Guy Gavriel Kay

The Books of 2019

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 5 Comments

Goodreads Challenge: 20
Books Finished: 20
Books DNF: 5

I lowered my challenge from 50 books to 20 in 2019, and I think this was a good idea.  I’m keeping that same energy in 2020, plus it goes with the number.  I still have book reviews from 2018 to write, so the lower number theoretically helps bring that down, too (not…really).

Because I only read 20 books, I’m going to list them all here in no particular order at first then the Top 10 after.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Classic)

You really have to keep your present sensibilities in check in order to garner what Fitzgerald was after.  It’s not a bad message about how we treat the very young vs. the very old, but it comes with a whole bunch of yikes.

Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare (Classic)

The question of Cleopatra’s betrayal is still up in the air, and the ruminations on the concept are far more fascinating than the answer.

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (Classic)

Oh my fucking god, this was almost laughably bad in so many ways.  I’m glad I read it, but it was dry and plodding for so many chapters.  The most interesting parts involved the Persian who doesn’t even get a name.  Raoul’s character as well as Eric’s were greatly improved by Andrew Lloyd Weber’s musical, which greatly improved upon many aspects of Leroux’s work.

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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 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 Reader: 8/14/19

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<–The State of the Reader: 7/31/19         The State of the Reader: 8/28/19–>

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: The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
Author: H. P. Lovecraft
Date Added: March 15, 2013
Date Started: May 9, 2019
Date Finished: August 1, 2019

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward coverMedia: eBook/Kindle

Interesting tidbit: the MC of this isn’t the titular character, but rather Dr. Willett.  He’s the one who struggles to piece everything together before it’s too late, who traverses the horrors of the underground lair, who finds the alchemical dark materia used for nefarious purposes, and who uncovers the terrible truth.  Charles is a victim, and I definitely need to research alchemy.  I realized that after watching a Silent Hill video about it, which made me realize there’s a shit ton of it in FFVII, too.  More essays forthcoming.

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The State of the Reader: 7/31/19

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<–The State of the Reader: 7/17/19         The State of the Reader: 8/14/19–>

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

Currently Reading

Title: Snow White Learns Witchcraft: Stories and Poems
Author: Theodora Goss
Date Added: February 5, 2019
Date Started: May 5, 2019

Snow White Learns Witchcraft: Stories and Poems by Theodora GossMedia: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 41%

My favorite story so far is Blanchefleur and that’s not just because I love cats.

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The State of the Reader: 7/17/19

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<–The State of the Reader: 7/3/19         The State of the Reader: 7/31/19–>

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.

Finished: 1

Title: The Last Stitch Goes Through the Nose
Author: Moses Norton
Date Added: May 28, 2019
Date Started: June 13, 2019

The Last Stitch Goes Through the Nose by Moses NortonMedia: eBook/Kindle

This…is not a happy story.  It makes an important point that should lead to better outcomes, but it probably won’t.  If recent events have taught me anything it’s that we as a species learn nothing from the past.  I’ll more to say when I review.

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The State of the Reader: 7/3/19

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<–The State of the Reader: 6/19/19         The State of the Reader: 7/17/19–>

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: 3

Currently Reading

Title: The Last Stitch Goes Through the Nose
Author: Moses Norton
Date Added: May 28, 2019
Date Started: June 13, 2019

The Last Stitch Goes Through the Nose by Moses NortonMedia: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 80%

I should finish this before the end of this week!

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The State of the Reader: 6/19/19

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<–The State of the Reader: 6/5/19         The State of the Reader: 7/3/19–>

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: Ubik
Author: Philip K. Dick
Date Added: August 29, 2017
Date Started: May 15, 2019
Date Finished: June 7, 2019

Ubik coverMedia: eBook/Kindle

Even though a major aspect of this was predictable, I still really liked it.  I liked the concepts behind it, even the confusing wrench of Pat Connolly’s powers.  I may look at some reviews/interpretations of this before I write mine just to help my focus.

Currently Reading

Title: The Last Stitch Goes Through the Nose
Author: Moses Norton
Date Added: May 28, 2019
Date Started: June 13, 2019

The Last Stitch Goes Through the Nose by Moses NortonMedia: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 30%

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this novel was written by one of my favorite bloggers The Well-Red Mage, but I will try not to let my fondness of him bias me towards this novella.  I like the way it’s written for how it is; it has a fairy tale, almost sing-song aspect to its prose.  I’ll reserve any critiques for when I finish.

