Author / ibmacin

by ibmacin

January 2023 Books

I am on a quest to read at least a book a month through all of 2023. For January, I was able to finish three books that I had started in 2022.

Monster Kids by Daniel Dockery

Monster Kids was a great read for this 90’s kid. It explores the Pokemon phenomenon from the late 90’s and also covers some other monster franchises such as Digimon & Yu-Gi-Oh. I really enjoyed reading about how the media of the time covered Pokemania and how so many thought it would just be another fad. The book was very well researched and if you are at all interested in the subject matter, I highly recommend it. If you are on the fence, you can check out this podcast episode from the excellent Memory Card podcast where they interview the author. That is how I discovered it.

Pure Invention by Matt Alt

Pure Invention was another really good read about how many creations from Japan have shaped not just the United States, but the entire world. From Hello Kitty, Karaoke, Tamagotchi, manga, & anime, this book delves deep on all of these and more. I’ve always been fascinated with Japan and it’s cultural relevance, and this book definitely delivered.

PlayStation Vita: Year One by Sandeep Rai

This is the first in a series of books on the history of Sony’s failed handheld, the PlayStation Vita. The Vita was a fascinating handheld that was ahead of it’s time in many ways, yet failed to catch on and was ultimately considered a failure. Between Sony losing faith very early in it’s life and the juggernaut that was the Nintendo 3DS, the Vita led a very short life. I & many others still have a soft spot for the Vita though and this was a great look at the first year of the PlayStation Vita when everyone was still pretty optimistic about it’s future. The author has two additional books in this series which I plan to jump into soon.

That’s a wrap for January of 2023. I’m very happy that I was able to finish these three books and am looking forward to more reading in February. Thanks for reading!

by ibmacin

2023 Resolutions

As we begin a new year, a lot of us look backwards and see some areas of their lives that could be improved. That is certainly the case in my life. I made some good progress on some of my goals but fell short on many others. I thought I would try something new and post my resolutions here on the site to hopefully hold myself accountable. At the end of this year I can revisit these goals and see how I did.

1. Buy less stuff

This is my big one for 2023. I have fallen into the trap of buying way too many things. I have found that as I make more money, I simply spend all of the extra on things I don’t really need. I am committed to drastically cut down on my spending in 2023. I have actually been doing this since the beginning of December and my goal is to continue doing so all they way though the end of the year.

2. Make better use of my free time

As someone who works full time and has two young kids at home, I don’t have a ton of free time. However, looking back on the last few years, I am disgusted with how I have spent a good portion of it. I have wasted so much time mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, & Twitter. I became so consumed with social media that I have neglected some of my other favorite hobbies, such as playing videogames and reading. Social media is absolutely an addiction and to be honest, it has not been good for my mental health. I started to get rid of some of it in 2022. I got rid of TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, & created a new Facebook account strictly for marketplace, with no friends. But the one platform I have been unable to rid myself of is Twitter. I love Twitter so much but it is time to let it go as well. I feel like by making a clean break from all social media, I will hopefully be in a better place mentally, have much more time for the hobbies that actually bring me joy, & I can hopefully be more present when I am with my wife and kids, instead of scrolling on my phone for no good reason. Along with that, I also really want to cut down on the amount of time I spend on YouTube. Even though I don’t really consider it social media, I still get sucked in to this service as well. I plan to continue using it but really limit myself to how much I do.

3. Get back into running and cycling

About 3 years ago, I made some big changes in my life health wise. I quit drinking all soda and caffeine. I went from getting almost no exercise to getting some everyday. I fell in love with running and cycling. Sitting here today, I have kept up most of these changes. I still drink water and nothing else. I still routinely get exercise, though it’s mostly just walking these days. But, I have not kept up with my old habits of running and cycling. I want to get back on track with these two activities in 2023.

4. Read more

Before I got sucked into the time suck of social media and reading articles online, I used to read a lot. I got back into reading a little bit in 2022 but this year I really want to get back to reading regularly. I want to try and read at least 1 book a month to start with. This seems like an easily attainable goal so I am hoping that at the end of the year I will have met or even exceeded it.

5. Post to the blog regularly

My last resolution for the year is to post more frequently and consistently to my blog. I should have plenty of time to do it since I am no longer using social media and I really enjoy it when I do. My goal is to post at least once every two weeks with the hope that I can actually get to posting once every week.

