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The State of the Reader: 5/19/21

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 8 Comments

<–The State of the Reader: 5/5/21         The State of the Reader: 6/2/21–>

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: 1

Title: The Library at Mount Char
Author: Scott Hawkins
Date Added: August 10, 2016
Date Started: March 31, 2021

Cover of The Library at Mount Char by Scott HawkinsMedia: eBook/Kindle

I do not know how to talk about this book.  I have literally never read anything like this before, and you need to understand…I’ve read thousands of books, seen hundreds of movies, and played/watched a myriad games.  Yes, it has aspects of many other stories, but unlike my other comparisons, nothing is really one to one.  It’s an apotheosis and revenge story.  There are sentences that contain hilarity and horror all in one.  I cannot talk to you about this book.  It may be the best one I’ve read all year.

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Sephiroth: The Character That Defines The Shameful Narcissist

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 5 Comments

I was beyond lucky to be able to take part in this blog collaboration over at Normal Happenings. It was a labor of love, and I have much appreciation that they were so forgiving with my, ahem, issues with the deadline. I’m glad I was able to make my contribution, sad sack though it might be :p

Normal Happenings

AUDIO

We’re pairing 8-bit music thematically, rather than based entirely on series. You can find this track and more Tater-Tot Tunes on YouTube! Stop by and jam to some great tunes.

INTRODUCTION

Normal Happenings is proud to present The Characters That Define Us, a year long collaboration of 52+ incredible bloggers!

Today we’re joined by a very special blogger, The Shameful Narcissist herself! Don’t let the name fool you, she’s one of the kindest bloggers in the community. Plus, each of her posts are contemplative and academic. That might be why this is the only Characters That Define Us piece with footnotes.

If you’re not following her, definitely go and bookmark her blog. While this is her first NH collab appearance, she’s always been incredibly supportive of Normal Happenings.

Enjoy this wildly creative look at one of video games’ most iconic villains.

1P STARTEditor’s note: This article deals with alcohol and…

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The State of the Writer: 3/8/20

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 4 Comments

<–The State of the Writer: 2/23/20         The State of the Writer: 3/22/20–>

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

Finished Projects: 0

Project: Story
Title: The Broken Rose
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Type: Fanfiction
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Length: Novel
Current Word Count: 252,222
Prior Word Count: 252,492
Word Difference: -270
Status: Editing
Progress: First edit of Chapter 22

I don’t want to tell you how long it took me to locate this picture, but I feel like my embarrassment should be known.  The fact is, I was looking for another picture at the time, and I know I spotted this one, so when I started this post, I thought “Oo, I can use that one,” and then proceeded to not be able to find it again even through I went through the folder on Deviant Art that had it no less than four fucking times.  I also went through my Pinterest pics at least three before finally switching to my phone to find it so I could search for the artist’s name.  It’s easier on the phone, I think, because the screen is smaller.  My shit brain will get distracted while I’m looking for something, so even if it’s there, I’ll scroll right past it without picking it up, and it’s just…so…exhausting.  I’m pretty sure I have ADHD among other things, so I’m constantly multitasking without even wanting to multitask.  I have to keep my mind busy at all times, usually to avoid obtrusive thoughts, and that gets cumbersome when I actually need to do things like this.  Coffee helps…sometimes.

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The State of the Reader: 9/25/19

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 4 Comments

<–The State of the Reader: 9/11/19         The State of the Reader: 10/9/19–>

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: 2

Books Finished: 1

Title: Traitor’s Blades
Series Title: Greatcoats
Author: Sebastien de Castell
Date Added: March 5, 2017
Date Started: August 26, 2019
Date Finished: September 25, 2019

Traitor's Blades by Sebastien de CastellMedia: eBook/Kindle

This story might have the most brutal twist of any I’ve ever read.  It was fucking fantastic, and I can’t wait to continue the series.

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: 25%

I did not know this was written in (sort of) rhyming verse, but I’m not upset.  It gives it a nice flow.

