A Quick Review of 2025!

 

Hello Geeks!

So what can I say about 2025?

It was a very mixed year with a couple of highs and very low lows.

2025 started out shit.  Firstly I was in a call centre job I hated and my mental health was really bad.  I had high stress and anxiety.

Then my girlfriend Jane died suddenly and in a tragic way that knocked me for six and still haunts me now.  It will still take a long time to recover.  Happy Heavenly New Year Jane.

I also lost my Aunt Anne this year.  She had a great send off though.

I started looking for a new job and in April was offered a temporary job in Bradford for HMRC and took it up and quit the call centre job.

So far I'm loving the new job.  It's quite easy and stress free.

From May 2025 the year started to get better.  I was in a better job.  I also started going out more and on more trips.

I had a great weekend at Warwick with my daughter in May and a highlight of the year.

In September I also returned to Derby to see new and old friends at Edge-Lit.  Plus see some amazing authors.

I went out with my friends more around my town of Brighouse and even went to Holmfirth a couple of times to see a Madness tribute act and a Blondie tribute act.

Writing wise in 2025 was a no show.  I think I wrote a chapter of The Cubby Hole.

Reading in 2025 was also a disaster and I'm only on my third book of the year which will probably go into 2026 now.

I'll post my plans for 2026 in a separate blog post.

So Happy New Year Everyone xx

Happy Heavenly Birthday Dad x

Neil x

Book Review - Alien: Out of the Shadows by Tim Lebbon

 

Books Read in 2025 - No.2

Hey Book Nerds!

I've finally finished the excellent Alien: Out of the Shadows by Tim Lebbon.

I started it all the way on 6th September.  The same day I went to Edge-Lit in Derby and met the author Tim Lebbon.

I'm annoyed it's took so long to read as it's only over 350 pages and fast paced.

I also wish I'd watched Alien before reading as it's set between Alien and Aliens and sees the return of Sigorney Weaver's Ripley.

Luckily I remembered most of it.

This book was also the first in the Alien books I bought way back in 2016.

The novel starts on the mining space station the Marion orbiting  the planet LV-178. Trouble starts in the first couple of pages when miners in shuttle ships speed up from the planet crashing into the station causing catastrophic damage. One of the shuttle ships docks and they see the crew being attacked by Aliens.

Just after this event another ship, the Nostromo arrives and docks. Onboard they find the sleeping Ripley.  Her ship has been taken over by the AI of Ash.  The android who killed some of her old crew and wants to get an Alien to send to his masters at Weyland-Yutani.

With an Alien onboard the station and the station falling out of orbit into the atmosphere below, the only option is to get some emergency fuel cells from the mines below and take Ripley's ship.

But what is waiting for them down there.

Overall - this book is action packed, with scares and gory horror.  Tim Lebbon's writing is excellent and he could easily become one of my favourite authors.

The characters are well developed. This is probably because there is a small cast of characters who have their own personalities. From Lachance, the French pilot who has the wise cracks to the two main characters of engineer Hooper and Ripley herself.

The two points of views were from Hooper and Ripley too.  Hooper at first being out of his depth to take charge, to Ripley being confused and having dreams of the daughter she left on Earth.

There are also report updates from Ash who has planned some of what has gone on, to obtain an Alien embryo.

The book also cleverly ties up how Ripley doesn't remember the adventure and is back on her own in stasis for the Alien sequel Aliens.

Score  -   10/10

Goodreads Score  -  5/5

New Authors for me in 2026

Hi Book Nerds

Below are a few authors I haven't read that I want to try reading in 2026.

I have all their books but haven't got to them yet. 

I also won't be doing a 26 books to read in 2026 TBR challenge as I drastically failed the 2025 one. Even more than the 2024 challenge.

I will be posting my TBR books of 2026 books soon but not putting pressure on myself to read them all. Some I may add as mood reads.

So here are a selection of authors I want to read soon.

Neil x

December 2025 Update!

 

Hello Geeks!

Another month has gone past, now we're in the final month of 2025.

This year has gone way too fast.  I say it each month and year but it's true.  It's been a weird year with highs and lows.

November Review - 

Still not written anything! 

Been reading more Alien - Out of the Shadows by Tim Lebbon and almost finished.  Still taking too long as I end up doom scrolling and watching YouTube.

In November a highlight was going to see 2 Pints with Ralf and Will at Victoria Theatre in Halifax.

If anyone remembers the old sitcom 2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, then it was Ralf Little and Will Mellor. They now do a live podcast show and it was very funny indeed.  Their version of the quiz show Catchphrase was hilarious.

In December -

Reading - Finish Out of the Shadows by the end of the first week of December.

Hope to also read a Christmas book - or two!

Writing - leaving the writing till 2026 now.

I have too much to do in December for Christmas and hope to visit a few Christmas Markets including Leeds and York.

I hope to visit Waterstones Leeds this Thursday the 4th December to meet some authors at their latest Christmas Shopping Evening.

Are you ready for Christmas?

Neil x

2025 - My worst Reading and Writing Year!