So those are my resolutions for 2023. Do you have any resolutions you would like to share? Do you think setting resolutions is a fools errand? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

by ibmacin

My Favorite Things of 2022

We have come to the end of another year. I hope 2022 was a good year for everyone. One tradition I have had on this site is to post my favorite things of the year. Let’s get right to it.

Air Jordan 1 Low (Black/White/ Gray)

I absolutely love sneakers and picked up several pairs this year. Of everything I purchased, these are easily my favorites. I find that they go with almost any outfit due to the basic colorway. I think they look great and I find myself choosing these shoes all of the time when I am going out.

Bellroy Lite Sling

I picked up this bag on Black Friday at a pretty good discount. This is a perfect small sling that is extremely lightweight and is available in a very unique chalk color. I love bringing this bag with me with my iPad mini, Nintendo Switch or Analogue Pocket, sunglasses, keys, wallet, battery pack, & AirPods neatly tucked inside.

Analogue Pocket

In a perfect world, this would have been on last year’s list. Despite ordering this over a year ago, I finally received it this December. This is my first Analogue product and I couldn’t be more impressed. It has tremendous build quality, can play any of my collection of Game Boy, Game Boy Color, & Game Boy Advance games out of the box, and after a few updates, supports emulation extremely well. Other than my Switch, this is my go-to handheld now.

Thread Wallet

I purchased this wallet early in the year and it has been perfect. I have always preferred thin minimal wallets and this one fits the bill quite nicely. It can hold 5 or 6 cards as well as cash, which is all that I need. I highly recommend this wallet if you are looking for a thin minimal style wallet. They are available in a variety of patterns and colors if you aren’t boring like me.

M1 iPad Pro 11″ w/ Magic Keyboard

I got an incredible deal on this iPad Pro this fall. I’m a big pawn shop guy, most of my tech is bought secondhand. I was able to get this iPad for only $300 and I got the Magic Keyboard for around $100. This iPad is absolutely my daily driver. It goes everywhere with me and it is so portable. When paired with the Magic Keyboard, it brings back memories of my beloved MacBook Air 11″ that I had years ago. Yes, I occasionally use my iMac, MacBook Pro and iPad mini, but this is the device I use 90% of the time.

The North Face Thermoball Mules

I saved the best item for last! I was in the market for some new slippers this year as I am very cold natured and my feet are always cold during the winter. I picked these slippers up and I am in love! I very much appreciate that they have backs on them so they don’t make a lot of noise when I am walking on my hardwood floors. The best part by far though is how toasty they keep my feet. I have never had any other slipper that has come close to how warm these are. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend these to anyone who doesn’t have very cold feet, as they would probably be too warm for most people. But for someone like me, they are truly perfect.

by ibmacin

AirPods Pro 2 Impressions

I picked up a pair of the second generation AirPods Pro recently and wanted to share my thoughts on them so far. For reference, I picked up the original AirPods Pro in December of 2019 and have used them almost every day since. Before that I used the regular AirPods daily.

So why did I upgrade from the original AirPods Pro? My originals still worked great. I love the noise cancelling, transparency mode, and how well they work when you are in the Apple ecosystem. There was really only one major reason I upgraded and that was battery life. As I mentioned in my intro, I have worn my original AirPods Pro pretty much every day since I got them and boy does the battery life on them bear this out. They are constantly needing to be recharged, both the AirPods themselves as well as the charging case that they go in. It is truly unfortunate as other than the battery life, they are perfectly functional. I wish there was a way to replace the batteries in them but as far as I know, there isn’t.

Truthfully, I have been putting up with the bad battery life for months now as I definitely didn’t want to buy another pair of the originals at full price. So I was thrilled when Apple announced the second generation model. I picked them up about a week ago and have been putting them through the paces.

So what is different about the second generation Pros? Let’s start with the case that they charge in. While it looks almost identical and has the same dimensions as the original case, it has gained quite a few new features. It now supports the Find My network and has a new speaker on the bottom to help you find them if you misplace them. While I haven’t had any trouble keeping track of my Pros, I’m sure this is a welcome addition to the millions of people who have misplaced theirs. The case also supports adding a lanyard to the side. I know many people bought cases for their original AirPod Pro just to do this so it was a smart move for Apple to build it in to the case. Also, the new case supports charging via MagSafe as well as with an Apple Watch charger, both features my originals lacked and both welcome additions.

