What I Read: January 2018

Hey everybody! The first half of the month, I seemed to have read a lot of average and disappointing books. Luckily, I did read some very neat things during the last part of January. I wanted to chill out on reading this year, but I still seem to be on a reading kick. My goal for the year is 100, and I managed to read 34 books this month. 12 of those were graphic novels, and the rest were novels. One thing that helped me read a ton this month was reading eBooks on my phone. I read a little before each of my classes, and you'd be surprised about how much it adds up. Anyways, let's get into what I read.

So starting with graphic novels, I finished the Scott Pilgrim series (volumes 1 through 6) before I came back to school. I've heard a lot of positive things about the series, but I honestly found it to be kind of stupid. I didn't like the main character that much, and I thought the plot was dumb. I would not recommend it. I believe I'm now caught up on all of The Walking Dead graphic novels (volumes 24-28). These last 10 or so have been very enjoyable, because it's finally things I never saw them do in the TV show. The plot has been moving quickly, and there's lots of good drama. The series has finally redeemed itself to me with the last few volumes. I also read Saga Vol. 8. It was okay. I'm not the biggest fan of this series either, but there are a few characters I like in it.

None of the books I read this month were 5 star reads, but I managed to find a decent number of 4 star ones recently. Columbine by Dave Cullen is a book I've been wanting to read for a while. It takes a look at what happened with the Columbine shootings and a profile of the killers. I thought it was very well-done writing and research wise. One aspect I liked about it was an aside about how media plays a role in these tragedies. If you like to read true crime, it's a worthwhile one to check out. As You Wish by Cary Elwes was a cool look at the behind-the-scenes of The Princess Bride. It is a memoir about his time as Westley in that movie. If you somehow have not seen that movie, you really ought to check it out. It's fantastic! This book was entertaining and talks about some of the other actors/actresses involved in the film. I definitely recommend this one too! Final Girls by Riley Sager had a very compelling plot. If you like thrillers and books revolving around murder, I'd recommend it. It wasn't 100% what I expected, but it still kept me intrigued most of the time. Some other good ones were The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, and Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon.

The rest of the books I'm going to mention all let me down in some way or another. An average book (3/5 stars) that I was expecting more from was Sourdough by Robin Sloan. Robin Sloan also wrote Mr. Penumbra's 24 Bookstore, which I read last year and really enjoyed. I thought Sourdough would be good, but it feel flat. It's all about a woman in tech who starts making her own bread. I thought the main character was pretty cringey. I also read Carrie by Stephen King and rated it 2 out of 5 stars. Stephen King's writing rubs me the wrong way in places. It was a quick read, but I didn't like that the were essentially no chapters. It was divided into parts that each probably took at least an hour to read. I don't think the characters were developed that much. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty was another 2/5 book for me. I've heard lots of good things about it, but honestly it was kind of boring. The last two books I'll mention briefly that I rated 2/5 stars as well are The Circle by Dave Eggers and The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson. The Psychopath Test seemed very repetitive and disjointed. I did not enjoy it as much as one of his other books, So You've Been Publicly Shamed. The Circle was very cringey as well, mostly due to the main character. It's a neat concept where technology has essentially taken over everything. This was another one that didn't have chapters, which made it harder to read. I felt it was bogged down by a lot of unnecessary crap. That's it for January! Thanks for looking!

Gear I'd Like To Try In 2018

I don't think I've done a post about what gear I'd like to try in a while. I like to do these every so often to let you all know what you may see on the channel, and also to hear your thoughts about any of the things before I buy them. I of course have never tried any of the following things, but maybe some of you all have. It'll probably be a while before I pick any of this gear up, as I just got hit with all my textbook purchases. Some of these are a greater priority than others. There's probably tons of other things I'd like to try in 2018. This is the short list of the main things that have caught my eye. All of the photos are from BladeHQ (link here) by the way. They're my favorite site to look at to research new gear.

The knife I'm most excited to try this year is surprisingly the Boker Kalashnikov. They recently came out with these in some new colors, and you all know how much I love my colorful gear. I love my Kershaw Launch 4, so it'd be cool to try another auto. I'm thinking this will be the first thing I buy from this list.

I want to make flashlights a greater priority this year. I haven't tried a Fenix in a while, so this UC02 looks intriguing. I mostly just dig that it's kind of purple and rechargeable. It's only $25 too.

The CRKT Pilar has been very hyped up the past few months. I mostly want to give it a try to see how it compares to the Squid. The Squid was an utter piece of garbage, and I'd like to see if the Pilar is just as overhyped.

This year I'd also like to work my way through some of the older Spyderco models that intrigue me. The Roadie is a smaller slipjoint from them. I like all the color options, so this one will probably happen sometime this year.

