The sky is blue, the leaves are sprouting, and the birds are chirping. I can’t believe Spring is here, and my blog turned 8 years old! Thanks, WordPress, for the notification. I forgot my own blog’s birthday.
This year feels like I have been reading more, and I like it that way. It’s more calming with a cup of tea–even the games I am playing are less demanding. I completed TheCount of Monte Cristo, which I started reading in late December. I could have finished the book sooner, but I was reading other things in between. During that time, I also started reading Claymore, themanga. As for Monster, I stopped at volume 4. I will resume once I have finished the other books. I didn’t like jumping from one book to the next. I realized this method didn’t work for me. I like to take my time to stop and think what I’ve read.
After reading The Count of Monte Cristo, I am going to read something shorter.
On top of my reading list, I have added Jane Eyre, Agnes Grey, and Wuthering Heights. I have yet to read all three books by the Brontë sisters. It’s my way of celebrating International Women’s History Month.
Game Update
I have been eying Undernaunts Labyrinth of the Yomi for a long time… Thanks to my fiancé, I received it as a gift. The problem with Undernaunts physical copy for the PS5 is that I heard there is a bug that prevents players from progressing. I am not sure if it has been fixed as of 2026. Well, I suppose I will have to try! Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it anymore to buy physical copies. I am sure the Switch version is worth it for gamers who like collecting physical copies.
Instead of being an astronaut, you play as an undernaut. The title is clever.
In addition to my gaming collection, I am currently playing PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid’s Curse. So far, I am not liking it as much. The reviews on Steam’s page are over hyped. I wonder if Square Enix staff wrote some of those positive reviews to boost sales. It is a bit disappointing for the price, but I will shut my mouth and try to complete the game. I believe I am near the end.
Stop lying. It’s about the money…
It’s all right. I am not all that angry. We all know these days, everyone is feeling the blow of inflation except for the delusional 1%. But my wallet hurts when I play a subpar adventure game. For $24.99, you could buy several adventurous horror games out there for the price of one during Steam’s sale. I remember for $1.99, I had a blast with The Cat Lady. This visual novel feels like reading an encyclopedia on the historical context surrounding Japanese mermaids. And the over the top theatrical character’s animation is not cutting it. It’s annoying.
Oh, I sure appreciate the subtle insult. Once again another game poking fun at its audience.
That’s a wrap up for my Spring reading and gaming update as of March. Until next time, be well.
I like to keep track of the books I want to read on an Excel spreadsheet. This way, I can stay focused. So far, it has been working. I have been reading more. However, I didn’t enjoy checking off a book once I finished reading it. I started to feel like I was on a reading conquest. It was as if I were turning into a dark soul, losing sight of why I was reading. Was I trying to become the Scholar of the First Sin? So, this year I won’t abandon my list, but I will only refer to it when I need a reminder. It helps take off a huge mental load. Also, having books nearby and visible encourage me to pick up a book instead of my phone. Keeping up with current news can be tiring. Everything is just bad news.
I found more solace in books than in following the news, hoping that things would turn out for the better. Mass employment in the headlines? Europe potentially going to war because of Greenland? The price of groceries skyrocketing. Not a good sign. Anyway, I realized if the world is going to burn, I am just going to read books to stay sane. The books/manga I am currently reading are:
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Dune by Frank Herbert
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet
Grimm’s Fairy Tales Volume III
Monster Volume IV by Naoki Urasawa
Here are some of the books I would love to read this year. Some books I have had for a while.
My Antonia by Willa Cather
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
The Sea Wolf by Jack London
The Call of the Wild by Jackon London
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Coriolanus by Shakespeare
Gaming
As for games, I went back to Demon’s Souls (Ps3). It is probably the only game I will play for the entire year. It’s a peaceful, difficult game. What can I say? I am a slow gamer. Plus, I got to make time for others things too such as gathering healthy recipes. Although sometimes it feels like work.
I finished the demo of Trails in the sky 1st chapter. It was fun!
