Good day fellow gamespoters,

Today I wanted to announce my second year here at gamespot. It has been a ride full of friendship, wonderful moments, great games and, well, annoying little trolls at GS contests.

As you all know, I've made friends here since the beginning, friends that I've been tracking for two years. It feels like reading their blogs, commenting and PM'ing them is becoming part of my routine and I can't stop but worrying whenever I don't get news from them.

So

@Just-Adam
@Matastig
@TheNineRings
@zinoalex
@Kid_Black_Star
@lightwarrior179
@kairikh
@indzman
@Asagea_888
@Heinpienaar123

and everyone that frequently comments my blogs or PM's me, I wanted to thank you and say I love you all. Kudos for being such great friends!

Although I (unfortunately) haven't been able to have a gaming life like I used to, I still dream of the day where I'll be able to play the games that I've bought throughout the years without remorse on not finishing my projects or studying for my exams.

Yeah. Keep dreaming, right?

So, although I have posted more blogs about my life then about my games, I guess that the wonderful thing about gamespot is that it's able to reach beyond the games, it is able to achieve a kind of reliability that most websites aren't able to achieve. Gamespot is a great community if you can see beyond all the obvious flaws and ridiculous trolls.

So, thank you so much for the two years! I hope there will be tons of more years to come.

HUGS!

~Mariana

Reading: Vanity Fair
Last movie watched: The Emperor's Groove
Listening to: Epica
Playing: League of Legends
Mood: Inspired

Hello guys! How are you? :)

In this very short blog update I wanted to say that after reading Tom Sawyer and before venturing into Vanity Fair I've read Sputnik, Sweetheart/Sputnik, my love by Haruki Murakami. And what I wanted to say is: if you never read anything by Murakami before you don't know what you're missing. I'll specify: you're missing one of the most amazing literary experiences you could ever miss.

If you know me since I started blogging here you probably know I'm an avid reader. I read everything that's good but my favorite genre is fantasy. I've read a ton of cla$$ics, I have read a lot of crazy books. I have read a lot of lovie-dovie novels (yes, Nicholas Sparks is a terrible writer. I think his books are completely overrated. And I won't even mention Stephenie Meyer, of course) and I will tell you this: Murakami will change your whole point of view about life.

So pick one of his books (Kafka on the Shore recommended) and go ahead - change your concepts about life. Perhaps you won't understand what you're reading while you're actually reading. But when you finish the last lines you'll feel enlightened and understand the most absurd and strange parts throughout the book.

Hugs,

Mariana

Reading: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Last movie watched: Tarzan
Listening to: Disney Soundtrack
Playing: League of Legends
Mood: Inspired

Hello guys! How have you been doing? :)

Wanted to share a few things with you ;) First of all, I've finally decided to start playing League of Legends. If any of you play it, I'm under the name Irith Ayllistira, so you'll find me there easily.

Secondly, I've created a tumblr account where I post inspirational/relaxing quotes and images. It's like a sort of compilation of my favorite images and quotes so if you want to check it out, please do:http://stoplookaroundandbreathe.tumblr.com/

Spent my whole weekend relaxing from cla$$es while watching every disney movie that exists in the world. I can't help it, I was raised watching those movies and don't intend to stop loving them to death, even if I grow up.

Hugs!

~Mariana

You can read it here:http://www.2d-x.com/square-enix-talks-final-fantasy-7-remake-kingdom-hearts-iii-and-versus-xiii/

Tell me what you think!

Hugs

~Mariana

Reading: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Last movie watched: True Grit
Listening to: Nightwish
Playing: Skyrim and the Sims
Mood: Bored

Hello guys how are you doing?

So, for the quick list of updates in my life:

I am currently reading "The Lies of Locke Lamora" which is one of the most wonderful books I've read in a long time (within the fantasy genre, of course). Lynche's worldbuilding is amazing and although the story takes place in a completly different world it's incredible how well we can relate to that world. Also, the characters are completley bada$$, sometimes in the most cliché way possible, which, surprisingly, fits very well into the story's background.

So, if you like thieves, humour, dialogues full of cursing, a dark yet light spirited mood...

