Danielle Thamasa's Blog, page 33

David’s Game Reviews: 11-11: Memories Retold

Okay so this is the first of several reviews I plan to release somewhat regularly of games both new and old. There are a lot of games that get overlooked or many do not know if they would want to play them. So regardless of whether they are new to the market or have been out for a decade I want to lend my voice to those who might be unsure. This particular game is not one that I would usually try and go for, but I will say that I was rather glad that I did.

11-11: Memories Retold

Summary: This game takes place during World War 1 and follows two different male characters. Kurt an engineer from Germany and Harry a photographer from Canada. Kurt enlists to the front lines after learning ill news of his son’s fellow soldiers, but nothing of his son. Harry enlists after given an offer from Major Barret to take photos of the front lines, and he wants to impress his childhood friend by being a man in uniform.

You choose which of the two you wish to play as first in each chapter and a lot of the choices and story intertwines. The choices you make both interacting with your fellows and what you send in your letters back home change the way the story goes slightly at first and then as you continue on they get more serious. Kurt and Harry even end up with small animals companions that you can use to interact with things behind the scenes a bit.

Review: 3.5 Stars

Okay so the first thing that threw me off was the graphics of the game. The painter like display was unique and It took me a small while to get used to it. It did however make it hard to see what I was looking at a few times when I was tasked with finding something. It was fun to watch the ever shifting colors and images.

Having the animal companions, a cat for Kurt and a Pidgeon for Harry was a fun add on to the story. You can even right home to Kurt’s daughter and talk about the cat. I honestly wish there had been more to do as the animals, as they seemed to be a superfluous unless you are trying to collect everything in game.

I did like that I had to deal with characters interacting who could not understand one another because of a language barrier. That was a nice tidbit to have honestly and the voices of the game were wonderfully done. I mean I thought I had recognized Harry’s voice as Elijah Wood and I was not wrong.

Overall it was a somewhat relaxing game about trying to keep one’s humanity amidst dark times and how that can affect not only ourselves but those around us. Getting to see the perspective of both Kurt and Harry made it an overall wonderful game. My biggest complaint from this point would be that I had it beat in about 4-5 hours total and would have wanted more. I am sure it would have lasted longer if I had been more actively trying to collect everything I possibly could.

Needless to say I ended up with a satisfactory ending to the game, which I am sure there are different endings to. I got a peaceful ending and made the choices I feel like the characters would make despite everything that happened to the both of them.

NetGalley Review: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Stacy King, Kuma Chang, and Crystal S. Chan

Hey all, Sam here.

We’ve had a bit of a cold snap come through here the past couple days, and I don’t like it. But it has been nice to cuddle up on the couch under a blanket and read or watch some TV. I’m still working on reading more NetGalley reads so I can improve my review ratio, but that is going to take quite a bit more reading…something like 150 or so books read. Of course, that number could increase with more book approvals on the site.

I only have myself scheduled for a minimum of one NetGalley review each week, and that’s on Thursdays. The posts that come up on Saturdays and Sundays are sort of a free for all, to discuss anything…which lately has just been a lot of book reviews. If I had to reduce posts for any reason, it would be the weekend posts that go away first. Of course, right now, I don’t see that happening, but it always could.

So, today’s NetGalley review is also giving us a double dose of manga for the week. Let’s go ahead and jump into my thoughts on this Manga Classics edition.

Siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert were planning to adopt an orphaned boy to help out around their farm, Green Gables – instead, they got Anne Shirley. A plucky redheaded girl with a vibrant imagination, Anne turns first Green Gables and then the rest of Prince Edward Island on its ear.

Manga Classics® is proud to be the only authorized manga adaption of Anne of Green Gables by the Heirs of L.M. Montgomery, with a foreword by Kate McDonald Butler – granddaughter of the original author!

This volume presents a faithful recreation of this classic kids novel, from the Lake of Shining Waters to the Dryad’s Bubble!

My Thoughts

Rating: 4 stars

Okay, so I’m going to start this by saying something that might be a bit surprising…I had never read or seen any adaptations of Anne of Green Gables before this. It wasn’t something I was introduced to growing up, and it wasn’t one of the books I read during my studies for my literature degree. I know this is a classic, and I’ve heard so many people talk about Anne Shirley, but I guess I was just busy with other things and never picked it up.

With the other Manga Classics I’ve reviewed here, I’ve known the source material, so I’ve known when they adjust dialogue, or cut out some scenes for better flow in manga format or whatever. I know that since this is an adaptation, that some things won’t make the cut, and will be left out or changed (with approval, obviously) for this version.

I liked this story. I do feel like the story covers a number of years, from when Anne first arrives in Green Gables when she’s like 12 and continuing on until she’s like 17 or so. That’s a lot of time, and considering some of the chapters are only one or two pages long, it seems clear that the story was condensed or simplified in some ways.

We do get a pretty good idea of Anne’s imagination and adventures and outlook on things. She is a bit dramatic, but there’s nothing wrong with that. It does keep the excitement coming with this slice-of-life story.

I enjoyed the rivalry between Anne and Gilbert, as well as the friendship between Anne and Diana. But it feels like the true heart of this story is Anne’s connection and relationship with Marilla and Matthew.

The artwork was adorable, and I had no issues following the art or the story. And I’m pretty sure this manga adaptation read so much faster than the original novel would have. I will say that it makes me curious to maybe check out the book, or possibly a TV adaptation.