As for the AirPods themselves, they have gained both improved transparency and improved noice cancellation modes. The transparency mode, which was already great on the originals, is outstanding now. It is so good that it is sounds like you don’t even have the AirPods in your ears anymore. It’s that good. Likewise the noice cancellation mode is also greatly improved. Apple claims up to 2x better noise cancellation which I can’t exactly prove but I did immediately notice a big difference upon trying them. Certain sounds that the original Pros did not fully block out are now fully cancelled out with the new Pros. Other than those improvements, you can now control the volume from the AirPods themselves by swiping up or down on the stems. This has worked great for me without any false positives in my testing. Lastly and most important of all to me is the improved battery life. Apple says that the second gen Pros will get up to 6 hrs. on a charge now which is an improvement of 1 hour compared to the first gen Pros. But for me with my nearly 3 years old first gen pros, I’m getting closer to double the battery life than I am used to. It is so nice not having to constantly recharge them and is by far my favorite thing about this new pair.

In conclusion, while I truly hope that Apple can figure out a way to keep older AirPods from being wasted with some kind of battery replacement program, I never really hesitated on buying a new pair. For me, my AirPods Pro are at or near the top of my most used tech items. I use them all day at work, at home when putting the kids to bed, on walks, and so many other situations. They are truly a magical device and I am very happy to have my new pair. Thanks for reading!

by ibmacin

The Nintendo Switch OLED

I was scrolling through my list of blog post ideas and realized that I never posted my review of the Nintendo Switch OLED model. It has been out since October 8th of 2021 so this review will only be a year late haha!

My history with Nintendo & the Nintendo Switch

I am a huge Nintendo fan. I was born in the same year that the NES was widely released in America and I have owned every Nintendo system released in the US to date (yes, even the Virtual Boy & Wii U). When Nintendo unveiled the Switch, the company was not doing great. The Wii U was pretty much a disaster right out of the gate and the 3DS, while doing much better than the Wii U, was really showing its age.

Enter the Nintendo Switch. Ever since it was revealed, I was super hyped for it. One of my buddies and I planned a trip to PAX South (R.I.P.) to play the system before it was released. We fell in love with it once we had some hands on time with it and we found ourselves at the midnight launch for the system at our local Best Buy. Fast forward three and a half years and the Switch is a runaway success. Nintendo has completely turned their fortunes around with the Switch. The have not only sold a ton of hardware, but they have also sold a ton of software too. So when Nintendo announced the next model in the lineup, The Switch OLED, you can bet that I preordered it and received it on launch day.

The Hardware

The Switch OLED, while not the Switch Pro that everyone wanted it to be, is a substantial update to the original Switch. I want to hit on all of the improvements in this section.

  • The Display: The main selling point of the Switch OLED is obviously the new screen. Gone is the original 6.2″ LCD and it has been replaced with an absolutely gorgeous 7″ OLED panel. This is a massive upgrade for the system. Nintendo makes some of the most colorful games in the industry (Mario, Pokemon, Smash Bros., Splatoon) and the colors are just stunning on the OLED display. The panel can get super bright and I also really appreciate the bigger screen size. It is very noticeable. Even nearly a year later, every time I play my Switch in handheld mode, I am blown away by the screen.
  • The Kickstand: The original Switch came with a kickstand, which is a great idea. The problem was that it was a horrible kickstand! It was extremely flimsy and I got to where I didn’t even trust it enough to use it. Nintendo completely overhauled the kick stand on the OLED model and it is so much better than the original one. The kickstand now runs across the whole rear of the system & it is super adjustable. I would compare it to the Microsoft Surface Pro kickstands if you have ever used one of those.
  • Built In Storage: While the original Switch came with 32gb of internal storage, the OLED model doubles it to 64gb. While serious players will still need to expand their storage with a microSD card, it is a nice addition nonetheless.
  • Sound: The sound quality of the built in speakers on the OLED is considerably better then the built in speakers on the original model. Again, some may use headphones most of the time they are on their Switch but it is a nice upgrade.
  • The Dock: The Dock that comes with each system has been redesigned as well. It has two benefits over the old dock. First is that the dock now includes a LAN port for wired internet. The old dock does not and requires you to purchase an adapter for wired internet. The second is that, at least to me, the dock is more aesthetically pleasing. As something that sirts on top of my entertainment center, I like the look and shape of the new dock more.
  • Color Options: While the Switch OLED model is still available with the same red and blue joy-cons as the original system, it also come in a new white colorway, complete with a white dock. This is the color that I opted for. I am very into white electronics so this was just perfect for me. I love the clean look of the dock and joy-cons!