Read this book.

Secondly, I just found out Academic Earth. If you don't know what Academic Earth is, well, it's a website that features many online courses from the top universities (Yale, Harvard, etc). You can pick out the subjects, which vary from Art and Architecture to Physics, Political Sciences or even Phylosophy. If you suffer from an academic-geek syndrome and have always dreamed about going to this type of colleges, this is the website for you. I am currently watching "Introduction to Ancient Greek History" by Professor Donald Kagan and I'm having a blast. It features 24 lessons with about 1 hour each. Which means a whole day of pure academic goodness.

Beyond that, I'm stuffed with work so my game life has stopped for a little while. I've been spending some time reading the Vita reviews and opinions and deciding that I am not going to buy a handheld that only lasts for three hours on the battery. I mean, if I have to play it sitting next to the plug, why would I even buy a handheld?

Well, I hope everything's great with all of you ;)

Hugs!

~Mariana

Is is just me or GS's inbox is getting ridiculously glitchy? I mean, everytime I have mail, my inbox indicator says I have no messages, so I have to open the window to make sure: and god, do I have messages.

Then my inbox indicator flashes orange and there I go thinking I have mail - when I open the window, I have nothing.

Damn you GlitchSpot.

Reading: The Aeneid by Virgil
Last movie watched: Tangled
Listening to: Bon Jovi
Playing: Skyrim and the Sims
Mood: Overwhelmed

@Just-Adam, just watch this revenge-blog! MUAHAHAHAH :P

So yesterday I found out that I had some old kadeo coupons that were almost over their expiration date and had to run to the bookstore to spend them all. And if you are like me, you'll hold up all you coupons and gift checks until they are almost expiring because you think that you'll have to buy something really useful.

Well, you actually never do.

So since I'm in a huge cla$$ics mood right now, I searched for the cla$$ics penguin collection and since they are all freaking cheap (3,5 euros = 4,6 dollars) I bought like... 14?

Plus 9 nine books.

Which means I left the bookstore with 23 books in my hands.

I swear to you that the clerk thought he was mad. I never saw anyone as surprised as that man. He even asked me: are you really going to read all of that?

So here are the photos of my new "babies":

- The Odyssey by Homer

- Netotchka by Dostoievsky

- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carol

- Grimm's Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm

- Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

-David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

- The Christmas Books by Charles Dickens

- Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

- Tender is theNight by F. Scott Fitzgerald

- Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

- The GreatGatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

- Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

- Jane Eyre by Brontë

- Vanity Fair by Wiliam Thackeray

Plus:

- Sputnik, my Love - Haruki Murakami

- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

- The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

- The Grapes of Wrath by Steinback

- Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham

- Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago

So here are them all. I tried to upload a photo but glitch GS won't let me.

-.-

Are you all fine? ;)

Hugs!

Mariana

7.5

That's what a Final Fantasy is reduced to these days.

Shame on you, Square! You probably ruined one of my favorite game series! Final Fantasy triumphed for the originality, the personality and the hearbreaking stories and now it just looks painfully dumb.

I apologize about my rambling rants :P

Hope you're all doing fine

Hugs!

~Mariana

I just wanted to ask what my very good friends think of it. Leave your answers and comments below! ;)

Reading: The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin
Last movie watched: Tangled
Listening to:Imaginaerium
Playing: Skyrim
Mood: Mmmmm

So as promised I will update my books list with the recent books I got for Christmas:

Anna Karenina by Lev Tolstoi/Leo Tolstoy:

Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin

Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynche

The Aeneid by Vergil

and finally,

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

So these are my books for those who wanted me to list them. I've already read Anna Karenina, it's a wonderful novel and Tolstoy is a wonderful writer. It's just a shame that I can't speak russian because I would love to read the original work in all its "original splendor."

Been playing Skyrim. School is taking most of my time. Awful huge giant projects... I will post some pictures in my next blog if I'm able. Also on a Tangled wave lately... don't know why but that movie just puts me in a good mood.

Short sentenced blog = Tired blogger ;)

I hope everything's fine with all of you :)

Hugs!

Mariana