Well, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon Spring 2023 TBR

Hey all, Sam here.

Well…it has been a while since I’ve been able to really do a proper write-up for Readathon participation…but I’m actually completely free right now and since David has to work during the readathon, I figured I might as well see if I can increase my lead on my reading goals for this year.

I have been participating in Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon for practically the entire time that I’ve had this blog, so like 7 years or so. It takes place every April and October, although in recent years they’ve thrown in a summer session that is a reverse readathon. This time around, it will be held April 29th-30th, starting at 8am Eastern Time on the 29th and ending at 8am Eastern Time on the 30th.

What gets really fun for me is that this is the first time that I am not in the Easter Time zone for participation. I lived my life in Ohio until last summer when David and I moved to Iowa. And I think during last year’s October edition I wasn’t exactly participating, but I think I might have been on the East Coast for conventions. I don’t know, honestly. The second half of last year is mostly a blur of travel-convention-travel-convention, so I don’t know where I was when.

Anyway, the whole point of Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon is to read as much as you can in one 24 Hour period. You don’t have to read the whole time. Most years where I’ve participated I’ve read 12-16 hours, and it has yielded pretty good results.

In a few days I’m going to have to go to the store and get myself some snacks and drinks, because I like to have food options while I’m reading. I also find that planning your meals and snacks and drinks ahead of time means that you waste less time during the event.

Be sure to follow my Twitter and Instagram (@SamRushingBooks) for updates during the readathon on April 29th. And the full recap will be detailed in the WIP Wednesday the following week.

I have a fairly hefty TBR, filled with manga, novellas, and novels. I’m hoping to get through a good number of reads during the readathon, and while I try to stick to TBRs as much as I can, I also realize that I’m mostly a mood reader and so I might decide to pick up something else when the readathon rolls around.

Yes, I do still have a rather large list of e-ARCs loaded up on my NOOK that I need to read for more NetGalley reviews, and so I should technically probably focus on those some more too…but look, I genuinely love reading physical copies of books. I love holding them in my hands and actually flipping pages. It’s so much nicer than staring at and swiping a screen. Plus, most e-readers I’ve had aren’t great for extended reading periods, and the batteries tend to die after like 4-6 hours of continuous use.

Manga

I Got Caught Up in a Hero Summons But the Other World Was at Peace! Volume 1I Got Fired as a Court Wizard so Now I’m Moving to the Country to Become a Magic Teacher Volume 1The Dragon Knight’s Beloved Volume 1The Great Cleric Volume 1

Here is one of my favorite tips for participating in a 24 Hour Readathon…start with quick reads, because it will make you feel that you’re super successful in the early stages of the readathon. So, I usually try to read a few volumes of manga. These typically run around 150-200 pages or so in length, and I usually can finish one in about a half-hour. This means that by choosing 4 volumes, I can complete 4 books after only 2 hours of reading time…which makes me feel pretty good.

That is also why I’ve decided to put a few novellas on my TBR, because they also are typically around the 200 page mark, and I can usually read them in around a couple hours. Plus, I’ve collected quite a few that I just haven’t managed to get around to reading yet, and now feels like a pretty good time to read them.

Novellas

The Border Keeper by Kerstin HallDesdemona and the Deep by C.S.E. CooneyThe Twice-Drowned Saint by C.S.E. CooneyInto the Windwracked Wilds by A. Deborah BakerSpear by Nicola GriffithA Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky ChambersNettle & Bone by T. KingfisherA Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

I also like to choose at least a few full length novels that I hope to pick up at some point during the twenty-four hours of reading. Now, though I normally love reading a big epic fantasy adventure, one of these 500+ page behemoths, they aren’t exactly great readathon choices because they take a while to finish.

Now, granted, you can monitor yourself by total of books read or total of pages read, and both are totally valid options for judging your internal success for a readathon…although, honestly, even if you only read 5 pages, or even 1 page, congratulations, you have succeeded at the readathon. While I might document my pages read, I tend to focus more on my total number of books read. So, when it comes to novels, I try to focus more on shorter YA or romances.

And I think I’ve picked out some nice ones this time around.

Novels

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India HoltonA Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah HawleyHalf a Soul by Olivia AtwaterSmall Town, Big Magic by Hazel BeckWhat We Devour by Linsey MillerThe Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson

In total I have 18 books on my TBR. That is probably more than I can manage to read in one 24 hour period, but it gives me options. Of course, there’s always a chance I’ll deviate and pick up something else based on my mood. I guess we’ll just see what happens.

So…is anyone else participating in Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon on April 29th? Let me know in the comments, and if you’ll be posting updates on any social media accounts, let me know that too. I like to browse the readathon hashtags during my reading breaks, and it would be nice to check up on my fellow readers.

Well, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

Weekend Writer: The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings by Paula Munier: Chapter Eight: Fine-Tuning Your Beginning – Bulletproof Your Beginning

Hey all, Sam here.

We have finally reached the final chapter on this book about beginnings. I actually finished reading and taking notes on this book a few weeks ago because I just wanted it to be over. Who knew you could talk for almost 250 pages about the topic of beginnings? Don’t get me wrong: it’s obviously a big and important aspect of the creative writing process. If you don’t grab someone’s attention in the beginning, then you’ll never get them to the beginning, let alone the end.

And I appreciated that Paula Munier gave us a bunch of examples, not just from things she has written herself (although she does use her own writing many times), but from a variety of authors and genres, so it really helps to showcase different options when it comes to effective beginnings.

