A reading report

Hey guys,

So, I have never believed in new years resolutions. Never even tried. But there's one decision I took that had to be tied with the new year, which is start using a paper schedule. So I did (warning: my human face after the link).

It's been a great experience. I used to think they're only for planning for the medium term future, but in all honesty, unless you use it for the very short term future, it kind of doesn't work. So to force myself to use it, I've been using it as a diary of sorts - everything I do, I write it down. From work, I've been writing task numbers, abridged version of meeting minutes, clock-in and clock-out times, and (this is the best one), tasks being postponed for the next working day. On a personal level, I've been writing when I take my medicine (I have a semi-flu at the moment), when my wife and I… um… in code, of course! Anyway, I've also been writing what fics I've been reading and how many words they have, because, well, because I never got over the fact that Knighty took out the estimated words read score. Yeah. Anyway, I do this because I've discovered a few years ago that when I started writing about what I spend my money on to an Excel spreadsheet, I start spending my money much much wiser, and since Uncle Scrooge in all his gold-swimming avian wisdom says that time is money, the same should apply to spending time. :)

So, fillies and gentlecolts, this past week I've read… *drumroll* 331469 words!
What? I like numbers! Stop glaring, please…

I'm very happy with the copious amounts of time I spend reading fics. More so than the copious amounts of time I spend playing Minecraft, and doing this did reduce my Minecraft time quite drastically. On these notes, I'm very unhappy about the nonexistent amounts of time I spend writing fics, mind you, and I intend to do something about that soon (as in: within the next three weeks). My lovely paper schedule helping.

But! Enough about me. Let me tell you about some of what I've read.

In the LMFO department, the trophy goes to Your Beutifull. Twilight freaking out about grammar and completely ignoring the contents is one of the most hilarious things ever, even more so because I know I'd act the same. Almost 6kw for the first 2 chapters.

In the Wham Episode department, quite surprising to me, I want to say Raindrops' Wrap Up, a choose your own adventure that is being slowly released and is finally getting some really exciting new details being revealed. Now I'm no fan of CYOA, so I'm not taking this story as such, I'm just taking it as world-building notes of sorts, except the world is mostly, well, the day of the Wrap Up. It kind of feels like a Groundhog Day thing when seen this way, and it's pretty good at that. Almost 5kw for chapters 47 to 51, and yes, all released through this week.

In the I love changelings department, I will throw the same author again. It's a short story called Bloody Bones, and, um, since it's horror I can't really figure out a way to explain why I like it (except for the department name, but it isn't all). Just over 2kw.

In the holy crap it's long but I couldn't stop department, A Delicate Balance with its glorious 80kw. And a new chapter has been released this morning, so it's already bigger. An interesting take on the idea of how a shipping pair would actually affect everypony, and I find it interesting in the sense that some ponies are okay with that, other ponies, not so much, without being actually against it and becoming boring antagonists. Plus, in all honesty, I like Applejack paired with anypony. You put Applejack in a romance? I'll be interested. She's great!

In the worldbuilding wowed me department, Myths and Birthrights, which has been on my queue for a while now, and I finally found the time to read its almost 59kw. Lots of folklore creation and referentiation, and an interesting griffin kingdom to boot. I usually frown at alicorn Twilight stories, but I'm sold here, even though the circumstances were a little corny, the consequences are getting really really interesting.

And that's all I have to say for today! I'll be back for more hopefully next Monday. :3