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Firstly, I love that dude in that gif up top. I can't not smile like a maniac when I see it!

Last year I read 26 books in total. A lot of those were literature from a course I was studying and included such classics as The Cruicible, Maus and Lolita to name a few of my favorites.

A large amount of my other reading was biology/physiology related books to do with my degree, which I will spare you all from here, save one honourable mention to a complete story of cancer research and treatment starting from it's inception to relatively present day. The book is called The Emperor of all Maladies and it is a "biography" of cancer and it's treatment written by a very prolific caner researcher. It has loads of really heartwarming (and emotional) first hand stories and really gives you a up close and personal look at the world of cancer without you necessarily needing a scientific mind.

This year I want to get a bit more casual with my reading, maybe lay off the science so much and read more for fun again. I have been meaning to go back to the Artemis Fowl series as I really enjoyed it as a kid. I have been told it is a good one to re-read as an adult. I also have a metric tonne of assorted Douglas Adams books that I want to read, including all of the Hitchikers and Dirk Gently series.

I've got a couple of weeks off work coming up, so I ordered 6 books off Amazon last night to keep me out of trouble:

• Differential Games by Isaacs and the identically titled Differential Games by Friedman. Differential games involve the mathematical simulation of chase and evasion scenarios such as the Homicidal Chauffeur and the Princess and the Monster. These scenarios are fun to play with from a recreational perspective, but also have practical applications to e.g. warfare and optimal control theory. I'd love to do a PhD in this field.
  
  
• An Introduction to Celestial Mechanics by Moulton. Not really my field, but it's interesting enough.
  
  
• Yippee Ki-Yay Moviegoer : Writings on Bruce Willis, Badass Cinema and Other Important Topics by Vern. It's a book of movie criticism that will go nicely with my copy of Seagalogy: The Ass-Kicking Films of Steven Seagal by the same author.
  
  
• Remember I told you before that I was rereading some of the books I read as a child? Well, don't judge me but I've also ordered Dark Moon by David Gemmell and Dragonsdawn by Anne McCaffrey. It's all about the nostalgia, yo.

World Book Day... Hmm Mrs Dwair went to school dressed as The Gruffalo. Well she looked like a brown furry hell spawn thing anyway. I swear to god my household gets more bizarre every day. I just hope she doesn't scare the kids too much while she rants at them about conjunctive adverbs.

Just finished [Exigency by Michael Siemsen] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MQGNPT4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o01_) which was OK in a kinda forgettably entertaining sort of way.

Just started Caretaker by Josi Russell which is equaly OK in a kinda forgettably entertaining sort of way.

As a kid, The Outsiders. Got reminded of it the other day elsewhere on reddit. Is brilliant, and a well known classic.

Shockingly I've never read Of Mice And Men, that seems to be the standard school reading book. Never got round to picking it up.

Not long finished Marching Powder. The true story of a British guy who got locked up for drug smuggling in the worlds most bizarre jail, San Pedro, Bolivia. Eventually he started giving jail tours to backpackers, and one of them, Rusty, sort of transcripts his story into a book. Really good. Being made into a film with Don Cheadle last I read.

Yeah I heard about Hinkley Point C, wonder if it will happen as it needs a hike in Electricity prices. No role for me, being in Sweden and all.

Glad you asked for recommendations - read the Mythical Man Month, it is a classical piece of literature on Software Development , its from the 60s 70s but holds true even today,

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mythical-Man-Month-Engineering-Anniversary/dp/0201835959/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375051342&sr=8-1&keywords=mythical+man+month

and Code Complete, by Steve Mcconnell (I have met him in the US a few times)

http://www.amazon.com/Code-Complete-Practical-Handbook-Construction/dp/0735619670/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375051372&sr=1-1&keywords=code+complete

probably enough with those two to start with..

Jon Ronson is a journalist and he starts exploring the lives of psychopaths. It's really interesting.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Psychopath-Test-Jon-Ronson/dp/0330492276

I don't read all that much but I've just finished Blue at the Mizzen by Patrick O'Brian which is the final full book in his Aubrey-Maturin series, which I've been tearing through over the last year. The books are an insight into both Naval and Social etiquette, politics and attitudes during the Napoleonic Wars.

Started reading Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale Jnr which so far seems quite funny, and it's an interesting insight to how he did what he did, how wide open everything was to do what he did and why he did it.

Tempted to read something non-fiction when I've finished that probably War in Human Civilisation by Azar Gat

Then I challenge you to get it finished this week! It may still be alright; I'd ring up/email the admissions person of the uni you want to go to and see what they say. I'm a little rusty on the process as its been a while and my school did most of the work for me.

You'd be better off (in my opinion) getting a geology degree then working in the oil industry as you'll get paid a lot more. I guess it depends on where exactly your interest lies. Also in terms of the amount paid, my friend said that it's not actually as high as you would expect, although technically you are only working for about half the year so you are paid more per day than other jobs. I cant remember how much it actually was though.

Regardless of what you want to do (i.e. degree first or just go straight in), I recommend that you read a book called "Fire in the night: The piper alpha disaster". It is a depressing read but it's also important as that disaster signified a change in the way that safety was observed/controlled on oil rigs. Also I'm told it impresses interviewers if you have knowledge of it as most graduates haven't heard of that disaster apparently. There's also a documentary about it, which is probably on youtube.

Its a story of Two dogs and a boy
and is one of the sweetest and most emotional stories I have ever read. (and its not just me, as the reviews will show).