Since this is the last installment of Weekend Writer for The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings: How to Craft Story Openings That Sell, I’m going to partly treat this as I would any of my book reviews and give a rating for the book. I had thought that it was going to be a solid 4 stars based on the first couple of chapters, but by the second half of the book, I felt like I was merely slogging my way through each chapter, and so overall I’m giving this 3 stars. I still learned some nice tips and tricks from this experience, and I can see how it would be useful for writers (or even editors if you want to know what you should be looking for in a manuscript), but I was just tired by the end.

I will say that these Weekend Writer deep dive breakdown posts go way more in depth than my standard book review, though, because I do not typically go chapter by chapter or section by section.

All right, let’s jump into the final chapter of this book.

Give your story its best start!

The best beginnings possess a magical quality that grabs readers from the first word and never lets them go. But beginnings aren’t just the door into a fictional world. They are the gateway to the realm of publishing–one that could shut as quickly as it opens.

In The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings , author and literary agent Paula Munier shows you how to craft flawless beginnings that impress agents, engage editors, and captivate readers. You’ll learn how to develop the big idea of your story and introduce it on page one, structure opening scenes that encompass their own story arc, kickstart your writing with effective brainstorming techniques, and introduce a compelling cast of characters that drive the plot. You’ll also examine the best-selling novels from different genres to learn the secrets that experienced writers use to dive straight into a story.

With thorough examinations of voice, point of view, setting, dialogue and conflict, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings is a must-have tool for luring your readers in with your opening pages–and convincing them to stick around for the ride.

“Writing a book? Hard. Writing the beginning of a book? Rocket science! Strap on your spacesuit, because thanks to Munier’s nuanced, actionable breakdown of every possible aspect of a gripping opening, authors everywhere can now take their books to the stars.” — K.M. Weiland

Chapter Eight: Fine-Tuning Your Beginning: Bulletproof Your Beginning

Hey guess what, this chapter begins with Munier telling us once again how important the beginning is, because it’s the beginning that agents and editors are going to ask to see, whether that’s the first page, the first chapter, the first ten pages, fifty pages, or one-hundred pages.

Were we aware of that everyone, that the beginning is the first part that people are going to read? Sorry for the sass, but it has been mentioned over and over again that beginnings are important and that they are the first thing that readers, agents, or editors will read. I think we all understand this basic fact. It is not often that someone just flips open a fiction book to the middle and starts reading. Non-fiction, possibly, but not typically with fiction.

So, before you submit your manuscript to these agents and editors, Munier recommends doing another read-through and test for narrative thrust, because she says this is the most important revision to do. Sure, you’ll do plenty more edits with an editor, edits that focus on clarity or language, and you’ll do copy edits and line edits. Right now you have to read through the story and ask yourself questions.

Ask the main questions such as who, what, when, where, why, and how. Ask the big question of what drives the whole plot of the story. Ask the middle questions about what drives each scene. And Ask the small questions about the small specific details throughout the story. So, read through and look at the macro, meso, and micro questions and details throughout your story and make sure that they have answers and they all connect.

Munier then spends 16 pages going through the opening of her story Spare the Stones, which she had gone through in an earlier chapter with all of us readers. She goes through it again, pointing out information like the fact that her title fits with the genre she’s writing in, and then delves into things like who, what, where, when, why…reading through and asking all of those story questions that were briefly touched on at the beginning of this chapter.

It is recommended that you do this with your own beginning: trim backstory, lose any info dumping, avoid phone calls, murder your darlings, and all the other advice given in previous chapters. Actually, Munier says to do this with your whole story, not just the beginning.

There is a handy exercise added to the chapter at this point, one focused on pacing. Basically, get a pen and paper and set a timer for fifteen minutes. Take the first thirty pages and cut it by ten percent. Then do it again and cut another ten percent. After doing that look at the story and see how much better the pacing is, and then take note of what you cut out of your story.

From there we move into an Act One Checklist on page 232, which gives a bunch of questions to ask yourself when going over your opening. Some of these questions ask if your title is compelling and aligned with your genre, some ask if you’ve made characters the readers will care about, some ask if you have the right POV and the right dialogue. After going through all of these questions, then you can go through and polish the prose again and again to really make it shine.

Munier also includes a list of books that are useful for editing the prose:

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr., E.B. White, and Roger AngellGarner’s Modern American Usage by Bryan A. GarnerOn Writing Well by William ZinsserThe Artful Edit by Susan BellReading Like a Writer by Francine ProseThe Chicago Manual of Style by the University of Chicago PressSelf-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave KingEats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne TrussThe Subversive Copy Editor by Carol Fisher SallerWoe Is I by Patricia T. O’ConnerHow to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One by Stanley Fish

After that we go into a Copy Editing Check. Munier points out that when you submit your work to publishing professionals such as agents or editors, you are showing it to people who make their living by being sensitive to language. These are people who know grammar, spelling, and punctuation. So before you submit, you need to make sure your writing is clear and clean and concise.

Munier gives a number of items on a checklist that you can use for copy writing your manuscript.

