Geeky Books I Can't Wait To Read

The past few years I have really been slacking with my reading which really surprises me as I used to love just sitting down with a good book and losing hours in a different world. This year though I am really hoping to get back into how I used to be and to do this I am going to make a change to my bedtime routine. Instead of spending time laid in bed scrolling through Instagram I am going to lay in bed reading my book instead, fingers crossed that by doing this I will also get a better nights sleep too. So here are some books I am hoping to finish...

Oliver Bowden - Assassin's Creed books

I have actually had these books for quite a long time & have a few more to buy to get caught up on the ones out currently. I think I have had read about 3 pages of the first book but I really need to sit and read them properly. Assassin's Creed is one of my favourite games so hopefully the books have me gripped as much as the games do.

Chuck Wendig - Star Wars Aftermath

Again I got this book years ago as I absolutely love Star Wars. But I ended up buying some football books and this got put on the shelf so I could get my football fix. I don't have a clue what this is about but it is Star Wars so surely it will be good. 

Christie Golden - World of Warcraft books

I owned the Rise of the Horde book before me and Liam moved in together but then when we moved in he brought all his books along so we have a nice little collection of World of Warcraft books on our shelves. World of Warcraft is a game that Liam loves but I started getting into last year, I think these are a series of books I could really get into and it may get me playing the game again. 

We actually have a few trips coming up this year so lets hope if I take a few books I can just chill out and get through them nice and easy. Hopefully reading books about games or films I like will help me get back into my old reading ways.

See you soon

FIFA 20 Pack Opening #2

I haven't done one of these posts for a few weeks now but I have been playing FIFA a whole lot more for a change. It has been great jumping back onto the game but to be honest the rewards haven't been too spectacular at all. Here are the items I have received since I last did a FIFA post... 

 The first pack opened wasn't too bad and I actually kept a lot of the cards for a change. Granted there wasn't many players in here but there were ones that could help me with building my team.

So out of the pack all 3 players were kept, I am quite glad I managed to pack Xhaka as my main team at the moment is currently players from English clubs so he will definitely be getting used. I also kept the 2 French players as I do have a lot of French players in my club at the moment so these are always handy. I even kept 2 kits as I am actually enjoying changing kits every now and again. 

Out of the pack above I only got rid of one card which was the Angers kit as I aren't a fan. 

Next up we have a pack where quite a few cards ended up disappearing and I only kept a handful. I wasn't too keen on this pack to be honest.

So out of all these cards I kept Cleverley as he is English and plays for an English club so he should fit my team pretty well and give me more options. Out of the rest of the pack I only actually kept the contracts and fitness cards as they come in really useful.

As I say from the pack above quite a few cards were quick sold as they just don't fit what I need or I just wasn't interested. 

 Next up like everyone I got to take my pick from some of the loan shapeshifters cards. I don't have a clue what these cards do yet so I am going to have to take a look into that. 

Out of that pack it was a pretty easy choice on who I was going to pick. Of course it had to be Mahrez, granted I only have him for 5 games but hopefully he will fit in well.

 I also some how ended up with a rare player pack thanks to completing objectives. With it being a rare player pack I was looking forward to who it could possibly be. 

I ended up packing Ward-Prowse, I wasn't too impressed but I guess this card isn't too bad as he is English and plays for an English club so this might work in my favour. 

 In the pack above there was definitely a mix of cards and I kept 16 out of 24 cards.

 I literally kept 0 players as none of them were what I needed plus with them being untradeable there was no point keeping hold of them.I did however keep hold of the Heinze manager card as I loved him when he was at Man UTD so I couldn't get rid. I also kept all the contracts and fitness cards as you can't have enough of them. I even found myself keeping the Arsenal badge as sometimes a change of badge doesn't harm you.

So there you have it those are the cards I have packed recently. Have you managed to pack any decent cards?

See you soon 

Board game collection

One thing I really want to do this year is have a board/card game night with Liam once a week. When we moved in together the game collection really grew but then we have really neglected the games we own, if we ever do play a game we tend to pick the same one of Risk but we have so many other games we could sit and learn to play together. Here are the games we currently own...

Magic the Gathering & Yu Gi Oh - These card games just seem to have become a display items, I only got the Yu Gi Oh cards to relive my childhood and to be honest I don't know why I got the Magic cards.

Zombie Dice - When we still lived at our parents we used to play Zombie dice all the time as it is just a really easy game to play and doesn't actually need much space to play it. 

Boss Monster - I think so far we have played this once but I really wasn't in the mood to learn how to play it so it was packed straight away. I have actually done an unboxing post about this game which you can read here. 

Exploding Kitten - This game was purely for Liam, I bought him this for Christmas the other year and we still haven't played it. To be honest it does sound like a good game.

Adventure Time Munchkin - This is a game I have had for a long time but I really can't wait to play it. I have heard good things about the Munchkin game plus this is Adventure Time so it is instantly better.

D&D Starter Set - Another one that Liam purchased but we haven't got around to giving a go yet. I have seen so many people playing this in the past and it does seem something we could really get into. 

