Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I'm Mike - this is Riff Raff's Reading Renaissance. Welcome!
In this February Reading Wrap Up 2026, I share everything I’ve read this month — including my first experience reading Toni Morrison’s powerful novel Beloved, short stories by Anton Chekhov, and South African classics like The Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner and Mhudi by Sol Plaatje.
I also reflect on completing The Iliad and preparing for March’s big read: Wolf Hall.
Along the way, I share:
- My experience reading multiple books at once
- Thoughts on literary criticism and theory
- My interest in the literary study of Bible
- A spontaneous and exciting thrift shop book haul
New additions include:
Chess by Stefan Zweig
Collecting the works of Anthony Burgess
A Southern African translation of The Odyssey
Literary theory inspired by Northrop Frye
BOOKS MENTIONED:
The Iliad – Homer
The Five Minute Iliad and Other Instant Classics – (humorous retellings collection) INCLUDING The Divine Comedy – Dante Alighieri, Paradise Lost – John Milton, Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen, A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens, Moby-Dick – Herman Melville
Wolf Hall – Hilary Mantel
Beloved – Toni Morrison
Looking on Darkness – André Brink
The Story of an African Farm – Olive Schreiner
Mhudi – Sol Plaatje
The Deal – Mandy Wiener (South African political non-fiction)
What have I Done - An Autobiography – Ben Elton
The Short Stories of Anton Chekhov – Anton Chekhov
First People: The Lost History of the Khoisan – Andrew Smith
Dire Straits: My Life in Dire Straits – John Illsley
The Literary Guide to the Bible – Robert Alter & Frank Kermode
Anatomy of Criticism – Northrop Frye
The Odyssey of Homer (Southern African translation by Richard Whitaker)
Chess – Stefan Zweig
Beware of Pity – Stefan Zweig
Flame into Being: The Life and Work of D. H. Lawrence – Anthony Burgess
Nothing Like the Sun - Anthony Burgess
The Kingdom of the Wicked – Anthony Burgess
1985 – Anthony Burgess
MF – Anthony Burgess
The Right to an Answer – Anthony Burgess
The Piano Players - Anthony Burgess
The Eve of Saint Venus – Anthony Burgess
A Fork in the Road – André Brink (autobiography)
The Second World War – Antony Beevor
Stalingrad – Antony Beevor
D-Day – Antony Beevor
Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory – Peter Barry
TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro, Reading & Personal update
01:15 Completing The Iliad (Vlog)
03:05 Mega Books - Wolf Hall in March
03:43 Reading Beloved by Toni Morrison
05:09 Reading the Beloved Country (South Africa)
06:10 Mhudi (1st SA novel by black author)
07:24 Reading multiple books at once
08:33 Reading Chekhov short stories
10:24 Historathon 2026 plans
12:40 Music (non) reading
13:41 Immediate short term plans
14:33 The Literary Guide to the Bible
17:27 Anatomy of Criticism
18:11 A Southern African Odyssey
19:20 Stefan Zweig’s Chess
21:36 Collecting Anthony Burgess
23:49 Andre Brink autobiography
25:13 Blame it on Bren Booth-Jones
26:12 Summary & Upcoming Plans
BOOKTUBERS MENTIONED
Steve Donoghue - @saintdonoghue Reading Genesis as literature youtube.com/watch?v=71iP2QfR8-4
Bren Booth Jones @brenboothjones You Don't Need an English Degree | You Only Need These 10 Books
youtube.com/watch?v=FaqXoYz3tGI&t=375s
Revenant Reads @revenantreads HISTORATHON 2026 | Announcement youtube.com/watch?v=7Mg7TR8ooko
📚 Let me know in the comments:
Are you a linear reader, or can you comfortably read multiple books at once?
Have you read Beloved?
Which Anthony Burgess novels should I prioritize?
Are you participating in Historathon?
Wishing you all excellent reading — wherever you are in the world.
This channel documents a structured, intentional reading life — tackling classic literature, South African fiction, history, literary criticism, and “mega books” that demand serious commitment. If you love classic literature, deep reading, bookish structure, and thoughtful analysis — welcome.
