1 July 2025

A bad year buoyed by a new reviewer!

People talk about the weather and time passing as though it is something miraculous, but from my point of view the fact that we are now halfway through the year and the Reading Project is still going is something little short of a miracle. I’ve mentioned to a few people that we have a development next door and the workmen feel entitled to play their music loud, despite our complaints. It gets hard to concentrate on what I’m doing sometimes. Thankfully, they should be finished sometime in November.

Some good things happened towards the end of last month, though. Despite everything, I managed to complete the last three pages for The Iliad, which is a part of our larger Homer and the Epic Cycle Project. I even managed to get the first page for The Odyssey completed, too.

What is more, we have another new reviewer. Skelequin from Pennsylvania contacted me last month, asking about reviewing. I’m always happy to hear from anyone interested in taking part in the Reading Project. Skelequin describes herself as an aspiring librarian and writer. For her first review she talks about Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi, a book I’ve long thought to read myself (I actually have a beautiful edition), and a book another American contributor, Skep, has reviewed earlier. However, Skelequin’s review came with a set of stake knives (I don’t know if that joke will be understood overseas). I mean, she sent me two reviews yesterday. I held off publishing the second review until this morning. The second review is for Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson, a book I was unfamiliar with.

Check out Skelequin’s reviews if you can. And thanks, Skelequin, for your generosity and enthusiasm!

- bikerbuddy