When in doubt, delete it, AKA Murder Your Darlings. If you write a line that you’re really proud of, delete it and rewrite it, because nobody likes a show off. Okay, look, I love a well-written line. If that is something you are skilled at, then please please keep those awesome lines in.Trust your critical instincts. If while editing you doubt if something works a certain way, then delete it and/or rewrite it.Read your work out loud. Honestly, this is advice that I definitely find useful. When we read silently it is easy for our minds to gloss over any errors in spelling or grammar because we know what we meant to say and so we substitute it for what is actually written. When you read out loud, you stumble over any clunky phrases or missing words. Pay attention to your characters’ names. Make sure they are easy to read, easy to pronounce, easy to spell, not too similar to other character names, and keep in mind the background and temperament of the character.Lose the Dialect. Drop the dialect and use word choices and sentence structure that makes regional speech patterns more clear.Soften the hyperbolic language. If a scene is dramatic, make sure the action stands on its own.Stick to American English. If your aim is to contract with a US publisher, then make sure to follow American grammar and spelling and punctuation.Check the reading level. Run a reading level test on your prose. The average newspaper in the US is written at a sixth grade reading level. You want to aim for something in the sixth to eighth grade range; anything more and you’ll want to simplify it.Check your dialogue tags. Don’t overuse creative tags when you could get away with said instead. Or you could use action statements instead.Cut the cliches.Replace weak verbs with strong verbs. This is especially true for forms of the verb “to be.” Also discard overused verbs that clutter up your prose.Axe the adverbs. If you have strong verbs then you don’t need adverbs to describe the verbs.Infuse your language with the power of the senses.

Another writing exercise recommends swapping pages with a writer friend, printed out pages, and go over it with red pens. I like editing with many different color pens. It makes it more fun and pleasing for me, so I’m pretty sure the color doesn’t matter. What matters is that after editing the pages, you go over the edits and the notes. Then you can make note about your work, their work, and your editing skills.

Munier also spends some time talking about professional editors. Copy editing addresses spelling and grammar, inconsistencies, fact-checking, and any redundancies and repetitions, while Line editing does that plus also addressing flow, clarity, and suggesting reworking or rewriting awkward sentences and more. If you hire a line editor or copy editor and have them edit fifty or a hundred pages, have them edit on a hard copy so you can see what they do, input the changes yourself, and also start learning how you can better self-edit.

From there we go into looking over the beginning once again, and Munier gives checklists to consult before submitting to any sort of publishing professional. Pages 238-240 have a first page checklist, a first ten pages checklist, a first fifty pages checklist, and a first one hundred pages checklist…so you’ll have to check the book out yourself if you want to know all the specifics.

Every story is only as good as its beginning, or so Munier says. I have mixed feelings on this. While a good beginning will draw me in and get me hooked, if the middle or even the end drop off and flop, I won’t continue on to the next book (if there is a next book in the series, or I’ll be cautious about the author’s next release if not a series).

But this book has absolutely enforced and reinforced the importance of beginnings. There were some good pieces of information in it, and some bits that I’ll take with a grain of salt, modifying them based on what I know I’m trying to achieve with my writing and my goals. I hope this deep dive through The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings: How to Craft Story Openings That Sell was useful to you as well.

Good luck with writing and editing your own beginnings.

Next week is the prompt/writing share post for the month. And starting next month we’ll be jumping into a new book on the craft of creative writing.

I didn’t receive any votes on my Twitter poll, so I still need to figure out which of these books I’m delving into next:

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You’ll Ever Need by Jessica BrodyThe Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface by Donald MaassPutting the Fact in Fantasy: Expert Advice to Bring Authenticity to Your Fantasy Writing by Dan KoboldtWriting with Emotion, Tension, & Conflict: Techniques for Crafting an Expressive and Compelling Novel by Cheryl St. John

If you have any preference, let me know in the comments…otherwise I’m probably just going to make my husband pick one, so I don’t have to make the decision myself. In time I hope to go through all of these books in this blog series, but since it takes a couple months or so per book, it might be a while until I get around to some of them.

Well, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

NetGalley Review: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Hey all, Sam here.

Well, it has been a pretty fun day, and that’s why this post is up so late, because I didn’t have it completely typed up before we headed off to do some errands and such. I need to work on building up my drafted and scheduled posts again, so I’m not constantly trying to finish up blog posts the day they’re supposed to go live. I miss having my posts completed at least a few days early (aside from WIP Wednesday, which we always write up Tuesday night/Wednesday day).

Anyway, I’ve been making decent progress on reading some of my NetGalley e-ARCs and getting posts written up…but as soon as I add a few reviews to my account, I tend to discover that I’ve been approved for a few more upcoming releases. It’s like a never-ending cycle, which makes it even harder to improve my review percentage. So I guess I’m just going to have to work a little harder to catch up on that, which just means that I’m going to read a little faster. I’m okay with that.

That means we should go ahead and jump into today’s review, because as soon as I’m done, I can get back to reading some more of my TBR pile. Let’s get started.

NO GOD
NO CREATURE
NO WAR
CAN COME BETWEEN THEM

The latest from the number one SUNDAY TIMES bestseller Rebecca Ross
When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, their fate depends on their facing the depths of hell … together.

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again …

All eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow wants to do is hold her family together. With a brother on the frontline forced
to fight on behalf of the Gods now missing from the frontline and a mother drowning her sorrows, Iris’s best bet is winning the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

But when Iris’s letters to her brother fall into the wrong hands – that of the handsome but cold Roman Kitt, her rival at the paper – an unlikely magical connection forms.

Expelled into the middle of a mystical war, magical typewriters in tow, can their bond withstand the fight for the fate of mankind and, most importantly, love?

An epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

“An epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy.” Look, I honestly kinda disagree with this just a little bit, because Iris and Roman are rivals. They’re both trying to get the same promotion at the newspaper so that pits them against each other, but it isn’t like they’re fully enemies or anything.

Still, I definitely felt like this book did a fantastic job drawing out the tension and yearning between the two main characters. I was eagerly flipping through the pages, following along as they wrote letters to each other and their bond grew through those exchanges. Add to it that one of them knows who the other is from the beginning, and oh man, it made their relationship fascinating and complex.

The worldbuilding of the gods and their history was pretty fascinating too, and we got just enough to honestly make us more curious, or at least that’s how it felt to me.

When I started reading this, I didn’t exactly realize that it wasn’t a standalone, so I started to get nervous as I neared the end of the book, especially as things happened to complicate inter-character relationships more. So thank goodness there’s at least one more book coming, because there was a lot that didn’t wrap up.

There were some stunningly beautiful sentences in Divine Rival, sentences about grief and love and finding joy even in the dark times, and I really wish that I had paused to jot them down so I didn’t forget them. But at least I can read this book again, and that time I’ll mark the passages that stood out to me. Basically I did enjoy the writing. It was beautiful and compelling and I just wanted to keep reading.

Which is why it is incredibly stupid that it took me as long as it did for me to read this. I would read a few pages and then set the book aside, and not pick it up again for a day or two, and again read just a few pages…so it took me like a week to read this, when it only should have taken a few hours in total. Because I ended up flying through this book when I gave it more than just a few minutes.

I need to know more about Enva and Dacre. I need to find out if Iris and Roman find their way back to each other. Basically, I need the next book, but at the moment all the information we have is a possible release date of January 1, 2024. There’s no title or cover or anything else just yet…but I’ll be keeping an eye out, because I’ll be wanting to read the next one as soon as I can.

Well, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

WIP Wednesday – April 19

Hey all, Sam and David here.

Welcome back to WIP Wednesday, a series here on the blog where we talk about everything we’ve been reading, watching, writing, and doing over the past week. Basically it’s just a big ol’ check-in so we can keep track of what we’ve been up to. And honestly, it’s kind of cool to look back through all of these and see how much we do accomplish week by week…because sometimes days or weeks start to blend into fuzzy static.

Anyway, we’re not going to spend too much time with the intro, so let’s go ahead and get started with this week’s breakdown.

Sam

Not a super thrilling week, but still decently eventful. Let’s talk about it.

Reading: I Am Ace: Advice on Living Your Best Asexual Life by Cody Daigle-Orians, The Cleaving by Juliet E. McKenna, Manga Classics: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Stacy King, Kuma Chang, and Crystal S. Chan.

Overall, not a terrible reading week, but I still wish that I had been able to complete more books. Still, what I read was enjoyable, and I will be working them into my review schedule soon.

Oh, I can also say that I’ve recently been approved for some titles on NetGalley that I’m really excited about reading. And I have a 24 Hour Readathon coming in a little over a week, and I’m really curious to find out how much I manage to read in that time. A lot of the time I end up reading around nine books or so, which is pretty cool.

Watching: “The Marvelous Mrs Maisel” Season 5 Episodes 1-3, “Fruits Basket” Season 2 and Season 3, “Chuck” Season 1 and Season 2 (in progress), “Alias” Season 1 (in progress), “Covert Affairs” Season 1 (in progress), “Haven” Season 5, and “The Mandalorian” Season 3.

Why yes, I randomly got the urge to watch a bunch of different spy shows, I guess. And then I wanted a little more fantasy/paranormal in my life, so I finally finished up “Fruits Basket” and “Haven.” I’m sure I’ll re-watch them again at some point.

Writing: Most of my writing this week, aside from all the blogging here, was on my Camp NaNoWriMo project, Tale of Blood and Mourning, and I can absolutely say that I crossed the finish line. My word count, which doesn’t include writing yesterday (because I took yesterday off) and also doesn’t have any writing from today in it, stands at 25,310 words, which surpasses my goal of 25k. Obviously the story isn’t over, far from it actually, so I’m going to keep writing. I had set myself a larger goal of writing 50k on the story by mid-June, and that seems very doable now. I’m thinking the rough draft should be around 100-120k, so we’ll see if I can get that done by the mid-point of the year. It’d be nice to be able to speed through the rough draft of the second book July-Dec.

When I finish writing a book I can’t immediately jump into editing. I need a little distance to gain some perspective. So I figure if I start writing the next book, I’ll still have the world fresh in my mind, but I’ll be focused on a new plot and a different couple as the leads. By the time I get that done, I should be ready to go back and work on edits for book 1, while also hopefully starting to rough draft book 3. I don’t know. This is just a dream of how I want things to work.

Other: Last week we learned that though our town advertises two full disc golf courses, there are actually three at the park. One of green baskets, one of yellow, and one of red. The green course is the most well maintained and it looks like the yellow course might be the oldest, or at least its baskets are…but the red course is the most interesting, and part of that is because a couple of the baskets require traversing some steep hills that are more liking going down and then back up a ravine. We were not expecting that when we were walking the course, trying to figure out the layout. We’ll probably play the green course the most frequently, but most of the baskets are short distance and very similar on layout and difficulty. Yellow and Red courses have a little more variety and challenge going for them, although they need better signage and directions.

