Blog Archive

1 February 2026

Renovation vs Reading

With the first month of 2026 already gone I feel I haven’t really kept my promise to myself that I might enjoy reading and the website more this year. Last year was a difficult year because we had a noisy development next door, and so I was determined to get into things more this year. As it turns out, I have started the year with only two reviews in January, which almost weren’t done, with no website updates (I guess there can’t be many more at the moment) and no progress on the Homer and the Epic Cycle project, particularly The Odyssey, which I want to finish before Christopher Nolan’s film is released in a few months’ time.

What’s been happening? I’ve been renovating. I’ve been racing the clock before a new lounge suite gets delivered. I don’t normally put non-book things into this blog post, but the work on our front room has been taking up most of my time. So, I thought I put a picture of my progress here. Two more colours to go!

- bikerbuddy

8 February 2026

On renovating and contributors

At the moment I am looking forward to transitioning back to a more normal routine for me. The renovation of our front room I mention in the last post is now beyond the painting stage and I’m now preparing the floor to apply tung oil to it.

This coming week I’m hoping to return to my reading of The Odyssey and writing more pages for the Homer and the Epic Cycle project. I also intend to get slowly back into reading for reviews. I’m currently stuck near the beginning of Ottessa Mossfegh’s Eileen.

In other news concerning contributors: I spent Thursday with Dr Michael Jackson, who has recently contributed two reviews to this site and will later contribute more, along with his friend, a professor of philosophy (I know his name, I simply didn’t think to ask him if it was okay if I named him), and Chris McGillion, whose excellent East Timor Crime Series is reviewed on this website (the first three books at the moment). We had lunch, which was bookended by drinks at two different pubs in the mountains. During our meeting Michael, who has a keen interest in Homer, suggested I look into Christopher Logue’s War Music, a series of poems inspired by The Iliad. I promised him I would look at them when I have more time, and I will try to find a way to incorporate that into the project.

I also received news from a new contributor yesterday whose reviewer name will be ‘Shadow Moses’. He is about to send a completed review of Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, and intends to work his way through Fleming’s other James Bond books in their order of publication.

- bikerbuddy

27 February 2026

Slowly returning to normal (for me)

The renovation to the front room of our house seems to have dominated my time and the subjects of blog posts this month. I normally wouldn’t do that, but it’s taken up most of my time this year to the point that I’ve read very little and plans I had for the website at the beginning of the year (coming out of a bad year when we had developers next door) have been delayed. To be truthful, as always, I just wanted to do more.

I’ve only managed to read two books this month, but at least it was a start: Carmilla, the classic vampire tale by Sheridan Le Fanu and Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh.

However, I have managed to keep to my intended schedule for the Homer and the Epic Cycle project. I had planned to complete three more pages for The Odyssey this month, and today I’ve kept that promise to myself. I’ve completed Books 14, 15 and 16 this week.

I mentioned in my last post that I had been recommended Christopher Logue’s War Music by Dr Michael Jackson, a contributor to this website. I ordered it two nights ago but it is coming from England and I don’t anticipate it arriving until later next month. I will have to wait to see how I might integrate it with other work I’m doing for Homer right now. That might be a thought for the future.

And since I started the month by writing about my renovation woes, I thought I’d put up a picture up of where I’m at now. As you can see there are no pictures on the walls or books in the room, yet, and we’re still getting furniture and awaiting new blinds. But things are progressing. I promise, this will be the last time I write about it!

- bikerbuddy