Sunday, April 02, 2023

Books of March 2023

Reading

Year to Date


Reading Stats

Books Read - 2 (20)Pages Read - 693 (7904)

Books Read

Soul Taken by Patricia BriggsRose Daughter by Robin McKinley

Collage of the covers of the 2 books listed above. March 2023 Covers

Authors

Alexander McCall Smith - (2)Angeline Boulley - (1)
Ann Leckie - (1)Brandon Sanderson - (1)
Charles Todd - (1)Dan Moren - (1)
Ed Yong - (1)Elizabeth Bear - (1)
Elle Cosimano - (1)Isaac Asimov - (1)
Jim Butcher - (1)N. K. Jemisin - (1)
Patrica Briggs - 1 (4)Robin McKinley - 1 (1)
Rick Riorden - (1)Timothy Zhan - (1)

A word cloud of the authors above with Patrica Briggs in the centre as the first author read this year and largest as I've read 4 of her books.
2023 Author Cloud - March Update

Publishing


Publication Range

Earliest Book - 1953Most Recent Book - 2022

Publications by Decades

2020s - 1 (10)2010s - (3)
2000s - (4)1990s - 1 (2)
1950s - (1)

Books

Source

Borrowed From Library - 2 (19)Borrowed From Friends - (1)

Formats

Audio Book - 1 (14)eBook - 1 (5)
Hardcover - (1)

Saturday, April 01, 2023

Video Games of March 2023


I played a weirdly low amount this month, but March was pretty busy and I didn't really have the time or energy to pick much up.

My top five games (by play time) for March were:
  1. Tactics Ogre: Reborn - I'm continuing to really love this game. I think I've got a pretty good feeling now for how the game works, so the combat is feeling good. The story is also interesting, if a little dark. I'm not sure about playing for other endings, but it's nice to know I can jump in and do that.
    Screen shot, a mass of soliders in purple and blue obscuried by a magical glow from a critical hit of Aquablast II.

  2. Hollow Knight - Still having fun with this too, although definetly finding the edges of my skill. I'd like to find something that gives me the same feelings of motion and control without me needing me to spend so much time learning.
    Screen shot, a room full of bugs throw money for the bug knight.

  3. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe - Vroom.
    Screen shot, In second place, Rosalinia flys down to the beach on her flame motorcycle, hanging from an Animal Crossing paper-plane, while holding a green shell.

  4. Final Fantasy IX - I've been trying to find something to play in the evenings to follow Xenoblade, but as it turns out this was not the month for playing in the evenings. I also found, for having only played the first hour, I'm baffled by how slow the game is. Putting the card game right up front and making it more or less manditory really derails the whole experience.

    I remember the begining of FF IX being really engaging with swashbuckling and adventure, but so far It's a clumsy kid trying to find tickets to a thing and wandering back and forth between 3 scenes. I think it's interesting how you only keep the high points of a lot of games (or at least I do).

    Screen shot, Vivi wearing a blue coat and a pointy hat, says 'Pointy Hat' to a moogle standing beside him in a round room.

Here's my total play time chart for March:



And here's a chart of how much I've played over the month:




Monday, March 13, 2023

Books of February 2023

Reading

I've added new stats for February and am tracking year to date values as well. You can read the numbered entries as - Monthly Value (Year to Date)


Reading Stats

Books Read - 10 (18)Pages Read - 3781 (7211)

Books Read

Machine by Elizabeth Bear An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle CosimanoThe Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith
The Aleph Extraction by Dan MorenThe Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson
Burn Bright by Patricia BriggsThe Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
A Cold Treachery by Charles ToddWild Sign by Patricia Briggs

Collage of the covers of the 10 books listed above. February 2023 Covers

Authors

Alexander McCall Smith - 1 (2)Angeline Boulley - (1)
Ann Leckie - (1)Brandon Sanderson - 1
Charles Todd - 1Dan Moren - 1
Ed Yong - 1Elizabeth Bear - 1
Elle Cosimano - 1Isaac Asimov - 1
Jim Butcher - (1)N. K. Jemisin - (1)
Patrica Briggs - 2 (3)Rick Riorden - (1)
Timothy Zhan - (1)

A word cloud of the authors above with Patrica Briggs in the centre as the first author read this year and largest as I've read 3 of her books.
2023 Author Cloud - February Update

Publishing


Publication Range

Earliest Book - 1953Most Recent Book - 2022

Publications by Decades

2020s - 6 (9)2010s - 1 (3)
2000s - 2 (4)1990s - (1)
1950s - 1

Books

Source

Borrowed From Library - 10 (17)Borrowed From Friends - (1)

Formats

Audio Book - 7 (13)eBook - 3 (4)
Hardcover - (1)

Sunday, March 05, 2023

Video Games of February 2023

 February was pretty busy and I didn't really have much of window to sit down and play something big. Tactics Ogre ended up producing the bite-sized play I mostly was looking for. Towards the end of the month I wanted to play something a little more interactive and responsive and so I started poking Hollow Knight again.

My top five games (by play time) for February were:

  1. Tactics Ogre: Reborn - I spent quite a while being foxed by a mission that I just couldn't beat. Then I finally read a walkthrough that suggested I go and grind money by going on a hunt and I've throughly enjoyed myself. Also hopefully made a ton of money to give me the stuff I need to beat the mission I got stuck on. The level cap is a good addition, but it does cut down on the smashing through stuff that sometimes you just want.
    A lot of Dark Knights of Lodos decend on our heros at the bottom of the pile of a fortress.


  2. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - Replay is going along at a fairly good pace, although the days have been pretty busy so I haven't settled to play much. Pushing through ignoring sidequests really does make the main plot more engaging, and the reduction in weird bad guys who are just hanging out reduces the number of questions about what's going on.
    Noah and Lanz fistbump in a city park.


  3. Hollow Knight - I've now played a lot of Hollow Knight, despite having not finished it ever. This time however I feel like I'm finally getting good enough to really get somewhere. I've been replaying the last 10 hours or so and now I'm finally setting out into the unknown again.
    The Bug Knight and the Mantis Elders bow to each other.


  4. Sea of Stars (Demo) - Sea of Stars certainly looks like Chrono Trigger if it was made in the year 2023. I wasn't sure if it was an honestly good game or just something satirical (which I've had the impression that Messenger - the dev's previous game - is), but while the demo was definitely fourth wall breaking the rest of the game felt pretty good and it seems like the game itself is going to be fun to play. The RGB "puzzle" was a really neat inclusion.
    A wide shot showing a town, The Port Town of Brisk, the rocky surrounding country and what looks like an elder dragon asleep on a mountain with it's tail in a hotsprings.


  5. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe - Vroom vroom.
    Rosalina blasts through the air towards the chalette and finish line, with onlookers in the stands and also hot air baloons.

Here's my total play time chart for February:


And here's a chart of how much I've played over the month:


The Books I Read - November 2024

November was a bit weird. The Hands of the Emperor is long, but excedingly good. I'm continuing to find Anna Lee Huber a very engagin...