2022 - A Brief Review

Hi Folks

This is just a quick overview of 2022.  It started really well on a visit to Scotland and a visit to the Kelpies.

Reading in 2022 -

Sadly only made it onto my fourth book this year. I hit a reading slump as soon as I began, in what I was hoping to be a productive reading year.  I think this was partly due to starting a new job and the months when I was out of work I was too fed up to read.  It wasn't even the books fault as I have enjoyed John Gwynne's Faithful and the Fallen series so far.

Writing in 2022 -

Well that has been even worse than my reading.  I've been meaning to sort my laptop out all year to get more space and still not done it.

Health in 2022 -

My health hasn't been great in 2022.  With being out of work on and off in the last few years, I've put on too much weight.  I'm now pre-diabetic, with slightly high blood pressure and have sleep apnea.  At least I've sorted the sleep apnea out. In 2023 I need to get to the gym, exercise and eat better.

Work in 2022 -

I started 2022 in an office job I hated which I won't detail here.  Needless to say I was back on Universal Credit for about 5 months.  During Covid it wasn't too bad as you had the £20 extra each week but they stopped that and I really struggled.

Luckily I landed a job in June.  Although it wasn't my usual back office administration job I'm used to, but a contact centre role taking calls which I thought I'd hate but isn't too bad.  I will see what happens in 2023.

Holidays in 2022 -

I actually did well for holidays in 2022 despite 6 months of it out of work.  This was largely due to the girlfriend.

I had a great time in Portugal in May in an all exclusive resort.

Then there were other places like York and Chester, Wigan and Skipton and Harrogate.

Plus there were my infamous visits to new Waterstones branches.

Other things in 2022 -

Well I tried to walk more in 2022 with various degrees of success.  Something I want to boost in 2023.

I've also spent as much time as I could with my Mum and Daughter in 2022 and work permitting, will spend as much or more time with them in 2023.

The last big thing in 2022 that happened to me, is that I ended up with a cat!  After years of being a dog lover, fate brought me a cat called Sweetpea.  I wouldn't change that now it feels like I've had her years.

Well here's to a better and prosperous 2023!

HAPPY NEW YEAR XX

Merry Christmas 2022

 Glad Tidings to one and all.

Already Christmas Eve.  This month. This Year, has flown by.  It doesn't seem like a year since it was Christmas of 2021.

I've not posted since the beginning of December, so apologies.  I've been busy with work and Christmas shopping and the dreaded lurgy.

Also, I've not had much to post.  I'm hoping to post more in 2023, by reading more books than this year.  Also next year is the year I start writing again!

Whilst I'm of work over the Christmas period I hope to get laptop memory sorted.

I'm also hoping to read and finish Ruin by John Gwynne.  It will only be the fourth book I've read this year which is shocking!

Well enough rambling. I will post after Xmas.

Hope you all have a great Christmas with family and friends, eating and drinking too much as the kids complain about their presents and grannies sleep in the corner chairs.

Quick question - will there be a Kings Speech?

That will seem weird!

It will also be weird having my first Christmas with my cat Sweetpea.

Merry Xmas.

Neil x

December 2022 - Update

 

Hello Peeps

December 2022 already.  Another year gone so fast. Thinking of doing these updates in a new way.  Comment your thoughts below.

November Roundup 

Writing wise - nothing!  Still looking to clear memory from the laptop and haven't had time or the motivation.  Been too wiped out after work.

Reading - started Ruin by John Gwynne. Enjoying it so far but behind on that due to being knackered when I'm home.

Going Cat Shit Crazy - My fairly new cat Sweetpea had a few weeks with the trots. At first I thought it was a chill she had.  Took her off wet food and just feeding her dry complete food biscuits and been fine.

Had a good birthday with plenty of drinks. Getting old too fast!

December Upcoming

Writing - going to leave any writing till next year as need to sort laptop out or buy new one in January sales.  Also need a free Word document or alternative.  So I'm not paying £69 to Microsoft each year to use it.  Even if I pay a one off payment for a program, it would be better.

Reading - Hope to finish Ruin and move onto the final book in the series Wraith.

Other - Hope to get to the gym for a few days I have off work in December. 

I will be busy like everyone else sorting Christmas out.  Buying presents, putting decorations up, drinking and eating.

Chat soon....

Neil x

Black Panther - Wakanda Forever - Film Review

 

Hi Peeps

Went to see the new Marvel film and sequel to 2018's Black Panther.

Sadly the first films main star Chadwick Boseman passed away not long after the film came out.