Aside from that, I haven’t actually had a whole lot going on. I should probably pick up some video games or board games…or try to work more on the puzzle that’s only partly finished on our dining room/gaming table. But it’s been hard to find the motivation to do a lot of things; I’ve been very depressed this year, and it really sucks.

David

Printing: So printing has been my biggest project this week between the working and the video game playing. I have been working on printing some of the creatures that our DND group could meet and possibly fight while out and about on their adventures.

I wont go into details, but what I will say is that will more than likely have to deal with some more classical and stereotyped villainous humanoids and villains. I can say for sure that I do not plan on having them start of in a tavern, unless that is where they would feel more comfortable doing so. I have even gotten a basic map of the city they will start in and I have a vague idea of some of the nearby countryside that they could end up exploring right away.

Needless to say unless they get into some big time shenanigans super quick, it should not do anything to harm the campaign. I Can also say that will be utilizing quite a few figures that I have printed due to having a subscription to Loot Studios.

I have been printing some more of the articulated beasties from Cinderwings, but I am hoping to begin printing some more terrain for use later on as well. Does anyone know any good sites that have a good variety of options for that?

Gaming: I have not tried anything new as of late since last week but I am playing a bit more of the same games at the moment. Speaking of I did finally manage to beat the boss at the end of Chapter 1 of the DragonQuest Builders game. It was a bit of a tough fight but I managed to beat it on my third try.

I also finally managed to get enough credits on Warframe to be able to build a few new weapons as well, which means I will be able to raise my Mastery Rank by maxing them out and hopefully get access to even better weapons. It is an almost never ending cycle but the gameplay with others and being able to solo play the quest missions still makes it fun to play when I get a bit tired of getting my rear handed to me in Dragonquest Builders.

I actually have a few games I am lookign forward to and will be adding to my arsenal here soon. Zelda Tears of the Kingdom has been pre-ordered, Diablo 4 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor are definitely on my list of ones to get as well. I have not really heard of any other games that I am interested, but I often struggle to keep up with that. Thankfully I have other gamers and nerds who constantly have recommendations on that front.

Watching: So I managed to finish the 2nd season of By the Grace of the Gods. I started Sirius the Jaegar, and also am trying to finish the Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest. The last two just do not seem to hit the spot like a few others in the past, but they are still good anime.

By the Grace of the Gods continues to be as wholesome as it was at the beginning, and I do not see that changing anytime soon. Sirius the Jaegar seems to be lacking something as an anime with vampires, but I cannot quite pin it down. I think I would enjoy Strongest Sage a little more if I didnt find myself watching so many that seem to be pretty copy and paste with the way the story seems to go, but I am still going to finish it. Hopefully my opinion will change by the end of it as I still have a few more episodes to go.

The Mandolorian Season 3 was a fun watch and I hope me and Sam will watch some of the other Star Wars series we need to finish soon as I think I might be getting back into a Sci-Fi mood once again.

I do believe that is all I have got this week since Sam mentioned the Disc Golfing and it continues to be busy on all fronts when not at work. Next time I am hoping to have some pictures of some of the printed stuff. I may even have time to paint it a bit by next Wednesday. Any who I think we are off to play some putt putt while the weather is good so I will chat with you all later. BYE!!

Well, that is all from us for today. Thank you so much for stopping by. Feel free to share with us what you’ve been up to recently, because we’d love to hear about it, and we’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

Tabletop Tuesday: Forbidden Island

Hey all, Sam and David here.

It’s Tax Day here in the US, so it feels right to focus on a game that will have you running off to an island…and then quickly trying to escape the island before you drown. Yeah, taxes were just that good this year (and yes, we’re being sarcastic). But hey, things can only get better from here…right?

Anyway, welcome back to Free State of Geek, and another installment of Tabletop Tuesday. If you’re new around here, this is a series where we post each week about some sort of board game, dice game, card game, or TTRPG or TTRPG accessory.

Basically, we met while playing D&D, and our whole relationship has included a lot of tabletop games of all varieties. When I decided to really dive back into working on this blog again, it seemed a perfect fit to have David join me and we could talk about our love of tabletop, and share some of the games we have enjoyed in the hopes that you might find something fun to play as well.

Let’s go ahead and dive on in (and yes, that is an intentional pun).

You and your team can be the first to breach the borders of the Archeans’ ancient mystical empire in the collaborative card game Forbidden Island, by Gamewright. In this game, teamwork proves essential to locate the Earth Stone, the Statue of the Wind, the Crystal of Fire, and the Ocean’s Chalice as the Island floods beneath your feet. Adventure… if you dare!

Mega T-RexAges: Ten and upRequires: Two to four playersAt a Glance:Be the first team to breach the borders of the Archeans’ ancient mystical empireLocate the Earth Stone, the Statue of the Wind, the Crystal of Fire, and the Ocean’s Chalice before the Island sinksFind the treasures through collaborative play and teamworkStimulates problem-solving and strategic skillsThe Legend of the Archeans

This game is centered on the legend of the Archean empire, a civilization that possessed the ability to control the Earth’s core elements–fire, wind, water, and earth–through four sacred treasures. These treasures stayed hidden from enemies for years on the Forbidden Island, which was designed to sink if intruders ever attempted to capture them. Set the appropriate water level for your gaming skill, and let the adventures begin!

Capture the Four Sacred Treasures Before the Island Sinks!

