Process Updates

 While editing this month's post (February 2026) I have been tinkering with the desktop/mobile view settings for the blog. The pictures should be sat where they're supposed to be in relation to the text now... 

And, while under the hood, thoughts turn to themes. Up pop the options. A buffet! of... wait, I muse as I scroll down-screen. Hmmm. A buffet in the sense of the long table at lunch time during some sort of training day, a fairly unappealing selection of largely similar items. All clearly tailored for generic appetites and content - food blogs, travel blogs, etc... I can't get excited about any of them. 

In the event I go for something pretty vanilla to avoid decision fatigue, swallowing feelings of abjection and channelling l'esprit de garde-robe of Einstein.

"...a book background on a book blog, Seth? How innovative." They blow a thin hiss of smoke over my shoulder.

Decision fatigue, and a distracted mind, unable to choose while extrapolating fictions from the names, e.g. the above extract from the Soho trilogy of sci-fi noir thrillers (Soho Neon, Soho Dark, Soho Light).  

Options in the Contempo range currently have me repeating "Dark Flamingo" in the gravel larynx tones of Trailer Voice-over Man. You know the one.

Dark Flamingo: Return of The Crimson Wing 

In theatres this Fall. 

 

A few notes on process

Rather than individual posts for books when I've finished them, an endeavour that comes under what I recognise as "best intentions", for the start of 2026 I thought I'd attempt a trial of having one post for all the books (and in the front room pile them). 

The intention is to make keeping up to date with writing the blog a more manageable process, rather than resulting in multiple partially-completed posts on individual books that I never get round to finishing for whatever reason. 

This shouldn't preclude longer-form posts on individual reads, or whatever thematic explorations may pop up from time to time, and I'm always amenable to the concept of expanding ideas or responses to particular books such as they might occur. 

There is also a potential problem of bounding off to complete a response immediately upon completing a volume, rather than letting it settle. Instant reactions can tend to distort one's opinions slightly. Hopefully the monthly digest format will allow for more reflective responses.