Finished Reading: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 📚

I read Notes of a Nervous Planet by the same author a few weeks ago, and in that book he talks about how much he likes the film It’s a Wonderful Life. Totally agree by the way, considering it’s December now I will have to find somewhere I can watch it again. The Midnight Library is a very similar story. I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all. Actually thinking about it, maybe It’s a Wonderful Life is a kind of reverse-retelling of A Christmas Carol? Hmmm…

Anyway, lovely to have the idea taken and put in a more relatable, updated setting, and always with Matt Haig books maybe it’s a bit corny but you do come away from it feeling comforted and feeling a little bit better about yourself

Hit my goal of 25 books in 2024. I’ve aimed for 25 for a few years now and usually manage it. I think I might increase it to 30 for 2025. Reading seems to becoming more of a habit for me now 😊📚

Finished Reading: The Butcher’s Masquerade by Matt Dinniman 📚 I am kind of addicted to this series!

Finished Reading: Plague by Graham Masterton 📚

Well, this definitely was a break from reading Dungeon Crawler Carl. I think I was expecting something a little bit different (not sure what exactly) but what I got was a badly-aged book from the seventies where all the guy characters seemed to be dickheads, and all the women characters didn’t seem to be actual characters at all, they were just a pair of boobs. Seriously, every time a new female character is introduced we get to learn about their boobs, and basically nothing else about them. Mate.

Some scenes were really gross and definitely didn’t need to be there and that’s all I’m saying there. I’m not gonna get into the way that Black and LGBTQ+ characters were written. I can’t figure out if it’s a product of its time, if the author actually believes that shite or if he was trying to make some commentary. No idea but it wasn’t good.

So I ended up just kind of hate-reading it all the way to the end. Several years ago I read a book called Night of the Crabs which was just as terrible, but it knew it was terrible, plus it was pretty short, so it actually was kind of entertaining. Plague was old-fashioned in the worst sense of the word.

I borrowed this from the library and have since read on Goodreads that it got a re-release in 2020, because of Covid( so maybe that’s why it was on BorrowBox). I… don’t get why anyone would choose this book to re-publish in 2020. Very strange.

Finished Reading: How to Make the World Add Up by Tim Harford 📚

I got myself a library card the other week. Then idea started when I went with my sister and 4-year old niece to collect their cards. Our local library is actually tiny but there’s a kiddie section with a few bookshelves full, plus a little table where you can do colouring in, so my niece is in her element. Anyway, that visit is what spurred me on to get my own card.

So our local library is tiny but the card is valid for every library in our county, which is nice, and it also gets you access to this app called BorrowBox. Holey moley, there’s ebooks, audiobooks and magazines. I borrowed the latest issue of Stuff just to test it Out, and the app asked me if I wanted to subscribe to make sure I get new issues when they’re available. You know when you kind of flinch as soon as app uses the word ‘subscribe’? I flinched, but then, I thought like, no, actually, this is really free. My mind was blown.

So yes, I know none of this is new, this is how libraries have always worked but wowser I’m really excited to dive in. I’m trying out my first ever audio-book (‘The Midnight Library’ by Matt Haig) and looking forward to browsing through magazines.

(I’m a little bit less enthusiastic about the ebooks: there’s plenty there but I’d need to use my phone or iPad to read them and I’d much rather use an e-reader. Still might check a few books out some time. My library also does Libby, which I
can read on my Kobo, but the selection of books is MUCH smaller. Still though, awesome that all this exists, isn’t it?)

UPDATE since I discovered this draft never got posted: I can read all of the ebooks on my Kobo! Borrowbox uses Adobe Digital Editions so I have to go via the laptop and transfer the books over USB but, actually I find I’m kind of liking the change of pace from that at the moment

🎮 A Short Hike (2019)

This was on sale recently on the Nintendo eShop so I grabbed it. Played for an hour or so and finished the game (although I didn’t complete everything). What a cute funny game, and there’s no padding or anything at all, just get started, get exploring, and see about getting to the top of the trail. Getting more and more movement options is awesome, gliding around is lovely, being able to climb to skip sections is nice to be able to do, and the boat, omg.

I wish there were more games like this, tiny ones that you can play through in one session. No padding, no messing you around, you just explore and, soon enough, get to where you’re going

Finished Reading: Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig 📚

I kind of feel like this is the book equivalent of a packet of biscuits. very comforting, maybe not as substantial as might like, and, admittedly, kind of repetitive. But comforting, and very nice, and will help you feel better if consumed alongside a nice Cup of tea.

I’ve played a few hours of #Factorio 2.0 this week. I’ve bought Space Age but since I’ve started a new game I haven’t seen any of the expansion content yet. Looks amazing so far though!

The way the world generates seem cooler now. On my map I don’t have little cliffs all of the place getting in the way, but rather the occasional ledge that makes you think ‘oh I could put my chemical plants on that cliff’, kind of prompting a bit of thought when you’re planning things out, rather than just being an obstacle. Same with the water. I drove around in my little car following the shoreline and I discovered a little sort of land bridge fairly nearby. No idea what I want to build there but it was much more interesting to explore than previously.

I’ve built my first train and I’ve had a little look at the new train menus. I can’t wait to try having my trains drop what they’re doing to go and refuel and stuff.