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Switch OLED is in my opinion, the version of the Switch to buy if you are in the market for a Switch. It is also a decent upgrade if you are coming from an original model. It is by no means a necessary upgrade and it runs all of the games the exact same as the original Switch and the Switch lite. But if you are really into the Switch and would appreciate all of the little upgrades over the original model, I see no reason not to go for it! Thanks for reading.

by ibmacin

Splatoon 3: First Impressions

Splatoon 3 released a few days ago and I wanted to give my first impressions on my time with it so far. For reference, I played the first Splatoon on the Wii U a little and then played Splatoon 2 on the Switch a lot (200+ hours). Splatoon 2 is up there with Breath of the Wild as my favorite games on the Switch. I had so much fun with that game, but it was not without it’s annoyances. Enter Splatoon 3.

Refined to Perfection

Splatoon 3 does not drastically change the formula from previous games in the series. It consists of almost entirely the same modes as Splatoon 2. You still have your single player campaign, Turf War, ranked modes, and Salmon Run. Where Splatoon 3 moves the needle is how much it gets right in all of the details. These details, while small, contributed to a lot of annoyances in the Splatoon community. Splatoon 3 comes really close to fixing them all. A few of my favorite changes:

  • You can skip the intro and hop right into the world. This is huuuuge!
  • You can party up with your friends in Turf War battles and always be on the same team now. This was easily my biggest gripe with Splatoon 2 and it has been fixed!
  • The new lobby is great. Instead of just staring at the players names waiting for your next match, you can now goof off in the lobby while you wait. Try out your weapons, play leapfrog with your teammates, or see how much area you can paint before the next battle starts. Just having something to do makes the wait seem so much shorter.
My current gear

New & Fresh

Of course, there is also a lot of new things in Splatoon 3 as well. I love the new battle pass catalog feature they have added. Basically once you hit level 4 you are gifted a catalog. Each catalog runs for a few months and you rank it up alongside your player rank. Each new level rewards you with some new item. It could be a new sticker for your locker, a new emote, new clothing items, or any number of other things. This is a great addition and will keep the community more engaged with the game. Also, unlike other games, the catalog feature is free and included with the base game.

The Catalog

Splatoon has always been about self expression and customizing your look and they have added some great options along these lines in Splatoon 3. Now, each player has a SplashTag that identifies them in multiplayer. You can now customize the background, add badges to it, and also give yourself a title, similar to the title feature in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. All of these changes are great. On top of that, each player is assigned a locker in the multiplayer lobby that they can fill with any items they have collected in the game. There is a lot of customization here and it is fun to look at everyone’s lockers to see all of the creativity on display.

Example of the new SplashTags

The multiplayer co-op mode Salmon Run has also received some new additions. It is now always available to play as opposed to how it was in Splatoon 2 when you could only play the mode during scheduled times of the day. Also, you can now throw eggs as opposed to only being able to drop them which makes a huge difference in strategy this time. You also have a chance to face a gigantic boss at the end of your runs, which is great fun. I have faced him twice so far and defeated him once.

Final Thoughts

Nintendo has done an outstanding job with Splatoon 3. While not a groundbreaking entry in the series, they have cleaned up so many areas from the previous games while adding enough new stuff to keep the fanbase engaged. They have also promised plenty of post launch support, both free and paid, so this game should remain fresh for many years. If you have thought about dipping your toes into Splatoon, now is a great time to jump in. Thanks for reading.

by ibmacin

Arcadia: A Great Apple Watch App

I was recently browsing the games tab in the iOS App Store and came across a game called Arcadia – Arcade Watch Games that piqued my interest. I had tried several Apple Watch games years ago when I first bought an Apple Watch but none of them had ever stuck with me. This game, or collection of games, had excellent reviews though. I ended up researching it a bit and decided to buy it for $1.99.

Arcadia is a collection of 21 arcade style games for the Apple Watch. I believe the games are also playable on the iPhone, iPad, & Apple TV, but they are designed to be played on the watch. Each one has clean and simple graphics & pretty intuitive controls for what they had to work with on the watch. These are the perfect style of games for the watch as well: simple, bite-sized experiences when you just need to kill a minute or two. Each game I have tried so far also has leaderboards so that you can try to beat your previous high score.

Some of the games I have tried and really liked were FastRun, an OutRun inspired arcade racer, RainBowling, CandyBall, a fun little pinball game, & Galaxy Invaders, a Galaga inspired shooter.

