Month: June 2021

The State of the Reader: 6/30/21

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 2 Comments

<–The State of the Reader: 6/13/21         The State of the Reader: 7/14/21–>

A biweekly post updated every other Wednesday detailing my current reading projects and what new titles I’ve added to my to-read list.  Title links go to Goodreads, and if you have an account there feel free to friend me!  I’d love to see what you’re reading and/or planning to read.

Purchased: 3

Total: $4.98

Books Finished: 1

Title: Black Helicopters
Series Title: Tinfoil Dossier
Author: Caitlín R. Kiernan
Date Added: April 19, 2021
Date Started: May 31, 2021
Date Finished: June 30, 2021

Cover of Black Helicopters by Caitlín R. Kiernan (Tinfoil Dossier #2)Media: eBook/Kindle

I think the author lost a bit of the thread in the gimmick.  I could tell she was going for a meta sort of narrative where the presentation was just as muddled and strange as what was happening within.  Each chapter took place in a different time, place, and focused on a different character from the last.  The problem with this is in trying to show the lack of cohesion, the novel suffered from the same.  Where Agents of Dreamland bounced between around two perspectives and times and did a good job with its Lovecraftian mythos, this did too much to be scattered.  There was one chapter where the characters’ dialogue was all in French.  I was able to understand a little of it, but there was no translation provided, and this was common throughout for other things.  I get the desire to have a sense of being unmoored, but there’s a difference between making a novel obsucre and making the presentation such.  I hope I’ll be better able to clarify when I review, because (fittingly or ironically), I’m having trouble making myself clear lol.

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The State of the Writer: 6/27/21

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<–The State of the Writer: 6/13/21         The State of the Writer: 7/11/21–>

A post updated every other Sunday discussing my current writing projects and any completed the prior two weeks.

Finished Projects: 0

Project: Story
Working Title: The High Archon
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Original
Length: Novel
Current Word Count: 676
Prior Word Count: 613
Word Difference: +63
Status: Drafting
Progress: Chapter 1

I’m making progress even if it’s painfully slow.  I at least wrote one line I’m proud of.  “Promise the moon when you’re too short to reach the sky.”  It’s not the vision I lack; it’s the concentration to put what I’m seeing into words.  I haven’t even gotten to the part I micro-outlined.  I’ve been going back through what I wrote before to iron some things out.  Lots of writers wait until they’ve written the thing before they do any edits, but I always re-read what I wrote last time in order to re-ground myself in the story.  If I don’t, I feel unmoored and disconnected (which…tbh is how I’ve been feeling in general with life).  It takes longer, and I spend less time per session writing (or have to extend the session), but I get more out of it.  I also get to spend more time with the characters and come to a better understanding of where they are.  Like when I outlined this chapter, I had thought the air of it would be more playful and adventurous, but there’s an undercurrent of anxiety because my MC is really worried about something, and her BFF notices because she’s snippier than usual.  I like where I’m going with it; it’s just…life/reality bullshit is getting in the way haha.

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The State of the Gamer: 6/17/21

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<–The State of the Gamer: 6/3/21           The State of the Gamer: 7/1/21–>

A weekly post updated every other Thursday detailing my current gaming projects.  I have an account at Grouvee, which is a site you can use to keep track of your backlog, so please feel free to friend me there!

What I Purchased

  • Pic-a-Pix Pieces – $7.99 @ Nintendo eShop
  • Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade – $74.19 @ Square Enix Store

What I DNF

Title: The Innsmouth Case
System: Nintendo Switch

Cover of The Inssmouth CashDate Started: May 21, 2021
Date DNF: 6/17/21

I was just going to put this on hold after I saw it had a high rating on Grouvee (5/5 stars), even though I felt the same way about it as I did The Lion’s Song.  While I’m obviously into the Lovecraft thing, it’s not engaging enough.  According to the description, your choices do matter for the ending (or maybe I’m still thinking of The Lion’s Song idk), but it’s just not enough.  The definitive DNF came about when I loaded it up, and it started me at the beginning because apparently the save symbol I saw did nothing, and I didn’t feel like going through the first chapter again.  Maybe I’ll find and watch a Let’s Play if I feel so inclined, but I’m done with it myself.

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The State of the Reader: 6/16/21

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<–The State of the Reader: 6/2/21         The State of the Reader: 6/30/21–>

A biweekly post updated every other Wednesday detailing my current reading projects and what new titles I’ve added to my to-read list.  Title links go to Goodreads, and if you have an account there feel free to friend me!  I’d love to see what you’re reading and/or planning to read.

Purchased: 1

Books Finished: 0

Currently Reading

Title: Black Helicopters
Series Title: Tinfoil Dossier
Author: Caitlín R. Kiernan
Date Added: April 19, 2021
Date Started: May 31, 2021

Cover of Black Helicopters by Caitlín R. Kiernan (Tinfoil Dossier #2)Media: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 50%

I’m not as into this one as I was the first one.  It jumps around a bit more than Agents of Dreamland, which only had two viewpoints.  While I get the stakes are upped and we’re seeing the expansion of what happened in the first novel, it can be a bit hard to keep up with…or maybe it’s just me.