The last thing I'd definitely like to try this year is the Spyderco Squarehead. I'm thinking I'll pick it up in the newer gray FRN. I don't like titanium handles, so the FRN should be better for me, plus it's a little cheaper. With this knife, I'd mostly like to see how usable it is. The form factor seems odd, but I do like the fact that it's so small and slim.

That's about it for the gear wishlist. Hopefully expect to see all of these things over the course of 2018. If you've tried any of these things, please let me know what you thought of them. Thanks for looking!

Nitecore TIP/TINI + Mecarmy SGN5 First Impressions

I've gotten the chance to try out these lights thanks to someone who watches my videos, Ryan! He wanted to try them out himself and offered to send them to me first. Huge shoutout to him! It'll be a lot of fun to carry these for the next month. The lights from left to right are the Nitecore TINI, the Nitecore TIP, and the Mecarmy SGN5. I'm still trying to figure out the UI on all of them, so that's something I won't be talking about now. Stay tuned for the review posts in the coming weeks for a more in-depth look about how I liked them. Initially, I like that all of them are around $30, rechargeable, and colorful. I'm hoping that at least one of them will be something that I want to carry every day. There's actually a lot of similarities between the three lights, so maybe there will eventually be a three-way comparison post. I'm almost positive I'll at least compare the TIP/TINI, and maybe do a Tube/TIP/TINI comparison.

I'm going to talk about the one I'm most excited to try first, and that's the Nitecore TINI. Here's a link to Amazon if you'd like to check it out. Surprisingly, this one has me the most intrigued. It's slightly brighter than the TIP (380 lumens vs. the TIP's 360), but it is smaller and has a more interesting design. I have not ever seen a light like this on the flashlight market before. I like that the TIP/TINI have the power button to turn the light on first, and a separate button to change the modes. I don't think I've ever had a light with a mode button before. The combination of the small size, different design, and good output make me think this one will be my favorite. We'll have to see what I think once I start carrying it.

The second light is the Nitecore TIP, which is the one I knew the most about going into this. Link to Amazon here. I was worried about the form factor, but it's a lot smaller than I expected. That's good, and it does fit nicely in my EDC pouch that I carry every day. One thing that surprised me about it is the fact that it doesn't have a cover over the USB port. That's not the end of the world to me, but the other two do have it covered, as well as the Nitecore Tip which is similar to this. I really dig the metal bodies on both the TIP/TINI. Both lights feel very nice in the hand. This one gets a lot of hype in the EDC community. Let's hope it lives up to it.

The last light is the Mecarmy SGN5 (link to Amazon here). This is the brightest of the bunch with a max output of 560 lumens. It has a switch on the side that triggers an alarm. Let me tell you, that scared the crap out of me when I accidentally turned it on. In the unboxing I did, you might be able to see me jump a little bit. At first I thought the idea of an alarm on a flashlight was stupid, but I do get that it's a different self-defense type of option. I don't particularly like the plastic body. It feels pretty durable, but I'd prefer metal, especially for the price and considering its competition is the TIP. The SGN5 doesn't look as nice in my opinion either. This one seems to be the light you'd get if you were only concerned with lumens and not necessarily design. I'll give it a fair shot, but I do think it'll fall flat to the Nitecores.

Stay tuned for the reviews on these in the next few weeks. I'm going to start with the TIP, and do the TINI and Mecarmy after that. Again, thanks a ton to Ryan for giving me the chance to try these! I'm excited to carry them! Thanks for looking!

Pelican 1120 Thoughts

For years I'd store my EDC gear in different drawers around my bedroom. I didn't like that system, as everything was always spread out all over the place. I've tried a few different organization systems over the years, but this one would have to be my favorite. I picked up this Pelican 1120 case several years ago, and ever since it has been my primary way to store my gear. It's a cool looking case in my opinion, and I know all my gear is protected inside of it. I highly recommend you pick up some kind of Pelican case for your gear. I'm able to store my whole collection in here. If you've got a larger collection though, I think this particular one is perfect for storing the gear you use the most. Here's a link to Amazon if you're interested.

This is one of the smaller Pelican cases you can get. The neat thing about Pelicans is they come in all sorts of different sizes and colors. If you have a bigger collection, then there's definitely a bigger case you can get. These cases are also neat, because you have a lot of customization you can do inside of them. I store my gear in here differently than how most people use a Pelican case. The big thing about Pelicans is the pick-and-pluck foam. It's a block of foam made up of smaller blocks of foam. You can take out however many blocks you need to best fit your gear. A lot of people use Pelicans to store/protect their camera gear, and knife nuts figured they could be used for knives too. Depending what case you get, you can either store your knives horizontally or vertically if you decide to use the foam. If you go the typical route of using a Pelican case, you'll have a greater peace of mind knowing all your knives are protected and won't bounce off each other. Search Pelican case knife storage on YouTube to see how people set theirs up as well as to see the other popular models. 