If you have ever had the desire to try playing games on your Apple Watch, I encourage you to give Arcadia a try. It is the best Apple Watch game that I have found so far. I have no relationship with the developer nor did I receive a code for this game. I bought it with my own money and just wanted to spread the word. If you have any Apple Watch games that you like, feel free to drop a comment below. Thanks for reading!

by ibmacin

In The Bag: The Fjallraven High Coast Pocket

For the next installment of my In The Bag series, I want to look at one of the smallest bags in my collection: The Fjallraven High Coast Pocket. I picked up this bag on a recent trip to New York City with my wife. We love New York City and I was delighted to see that there were three separate Fjallraven stores there. Fjallraven has become one of my favorite brands over the last 5 years. I have very little access to the brand in my smaller hometown, so it was a real treat to get to visit these stores. While browsing one of their New York locations, I came across this small little bag. I instantly fell in love with it and purchased it right then.

The High Coast Pocket is a very small bag at only .8L. It is designed to carry just the essentials, which is exactly what I was looking for. I’m one of those people who dislikes carrying a bunch of things in my pockets. This little pouch allows me to empty out my pockets and store all of my everyday necessities in here instead. The bag itself is very simple. It has 2 compartments, one larger main zippered compartment as well as a small front zippered compartment. The larger compartment has an inside mesh compartment inside as well for additional organization. The smaller compartment contains a key attachment as well. It has a shoulder strap that be attached to any combination of the 4 loops on the back of the bag, which allows you to wear it either over the shoulder or as a crossbody. Also on the back is a loop that you can use to attach it to a belt if desired. The bag has a fairly thin shoulder strap but it works fine as it is such a small bag. Lastly the bag is made of water resistant material but is not fully waterproof. As for how it does in the real world, It held up well when we were in some rain during our trip but I wouldn’t fully submerge it.

As for what I use this bag for and what I pack inside, this bag is perfect for when you need to carry your essentials and either don’t have the pocket space or if you are like me, prefer not to stuff your pockets with your items. My typical carry includes the following items:

  • Wallet
  • iPhone
  • MagSafe Battery Pack
  • Sunglasses
  • Keys
  • AirPods Pro
  • Lip Balm

The High Cost Pocket handles carrying this stuff with ease. I appreciate how light the bag is even when packed fully and that everything is secure due to each compartment being zippered. This bag came in clutch when we were in New York and doing a lot of walking throughout the city. I also use it when walking to the park with my family, when out shopping, and when going to the gym with workout clothes that have very shallow pockets. If you are on the lookout for a small, functional, and stylish bag, consider taking a look at the Fjallraven High Coast Pocket. Thanks for reading!

by ibmacin

In The Bag: The Tom Bihn Medium Cafe

Welcome to a new series of mine I’m calling In The Bag. I am a long time lover of bags of all types. I’ve always been fascinated with the bags people carry and what they keep in them. Over the years, I have amassed a collection of backpacks, messenger style bags, slings, totes, & fanny packs. I also am constantly watching YouTube videos of bag reviews as well as browsing the onebag, manybaggers, & whatsinthebag subreddits. Suffice to say, I love bags & I have a lot to say about them. I’m starting this series to highlight some of my favorite bags and to tell you why I love them. I want to begin this series with a new bag in my collection, the Tom Bihn Medium Cafe.

The Tom Bihn Medium Cafe is a messenger style bag made by Tom Bihn. Several things drew me to choosing Tom Bihn to buy my next bag from. First, they are known for their quality. They make high quality bags and they stand behind their products. Second, the bags are made right here in the USA, Seattle to be exact. Lastly, they have a ton of accessories and customization options for their bags. They are available in various materials & colors and they have all kinds of different accessories both tailor made for specific bags, as well as accessories that you can use from one bag to another.

I ended up with the Medium Cafe bag due to its size and looks. The Medium Cafe is an 8 liter bag, so much smaller than my current backpack, but also larger than my sling bags. I also found a color that I really liked, Tom Bihn calls it logic blue with the cloud interior. As I said before, I typically alternate between my large backpack or one of my smaller slings when I leave the house. Often when I bring my backpack, I wish I had brought a smaller bag while when I bring a sling, I wish for a bigger bag so that certain items of mine could fit. This bag is a perfect middle ground for me. I can take all of the gear I typically need on a daily basis without any wasted space or bulk.