Risk - This is our go to board game and has been for a long time. It took me a while to get to grips with it but now I could very easily play it every day. Me and Liam get really competitive playing this too so normally ends up with a bit of an argument.

Football board game - Of course we have some football games. I got this one pretty cheap from Argos and I am looking forward to just sitting down and giving this a go as it should be a pretty 

Counter Attack - This is one me and Liam really wanted to try after seeing so much about it on my football Twitter. I really can't wait to sit down and give this a go as a game like this has been a long time coming.

Ticket to Ride - Liam has definitely played this before but I haven't. It does look like a really good game though so I will be definitely get him to sit down and teach me how to play it. A few of you recommended this game to me as well.

The Settlers of Catan - If I remember correctly we did start playing this a long time ago but then ended up heading out but I know this is a game I definitely want to try in the very close future as I have been told so many good things about it.

Keep an eye on the blog as soon I will be doing a wish list of board games I would love to add to the collection and some of the recommendations have come from you lot on Twitter. 

See you soon

(AD - Gifted) Horizon Chase Turbo 1st Impressions

A while back Numskull Games kindly gifted me the Nintendo Switch version of Horizon Chase Turbo to review. Numskull describe the game as being 'inspired by the great racing hits of the 80's & 90's' and I have to admit the whole game does give you a retro vibe which I love as I don't own many games like this, but I think after playing this I may have to purchase more.

It isn't too difficult to win each level but I find myself going back to try beat the levels again and improve my time, which I never really do with other racing games. I normally don't bother with racing games as they stress me out far too much, but I actually really enjoyed just sitting and playing this whether it is on my lunch time, waiting for Liam to come home or whilst I am just laid in bed. It is a really laid back game so you can just sit and relax whilst playing, as you don't need too much focus, plus the races don't go on forever like some racing games. 

The game has over 100 tracks all set across a variety of different locations so no tracks are the same, plus you get different hills and track shapes to challenge yourself on. Just as you think you are getting used to something a different part crops up like sand or a big hill where you have to manage the amount of petrol you use (I have run out a few times).

Not only are the tracks great but so is the accompanying soundtrack which is by Barry Leitch who has also worked Switchblade (C64) & Ragnarok (PC). I would usually mute the Switch and listen to my Spotify but with this I am happy to have the soundtrack playing as I find it fits the game perfectly which sometimes in Arcade games you don't really get. 

The game has a take on the old school 16 bit graphics and features 4 player local multiplayer however I have only been playing the story mode so I can get upgraded cars etc and so far I am doing better than ever, I actually have the patience to sit and grind away on the levels. The graphics look sharp and the colours on each track are great it really does feel like you are playing an arcade game from the comfort of your own home. The controls are super easy too so there is no confusing on what I need to press to get my car moving correctly, some racing games have different buttons to others which can easily confuse me but this is just nice and simple, even after not playing for a while I can just pick up where I left off. 

If you are looking for a nice relaxed racing game to play and have a Nintendo Switch or PS4 I would highly recommend picking up a copy of this game. You can pick this up from the likes of Game or Amazon. I am so glad to be back playing on the Switch and with some upcoming long car journey's I can see this game easily getting completed so I will check back in with you with a full review once it is done, lets see if any of my opinions change.

See you soon

*This game was kindly gifted to me by Numskull games. All thoughts and opinions in this post are 100% my own honest review.

Musicians I am Loving Lately

One thing I am loving at the moment is just opening up my Spotify account and listening to whatever I feel like or even a mixture of the artists I have been loving lately, just making those perfect playlists have been great. I have noticed lately though that I am constantly clicking on the same artists names and just putting their playlists on repeat as the music is just easy to listen to and have on in the background. So here are the artists I am currently loving... 

Camila Cabello is someone I have loved since her Fifth Harmony days but she is just getting better and better as the years go on. Her solo material is absolutely fantastic and I loving her latest album Romance. Not only is she great as a solo artist but her recent collaboration with Shawn Mendes is fantastic and gets stuck in my head for hours on end. 

Halsey is an artist I have loved for years her whole sound is different to anything else I listen to. Her EP's and albums are always on rotation as well as a few of her Vinyl's that I have in my collection. Each album tells a story which is why I think I like them so much but so far I think this latest album could become one of my favourites as 'You should be sad' is an absolutely brilliant song and the full album is such easy listening.

A bit of a surprise entrant on the list is KSI, I love watching him in the Sidemen videos as he is hilarious but his music is brilliant. Whether it is his diss tracks or any of his new songs they always find their way onto my Spotify, in fact KSI is probably one I listen to most when I am gaming. I can't wait for him to bring more music out in the future as if it is anything like 'Knockdown' the music will be great. 

I only have one concert booked so far this year and I am really looking forward to it, me and my sister are going to see Stormzy in September and it can't come soon enough. Stormzy is someone I have loved for years and I don't think it is going to change anytime soon. He has really made a name for himself lately and is even headlining festivals which just goes to show you how well he is currently doing. His new album 'Heavy is the head' is no doubt going to be on repeat until we go see him and no doubt it will be in my Spotify Wrapped at the end of the year. 