Final Thoughts
I hope you will find some solitary moments away from this chaotic world. It’s hard to escape to video games these days when real world events feel like a circus show. I guess everyone is a star in this crazy reality T.V show.
Note: Featured image is AI generated. I am impressed that it captured the right mood for this post. The funny thing it looks like she is wearing my old reading glasses. It’s broken now.
As I was looking through my library of books, I realize I failed to finish some books despite my effort and so today I list three books I shamefully tried to enjoy. Luckily, this is a personal blog where I am not trying to sell anyone anything but my honest opinion. It drives me nuts when I fall into the marketing trap of purchasing books with Bestseller on the front cover! When it comes to a matter of taste, I believe that we should disagree to agree. It makes the world more colorful and interesting. But we all know that? Most of us here are grown adults, I assume. Then why do some of us grownups get upset when someone disagrees with our taste?
If you have a book sitting next to your toilet for over a year and you still haven’t finished it, you know it is on the crappy side. Well then again, when reading books whether you enjoy it or not it is due to preference or the current mindset you are in. Well, I have been debating about this statement for some time now and I realized my mindset is not going to change any time soon because I had these books for years. The following books are just unbearable:
#1 The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I really tried to like it
Beautiful words become unbearable when it gets nowhere. Is it supposed to be suspenseful or it’s just for show? The author is more focused on making sentences look pretty rather than giving them a worthwhile plot for readers to follow. I read more than halfway and decided to stop. It’s getting nowhere and I could care less what happens to the superficial characters. They really are just for the show just like the purpose of any circus. It would have been more interesting if the Night Circus was on crack. But then it will no longer be a pretty book! Now, I really feel bad when people came up to me and asked if the book was any good during my lunch break. I told them I liked it. I like the pretty sentences but that’s just about it.
Inside the tent is dark, the ceiling covered with open black umbrellas, the curving handles hanging down like icicles.
From The Night Circus, p.376
#2 Ready Player One by Earnest Cline
Entertaining but cliché
Heard the film was good? This book was given to me as a gift because I was open about my gaming “addiction” at work. The problem with being labeled as a gamer means you are automatically assumed to be the stereotypical gamer: male, single, peter-pan syndrome. You name it. Mind you, I am just a millennial. I simply like games for entertainment purposes. It’s easy to reach over the control than do other extracurricular activities that appear more productive and noble such as tutoring English to refugee kids from broken families so you’d look good on your resume; selling freshly handpicked blackberries found on the side road to some old poor lady who is desperate to make some blackberry jam, and joining the circus because sane people spend a fortune to watch crazy people do flashy things and then applaud them with gifts and recognition. You see, a video game can have a noble cause like in this book. The protagonist is on the hunt for the ultimate prize so that he could have the power to change reality for himself and everyone else. In this book, the world has become an ugly place. Ironically, you might think I’d enjoy this book but like The Night Circus, I read more than halfway and quit because I got tired of reading about an exceptionally skilled gamer who is going to save the world by racing to be #1 on the leaderboard. It’s just unbearably cliché.
#3 Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
Educationally boring
Okay, I confess, I typically finish books and I couldn’t find a third one to complete my 3-list post. This book was part of the history class reading materials that were supposed to help students get a glimpse of how America was and still is resistant to progressive social changes by focusing on an imaginary small town in Minnesota called Gopher Prairie. I did finish the book, but I would have appreciated it more if I did not try to find hidden meanings or messages in the book. Perhaps, I should reread it now that I can put things into context now that I’m wiser in age and living in the Midwest. It was just an unbearable read back then because it’s part of U.S History and history lessons can be dry sometimes. Nonetheless, quite educational.
If you happen to enjoy this post, you have my sincere thanks. I might have woken up on the wrong side of the bed to make this list. Today, I just want to be human and say I just don’t like these books and that’s all there is to it.