Interior look with everything packed inside

As far as the features of the bag, here is a brief overview. The bag has a seat belt like shoulder strap as well as a handle on the back for hanging on a hook. The strap is very comfortable and I appreciate the hook which I use to hang by my desk when not in use. The bag has three compartments: one large opened-top main compartment, a smaller zippered compartment in the front, and a slanted open-top pocket at the back of the bag. Starting at the front, the small zippered compartment is great for smaller items that you don’t want bouncing around in the main open-top compartment. The main compartment is very roomy, with four organization pockets on the inside front. Two of these pockets are perfect for pens or pencils. The other two are roomier, for reference I keep my MagSafe battery pack and external battery in one pocket & my sunglasses in the other one. Other than that, the main compartment is just an empty bucket to put your larger items. I keep my iPad Pro 12.9″ in it’s Magic Keyboard case, Nintendo Switch, Kindle Paperwhite, & a small pouch with my various charging cables, lip balm, microfiber cloth, & allergy meds inside. The main compartment also has three O-rings in it. Tom Bihn includes an 8″ key strap on one of them which I use to clip my AirPods Pro to. Tom Bihn also sells all sorts of different organizer pouches and accessories that you can attach to the other O-rings. I’m excited to eventually purchase some of these accessories at a later date when the bag fund is replenished. Lastly, the back compartment is not super useful, but works for holding documents or maybe a magazine in a pinch.

What I am carrying in my bag.

Overall, I am very happy with the Medium Cafe bag. It fits a gap I had with my other bags, I can tell it is a quality bag that will last me years and years, and I got it in a color I absolutely love. What’s more, I can now start researching all of the various accessories and other bags Tom Bihn sells and plot my next purchase!

Thanks for reading!

by ibmacin

Rekindling My Love Of Reading

Over the last few months, I have rediscovered my love for reading, specifically with my Kindle Paperwhite. As a child I always loved to read. I have fond memories of reading Encyclopedia Brown, The Hardy Boys, & Archie Comics. As an adult I continued to read more & more but what I was reading really changed. With the internet coming into my life more & more, I spent less time reading books and more time reading web articles, forum posts, & social media posts. There is so much to read online that I unwittingly stopped reading books almost entirely. in 2022 I set out to change that. While I love reading things online, I don’t want that to be my sole category of things I read.

The first thing I realized, is that for me, trying to read books on my iPhone or iPad is not ideal. There are too many distractions with those devices that keep me from getting fully engrossed in my book. While I love reading magazines & comics on my iPad, I didn’t enjoy reading books on it. I also am not interested in owning all of my books physically. I know that to some people, this is the only way to read but I have enough collections of physical items as it is. I needed something digital. The answer of course, was in my desk drawer, covered in dust and in need of a charge. It was my old Kindle Paperwhite.

The Kindle Paperwhite was the perfect solution for me. It is cheap, compact, has great battery life, and has the perfect screen for reading. The e-ink technology used for the screen is unmatched for reading books, especially outdoors. So I charged it up, updated the software, downloaded a couple of books that seemed interesting, and away I went! I can’t overstate how great of an experience it is to read on this device. It is proof that there is still room in the market for a great single purpose device. I have been trying to make reading more of a habit this year and I must say, my life has been better off for it. While I have been reading a ton of short form content, it has been really nice to read more longform content this year. I would like to end this post by giving a brief summary of the last few books I have read.

NBA Jam by Reyan Ali: I loved this book covering the making of the classic arcade game NBA Jam. It was a fascinating look into how games were made in the early 90’s and I was enthralled the whole way through.

The History of the Future by Blake J. Harris: This was a fun read as well, It covers the origins of modern day VR, specifically Oculus, all the way through the Facebook acquisition.

This is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick: This was a great book about finding ways to love wherever it is that you call home. This book inspired me to get to know my town better and to find all of the good in it.

The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman: An awesome time capsule of a read for anyone who like me, grew up in the Nineties. I couldn’t put this one down. It was a great nostalgic trip.

Disrupting the Game by Reggie Fils-Aime: The most recent book I finished. As a huge Nintendo fan, I couldn’t help but read this book written by the Regginator himself! It was a short read but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Currently I am reading through Ready Player One again as I have been wanting to read the sequel. This book is pure fan service for nerds like myself and I won’t pretend it is anything else. However, I love it! I think it is perfectly fine to balance your more serious reading with something fun every now and then. What about you? Do you enjoy reading? Have any recommendations for me? Feel free to drop a comment down below. Thanks for reading!