Title: The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
Author: H. P. Lovecraft
Date Added: March 15, 2013
Date Started: May 9, 2019

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward coverMedia: eBook/Kindle

I wish this story would just get to the damn point.  Really the only reason I’m reading Lovecraft is for FFVII essay research purposes.  The things I do for my fandom…

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

TiganaMedia: Paperback
Progress: 79%

I’m on the last chapter…where it all will come together.  No matter how this ends, whether in joy or woe, I know it will be beautifully sewn.

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: 51%

I might be reading this, too, for research purposes, but at least I’m enjoying it.

I’m in a “I hate everything” mood, because health shit.  Someone breathed on me wrong, and I’ve been broken out for the past few weeks.  No clue whats going on with it.  It’s always a mystery I don’t have the energy to solve.  Apparently summer in PA means it rains.  ALL THE TIME.  I don’t think we’ve had a day without rain for months.  Ah, I should stop complaining.  This has nothing to do with books.  Well, it’s almost exactly the half point of the year.  Where are you with your challenge?  I believe I’m on track with 9 or my 20 books read.  How about you?

<–The State of the Reader: 6/5/19         The State of the Reader: 7/3/19–>

The State of the Reader: 6/5/19

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 6 Comments

<–The State of the Reader: 5/22/19         The State of the Reader: 6/19/19–>

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: 25

  • They Don’t Make Plus Size Spacesuits by Ali Thompson – $2.99 @ Amazon
  • The Republic by Plato – $0.60 @ Amazon
  • A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett – $0.00 @ Amazon
  • Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie – $2.99 @ Amazon
  • The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton – $0.00 @ Amazon
  • The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexendre Dumas – $0.00 @ Amazon
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde – $0.60 @ Amazon
  • The Last Stitch Goes Through the Nose by Moses Norton – $2.99 @ Amazon (Kindle)
  • Archangel’s Legion by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter) – Gift from Barnes and Noble
  • Archangel’s Prophecy by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter) – Gift from Barnes and Noble
  • Archangel’s Storm by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter) – Gift from Barnes and Noble
  • Archangel’s Consort by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter) – Gift from Barnes and Noble
  • Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter) – Gift from Barnes and Noble
  • Archangel’s Heart by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter) – Gift from Barnes and Noble
  • Archangel’s Shadow by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter) – Gift from Barnes and Noble
  • Archangel’s Viper by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter) – Gift from Barnes and Noble
  • Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter) – Gift from Barnes and Noble
  • Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunter) – Gift from Barnes and Noble
  • The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë – $3.79 @ Amazon
  • Captivating Melody by Katherine McIntyre (Discord’s Desire) – $0.99 @ Amazon
  • Forged Alliances by Katherine McIntyre (Tribal Spirits) – $3.03 @ Amazon
  • The Last Stitch Goes Through the Nose by Moses Norton – $6.99 @ Amazon (Physical)
  • Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney by Kenji Kuroda (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) – $10.99 @ Amazon
  • Miles Edgeworth: Ace Attorney Investigations by Kenji Kuroda (Ace Attorney Investigations) – $10.99 @ Amazon
  • A Wilderness of Glass by Grace Draven – $2.99 @ Amazon

Lots and lots of books this time.  My husband got me the entire Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh for my birthday, and I was overjoyed to be able to purchase Moses Norton’s  (aka The Well-Red Mage) novel The Last Stitch Goes Through the Nose on both Kindle and physical!  I also picked up a few more of Katherine McIntyre’s novels and made an Indie Author Shopping List on Amazon. The author of They  Don’t Make Plus Size Spacesuits is by one of my favorite people on Twitter (Mean Fat Girl).  She’s a fat activist whose done a shit ton of research on dieting/diet culture and how toxic it is.  Due to the number of books, I’m not going to put links to all of them, which is why I focused on the most important (aka indie) ones.

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The State of the Reader: 5/22/19

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 15 Comments

<–The State of the Reader: 5/8/19         The State of the Reader: 6/5/19–>

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: 3

Books DNF: 1

Title: The Color of Magic
Series Title: Discworld, Rincewind
Author: Terry Pratchett
Date Added: February 21, 2012
Date Started: May 7, 2019
Date DNF: May 14, 2019

The Color of Magic coverMedia: Paperback – Library

I wasn’t feeling it so I shelved it.  I’ve liked other Discworld novels, so there’s nothing inherently wrong with it; it’s just not catching me.  It may be I’m just not in the mood, and I might be inclined later, but I have to pass for now.

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