Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The State of the Reader: 1/29/20

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 2 Comments

<–The State of the Reader: 1/15/20         The State of the Reader: 2/12/20–>

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 Purchased

Books Finished: 1

Title: Mirrorstrike
Series Title: Her Pitiless Command
Author: Benjanun Sriduangkaew
Date Added: December 5, 2019
Date Started: December 27, 2019
Date Finished: January 16, 2020

Mirrorstrike by Benjanun SriduangkaewMedia: eBook/Kindle

This is one of the best series I’ve ever read, and it absolutely captures Faulkner’s quote about the human heart in conflict with itself.  While I’m completely satisfied with the ending, I heard from the author herself that she’s working on a third, which I most certainly will read.

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The State of the Reader: 1/15/20

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 9 Comments

<–The State of the Reader: 1/1/20         The State of the Reader: 1/29/20–>

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 Purchased

Books Finished: 2

Title: Star Trek: Picard – Countdown #1
Series Title: Star Trek: Picard – Countdown
Author: Kirsten Beyer
Artists: Mike Johnson & Ángel Hernández
Date Added: January 5, 2020
Date Started: January 5, 2020
Date Finished: January 8, 2020

Star Trek: Picard - Countdown #1 coverMedia: eBook/Kindle

I don’t know if this is common knowledge, but I try to live my life in a way that Captain Picard would be proud.  He is best captain (don’t even @ me), my favorite one (sorry Steve Rogers, you’re second though), and only the most English man to ever English playing a French man.  I’m so stoked for the Picard series and this comic is a precursor to that.  If you’re into Star Trek and are planning to watch the Picard series, I highly recommend.

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The State of the Reader: 1/1/20

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 5 Comments

<–The State of the Reader: 12/18/19         The State of the Reader: 1/15/20–>

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 Finished: 1

Title: The Nutcracker Curse
Series Title: Cursed Fairy Tale
Author: Margo Ryerkerk
Date Added: May 24, 2019
Date Started: December 9, 2019
Date Finished: December 25, 2019

The Nutcracker Curse by Margo RyerkerkMedia: eBook/Kindle

Blatantly obvious conclusion but still an oddly enjoyable novel.  It’s not the type of story I’d gush about, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading.  I do think it would benefit from some better editing, nor do I think I’m going to rush to get the author’s next book, but I wouldn’t necessarily say no to reading another.

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The State of the Reader: 12/18/19

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<–The State of the Reader: 12/4/19         The State of the Reader: 1/1/20–>

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: 5

  • Air Awakens by Elisa Kova (Air Awakens) – $0.00 @ Amazon
  • The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon – $1.99 @ Amazon
  • Extracted by R. R. Haywood (Extracted Trilogy) – $0.99 @ Amazon
  • The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke by Arthur C. Clarke – $0.00 @ Amazon
  • Mirrorstrike by Benjanun Sriduangkaew  (Her Pitiless Command) – $4.99 @ Amazon

Books Finished: 3

Title: Winterglass
Series: Her Pitiless Command
Author: Benjanun Sriduangkaew
Date Added: March 3, 2019
Date Started: November 21, 2019
Date Finished: December 5, 2019

Winterglass coverMedia: eBook/Kindle

The second book came out merely days after I finished this, and not only is that awesome because I can complete the duology, but it also proved me kind of right.  Let me explain…as mentioned in the last update, one of the main characters, the general Lussadh, uses she/her pronouns, but her titles are stereotypically masculine e.g. prince, lord, etc.  Later in the novel, Nuawa, the other MC mentions that she’s neither a man nor a woman (which means she’s non-binary or genderfluid I suppose), and in my head I’m seeing her as sort of a cross between my two favorite generals: Celes from FFVI and Sephiroth from FFVII who are female and male respectively but also super beautiful.  Lussadh is on the cover of the second book, and I WAS KINDA RIGHT.

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The State of the Reader: 12/4/19

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 6 Comments

<–The State of the Reader: 10/23/19         The State of the Reader: 12/18/19–>

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: 7

Books Finished: 1

Title: Vita Nostra
Series: Метаморфозы (Metamorphoses)
Author: Marina & Sergey Dyachenko
Date Added: December 22, 2018
Date Started: September 23, 2019
Date Finished: November 20, 2019

Vita Nostra by Marina & Sergey DyachenkoMedia: eBook/Kindle

Most of my notes for this are in my Kindle copy, but this book was fantastic.  It’s described as similar to Harry Potter, but the only similarity is that both books are about going away to school.  While Rowling’s series certainly has its positives (and negatives, mostly due to the author not knowing when to just stop), Vita Nostra is an existential masterpiece that shares more paradigms with time loop narratives than HP, but I hesitate to compare it fully to any of those either.  It really is unique and shows why it’s so important to experience media from different cultures.  I’m sad none of the other books in the series have been translated, and I really hope that happens soon.

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The State of the Reader: 10/23/19

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 6 Comments

<–The State of the Reader: 10/9/19         The State of the Reader: 12/4/19–>

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: 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)

Well I did it.  I finished a book I shelved as DNF years ago, and I’m glad I did.  I wound up using my last library renewal, though I managed to finish before the 21st.  I still didn’t return it because I worked from home that day, so.  I also bought this book AND the second one, because I loved it.  Whatever issue I had prior didn’t bother me now, and while it does have a long denouement, it makes sense for the scale of the story.

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The State of the Reader: 10/9/19

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 7 Comments

<–The State of the Reader: 9/25/19         The State of the Reader: 10/23/19–>

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

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: 33%

Mephistopheles has finally shown up.  Now things are going to get interesting.

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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 Reader: 9/11/19

/ The Shameful Narcissist / 12 Comments

<–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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