Pelican cases are completely waterproof, dustproof, and crushproof. That pretty much means they're invincible. Whatever you put in here will be safe and protected. They've also got this neat pressure valve which helps equalize the pressure inside. They're made out of polypropylene, which I consider to be a fancier and stronger plastic. Pelicans are probably one of the most durable cases you can get. The handle is nice and allows you to grab the case easily. There are also two latches with holes on both ends if you'd like to lock it shut. The latches are very hard to open and close, but at least you know the case is shut securely. The latches are probably my only complaint about this case. I typically keep mine unlatched in my room, so it's not too big of a concern. Pelican cases are made in the USA too, so that's always a plus.

As far as interior dimensions go, the 1120 is just over 7" in length, about 3" deep, and almost 5" wide. I've got a smaller collection, but I'm able to store all of my gear in here. It can fit a lot more than you think when you take out the foam block. As you can see from the picture, it comes with an egg crate type foam on the top, a thinner foam layer on the bottom, and there's usually another block of foam that fills the rest of the space.

I absolutely love using this case as a dumpbox for my gear. I don't mind if my things scratch and bump up against each other. If I had used the pick-and-pluck foam, I would've been able to store maybe about 5 knives in here. I'm very happy with this case as my storage system for all my gear.

I know a lot of people use tray type things to organize their EDC, but I think a Pelican case is much cooler. I'm amazed that the 1120 goes for about $25. That's an amazing deal for something that will last you forever. Here's a link to Amazon if you'd like to check it out. I highly recommend the 1120 or any Pelican case for that matter. I've had a few different Pelican products, and I've been impressed by every single one. You don't have to just use them for knives. People store all sorts of different things in them. I think it'd be neat to do some kind of survival kit in one. Definitely look into them if you're trying to change up your gear storage. Thanks for looking!

Three of My Favorite Mid-Sized Knives

As you all might know, I'd much rather have a small knife than a mid-sized one. However, I recently had someone ask me for some mid-sized knife recommendations in the comments of one of my videos. I struggled for a second to remember my favorite mid-sized options. I've tried a lot of knives over the years, and while a majority of my favorites have been small, there are ones beyond that size range I've enjoyed quite a bit. I wanted to do this post to highlight three of my favorite knives in the mid-size range. I consider a mid-sized knife to be one that's got a blade length of around 3" or so.

(photo from BladeHQ.com)

The Benchmade Mini Griptilian is probably my favorite mid-sized knife I've tried. The ergos are great, they come in all sorts of different colors, and the Axis lock is the most fun lock to play with. They're a little pricey for what you're getting in my opinion, 154CM and plastic handles, but it's still one of the best knives out there. Benchmade has since put out an updated version with G10 handles and CPM-20CV for the blade steel. The Mini Grips come in a couple different blade shapes too. I'd still like to get my hands on a Sheepsfoot blade one eventually. Here's a link to the Sheepsfoot version on Amazon.

The Spyderco Native 5 is another mid-sized knife I loved. You can check out my review post here to hear my more in-depth thoughts on it. It's a great lightweight knife that has fantastic ergos. Like the Mini Grip, it comes in all sorts of different styles, like FRN vs. G10, different colors, and different steels. This should be the model that Spyderco pushes instead of the Delica/PM2/Manix. The Native is loads better than all those. Here's a link to Amazon for the S110V version I had.

(photo from BladeHQ.com)

Last but not least, the Ontario Rat 2 is the best budget mid-sized knife I've tried. The Mini Grip and Native 5 are both pretty pricey, but the Rat 2 is able to do what they do for only $30. It has great ergos as well, plus it's insanely smooth. It too comes in tons of different colors, blade steels, etc. I thought it was an overhyped knife, but I really regret not picking one up sooner. It's a knife that I think every knife collector needs to own. Here's a link if you'd like to check it out on Amazon.

That's if for three of my favorite mid-sized knives. I'd like to eventually do a more in-depth post where I take a look at some of the more popular mid-sized knives on the market. If you're on the hunt for a new mid-sized knife to add to your collection, consider trying one of these out. They all impressed me and worked out well in my carry. Thanks for looking!

What I Read: 2017

I'm getting this up a lot later than I wanted, but better late than never. So today I wanted to highlight my 10 favorite books that I read in 2017, as well as some interesting stats on what types of books I read, total page number read, etc.

These are my 10 favorite books I read in 2017 in the order that I read them.

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This was so fast-paced and messed up. I read Gillian Flynn's other books last year too, but this one still is my favorite.

2. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
This is another messed up book that kept me on the edge of my seat. It can be lengthy at times, but I really enjoyed the characters and the plot.

3. Mindhunter by John E. Douglas
This is a book all about how the FBI created their profiling system for murderers and other criminals. It was very fascinating how accurate their profiles can be. They recently turned it into a Netflix show, which is kind of bad in my opinion. It had its moments, but it didn't live up to the book that much. If you love true crime, you need to read this.

4. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
I love Anna Kendrick as an actress, and this is her memoir about growing up and her life. I found it to be entertaining, and it was cool to hear about her struggle to get into acting.

5. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
I loved all the characters in this book. It was a fun, adventurous story.

6. To Pixar And Beyond by Lawrence Levy
I learned so much about Pixar while reading this. For example, I had no idea Steve Jobs was involved with Pixar, as he helped fund the company. Mostly, I felt a lot of nostalgia while reading this book. I grew up watching all the major Pixar films, so it was neat to hear about the behind-the-scenes.

7. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
I had to read this for a class last semester and was blown away by how good it was. It's a time travel story where the main character goes into the past to her ancestors. I thought it was very well done and completely different than most science fiction and time travel stories.

8. Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham
This is another memoir by an actress I really love, Lauren Graham. She was in Gilmore Girls, and this book gives you a look into the behind-the-scenes of that as well as other parts of her life. Like Anna Kendrick's memoir, this one was fun to read.

9. The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. Stephenie Meyer is the person who wrote the Twilight series, so I expected something sub-par. Boy was I wrong! This book was fantastic! It was very fast-paced, and the plot was incredibly cool. It follows an ex-agent that's on the run, which usually makes for a suspenseful story.

10. Matilda by Roald Dahl
I found this book to be so cute. I've seen the movie a ton but hadn't read the book until this past year.

I'd also like to mention some runner-ups that were great but not quite deserving of being a favorite. I really enjoyed Narconomics by Tom Wainwright, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi, and A Life in Parts by Bryan Cranston.

Having read 222 books last year, I know I definitely left out lots of others that were great. Check out my monthly wrap-up posts if you'd like a deeper look at what I've read.

I figured I'd end this post off with some interesting stats of what I've read. So of the 222 books I read, 102 were physical books, 88 were eBooks, and 32 were audio books. I started doing audio books last year, and I really like them. They allow me to get more reading done when I normally would not be able to. As far as a fiction vs. nonfiction breakdown, I read 158 fiction and 64 nonfiction. I thought I had read more nonfiction, but I guess not. I would like to read more nonfiction in 2018. Of those 222 books, 63 were graphic novels. There were a couple highly recommended series I wanted to get into, like Saga and The Walking Dead. I've now finished all those, and I don't think I'll be reading as many graphic novels this year. They're cool, but not a lot of other series appeal to me. In 2017, I read 59903 pages, with an average page length of 270. I also started rating books on a 5 star system last year, so my average rating was a 3.2. The only stat that I'd like to improve of those three is to read more longer books. I definitely lean more towards shorter books. I think focusing on quality vs. quantity this year will be the big thing. That's about it for this post! I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for looking!

Amazon Affiliate Links

Hey everybody! If you weren't aware, I recently started monetizing my YouTube videos. Honestly, I kinda hate Adsense and how it's integrated with YouTube. I've heard a lot about Amazon affiliate links, so I decided to do some more research on them. They allow me to earn a small commission when any of you all purchase things on Amazon that I link to. I will earn money on your entire order, even if you're only purchasing one thing I've linked to. You need to access these items through special links I have yet to get up. I've had people ask me to start inserting links to products I talk about, and I think this is a win-win situation to do that. I do actually buy a lot of my gear on Amazon. I'll probably end up linking everything to Amazon out of convenience, but I will definitely mention if there are cheaper prices on actual knife websites. For example, I think Spydercos can get a little more pricey on Amazon, plus there's always the risk of purchasing a knock-off from them.

Of course, any cent I make through these links will go right back to the channel. It's going to take me a little while to go back and put links up in all my blog posts and videos. Going forward, there should be links to products I mention. Do not by any means feel obligated to buy things because I say to. If you've been on the fence about purchasing something and seeing one of my videos pushes you to buy it, then I think we both are better off. I've always been hesitant about doing these affiliate links, as I see so many people literally link to everything and have a novel-sized description box of just links. I will not go overboard, and if I feel like I'm not benefiting, I will get rid of them. I'm giving Adsense a year, so I'll do the same with Amazon and reevaluate to see if it's worth my while. I do think it'll be better than Adsense, because I can have a lot more power and control with it. I can link whatever I want whenever I want. So yeah, if you've heard me rave about something that you're interested in trying, consider buying that once I get these links up. It'll be interesting to see how this works out. Thank you for all the support!