 

Hi Geeks!

I thought 2024 was a bad year in terms of reading and writing. 2025 has probably surpassed that.

In 2024 out of the 24 books to read in 2024, I only read 4 books.

In 2025 I'm only on book 2 of the 25 books to read in 2025.  The worst part is, Tim Lebbon's Out of the Shadows is fast paced, fun and short. I hope to finish it by the end of November as I've been reading it for over 2 months!

2025 didn't start well for me but I was hoping I'd have caught up on some hobbies.

Next year in 2026 I'm just going to read the books on this year's list and just add mood reads so there is less stress on what I'm reading and how much.

Writing wise, in 2024 I almost finished my short story - The Cubby Hole. I was hoping to complete it this year but have only written one chapter this year and made notes on other stories I want to write.

In 2026 I'm cutting down my social screen time and watching less YouTube so I can get back into writing.  Otherwise there's no point and I'll never write anything!

I also want to post more on this blog in 2026 as I've been inconsistent and there's too many gaps between posts!

Does anyone else have writing and reading slumps?

Neil x

Birthday Book Haul 25

 

Hi Nerds!

As it's my birthday tomorrow I thought I'd treat myself to some retail and book therapy!

Firstly I bought my monthly copy of Writing Magazine.  I then saw SFX Magazine which I used to buy monthly and thought I'd treat myself.

I then went to Halifax Piece Hall and to the independent book store - Book Corner.

Upon browsing I saw a novella written by a writer I used to go to Cleckheaton Writing Group with - Amanda Huggins.

With it being her new novella, plus I always try to support local, independent authors that I know, I snapped it up.

Afterwards I popped into the nearby comic and book shop Pages N Pixels.  This is great for me being a comic shop but it also has a wide selection of fantasy and Sci-fi books and Manga.

As I've been collecting the Alien/Aliens novels I saw the newest which has just come out this month!  Alien - Cult by Gavin G Smith. It's looks a fresh take on the franchise as it has a detective novel theme.

Neil x

November 2025 Update!

 

Hello Fellow Nerds!

Another quick update! Yes October went crazy fast. Now we've just under 2 months left of 2025!

October Review - 

With the Month flying by I still never got around to finish writing my ghost story! Fingers crossed I will in November!

I'm still reading Alien - Out of the Shadows by Tim Lebbon.

I took a few walks in October to enjoy the colours of Autumn and had a chilled out October.

I also felt old celebrating my daughter's 18th birthday and had a few drinks with her.

In November - 

Two weeks after my daughter's birthday it is my birthday - 49 already! Almost half a century.

In November, I want to get writing and reading and finish Tim Lebbon's Alien novel.

I'm also due to see a 2 Pints of Lager live tour in November and see Ralph Little and Will Mellor from the early 2000s sitcom.  So that should be a good laugh.

I'll probably start Christmas shopping in November too - eek.

What are you doing in November?

Neil x

Happy Halloween 2025

 

Have a howling good Halloween.

Top picture is is me a few years ago as a sci-fi grim reaper.

Bottom photo is the one and only pumpkin I've carved.  Again quite a few years ago!

I've not posted for a while but hopefully will post more rest of the year!

Neil x

Recent Book Haul

 

Hey Fellow Readers!

I haven't posted for nearly 2 weeks so thought I'd just post a photo of a recent book haul.

I got all the books from Edge-Lit 11, which was nearly a month ago.  Time flies.

Inferno is a short story collection I got for free from the event and is edited by an author I follow on Facebook - Stephanie Ellis.

I bought Juliet E McKenna's - The Green Man's Heir and Tim Lebbon's - Conan - Songs of the Slain.  They are also author's I follow  and I was privileged to meet them at last.

What new books have you got recently?

Neil x

October 2025 Update!

 

Hi Spooky Fans!

Welcome to October and my favourite month of the year.  

It never used to be, but spooky season with its multiple colours of leaves, colder nights out and warm evenings in, plus Halloween and my daughter's birthday. It obviously jumps to the top of the year.

Again it's gone so fast since last October!

September Review -

The main event for me in September was Edge-Lit 11 at the Quad in Derby.

 

Again this was great for a nerd like me.  Meeting other geeks, authors and readers.  Learning about authors and the writing industry with interviews and panels.

Plus meeting new and old friends and having a few nights out is always a bonus.

In September I finished reading my first book of the year Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie.  It took a while but I got there.

I started Out of the Shadows by Tim Lebbon who was a guest of honour at Edge-Lit and loving it so far.

I haven't done any writing but Edge-Lit has inspired me yet again.

In October -

I haven't much planned for October.  Mainly I'm going to enjoy Halloween and early nights in reading and writing.

I want to get out for more Autumnal walks and enjoy the colours of nature.

In the first week of October I hope to finish Out of the Shadows and move onto the next Alien book which is appropriate for Halloween as they are sci-fi horror books.

I also want to get writing and finish The Cubby Hole short story.

I will also be celebrating my daughter's 18th birthday in October.

What are your plans for spooky season?

Neil x