This sequel addresses his passing both as an actor and as the character of T'Challa and to be honest this film didn't really need to be made.   The way the character dies off screen is lame - (spoilers) - he dies of a virus which takes his powers away also.  I think the role should have been recast and apparently Chadwick Boseman was fine with this happening also.  If not his character should have died a heroes death with a stunt man in the suit or CGI version fighting some henchmen and rescuing some important people or kids then shows him going into a building then being carried out with an arm around his neck by a big guy in a green cloak, thrown to the floor then blasted by an energy blast as we glimpse the metal mask of Doctor Doom who walks off and escapes. Further movies could have had the Wakandans hunting Doom and would be a chilling introduction of a popular villain.

Anyway I digress - the funeral of T'Challa is shot good and does impact you.  We move to a year later and the world is after Wakanda's Vibranium.  The Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) dosen't allow this so after trying to steel Vibranium, the US creates a Vibranium detector which wakens up a hidden under water nation led by Namor. 

From here we get tension, then war, between Wakanda and Namor's people as Namor wants themselves and Vibranium hidden from the rest of the world.  Whilst this is happening T'Challa's sister Shuri is trying to recreate the magical plants that gave Black Panthers their super strength.

Overall - I've not enjoyed the recent Marvel films as much as the early ones like Iron Man and Avengers. In fact there is a scene, with new Ironman replacement Ironheart which is a copy of a scene from the first Ironman whereby they are going too high into the atmosphere and fall back to earth, only to come around at the last second and saves themselves. Marvel seem to be running out of ideas and rehashing some scenes from earlier films.  Having said that there are some ok action scenes and fights and some of the CGI is great.  Sadly some CGI is bad including Ironheart.  The suit near the end looks too fake, like it's in a video game. The film also goes on too long and could have twenty minutes cut from it.

The performances in the film are good to ok including Angela Bassett and Martin Freeman.  Even Shuri played by Letitia Wright has improved from the first film.

There are quite a few plot points that don't make sense including - why have they still the shield up when everyone knows about Wakanda now, and why do the shields need opening by playing drums? What if a note was played wrong?  Check out and search a YouTube video by The Critical Drinker.  He mentions about ten plot points that make no sense at all.

Bels Score  -  8/10

My Score    - 6.5/10

Currently Reading

 

Hi fellow Readers

Hope you are all well.  I've been a bit off this week.  I'm now feeling better.

Just thought I'd put a quick post out, letting you know what I'm currently reading.  I couldn't think of any other content for the blog.

I'm enjoying Ruin by John Gwynne.   The third in the Faithful and the Fallen series.  I'm reading it faster than the last two books and it is already action packed.

Just a few questions -

What are you all currently reading? 

Has anyone got any ideas for content?

Anyone know how to clear memory from a laptop but still able to use it after?

Hope you're all enjoying your reads on these chilly days 

Neil

Birthday and a Haul

 

Hello Peeps 

Just a quick post!  As it was my 46th birthday yesterday I treated myself to 2 novels (yes - Mr Sucky is a short novel and looks like a great, mad layout of a book - think Chucky but with a vacuum cleaner).

They are written by 2 writer friends I know. As well as big published books, I always try to support my writer friends and more independent authors.

Check out Paula C Readman and Duncan P Bradshaw for yourselves on Amazon - unlike big published novels which are all too familiar and either standard crime, thriller or fantasy books, their novels usually offer something different.

I can't believe where the time has gone! I'm now 4 short years away from the big 50!

I think my priorities up to my 50th are as follows - 

• get fit again - as much as I can without dying.
• Get writing - with the aim of being published at least once, either in novel or an anthology.
• Get reading more - with over 200 books to read I need to speed up.
• Keep a job and save some cash.
• Try to have fun in life and travel more - we only live once!

Some pics of me through the years.

Here's what I'm currently reading.

Blog later folks!

Neil x

Book Review - Valour by John Gwynne

Books Read in 2022  -  No. 3

Hi fellow readers

As I've mentioned before a few times, I started this novel on 4th June 2022.  It is now 9th November 2022 - it has taken me just over 5 months to read this novel!

It is no fault of the book itself or the writing of John Gwynne.  In fact I've loved reading this book.  It has a great, fast paced story, with solid characters and action scenes. With some gut punching moments thrown in.  Mr Gwynne isn't afraid to kill off popular characters.  The last couple of pages brought a tear to my eyes.

The novel again follows multiple POVs and each POV character has their own named chapters.  There are even more POV characters than the first novel Malice.

