Reading & Games in 2018

GREETINGS HUMANS, and welcome to the robotic uprising of 2019! But enough about me becoming a full-time Cyborg Software Engineer, I'm here to follow up on my whopping one post from 2018 with another look at my Resolutions going forward before this initial month has reached its close.

Let's begin with the reading list! As usual, bold books are my high recommendations, and * books are my re-reads.

1. A Storm of Swords (1/29/18)
2. *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2/8/18)
3. *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2/27/18)
4. The Name of the Wind (4/2/18)
5. *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (4/20/18)
6. Brain Rules (4/25/18)
7. Life Hacks (5/1/18)
8. *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (7/31/18)
9. *Future Crimes (8/10/18)
10. *Sapiens (9/15/18)
11. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson (10/31/18)
12. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari (11/5/18)
13. *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (11/29/18)

I know what you're going to say. "2015 = 30 books, 2016 = 32 books, 2017 = 35 books, 2018 = ...13?! What the hell man!" Yes, last year was less about the quantity of books, than it was about revisiting some classics and trying to apply what I've read to my life. In fact, it seems some of you are finally ready to accept the KonMari tidying method which I have been preaching since I finished her book on 12/13/17 (in 日本語!). My applied learnings helped me to deal with the highs such as new employment and travel, and the lows such as my grandfather's passing, all while continuing my way through a CS master's program and being a devoted husband.

My 2018 goal was supposed to focus on The Year of Gaming. And... well, priorities crushed me. BUT! If anything I set it up for a strong 2019. After picking up an SNES Classic and building a Retro Pie near the end of 2017 (our first "new" consoles since 2012), we went full steam ahead with getting a PS4 Pro (Jasmin's graduation present), PS VR (Jasmin's birthday present), and a Nintendo Switch (Jasmin's Christmas present from a friend). Okay, so technically they're all Jasmin's to play with while I'm studying, but here are a few games I played the most of in 2018:

• MegaMan 2 (Android)
• Overcooked (PS4)
• Zelda: A Link to the Past (GBA)

2019 shall be The Real Year of Gaming! Looking forward to enjoyable games that challenge my problem-solving and critical thinking skills to shake up my learning.

Make it a great year, and reach for those dreams!