: PlayStation 4
Release Date: October 27, 2011
Date Purchased: May 18, 2017
Date Started: June 18, 2017

Progress: Chapter 2 – All the leveling

I have three more characters left to level.  Even though it’s been over a month, I still can’t complain about the method!

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The State of the Writer: 9/24/17

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<–The State of the Writer: 9/17/17          The State of the Writer: 10/1/17–>

A weekly post updated every Sunday discussing my current writing projects and where I stand with them.  This will include (but not be limited to) any and all work(s) in progress (WIPs) be they creative writing, essays/analyses, and reviews.  Additionally, this post will showcase what writing projects I’ve completed in the past week as a sort of weekly roundup, as I’ve seen other cooler bloggers do.

Finished This Week: 1

Project: Book Review
Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Date Posted: September 21, 2017

I’ll hopefully be adding audio to this an my other book reviews soon.  I have one recorded for Gaslight Hades, but I need to edit it.  I’ll obviously have to figure out a schedule for doing this as well, but I will say the recording process is enjoyable.

Project: Story
Title: The Broken Rose
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Fanfiction (FFVII) Novel
Current Word Count: 260,329
Prior Word Count: 260,062
Word Difference: +267
Status: Editing/Planning Revision
Progress: First edit of Chapter 11

The above picture has pretty much been me for the past week, sipping coffee, taking notes…thinking, which is always a dangerous thing.  Even though I write fantasy, I’m actually quite a bit of a realist, which isn’t really that anathema.  Fantasy worlds are only fantasy to us; they’re quite real to their inhabitants, and one of the things that’s always made Final Fantasy VII stand out is how closely it aligns to our own world.  With taking place in an analogue for New York City, focusing on our abuse of the Earth/Planet, delving into bioethics and warfare, and the subtext of man’s hubris to name a paltry few.

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Final Fantasy Friday: Humanity Is Overrated

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Final Fantasy Friday

Personally I prefer cats…or dogs…or rats…or a teakettle, but this post isn’t about my rampant and growing misanthropy, but rather…

Who is your favorite non-human/non-humanoid character?

I have to throw in the caveat of “non-humanoid,” since you sneaky Petes could easily throw in Fran as your favorite non-human character.

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A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3)

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A Court of Thorns and Roses

<–ACOTAR #2

Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin
Series Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Date Added: May 26, 2017
Date Started: June 12, 2017
Date Finished: July 15, 2017
Reading Duration: 33 days
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Pages: 699
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
Media: Hardback

Looming war threatens all Feyre holds dear in the third volume of the #1 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s manoeuvrings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit – and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords – and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.

Note: Spoilers have been tagged, but apparently the background isn’t completely black, because you can still kind of see the words, but probably not enough to make them out unless you put forth a concerted effort.  My blog update/upgrade is still a work in progress, so I apologize for any inconvenience.

The finale to Maas’s whirlwind fae, paranormal romance is both satisfying and complete, so I was quite surprised to see not only a fourth, but up to a sixth book in the series planned, at least by what Goodreads says.  My hope is that these volumes will focus on other characters and wrap up some loose ends.  It would be a shame to sully Feyre and Rhys’s wonderful OTP status with series fatigue, but if the later books explored other relationships and showed how humans and fae learned how to coexist that would be perfect.  The power couple could obviously be involved in such happenings, but they shouldn’t be the only focus.

Feyre’s gambit in the Spring Court is deliciously vengeful, but Maas is like Martin insofar as actions have consequences, which come to fruition later, and while I don’t want to say all is well at the end, I will proclaim the plot comes full circle.  Tamlin acts like the guy who pressures girls to sleep with him, and then when they no longer have any interest, turns into the jaded, abusive, slut-shaming ex who’s terrifyingly possessive.

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The State of the Reader: 9/20/17

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<–The State of the Reader: 9/13/17          The State of the Reader: 9/27/17–>

A weekly post updated every Wednesday detailing my current reading projects and where I am with them in addition to what new titles I’ve added to my to-read list.  Title links go to Goodreads to make it easier for interested parties to add any books that might strike their fancy.  I attempt to use the covers for the edition I’m reading, and I’ll mention if this is not the case.  If you have a Goodreads account feel free to friend me!  I’d love to see what you’re reading and/or planning to read.

