GiGi > Recent Status Updates

Even after acquiring the ebook to read along, the MC's abilities don't make sense. At first I thought this was the point based on how he got the abilities but the authors actually try to quantify his abilities and how they stack and interact. This is where everything falls apart sadly

I think I finally figured out what makes the writing in this series so bad; it's all show and no tell! You don't even get to experience a fart first hand, no no. It's announced. Then you get an introductory class in gastronomic anatomy and the history of fart etiquette. Followed by anecdotes of past farts experienced by MC. Then the fart happens. Only for the MC to pontificate on said fart.

Me reading the 'about' section: oh no, I'm going to hate this, aren't I?
But unlike most of my reads, I actually own a copy of this one! (It was free, but still. )

Imma have to restart this and read with my eyes 'cuz EXCUSE ME? 👀🍿

"His beanie goes first, revealing messy locks of salt and pepper—a gift of our longevity, that I should have seen him go from jet black to silver frosted. That he should've chosen me to be here through summers long and springs soft. That he should've chosen me to share his life with."

Stop. That's unironically so cute 🥺🥰

IT'S GAY AAHHHH ❤️‍🔥🤩🥰

Been listening while doing chores and am therefore unsure at what point exactly this thought occured but;
WHY not tell him he's your literal child?! Am I missing some historical/cultural context? Why raise him as your own, claim him as a legal heir, but not tell him he's biologically yours too? Same for the mom. Jumping through all them hopes to makes sure he gets to meet his mother, but never introduces her as such

*gasp* He won't hand it over like he was told?? The devil take him! What a slimy man this cardinal is 😤

Do you ever read something and think, did that just say what I think it just said? And seeing as you're reading a classic that many a brilliant minds have read before you, surely, if it says what you think it says, many have already addressed it. But then you google and search a combination of words that have no business being put together and find nothing. Except for a comment by a now-deleted reddit account...

Book 1 - Brightblade: ⭐⭐
Decent story, bad writing, atrocious narration accents

Viy: ⭐⭐⭐ (⭐)

The Old Word Landowners: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
💔

Ivan Fyodorovich Shponka and His Aunt: ⭐⭐⭐
Lmao, more authors should end their stories like this. Don't know how to continue your story? Allude to a next chapter that doesn't exist and start off with an unrelated story in the prologue in which you explain to the reader that some of the manuscript was lost and can be found by visiting person X at Y-street... XD

A Terrible Vengeance: ⭐
I've had enough absurdism from Gogol. This one was heavy with the messaging and moral of the story. Characters were flat and bleh

Bruh
This got real sad suddenly. It's giving "life sucks and then you die" XD

Christmas Eve - ⭐⭐

This one was extra absurd, not necessarily in a good way 😅

Reading a great part of Gogol's bibliography back-to-back is not the wisest course of action, so imma take a break, read something else, then come back

Petersburg Tales: Nevsky Prospect - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Diary of a Madman - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Nose - ⭐⭐⭐
The Carriage - ⭐⭐(⭐)
Extra star after reading some analyses
The Portrait - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Overcoat - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ukrainian Tales: St. John's Eve - ⭐⭐⭐
Christmas Eve -

Petersburg Tales: Nevsky Prospect - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Diary of a Madman - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Nose - ⭐⭐⭐
The Carriage - ⭐⭐(⭐)
Extra star after reading some analyses
The Portrait - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Overcoat - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Petersburg Tales: Nevsky Prospect - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Diary of a Madman - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Nose - ⭐⭐⭐
The Carriage - ⭐⭐(⭐)
Extra star after reading some analyses
The Portrait - currently reading, kept falling asleep, took a nap, now rereading and able to truly admire the scope and depth 👏👏👏
The Overcoat - TBR

Petersburg Tales: Nevsky Prospect - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Diary of a Madman - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Nose - ⭐⭐⭐
The Overcoat - TBR

Book 2 - Shadow Play: ⭐⭐⭐ (⭐)

I wonder if the twist hold water if one were to re-read this 😅. I'm not convinced but have no proof. As it stands, I was very much entertained

Book 1 - Dead Man: ⭐⭐⭐
Exactly what one would expect from a book being compared to Dresden Files and other paranormal vigilantes. Some anachronisms but they're overall minor. I didn't experience this as some sort of new niche, like the author intended, but it was entertaining enough.

Nilsson walks in on Ingrid singing Gurre-Lieder by Arnold Schoenberg in Danish. Which in itself is basically a German musical based on the Danish poems by J. P. Jacobson. It's meant to be a dark, somber song but looking up the full poem/musical, it seems quite cool and epic honestly.
Neil Helligers does a great job singing here. But the whole thing just doesn't register as dark and morbid in my mind XD

Ingrid talking to Boris, he skipped work and is drinking by himself. We learn that he experienced a long decade in space but more than half a century passed on earth. This led to culture shock which caused him to disdain women. Aight. He admits to wanting to get to know Ingrid better but she wonders if he'll treat her just as coldly next time they meet. He admits to not knowing. She decides to stay a bit longer.

Not her going on and on about him hopefully trusting her enough in the future to let his walls down and show his true self to her and then saying, nvm this, I don't wanna harass you, this is no longer a situationship for me, I've fallen in love with you. Gurl. By your own admission, you don't know this man. Fall in love with what? The shell he's been showing you? Make it make sense 🙄

🥱😴

Book 2 - A Snake's Path: ⭐⭐⭐
The nonsensical continues. How does a stranger to this world gain so much physical power that he overpowers everyone even though he hasn't been here long and wasn't thought anything? But aight, he gets a teacher in this book, cool. Since he never learned the basics he's got some catching up to do. He masters techniques welps master before leaving the nest. And somehow this makes him OP..

Book 1: A Snake's Life ⭐⭐⭐
This felt unground and geared towards a younger crowd when it started, but how sexual assault was conveyed had me second guessing the target audience.
The start reads like the start of some (anti)hero's journey. All the usual details are assumed and not addressed. The character just roles with it, asks no questions. Some rando entity talking to you after you died? Sure.

So he's basically grinding, doing menial tasks and we're mostly in his head as he sets in order new info he just acquired. It's an info dump, but I don't mind it. But he's thinking things through while casually slaughtering giant bugs; this really highlights the new world order. Knowing the MC, he only heard relevant parts of the conversation, so what we're now going through is the meat of it.👏👏

I'm SCARED 😭😭😭😭
I thought this was an extended epilogue or something but it's a whole new novella. Meaning it might have its own 3rd act conflict and what not. Nooooo 😭😭😭 💔💔