Your team of adventurers must work together to keep the Forbidden Island from sinking as you seek the four treasures hidden within. The mission is carried out using different combinations of Flood, Treasure, and Adventurer Cards on the 24 tiles that make up the Forbidden Island. Once you’ve captured each treasure using the appropriate cards, you must make it to Fools’ Landing and escape by helicopter in order to win. If the island sinks before you complete your tasks, the mission ends in defeat.

Use Collaborative Play to Succeed

Each player is dealt an Adventure Card and given a corresponding pawn before the game starts, designating him or her with a certain set of strengths. This game is designed so that instead of competing with other players, you work to find the treasures and find out how to best use each Adventurer’s strengths through collaborative play. This stimulates problem-solving and strategy skills.

We’ve played this game a couple times, and depending on the shuffling of the tiles or the random deal of the adventure card that denotes each team member, the game can be easier or more difficult. You can also make the game easier or harder by choosing if you’re starting at different levels on the Waters Rise tracker.

One of the things I enjoy most with this game is that it is collaborative and helps with team building, but sometimes all the teamwork in the world can’t compete with the issues of having a hand limit or the randomness of which tiles on the island sink beneath the rising tide.

This is the first of this series of games. Since its release they also came out with Forbidden Desert and Forbidden Sky, and apparently Forbidden Jungle will be coming out sometime this year.

Honestly, this is a fun series of cooperative games where there are so many ways to lose and only one way to win, and so long as you have a good group of friends with you, you’ll have a good time. Sometimes it’s actually fun to lose as a group. Everyone either all wins or all loses.

And because the island tiles are shuffled and placed randomly each time you play the game, it’s like a new game every time. I’m a huge fan of games with massive replay value. Sure, the more you play it, the more you understand how to play and how to work together. But that’s when you just increase the difficulty level and play again.

This also is a game that isn’t super complicated on the rules and gameplay, so you can start playing very quickly. Games only take about a half hour to play…although that partly depends on how much time your group spends on the strategic aspect of the game.

We enjoyed playing this game enough that I think we’ll finally end up buying Desert and Sky, so we can play them as well. They all have similar gameplay, but with some new feature or aspect so each game has an individual feel to it.

If you’re looking for a fun and easy game that’s quick to learn and quick to play, maybe consider picking up Forbidden Island.

All right, well that is all from us for today. Thank you so much for stopping by and we’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

Manga Monday: The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol 1 by Kyouka Izumi, Oumiya, and Reiko Sakurada

Hey all, Sam here.

Today has been an absolute roller coaster of a day. I went from starting my day feeling pretty epic (this was just after midnight when I decided to do a quick writing session and charged over the finish line for my Camp NaNoWriMo goal), and then after I actually woke up to start my day I just felt really bummed and couldn’t really get myself to do much of anything). And that dip into depression delayed getting this post up at the time I normally try to post, so sorry.

2023 has been one of the worst years ever for my mental and emotional health. I’m really hoping things start to feel better soon. I want this year to become something good, so I need to figure out how to balance things so I can move forward.

Anyway, today I’m talking about the first volume of a cute female-led isekai manga that was my first read for 2023. Let’s get started.

In this charming tale, a woman gets transported to a fantasy world and pursues her own quest: opening a book cafe!

When a god tells Tsukina that she is to be transported to another world to become its savior, Tsukina isn’t interested. As a bookish thirty-something, she has zero desire to go on some big adventure…so when she arrives in the strange new land, she decides to use her magical powers to create a cozy little book cafe instead. But when a fellow savior starts causing trouble, Tsukina might just have to play the hero, after all!

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

So I discovered this series because it was advertised in the back of another manga I was reading and enjoying…and the title alone grabbed my interest. After looking up the story summary, I knew I had to read it. So I got the first three volumes at the end of the year and made the decision that this was how I wanted to start my year. And I read through the three I had so quickly…and then had to pick up volume four, which I also read quickly. So now I’m waiting for the release of volume five.

Okay, I just love that this god figure comes to our world and tells Tsukina that she will be transported to another world to be its savior, and she isn’t interested at all. She’d actually prefer to stay where she is, but there’s no choice. Through their brief conversation, Tsukina is granted some nifty magical abilities and sets herself up as the owner of a cozy book cafe…being told by god that there is another savior in the area so she probably won’t even be needed.

This is absolutely a fun twist on the isekai hero adventure. So frequently the hero either jumps into their position as the savior and work on training and getting stronger, or they shirk their duties to gather up a harem (typically of women, but I’ve seen some reverse-Harem series out there). With this series, I love that she just wants to have a cozy book cafe, to just read books and drink tea and that’s about it.

Of course, she ends up meeting a man who also is a bit of a bookworm, and they bond over their mutual love of reading…and I can already tell that this is just going to be a cute little romance. I’m very happy with where this is heading.

I’m not going to spoil what goes on with the other savior and the trouble that might force Tsukina to actually step up and do something other than her book cafe. You’ll just have to trust me and pick up this series for yourself. It’s cute and fun, and I can definitely put it up in a list of all-time favorites. I’ll have to talk about them in a post sometime, but I warn you, they’re pretty much all cute and warm-fuzzy stories.

Well, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

Manga Monday: The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol 1 by Kyouka Izumi, Oumiya, and Reiko Sakurada

Hey all, Sam here.

Today has been an absolute roller coaster of a day. I went from starting my day feeling pretty epic (this was just after midnight when I decided to do a quick writing session and charged over the finish line for my Camp NaNoWriMo goal), and then after I actually woke up to start my day I just felt really bummed and couldn’t really get myself to do much of anything). And that dip into depression delayed getting this post up at the time I normally try to post, so sorry.