I’ve only ever finished the game once and that was with biters turned off. This time around I have them on, but with all the sliders turned down so that they shouldn’t cause too much trouble. Gives me an excuse to actually look into Military science this time. I wonder if I ever will actually make it to the other planets - I hope so, they look really cool

Finished Reading: Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman 📚

Time to have a break from this series now. The last part of this book brings in some new perspective though, but if a teaser for the next book and I am pretty intrigued. I feel like I shouldn’t like this series, it’s either gross or it’s dumb internet humour. But I’m not gonna lie, I’m having fun reading them

Finished Reading: The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman 📚

Finished Reading: Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman 📚

Walking home the other day and there’s leaves on the ground. Some of them were oddly white

🎮 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) Thoughts

I know Skyrim is eight hundred and seventy four years old now but every year, as soon as the weather starts to get a bit colder, for some reason I get an urge to play Skyrim again. Usually I make myself a stealth archer, play for a few hours and get bored (but I have fun for those few hours so it’s all good).

Recently I thought I’d try something a little bit different, so I made a Nord lady called Stabetha, got her a sword and shield and I’m just going for it. I use a little bit of magic now and then to help out but I’m not stressing about that. And I’m having more fun this time than I have in ages!

Because I’m not bothering with sneaking around, I just barge in and go wild, the pace of the game is much faster. I’m blazing through caves and forts and collecting more loot. I’m playing on an easy setting as a result but whatever. I’m actually progressing through the skills trees a bit and getting to see the game change a little as I go. I’m now good enough at blocking that time slows down when enemies are doing a power attack, so I have time to bash them right in the face and sort them out. It’s awesome.

I’m collecting quests left right and centre but I’m being a bit picky about what to actually do. I think Stabetha is a nice lady ultimately so I’m not going to do anything shady sounding, and just focusing on the quests that seem ‘right’. So I’m not feeling overwhelmed by all the quests going on, and as a bonus, I’m well aware that I’m giving myself the opportunity for a totally different play through where I do take on those quests.

I’m making a point of not fast traveling and just enjoying being in the world. Maybe it’s a little bit boring just walking along a road but I’m going with it, actually I find that I zone out and it’s relaxing. I think that urge to play every Autumn is linked with the whole setting and feeling of the game. I like to try and take it all in. I imagine standing in the spray of some of those waterfalls would be amazing. I imagine the air is so cold and crisp and fresh. So I just zone out and try to take all that in. It’s nice.

I’ve also had a couple of ideas for later play-throughs: a unarmed Khajiit who is also a werewolf (and I’ll call them Fang or something stupid), and just get myself in a whole load of trouble. And the other idea would be more of a challenge I think: some kind of elf-y mage-y vampire, which would push me into trying out all the spells and things that I’ve never touched.

All of this is being helped along by a gaming journal that I’m keeping, but I think I’ll save that for another post.

Currently reading: The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman 📚

Finished Reading: Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman 📚

Flew right through the second book of this series. I feel as though I should find the gamified stats and talk of menus and tooltips to be cheesy and to spoil things, but I suppose it all moves fast enough that it’s actually fine. I talked about the ‘background’ plot in the first book and this is still here, and becoming a little more intertwined in the second book. I’m honestly loving this series and I wasn’t expecting to at all 🤷‍♀️

Finished Reading: Looking After Your Autistic Self by Niamh Garvey 📚

Another book that I’m still thinking about. I’ve made myself an initial Quick Calm Plan that I’m sure will change but it’s nice to have something to get started with. I never thought much about bring things with you that look after all of your senses, especially bring something that smells nice. I’m not sure if this would work or not and I’m not sure what to go for, but I like that the idea has been planted in my head. The biggest one for me is actually probably one of the smallest from the book - splashing a bit of cold water on the back of your neck. Never occurred to me to try before, and actually, it’s quite soothing.

Looking forward to coming back to this after a few months and taking some more ideas from it

Finished Reading: The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi 📚

I am still thinking about this one so I’m not sure I have too much to share. I think I read this at the right time to have it resonate with me.

The idea of ‘tasks’ and looking after your own tasks, and not interfering with other people’s tasks, is what has stuck with me immediately. I’m probably taking it too literally but actually I think it’s helping me to feel less stressed at work. Who is going to feel the impact if this thing isn’t the way it should be? Is it something I can actually do anything about? Or is it someone else’s business and I’m trying to ‘help’? I worry that that line of thinking might make me a more selfish person, but I suppose that’s part of the problem with being a people pleaser, and part of the challenge of addressing that.

Finished Reading: Problem Child by Victoria Helen Stone 📚

This is book two in a series and I read the first one ages ago but I can’t remember it. My Kindle says I read it though. They’re on Kindle Unlimited so I must have read it during a free month or something.

I don’t know how I feel about this. I do enjoy a bit of oddly delicious revenge (Roald Dahl is one of my favourite authors) so I did finish this one but… I dunno. It’s a power fantasy isn’t it, this book? A woman in a world of awful men and she just turns it round on them every time. And like, look, why are you interacting with them if they’re going to be awful. And if they’re awful, like, what if they just attacked you (which they conveniently don’t do in this book)? And like, in real life, there are actually nice men! Hang out with them if you want! I dunno. Weird power fantasy, is all I can conclude.

Finished Reading: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman 📚

My new Kindle Scribe came with a few free months of Kindle Unlimited and that’s where I spotted this book. I’ve never heard of LitRPGs but I suppose this is a one of them? I was expecting mindless silliness and to be fair, that’s what I got and I’m happy, but I was actually surprised that there’s more going on in the background to the main story, and it’s actually got me hooked.