The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
Chapters 8–10
Sunday, 19 April 2026
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
After another few days off, back to Skyrim! It's not that I've got bored of it or something, it's just about finding time while also doing other things. And, y'know, I have played over 205 hours of it — I'm getting a little bit of an itch to play other stuff as well (not instead). Still tonnes to do though, and I completed a lengthy-ish quest today which felt rewarding and reminds me that there's still a lot of fun to be had... though maybe I should now focus more on those kinds of storylines instead of the tonnes of random exploring and crafting I've been doing for so long.
Monument Valley II
Stuffed
Can't remember where I got this from (in a bundle of some kind, I guess). Played the tutorial and had a brief go at the main game. Didn't care for it. Well, that's another one off the "to try" list, at least!
After another few days off, back to Skyrim! It's not that I've got bored of it or something, it's just about finding time while also doing other things. And, y'know, I have played over 205 hours of it — I'm getting a little bit of an itch to play other stuff as well (not instead). Still tonnes to do though, and I completed a lengthy-ish quest today which felt rewarding and reminds me that there's still a lot of fun to be had... though maybe I should now focus more on those kinds of storylines instead of the tonnes of random exploring and crafting I've been doing for so long.
Monument Valley II
Stuffed
Can't remember where I got this from (in a bundle of some kind, I guess). Played the tutorial and had a brief go at the main game. Didn't care for it. Well, that's another one off the "to try" list, at least!
Saturday, 18 April 2026
Video Games
You Suck at Parking
After over a week, this had settled enough in my memory that I felt like it was worth another go. I lasted about 5 minutes. It feels like it could be fun, but the controls are unintuitive and that makes it suck. Uninstalled.
After over a week, this had settled enough in my memory that I felt like it was worth another go. I lasted about 5 minutes. It feels like it could be fun, but the controls are unintuitive and that makes it suck. Uninstalled.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Five new releases this week, all of them genre fare but from boutique labels. The highlight is John Woo's The Killer in 4K from Arrow, although Tsui Hark's remake of The One Armed Swordsman, The Blade, is very exciting too.
Number of titles in collection: 3,685 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,720 [up 5]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 523 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 8,842 [up 7]
Number of films: 4,737 [up 5]
Number of additional cuts: 489 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Five new releases this week, all of them genre fare but from boutique labels. The highlight is John Woo's The Killer in 4K from Arrow, although Tsui Hark's remake of The One Armed Swordsman, The Blade, is very exciting too.
Number of titles in collection: 3,685 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,720 [up 5]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 523 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 8,842 [up 7]
Number of films: 4,737 [up 5]
Number of additional cuts: 489 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 17 April 2026
Video Games
Balatro
It's been over 6 months since I last played this game that's supposedly soooo addictive and soooo unputdownable and soooo amazing. I always feel I should play it more because of that reputation, but I never quite got it. It came up somewhere today and I thought, "maybe it's time to try again".
First chunk of time was spent trying to remember how the hell it all works. And then... yeah, it's still fine, I guess. Feels like there's too much going on, too much to work out, and it takes too long* for it to just be fun. Still don't get it.
* people talk about the addictiveness of "just one more run", but even one go through takes over half-an-hour for me?! That's not "play multiple runs", that's "hope I have time for one" territory.
Monument Valley II
It's been over 6 months since I last played this game that's supposedly soooo addictive and soooo unputdownable and soooo amazing. I always feel I should play it more because of that reputation, but I never quite got it. It came up somewhere today and I thought, "maybe it's time to try again".
First chunk of time was spent trying to remember how the hell it all works. And then... yeah, it's still fine, I guess. Feels like there's too much going on, too much to work out, and it takes too long* for it to just be fun. Still don't get it.
* people talk about the addictiveness of "just one more run", but even one go through takes over half-an-hour for me?! That's not "play multiple runs", that's "hope I have time for one" territory.
Monument Valley II
Videos
007 First Light Title Sequence
Watched some of the BAFTA Game Awards this evening, mainly to see the premiere of this — the title sequence for the forthcoming James Bond game. I wasn't sure about the song at first, but it plays really nicely with the titles, which I think they've done an excellent job on. Excited for the game... though not sure when I'll actually get to play it as I doubt it'll run on my Steam Deck.
Beyond the Light
Episode 4 Music
And to go with the above, they released the fourth instalment of their behind-the-scenes dev diary, looking at music and sound.
Watched some of the BAFTA Game Awards this evening, mainly to see the premiere of this — the title sequence for the forthcoming James Bond game. I wasn't sure about the song at first, but it plays really nicely with the titles, which I think they've done an excellent job on. Excited for the game... though not sure when I'll actually get to play it as I doubt it'll run on my Steam Deck.
Beyond the Light
Episode 4 Music
And to go with the above, they released the fourth instalment of their behind-the-scenes dev diary, looking at music and sound.
Thursday, 16 April 2026
Films
3-D Rarities (2015)
Part 2: Hollywood Enters the Third Dimension
[#17 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2026]
Concluding yesterday's programme. This half contains a mix of shorts and trailers for 3D features, as well as the only 3D newsreel.
Part 2: Hollywood Enters the Third Dimension
[#17 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2026]
Concluding yesterday's programme. This half contains a mix of shorts and trailers for 3D features, as well as the only 3D newsreel.
Wednesday, 15 April 2026
Films
3-D Rarities (2015)
Part 1: The Dawn of Stereoscopic Cinematography
[#17 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2026]
A programme of tests, shorts, and the like from the early days of 3D film. I only watched the first half because of my usual poor time management. Part 2 tomorrow, hopefully.
Part 1: The Dawn of Stereoscopic Cinematography
[#17 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2026]
A programme of tests, shorts, and the like from the early days of 3D film. I only watched the first half because of my usual poor time management. Part 2 tomorrow, hopefully.
Tuesday, 14 April 2026
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
Monument Valley II
Casually chipping away at this one short level at a time — I may have played it on three occasions, but my total playtime is still under half-an-hour.
Monument Valley II
Casually chipping away at this one short level at a time — I may have played it on three occasions, but my total playtime is still under half-an-hour.
Monday, 13 April 2026
Fiction
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Chapters 23–25 [the end]
There's also an epilogue exclusive to a collector's edition, although fans have shared it online. I always assume bonuses like that are going to be inconsequential little something-and-nothings to persuade completist fans to buy a new copy, but this one is actually substantial — longer than most (possibly all) chapters in the book proper, and with some significant events that cast everything in a different light. I have to wonder: is it Hoover's preferred ending? Or one of those 'my publisher made me do it' kinda extras that wouldn't be in a 'preferred text' edition?
Chapters 23–25 [the end]
There's also an epilogue exclusive to a collector's edition, although fans have shared it online. I always assume bonuses like that are going to be inconsequential little something-and-nothings to persuade completist fans to buy a new copy, but this one is actually substantial — longer than most (possibly all) chapters in the book proper, and with some significant events that cast everything in a different light. I have to wonder: is it Hoover's preferred ending? Or one of those 'my publisher made me do it' kinda extras that wouldn't be in a 'preferred text' edition?
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
Celebrated (I guess) my return to Skyrim by visiting my seventh city, Morthal, and acquiring a nearby house. It's only a minor one, so not a whole lot to do there, but it's another milestone.
Monument Valley II
Celebrated (I guess) my return to Skyrim by visiting my seventh city, Morthal, and acquiring a nearby house. It's only a minor one, so not a whole lot to do there, but it's another milestone.
Monument Valley II
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