Again the story follows the upcoming war between good - Elyon's followers and the evil Asroth, with Corban the main protagonist and Elyon's chosen one - the bright star.

Overall - More action than Malice and more plot twists and turns in a well thought out world.  The story has some familiar beats to older fantasy novels and on reading this novel I think this series is part David Eddings, part David Gemmell with a dash of Joe Abercrombie but it's own story in its own right. I can't wait to see what Ruin brings as there's meant to be a huge plot twist.

I'm just annoyed it has taken me so long to read because of work and reading slump.  Also because I have cracked the spine on the novel - a book lovers sin!

Score   9/10

November 2022 Update

 

Hullo Peeps 

Another quick update - this year has flown! November already and the month of my birth.  

I'm 46 this month - I'm officially old and just 4 short years till I get to the big 50!  Hopefully I will get there.

Reading - this year is a disaster, which I hope to rectify next year.  I've almost finished Valour by John Gwynne, which I started on 4th June.  So on 4th November it will be five months since I started it.  The worse thing is that I'm enjoying the book. Just been in a slump and tired after work.

If I get to finish the series, which has 2 books after Valour, which are Ruin and Wrath then this year I will have only read 5 books!

Writing - Again still procrastinating.  I really need to sort the memory out on my laptop or buy a new one or a cheap PC.  I definitely want to write again, especially now time is going fast and I'm going to be 46 soon.  Hopefully will be published by the time I'm 50 - fingers crossed!

Other news - still in a call centre and still have my cat Sweetpea.  

This month I will be going out a few times. Celebrating my birthday at least and will probably go to see Black Panther 2.

What are your plans for this month?  Comment below.

Neil x

Happy Halloween 2022

 

Hi Spooks and Ghouls

Have a creepy, spooky Halloween 🎃

Black Adam - Film Review

 

Hi Film Fans 

Just a quick shout out to my followers and regular readers including Cat, Bel, and Beck.

Went to see the new DC movie with my daughter for her birthday yesterday.  It didn't disappoint.  After the last 2 superhero films I'd seen, which were incoherent messes and were Marvel's Doctor Strange 2 and Thor 4.  I had higher hopes for the Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's Black Adam.

Starting off as a slave in the region of Kahndaq, where a magical element is mined and made into a demon summoning crown of Sabbac, the slave is given the ancient powers of Shazam.

He defeats the evil king who is going to use the crown and vanishes, along with the crown.  

Cut to modern day Kahndaq and the crown resurfaces and so does Black Adam.  It turns out he wasn't the hero everyone thought he was.  The Justice Society is sent to bring him in before too many lives are lost.  The Justice Society end up teaming with Black Adam to stop the crown of Sabbac being used again.

The story is pretty standard superhero fare and has a couple of twists.  All the performances were good and this was my favourite Dwayne Johnson role.

Other highlights include the Society itself with Aldis Hodge as the Hawkman, Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate and Noah Santenio as Atom Smasher. Obviously these heroes are similar to ones we've seen before.  Doctor Fate is similar to Doctor Strange and Atom Smasher is this universe's Antman.  He was funny too.

Overall - this was a blast to watch with just enough story to keep it going, although the third act did seem rushed.  But there was plenty of action and fights, which is needed in a superhero genre and it didn't get bogged down with woke nonsense.

The special effects were great and better than the last few Marvel films which have been churned out.

Plus a bonus was - Spoilers - seeing Henry Cavill back as Superman.  Hopefully this is going to be the direction DC go in and bring him back for a full Superman film. It was a shame Shazam wasn't in the film as Black Adam was primarily a Shazam villain.

Bels Score   7/10

My Score    9/10

Return to Wigan - Waterstones, a Museum and a Haul

 

Hi folks!

Hope you are well, busy reading and writing.

I had an opportunity to re-visit Wigan at the weekend.  So of course I went to my favourite shop, Waterstones.  We also stumbled upon Wigan Museum.

It was a small museum, mainly dedicated to Wigan rugby club.  Yet it had a small Roman and Egyptian area.  Plus a brilliant old library and was most definitely haunted.  Here are some photos of the museum.

Whilst wandering around Wigan we also stumbled upon a war memorial and a park by the church.

And finally we went to Wigan Waterstones, whereby I purchased a new series and my daughter got some books for her upcoming birthday.

I have heard good things about Giles Kristian's writing and Lancelot series.

Hope you enjoyed the blog post.  Comments are appreciated and chat soon.

Neil x