Just a Few Little Things
I have a few little things to share, and I got the itch to write, so I thought why not update my blog?
Site-Related Things
I made a few aesthetic changes to my Hotel Dusk shrine and added a character analysis of Kyle Hyde. I really love this shrine. It might be my favorite website I've ever made, and I'm proud that it's listed at Emotion.
I have some more ideas for Hotel Dusk extras, but I think I want my next focus to be finishing my Koudelka shrine. I like the old-school design I came up with, and it's my favorite game of all time, so I very much want the shrine to be not only complete but extensive. I have a lot of work to do, but I'm excited about it, particularly the extras, as I have several ideas for essays I want to write about the game.
Good Reads
I've read some really good things lately!
My Dog is a Fish by Elizabeth Lee Vines. A lovely rumination on who we really are, animals all of us, fish all of us.
Contra Amatores Mundi by Graham Thomas Wilcox, a novella that very much feels like reading a FromSoftware game. If you're a fan of Dark Souls or Elden Ring, I highly recommend it. The author uses a lot of archaic language, to the point where I spent a good amount of time looking up words, but it works well for immersion, especially for a book of this length, and it's honestly kind of nice to read maximalist prose for a change. I loved it so much I couldn't put it down. The witch-nun Walpurga is one of the best characters I've encountered in a long while.
Bad Stuff I've Eaten. I like browsing zines on Zines Forever and itch.io, and I came across this simple but effective one. I laughed and commiserated in equal measure.
don't let me pet the dog by wanderlustin. I read/played a lot of the manifestos in Manifesto Jam 2026, and this stood out as my favorite. I'm guilty of saying a game is good if it lets you pet the dog, but what I really want is interaction with the dog that feels meaningful, not simply pressing an input.
I always want to recommend the Sunday Long Read. It hits my inbox every Sunday and offers several diverse and interesting articles, some of which would normally be paywalled but are free to Long Read subscribers. It's also completely free to subscribe! I know I've mentioned it before, but I can't recommend it enough.
Other newsletters I look forward to weekly: The Hopemakers, Local News International, and Aftermath. I believe you have to be a paid subscriber to get the last one, but the other two are free.
Indie Recs Volume 4
I'm a couple of months behind on my latest indie recs zine, and I keep saying I'm working on it, yet it keeps not coming out. That's partly because of life being busy, partly because of laziness, and partly because I'm having some issues with Zines Forever. The site has not been working properly lately, and it's prompted me to seek other, more stable methods of zine creation.
Right now, I'm exploring Decker, which is much more of a from-the-ground-up tool, so it's taking me longer than usual to complete the zine, but I'm liking it so far. My current plan is to release future issues on itch.io. I'll keep you updated, and hopefully the next one will be here sooner rather than later. I'm excited for you to see the new design!
General Life Things
Tomorrow, Danny and I might be going to see Evil Dead Burn with some friends. This year is packed full with horror movies, much to my delight. I'd also planned a Summerween movie marathon for tomorrow night with Friday the 13th, Ghostwatch, The Wicker Man (1973), and Obsession on the list, but it might be moved to another night if we end up going to see Evil Dead Burn.
This week has been a bit rough mentally. I'm currently off of my bipolar meds because I switched psychiatrists, and I'm feeling it, Spongebob. The good news is that I really like my new psych, and she prescribed new medication that's on the way to me and only costs five bucks.
I suppose that's it for now! I had another thought, but I'm going to save it for its own post because this one is getting a bit long. I hope you all have a lovely weekend ahead and, if you're in the summer half of the world, stay cool and hydrated.