Finally we have Taylor Swift who will always be one of my favourites as her music is one of my go to choices. I own most of her work on CD & a few on Vinyl but at the moment I just go onto Spotify type in her name and shuffle. Each album is something different and when on shuffle you can really see how she has developed over the years. If I am just relaxing or reading Taylor Swift is usually my go to.

I am definitely listening to a lot more music whether its when I am gaming, blogging, cleaning or just relaxing it makes a nice change as in the past I would just put a YouTube video on. Can you recommend any other artists I may like? 

See you soon

Currently watching : TV Shows

Since the start of the year I have been really slacking in the TV I have been watching, there are shows we  started ages ago that I am still trying to get through. This is mainly thanks to any spare time going into my 2 other blogs or getting work done in the house, but now I am going to try limit myself to blogging so many days a week (preferably a few hours on weekends when I don't have much else on or a night after work) and having set days for getting stuff done in the house although there isn't much left to do. So now I want to actually sit down with Liam and get through what we are watching on Netflix or just get caught up on my recordings and DVD boxsets, the living room is nice and cosy on an evening so it is about time I made the most of it. Here are the shows that we are currently working through...

I actually think we are only 3 or 4 episodes into The Witcher and poor Liam is desperate to watch more but I wont let him watch it without me. I am loving the show so far and get that stupid 'Toss a coin' song stuck in my head when I see anything Witcher related at the moment. Fingers crossed we can get through some more episodes very soon as don't tell Liam but I actually miss watching it. 

Hollyoaks is a show that will be running for years to come but I find myself once a week catching up on all my recording of it. I honestly don't know why either because I had never enjoyed it in the past. Poor Liam really doesn't like the show so I try to get caught up either when he is working or in the games room. 

One Tree Hill is a show I was obsessed with growing up, I would make sure I always had E4 on when it was due to start & I would be glued to the series from start to finish. I love it so much that last year we actually picked up the box set, I think I am still on season 1 but it is that long ago since I put the DVD player on I honestly wouldn't know. I can't wait to get back into this and complete all the seasons and basically relive my childhood. 

Fingers crossed I get the Witcher & One Tree Hill finished soon so that I can move onto our forever growing want to watch list. What are you watching at the moment?

See you soon

Stepping Up My Photography With The Canon EOS 4000D

I finally made the decision just after Christmas to purchase a camera to get better quality images across my 3 blogs. It was towards the end of last year when we went to an event for the football blog that I realised I wanted something better than just my iPhone for a change. Everyone else was there with fancy camera and looking a lot more professional than us. Plus it was towards this time that I decided I wanted to improve my fashion blog a lot more and for that I needed to work on my photography. 

We were in PC World just before Christmas when I saw the Canon EOS 4000D on offer for £349.00 and this included 2 lenses in the cost. At first I wasn't sure so I did that thing where you go away and if you are still thinking about it after a while you go back and purchase it. Christmas came around and I got a bonus from work so just after boxing day we went back to PC World where the offer was still on and purchased the camera. I am so glad we did. So what do you get it the box?

When you first open the box you are greeted with a camera strap which is perfect as this camera is going to be used a lot out and about. But you are also greeted with a pretty thick manual, to be honest after a quick flick through I thought I had wasted my money as there was no way I was ever going to get to grips with everything and make the most out of the camera. However, after sitting and giving the manual a good read & playing about with the camera for a bit I realised I have definitely made the right choice.

Next up you have the main items, the camera itself which is the perfect size for me, it is not too bulky and it is easy to get a good steady grip on to take the best images you can without a risk of dropping it. The actual capture button is in the perfect spot too as unlike cameras I have had in the past it is where you hold the camera not on the top. You also get the charger and 1 battery for the camera, I think I will be having a look to see if I can get a few spares for when we go away or just in case this one dies whilst we are at an event which knowing my luck will happen often enough. We got 2 lenses in this pack and the first is the EF-S 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 IIII lens, to be honest I don't know much about lenses just yet but I am looking forward to learning more about them and seeing what each one can offer me. This one is doing well so far and has captured some great images for my fashion blog like the image below. 

In the pack we also got the EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 III lens, this one is still in the box but I am looking forward to giving it a try to see the differences between the 2 lenses we got. Who knows we may also be able to pick up a few more to give a go. It is going to be easier taking both lenses out to try now as we finally purchased a camera bag (review coming soon) so we can transport everything safely and not have to worry about things getting damaged. 

I also picked up a memory card to go in the camera because you can never have too many, I managed to get this pretty cheap & I am currently looking to pick up a few more as it is better safe than sorry plus I could have one for each blog so content is kept separate, meaning less chance of me losing it (I hope).

For the £349.00 price tag I paid I don't think you can go wrong with this camera at all it has been great learning different things with it so I would say if you are a beginner go for something like this it will really help you out however this particular set has now increased to £499.00. It has really improved my blog images too and the overall look of my fashion blog so that itself is worth that little investment. Keep an eye on the blog as in a few months I may do an update post just to keep you updated on if my opinions have changed and how it is benefiting me. 

I am hoping to add more tech to this blog during 2020 but the question is what would you love to see?

See you soon