Title: Kushiel’s Dart
Series Title: Phèdre’s Trilogy
Author: Jacqueline Carey
Date Added: February 21, 2012
Date Started: August 23, 2019

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline CareyMedia: Hardback (Library)
Progress: 26%

This novel is like ASOIAF but less graphic and also told from one point of view.  A character literally talks verbatim about the “game of thrones” in reference to court politics.  There’s a reason for the dramatis personae in the beginning as well as the map; both of which I constantly refer to in order to keep up with who’s who and where’s where.

Title: The Hero With a Thousand Faces
Author: Joseph Campbell
Date Added: April 24, 2014
Date Started: December 3, 2018

The Hero With a Thousand FacesMedia: Hardback
Progress: 66%

“Society lapses into mistake and disaster.  The Little Ego has usurped the judgment seat of the Self.”  Campbell was a prognosticator.

I’m been drinking cider mimosas (apple cider and champagne).  It’s the perfect autumn contemporary to pumpkin spice as well as an alternative to regular OJ mimosas.  I’m kind of disappointed because I can’t find my favorite Halloween candy, mellowcreme pumpkins, in stores.  So I bought some from Amazon, and I don’t like them.  They’re Jelly Belly brand, and you’d think a company famous for its jellybeans would know how to make other candy (or…not?).  They kind of taste like orange slices (the candy) but with the consistency of the pumpkins, and I am not a fan.  The funny thing is Amazon had Brach’s brand available, but fancy TSN had to go with the more prestigious brand.  Live and learn I suppose.

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

<–The State of the Reader: 9/11/19         The State of the Reader: 10/9/19–>

The State of the Gamer: 4/17/18

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 15 Comments

<–The State of the Gamer: 4/3/18            The State of the Gamer: 5/1/18–>

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 Played

Title: Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius
Series: Final Fantasy
System: Android (Kindle)

Final Fantasy: Brave ExviusThis counts as a “What I Played” in terms of I played it for maybe twenty minutes the other day.  I’d love to keep up with this daily since you’re given rewards every time you log on, and it would be easier to keep up with the story, but I just don’t.  There are still a bunch of characters I haven’t found yet, and I know this because on some of the expeditions you need to have a particular one, and alas, I do not.

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PSA: See stolen content from content creators? Content theft!

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 24 Comments

I believe the issue is now resolved, but it still warrants sharing!

NekoJonez's Gaming Blog

Today, I had an unpleasant surprise this morning on the train to work. I found out that two websites actually stole my content! This was such a let down since the amount of content that was stolen from me is more than just one article. It’s almost all my articles from December. While I was working on contacting other sites and blogs that got content stolen, a good blogging friend of mine Drakulus wrote this article. And it’s actually a great lesson to learn. 

What do you if you come across stolen content? Do you ignore it? Or do you do something about it? What if the stolen content you come across is yours? 

WordPress is a great place to publish content of all sorts. Some people like to use it as a diary. While others, like myself, us it to express their love for gaming by reviewing games, writing…

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I’m Very Font of You

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 43 Comments

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 Great Blog Update

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 36 Comments

Greetings loyal followers!

No, I’m not implying that I’m updating a great blog in the title; I’m not that narcissistic, but I didn’t want to just change things unremarked.  Like any great undertaking this is a work in progress, and I only hope it will progress in good time.  I’m unsure if some of the changes will require me to have a paid site, which I’m planning on doing anyway, but I’d like certain things to be available for my loyal followers before I go forward with that.

Please let me know if any of the posts are difficult to read.  Since it’s now a black background with grey, and I can’t seem to change the default font without updating the CSS, I want to make sure it’s still easily readable.  I can change it in new posts, but to fix older ones, I’d have to do it one by one, and there are over 700.

I…think that’s actually the only major thing.  I’m able to read it fairly easily with my awful eyesight, but please let me know if you’re having any problems.

I love and appreciate you all!

TSN

Please Reblog!

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 7 Comments

A book by a fellow writer/blogger. I’ve reviewed it on my blog as well.

B.W. Ginsburg

Hi everyone! As an author, I’m constantly trying to increase my reader base. Please do me the favor of being so kind as to spread the word about my new novel. Simply click the ‘reblog’ button. I greatly appreciate all your help!

Thank You,

B.W. Ginsburg, author of Rest in Piece

puzzlecoverad

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