Author: valleyreading

End of Year Post

Well as with previous years of saying I will post here I have failed yet again but this year has been one of failure in general, not the most productive or happiest year, in terms of productivity and personal life.

My reading has seriously took a hit this year and I was bogged down by The World by Simon Sebag Montefiore for much of it, a book that took forever to read despite how enjoyable I found it.

In my Goodreads challenge of 25 I got up to 19 (at the time of writing) which is easily 1/3 or 1/4 of my usual reading output. I didn’t finish many books but I have read for the best part of the year with only 34 days missed according to Kindle Reading Insights. I’m doing this on the 29th December and won’t be missing reading on the next two days.

One positive for my reading is discovering the genre of LitRPG and particularly the series Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. A thoroughly enjoyable, funny and wonderful series. I’m eagerly awaiting the audiobook for Book 7, the books are incredible and the audiobooks further enhance them.

For 2025 my goal is to read daily and not miss so many days but finish more books, hopefully I can focus and keep that goal. For a number I will set an initial goal of 25 and once I feel in my rhythm bump it up to 52 so a book a week, or maybe just set it to 52 to begin with. I really want to grow my enjoyment of books again, this year was a write off as far as that is concerned. I am toying with the idea of a soft reading list so I have something to stick to, hopefully I don’t buy as many books this year (famous last words).

Happy New Year and I’ll try to be more regular here.

Phantom Architecture by Philip Wilkinson

Although I started this several months ago I didn’t really start reading it properly until last week. I had previously dipped in and out of it. But once i devoted my time to it, what a very interesting and enthralling read, some very quirky, interesting and downright strange designs. It would have been interesting to see some of them come fruition like a giant pyramid crypt in London for 5 million bodies, or a giant elephant in Paris. If they had been built I wonder how they would be perceived today?

A great selection and quite interesting, not a difficult or dense read at all. A bit more details would be nice but a minor quibble. The book has some great illustrations and photographs from more modern times of the models and plans for the buildings and communities.

It does make me curious what contemporary designs are ongoing that will end up future phantoms. Perhaps the proposed Neom in Saudi Arabia will be a future Phantom or drastically different to how we are expecting it today.

Diary of A Nobody by George Grossmith

My first book of the year and to start the year with a fun, entertaining read. Given I am keeping a diary again this year The diary of A Nobody seemed a good start. Although dated the humour does shine through and having listened to a snippet of the audiobook read by Martin Jarvis, I likely will listen/read it again. I feel the book will be enriched with narration.


I don’t know if that was how the humour was in those days but the jokes are often at the main characters expense, Mr Pooter and his bad jokes like how with his friends Mr Cummings and Mr Gowing. He notes that “Cummings is always going, Gowing is always coming”. a lot of fun wordplay in the humour.

A more funny read this time around and as such I will bump it up to 5* on Goodreads.

So that’s one down for the year, not sure what to read next. I may post individual reviews here or maybe a few at a time, depends on my output I guess and what I’m reading.

Shave of The Day 5/1/2024 – First of 2024

Vie Long 13061b

Rockwell Model T2 Stainless Steel

Shark Platinum (1)

Razorock XXX Fresco

Child’s Farm Baby Moisturiser, Razorock Fresco Aftershave & Acqua di Parma Colonia

First shave of the year, had some excema to take care of and had to be presentable for today. It was about a week since my last shave. I find in recent months I have preferred to grow out my beard for a week or two between shaves. I quite like the look, whereas previously I was a daily shaver.

It was a super shave and the Rockwell razor is a superb bit of kit. Very expensive and not really affordable but you get what pay for in terms of quality and materials. A superb fully adjustable modern safety razor that gives a very comfortable and close shave. The geometry and balance is excellent, its a heavy razor but made of 99% stainless steel parts its to be expected. Certainly a heirloom razor that will be still running when I have long since kicked the bucket. I paired it with a Shark Platinum razor blade on its first use, an excellent blade for me.

I went for the Vie Long horse hair brush and as always it was superb, a little scratchy but it helps exfoliate and work the lather in. A very underappreciated material for shaving brushes and animal friendly too, with the hair being harvested via grooming as opposed to skinning with boar, badger hair and the future issues of synthetic hair brushes.

Feeling a little bunged up I went for something mentholated in the Razorock XXX Fresco soap and aftershave splash. It certainly woke me up and gave a nice menthol blast. Excellent performing soap and a nice mentholated take on Acqua di Parma’s colonia. I finished up with a spray of it.

The photo I had taken a few days prior before I put away my Christmas decorations. I had always planned for this first shave of the year.