Samples Read This Week

  1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris: Kept – Now that I’ve added the correct book, I like it so far.   Vampire boyfriends are always cool with me.
  2. Half the World by Joe Abercrombie: Kept – Now that I’ve read the blurb, I have no idea why I was so reluctant to add this.  The main character is a young woman who is as shunned from warrior life/culture as Yarvi with his one hand was…if not more so.
  3. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas: Kept – I liked Maas’s Thorn and Roses series, so I’m hoping I enjoy this one, too.
  4. The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley: Kept – There’s an ASOIAF vibe to it, but I suppose that’s going to be true of all fantasy, political dramas at this point.
  5. Don’t Close Your Eyes by Holly Seddon: Kept – Definitely a “fucked up” vibe to this one.  I believe this is the book about the two different women who don’t know each other at first, but tragedy brings them together.
  6. Winterspell by Claire Legrand: Kept (RWTR) – It’s been a while since I put a book on my really-want-to-read list, but I love retold fairy tales, and this is one for The Nutcracker.  I love the music to it and the magic of it, and this novel reads like both have been captured.
  7. Something from the Nightside by Simon Green: Kept – Not five minutes after I read the sample for this (and purchased it), one of my good IRL friends replied to one of my IRL BFF’s (I know so much internet speak OMG) about “the best Urban Fantasy.”  I didn’t have an answer for that since it’s not typically my genre, and though I believe there is one I really like, I can’t recall what it is.  My friend whom I’ll just refer to as Nightmare, since that’s his nickname AND he recommended Nightside, mentioned that novel, and it was one of those coincidental things I always seem to fall into.  I need to send him his birthday card with some money in it.  I made a promise!  Plus he’s trying to get a car and I have to help him out ♥
  8. Angelfall by Susan Ee: Kept – Angels fall and I buy.
  9. Heartborn by Terry Maggert: Kept – This is the second angel based novel I’ve sampled (and purchased, as you’ll see below), and I was looking up “seraph/seraphim” and “nephilim” yesterday for a book review.  Doing so put ideas into my narcissistic noggin.  I already have a huge angel head canon, but I kind of feel like writing it down again and maybe gathering more ideas.  The phrase “dark seraph” keeps popping back into my head.  I first thought about it when I was editing Northern Lights (shock), since that’s the perfect term to describe a particular fallen angel.  In shamefully narcissistic news, it’s a moniker I’d pick for myself of give to my mythical publishing company.  Dark Seraph Publishing sounds pretty boss, and Ash Rose the Dark Seraph sounds pretty final boss *headdesk*  (FYI – Ash Rose is my other and much older internet name).  You know…I need to figure out someplace to use that.  It sounds way too epic to pass by.
  10. Waste of Space by Gina Damico: Kept – I’m not usually one for either reality TV shows or bratty teens, but this seems like an absurd and comical Truman Show in space, and that’s too delicious to pass by.

Books Purchased This Week: 7

Title: Something from the Nightside
Series Title: Nightside
Author: Simon R. Green
Date Added: July 1, 2017
Date Purchased: September 17, 2017

Media: eBook/Kindle
Price: $2.99
Retailer: Amazon

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I’m Very Font of You

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If you haven’t noticed, I’ve not only changed the template, but I’ve also upgraded my blog.  This is a step I’ve been planning for a while, and I know I’m going to enjoy the benefits a premium blog brings!

Right now though I’m stuck on a conundrum.  When I updated to the Hemingway Rewritten template and made the background black, the default font color was grey.  A few of you expressed difficulty in reading that against the dark background, so I’ve been manually switching the color to white right before I post.  This was a decent workaround prior to upgrade, but now that I can change the default color, I need your help.  The device of access seems to make a difference, as I was looking at my blog with my phone today, and the grey letters were easy to read.

Here are the colors I’m considering as compared to the default right below:

The Shameful Narcissist Speaks (default)

The Shameful Narcissist Speaks (white)

The Shameful Narcissist Speaks (plum)

The Shameful Narcissist Speaks (pale cyan)

The Shameful Narcissist Speaks (pale green)

The Shameful Narcissist Speaks (light sky blue)

The Shameful Narcissist Speaks (medium gray)

The Shameful Narcissist Speaks (custom color d9d9d9)

The Shameful Narcissist Speaks (custom color 6bf2be)

With that in mind, all you need do is answer two questions:

  1. What color works the best for you?
  2. How do you typically access WordPress (computer mobile device)?

Looking at the preview, I like custom color d9d9d9 (or a close variant).  It’s not blaringly white for a stark contrast between the black, but it’s not as dark as the default gray.

Let me know what you think, and if you have any other color suggestions, I’d like to hear them.  Afterwards, I’ll have to figure out the exact way to actually change the font color, but that’s a story for another day.

The State of the Gamer: 9/19/17

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<–The State of the Gamer: 9/12/17         The State of the Gamer: 9/26/17–>

A weekly post updated every Tuesday detailing my current gaming projects.  I have quite a backlog of games to either play or watch, and I’m hoping a weekly article will assist with my progress as my other accountable posts have done with reading and writing.  I have an account at Grouvee, which is a essentially Goodreads for gamers, so please feel free to friend me there!

Currently Playing: 2

Title: Final Fantasy Type-0
Series: Final Fantasy/Fabula Nova Crystallis
Genre: Action RPG – Fantasy
Developer: Square Enix
Platform: PlayStation 4
Release Date: October 27, 2011
Date Purchased: May 18, 2017
Date Started: June 18, 2017

Progress: Chapter 2 – All the leveling

All of the leveling continues!  I’m free to play PS4 games every Tuesday and Friday now, since my husband bowls the.  I was going to attempt to get up early one of the days on the weekend, but that’s just not happening, and by the time I do wake up, he’s usually immersed in Destiny 2.  But now that Tuesdays and Fridays are open, I’m going to use them for Type-0. 

I have four characters left to level to 99 I believe.  I did one tonight, and I could’ve done another, but it takes 30-45 minutes, and, as I’m sure you’re aware of by now, I have much to do in my evenings.  Maybe I’ll get lucky and have some time this weekend to finish that up so I can continue with the game!

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