I love books, but I feel that it’s becoming more of a luxury pastime leisure. Hard to focus reading when your mind is constantly on the go–literally it’s hard reading when you feel restless which is why I never read a book while walking, although I have seen some do it and it always puts a smile on my face when I see such a rare sight. Even taking public transportation, I could never find myself relaxed enough to read. However, I have once read on the job, that work never seems to get done. So I completely ruled out that option. Lastly, you’re probably thinking how about before bedtime? By then I am too tired to read. So you see, I am in a bit of a dilemma. Maybe if I live in a huge library such as the picture below, I’d read more. Reading is a solitary experience and I need a quiet, safe placetoimmerse myself in abook. The same can be said for story-driven single-player games.
Did you enjoy how I bold my words in the second to the last sentence of the paragraph above? I just want to make sure you got the most important stuff from this intro.
“Reading is a solitary experience… need a quiet, safe place to immerseinabook,” says Halsdoll (had to quote myself because I feel enlightened from my own writing).
Current game I’m playing: NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139
I won’t ramble on about games in this post. This is about Three Films that Make Me Want to Read the Book. I know based on the title I got it all backward. It should be read the book first and then watch the film because most films I like are based on a novel. And I must confess, I discovered most books by watching the film first. So that doesn’t make me a book snob even though I think the mind is the greatest theatre.
If you are new to this blog. I like to come up with three lists of recommendations or three lists of anything for this blog because most of us love making lists, don’t we? I do. It declutters my brain space so I can think more clearly. Plus, a short, sweet post like this gives me a break from thinking too deeply and it’s more conversational (I hope I’m talking to a human and not a robot, but if you are robotic that’s okay).
So here is my list. Three lists of films I want to read the book eventually:
1) Hellraiser (1987)
Director: Clive Barker
Story: Clive Barker
I was a teenager when I first got exposed to this classic horror film. I believe it was during Halloween, the show aired on T.V. The thought of demons was terrifying to me and I remember having nightmares about it. When you start getting nightmares, you know the film is scary. It never occurs to me back then that hell is like the puzzle pieces of the human psyche. But of course, that is just my speculation. The book got me curious and puzzles are always fun to solve. I love a good puzzle. That’s why I need to read the book for more details to come up with a stronger conclusion. Hopefully, I won’t dive too deep because hell is definitely not the place I want to be.
2) Audrey Rose (1977)
Director: Robert Wise
Story: Frank De Felitta
Film
Book
This film is so intense that I did not finish it. It reminds me of the Exorcist and the famous Silent Hill (video game series), but of course, this came before the video game and before I was born so going back in time to find good films is like going on a trip to discover ancient relics (that’s a compliment, not an insult for those who are self-conscious about age. Young doesn’t always mean better. I like a good aged wine. It’s wisdom that I am after, not eternal youth). One of these days, I will watch the film, but definitely not by myself and if I am curious enough–read the book. Reincarnation can be a very scary thing and for horror fans, we know that horror films don’t always need scary ghosts and special effects.
3) Charlolette’s Web (1973)
Directors: Charles A. Nichols, Iwao Takamoto
Story: E.B. White (book)
Film
Book
I know it’s contradicting after stating how I am after wisdom and not eternal youth to switch from horror to children’s film. But eventually, adults revert back to a child-like state of mind. I really enjoyed the narration in this film and found that it contains full of wisdom. I used to read the book as a child, but somehow, I think some of the concepts in the story are too deep for a child to grasp. Themes about animal rights, life, and death are concepts that are a bit hard for a child to internalize. I didn’t like it as much until now. Favorite quote from the film: “How special are we just a moment?” It’s a powerful phrase to remind us to be humble. Charlotte may be just a spider, but she is also a very good friend and a writer who stretches her natural abilities to make something more out of her existence. Truly inspiring.
Yep, that’s my three lists of books I eventually want to read. It’s not so bad going back in time as I am finding it hard each day to find something worthwhile to watch or read. Time has changed or it’s simply just that I am getting older and my taste in entertainment is becoming more refined. I need something with depth. I need something classically timeless.
P.S.
I found a good time to read. It’s in the morning with a cup of coffee. That way I won’t get Zzz…from reading. I couldn’t be happier and content.
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