Author: The Shameful Narcissist

The State of the Reader: 9/11/19

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<–The State of the Reader: 8/28/19         The State of the Reader: 9/25/19–>

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.

Books Obtained: 1

Books Finished: 1

Title: Tigana
Author: Guy Gavriel Kay
Date Added: February 9, 2016
Date Started: December 8, 2018
Date Finished: September 7, 2019

TiganaMedia: Paperback

This was the best book I’ve read this year.  The very last line leaves you in speculation even as Kay so nicely and poignantly wraps everything up.  This will be an elaborate review when I get to it, but I highly, highly recommend.

Currently Reading

Title: Faust
Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Date Added: August 24, 2014
Date Started: September 1, 2019

Faust by GoetheMedia: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 15%

Is this a fanfiction of the Book of Job, because it seems like the devil wants to torment Faust in a similar way, and God is like, “Eh, why not?”

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The State of the Gamer: 9/10/19

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<–The State of the Gamer: 8/27/19           The State of the Gamer: 9/24/19–>

A weekly post updated every other Tuesday 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’m Playing

Title: Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl
Series Title: Etrian Odyssey
System: Nintendo 3DS

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium GirlDate Started: 6/30/19

The story’s getting really interesting.  My characters were asked to commit genocide, which none of them were cool with.  You get dialogue options as the main Highlander character, and even though I know it’s “just a game,” I can’t respond in a way that’s against my own moral compass.  Plus I’m hoping to get the one character to like like me if at all possible, lol.

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The State of the Writer: 9/8/19

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<–The State of the Writer: 8/25/19         The State of the Writer: 9/22/19–>

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

Finished Projects: 1

Project: Story
Title: The Broken Rose
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Fanfiction
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Length: Novel
Current Word Count: 254,472
Prior Word Count: 254,544
Word Difference: -72
Status: Editing
Progress: Chapter 19 First Edit

I’ve been waiting a long time to post this chapter.  It might take me a bit to edit, because I want to do it right, but it is so goddamn cathartic for the encompassing narrative of the story and in general.  Whatever your definition of justice might be, I’m still sure we all wish there was more of that in this world.

“I will become a monster for you.  I will sell what remains of my soul, and when I return, I’ll tell you my truth so you will know you loved a horror. “

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The Last Stitch Goes Through the Nose by Moses Norton – Review & Analysis

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Title: The Last Stitch Goes Through the Nose
Author: Moses Norton
Date Added: May 28, 2019
Date Started: June 13, 2019
Date Finished: July 5, 2019
Reading Duration: 22 Days
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult (YA), Novella

The Last Stitch Goes Through the Nose by Moses NortonPages: 104
Publisher: Self
Publication Date: May 27, 2019
Media: eBook/Kindle & Physical Copy

Who is the Scissor-man? Nobody cares, nobody sees, except for one little boy. This debut literary fantasy novella takes a hard look at society and its outcasts through the eyes of innocent youth. In a world where death is ignored, Orasi becomes fascinated with the Scissor-man, the homeless mortician. After he finds a black thread in the snow, Orasi begins to unravel the legends surrounding this horrifying figure, and his journey of discovery brings him closer than ever to the father he barely knew. But the world is a place that has already decided its rules. His is just one beating heart among millions who are already dead, and Orasi may not like what he finds in the end…The Last Stitch Goes Through The Nose tests its characters to see if they are still breathing, and it might reach out to see if you are, too. The Last Stitch is perfect for the Young Adult reader who isn’t too grown up yet, or the adult reader who suspects they can still see through the eyes of a child.

Note: I’ll be breaking this up into Review and Analysis where the Review section will contain no spoilers, but the Analysis will.

Review

Only this kind of a memory remained: a makeshift history such as pleased those who had yet to suffer their own encounter with the end. The dead man was glorified, made new in memory.

This is not a happy story.  It’s a story that makes an important point that should lead to better outcomes, but it won’t.  It gives us a child protagonist we hope will bolster change in the tradition that children defy adults as well as adult expectations and prejudices.

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The State of the Reader: 8/28/19

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<–The State of the Reader: 8/14/19         The State of the Reader: 9/11/19–>

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.

Books Obtained: 1

Books Finished: 1

Title: Snow White Learns Witchcraft: Stories and Poems
Author: Theodora Goss
Date Added: February 5, 2019
Date Started: July 8, 2019
Date Finished: August 21, 2019

Snow White Learns Witchcraft: Stories and Poems by Theodora GossMedia: eBook/Kindle

This was amazing.  I’ll need to look at the table of contents and figure out all of my favorite stories.

Books DNF: 2

Title: The King in Yellow
Author: Robert W. Chambers
Date Added: January 5, 2018
Date Started: August 4, 2019
Date DNF: August 25, 2019

The King in Yellow by Robert W. ChambersMedia: eBook/Kindle

I am very interesting in the concept behind this story, but the writing just isn’t holding my attention.  I decided to DNF it, but I bookmarked an analysis of it as well as a YouTube video breaking it down.

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The State of the Gamer: 8/27/19

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<–The State of the Gamer: 8/13/19           The State of the Gamer: 9/10/19–>

A weekly post updated every other Tuesday 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 Bought

  • Suberbeat: Xonic – $0.89 @ Nintendo eShop

What I Demoed

  • Cadence of Hyrule – Crypt of the Necrodancer featuring Legend of Zelda – I ultimately ended up passing on this game, but only because I suck at roguelike even if they are rhythm based lol.  I wound up watching an Olizandri play-through of it, though, and I was up late listening to the shopkeeper mix of the music.  I’ll talk more about that below and share the awesomeness.

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The State of the Writer: 8/25/19

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<–The State of the Writer: 8/11/19         The State of the Writer: 9/8/19–>

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

Finished Projects: 1

Project: Story
Title: The Broken Rose
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Fanfiction
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Length: Novel
Current Word Count: 254,544
Prior Word Count: 254,492
Word Difference: +52
Status: Editing
Progress: Chapter 18 Posted

Being lazy today with the status post since I just posted the 18th chapter.  I think that’s enough said for lol.  I’m pretty happy I’ve edited and posted two chapters in a month, so I can’t say I accomplished nothing this vacation.  I intend to start working on Chapter 19 as soon as possible of course.  It’s a chapter I know at least one person has been anticipated for a long time, and it’s so goddamn satisfying even to me.  I’ve done something like this in every single one of my stories, and it’s cathartic because there’s not much I can do in real life.  Expect it to be over the top…because it is.

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