2023 has been one of the worst years ever for my mental and emotional health. I’m really hoping things start to feel better soon. I want this year to become something good, so I need to figure out how to balance things so I can move forward.

Anyway, today I’m talking about the first volume of a cute female-led isekai manga that was my first read for 2023. Let’s get started.

In this charming tale, a woman gets transported to a fantasy world and pursues her own quest: opening a book cafe!

When a god tells Tsukina that she is to be transported to another world to become its savior, Tsukina isn’t interested. As a bookish thirty-something, she has zero desire to go on some big adventure…so when she arrives in the strange new land, she decides to use her magical powers to create a cozy little book cafe instead. But when a fellow savior starts causing trouble, Tsukina might just have to play the hero, after all!

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

So I discovered this series because it was advertised in the back of another manga I was reading and enjoying…and the title alone grabbed my interest. After looking up the story summary, I knew I had to read it. So I got the first three volumes at the end of the year and made the decision that this was how I wanted to start my year. And I read through the three I had so quickly…and then had to pick up volume four, which I also read quickly. So now I’m waiting for the release of volume five.

Okay, I just love that this god figure comes to our world and tells Tsukina that she will be transported to another world to be its savior, and she isn’t interested at all. She’d actually prefer to stay where she is, but there’s no choice. Through their brief conversation, Tsukina is granted some nifty magical abilities and sets herself up as the owner of a cozy book cafe…being told by god that there is another savior in the area so she probably won’t even be needed.

This is absolutely a fun twist on the isekai hero adventure. So frequently the hero either jumps into their position as the savior and work on training and getting stronger, or they shirk their duties to gather up a harem (typically of women, but I’ve seen some reverse-Harem series out there). With this series, I love that she just wants to have a cozy book cafe, to just read books and drink tea and that’s about it.

Of course, she ends up meeting a man who also is a bit of a bookworm, and they bond over their mutual love of reading…and I can already tell that this is just going to be a cute little romance. I’m very happy with where this is heading.

I’m not going to spoil what goes on with the other savior and the trouble that might force Tsukina to actually step up and do something other than her book cafe. You’ll just have to trust me and pick up this series for yourself. It’s cute and fun, and I can definitely put it up in a list of all-time favorites. I’ll have to talk about them in a post sometime, but I warn you, they’re pretty much all cute and warm-fuzzy stories.

Well, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.

NetGalley Review: A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe

Hey all, Sam here.

I hope you all have been having a wonderful weekend. After a few very nice days, a couple days of gloomy rain swept in and now it’s pretty chilly again. Actually, this morning I saw that we were getting a rain/snow mix. All I have to say is yuck, because I want those nice warm yet slightly breezy days back. They were lovely.

Anyway, I’m planning on a pretty lazy day, just some watching TV and some reading while curled up on the couch under a nice warm blanket. That seems like a pretty nice Sunday to me. Although…I probably should do some laundry, and possibly also some dishes. But…why focus on chores when there’s good books to disappear into.

Okay, I should probably jump into this review now, so I can get back to my reading and my writing and my binge-watching. Let’s get started.

Thea Hope longs to be an alchemist out of the shadow of her famous mother. The two of them are close to creating the legendary Philosopher’s Stone—whose properties include immortality and can turn any metal into gold—but just when the promise of the Stone’s riches is in their grasp, Thea’s mother destroys the Stone in a sudden fit of violent madness.

While combing through her mother’s notes, Thea learns that there’s a curse on the Stone that causes anyone who tries to make it to lose their sanity. With the threat of the French Revolution looming, Thea is sent to Oxford for her safety, to live with the father who doesn’t know she exists.

But in Oxford, there are alchemists after the Stone who don’t believe Thea’s warning about the curse—instead, they’ll stop at nothing to steal Thea’s knowledge of how to create the Stone. But Thea can only run for so long, and soon she will have to choose: create the Stone and sacrifice her sanity, or let the people she loves die.

My Thoughts

Rating: 4.5 stars

I picked up this book to read in October 2020, during what was supposed to be my honeymoon, but due to the wedding being delayed (thanks pandemic), it was just a nice fall vacation instead. Anyway, either way I was going to be reading this book while enjoying the lovely fall weather in the Hocking Hills region of Ohio.

But this historical fantasy just felt like it was going to be one of those nice atmospheric stories that would fit very nicely in the fall, and you know, I was right on that. And honestly, if you are/were a fan of Kerri Maniscalco’s “Stalking Jack the Ripper” series or Allison Saft’s A Far Wilder Magic, then this might also be up your alley.

First off, let me say that I love this cover. It definitely gives off those historical slightly magical vibes, which drew me in.

I loved the alchemy aspect of this story, but I’ll be honest, I wanted more alchemy with this story. It did sort of fall into that teen angst drama romance. Look, I’m not opposed to an angsty romance; I enjoy them every now and again. But I didn’t expect that to become one of the bigger aspects of this story, because there wasn’t even a hint of it in the summary. Based on the summary I expected it to be alchemy and intrigue, with a little drama between Thea and her parents and some drama between Thea and the other alchemists.

This is probably a book I need to read again since it has been a couple years, but based on what I remember from this, I should also check out Samantha Cohoe’s other book, see how I feel about it.

Well, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.