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The State of the Writer: 6/13/21

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 7 Comments

<–The State of the Writer: 5/30/21         The State of the Writer: 6/27/21–>

A post updated every other Sunday discussing my current writing projects and any completed the prior two weeks.

Finished Projects: 1

Project: Story
Working Title: The High Archon
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Original
Length: Novel
Current Word Count: 613
Status: Drafting
Progress: Chapter 1

Ughhhhhhhh *but forever*  So first off, I was wrong about the word count.  What I thought was word count was actually character count, so damn my myopic eyes.  I haven’t broken the thousand word threshold yet with this, and I’m not sure how many more words I’ve written in the past few weeks.  Not that many because I’ve really been struggling…like really.  I’ve never had this much trouble starting a story once I have an idea of where I’m going.  Direction isn’t the issue, nor is vision.  I can 100% visualize the scene, but translating that into words humans can understand is where the pipe is clogged.  I know it’s a “I don’t have enough energy to concentrate” type of thing.  I also have this thing where if I don’t feel like I’m doing well, it’ll really put a damper on my ability to work.  I’m not giving up on this project though.  I…can’t really do that.  I’ll just start obsessing over it if I don’t work on it.  If you think this update is all over the place THIS IS EXACTLY MY FUCKING PROBLEM.  I’ve started what I call “micro” outlining where I break down my outline even more so it’s sort of between an outline and a draft.  I just sort of stream-of-consciousness what I want to happen in my notes and then later will go back and smooth it out.  I did that last night with a scene, and I’m hoping to work on it today.  I’ve also been talking to another author friend about it and I’m about to message my other about it.  Sometimes I don’t even need a response; I just need to hear it aloud.

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The State of the Gamer: 6/3/21

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<–The State of the Gamer: 5/20/21           The State of the Gamer: 6/17/21–>

A weekly post updated every other Thursday detailing my current gaming projects.  I have an account at Grouvee, which is a site you can use to keep track of your backlog, so please feel free to friend me there!

What I Purchased

  • Detective Grimoire: The Secret of the Swamp – $2.99 @ iTunes Store

What I Finished

Title: Tangle Tower
System: Nintendo Switch

Cover of Tangle TowerDate Started: May 17, 2021
Date Finished: May 21, 2021

I did the same thing with this that I did with GRIS: stopped playing less than a half hour before I’d be done.  With TT I wound up having to sit through some of the ending exposition again because it didn’t save it, but it’s okay.  The game manages to have both a definitive and cliffhanger ending, and there is a sequel in the works.  It’s weird there’s no name for the franchise yet (or at least there isn’t one on Grouvee).  I’m assuming it’s “Detective Grimoire” or something like that, since he’s featured in both.  I just followed the indie devs on Twitter since I want to know as soon as the next game comes out.

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Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent

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Title: Unraveling Oliver
Author: Liz Nugent
Date Added: August 26, 2017
Date Started: January 21, 2021
Date Finished: February 26, 2021
Reading Duration: 16 days
Genre: Fiction, Adult Contemporary, Drama, Mystery, Psychological Thriller

Cover of Unraveling Oliver by Liz NugentPages: 260
Publication Date: March 6, 2014
Publisher: Scout Press
Media: Hardback (Library)

Oliver Ryan, handsome, charismatic, and successful, has long been married to his devoted wife, Alice. Together they write and illustrate award-winning children’s books; their life together one of enviable privilege and ease—until, one evening after a delightful dinner, Oliver delivers a blow to Alice that renders her unconscious, and subsequently beats her into a coma.

In the aftermath of such an unthinkable event, as Alice hovers between life and death, the couple’s friends, neighbours, and acquaintances try to understand what could have driven Oliver to commit such a horrific act. As his story unfolds, layers are peeled away to reveal a life of shame, envy, deception, and masterful manipulation.

A child that is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.

-African Proverb

If ever there was a story that exemplified the false dichotomy of “martyrs and monsters,” it would be Liz Nugent’s Unraveling Oliver.  Though I find it far easier to slide Oliver to the “monster” end of the spectrum, I would be disingenuous to deny him the same courtesy I so readily extend to (arguably) more malevolent actors, because another false dichotomy of “nature vs. nurture” still tells us monsters are not really born; they are made.

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The State of the Reader: 6/2/21

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<–The State of the Reader: 5/19/21         The State of the Reader: 6/16/21–>

A biweekly post updated every other Wednesday detailing my current reading projects and what new titles I’ve added to my to-read list.  Title links go to Goodreads, and if you have an account there feel free to friend me!  I’d love to see what you’re reading and/or planning to read.

Purchased: 7

Total: $29.49

Books Finished: 2

Title: They don’t make plus size space suits
Author: Ali Thompson
Date Added: May 16, 2019
Date Started: May 19, 2021
Date Finished: May 21, 2021

Cover of They don't make plus size space suits by Ali ThompsonMedia: eBook/Kindle

I think I wanted a little bit more from this as in more stories.  It was very short, but a very exemplary first effort.  I follow the author on Twitter.  She’s not shy with her opinions, and I hope she writes more.

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