And for the almighty algorithm:
#ReadingWrapUp #ClassicLiterature #BookTube #ReadingVlog #SouthAfricanLiterature #ToniMorrison #ReadingGoals
I'm Mike - this is Riff Raff's Reading Renaissance. Welcome!
In this February Reading Wrap Up 2026, I share everything I’ve read this month — including my first experience reading Toni Morrison’s powerful novel Beloved, short stories by Anton Chekhov, and South African classics like The Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner and Mhudi by Sol Plaatje.
I also reflect on completing The Iliad and preparing for March’s big read: Wolf Hall.
Along the way, I share:
- My experience reading multiple books at once
- Thoughts on literary criticism and theory
- My interest in the literary study of Bible
- A spontaneous and exciting thrift shop book haul
New additions include:
Chess by Stefan Zweig
Collecting the works of Anthony Burgess
A Southern African translation of The Odyssey
Literary theory inspired by Northrop Frye
BOOKS MENTIONED:
The Iliad – Homer
The Five Minute Iliad and Other Instant Classics – (humorous retellings collection) INCLUDING The Divine Comedy – Dante Alighieri, Paradise Lost – John Milton, Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen, A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens, Moby-Dick – Herman Melville
Wolf Hall – Hilary Mantel
Beloved – Toni Morrison
Looking on Darkness – André Brink
The Story of an African Farm – Olive Schreiner
Mhudi – Sol Plaatje
The Deal – Mandy Wiener (South African political non-fiction)
What have I Done - An Autobiography – Ben Elton
The Short Stories of Anton Chekhov – Anton Chekhov
First People: The Lost History of the Khoisan – Andrew Smith
Dire Straits: My Life in Dire Straits – John Illsley
The Literary Guide to the Bible – Robert Alter & Frank Kermode
Anatomy of Criticism – Northrop Frye
The Odyssey of Homer (Southern African translation by Richard Whitaker)
Chess – Stefan Zweig
Beware of Pity – Stefan Zweig
Flame into Being: The Life and Work of D. H. Lawrence – Anthony Burgess
Nothing Like the Sun - Anthony Burgess
The Kingdom of the Wicked – Anthony Burgess
1985 – Anthony Burgess
MF – Anthony Burgess
The Right to an Answer – Anthony Burgess
The Piano Players - Anthony Burgess
The Eve of Saint Venus – Anthony Burgess
A Fork in the Road – André Brink (autobiography)
The Second World War – Antony Beevor
Stalingrad – Antony Beevor
D-Day – Antony Beevor
Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory – Peter Barry
TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro, Reading & Personal update
01:15 Completing The Iliad (Vlog)
03:05 Mega Books - Wolf Hall in March
03:43 Reading Beloved by Toni Morrison
05:09 Reading the Beloved Country (South Africa)
06:10 Mhudi (1st SA novel by black author)
07:24 Reading multiple books at once
08:33 Reading Chekhov short stories
10:24 Historathon 2026 plans
12:40 Music (non) reading
13:41 Immediate short term plans
14:33 The Literary Guide to the Bible
17:27 Anatomy of Criticism
18:11 A Southern African Odyssey
19:20 Stefan Zweig’s Chess
21:36 Collecting Anthony Burgess
23:49 Andre Brink autobiography
25:13 Blame it on Bren Booth-Jones
26:12 Summary & Upcoming Plans
BOOKTUBERS MENTIONED
Steve Donoghue - @saintdonoghue Reading Genesis as literature youtube.com/watch?v=71iP2QfR8-4
Bren Booth Jones @brenboothjones You Don't Need an English Degree | You Only Need These 10 Books
youtube.com/watch?v=FaqXoYz3tGI&t=375s
Revenant Reads @revenantreads HISTORATHON 2026 | Announcement youtube.com/watch?v=7Mg7TR8ooko
📚 Let me know in the comments:
Are you a linear reader, or can you comfortably read multiple books at once?
Have you read Beloved?
Which Anthony Burgess novels should I prioritize?
Are you participating in Historathon?
Wishing you all excellent reading — wherever you are in the world.
This channel documents a structured, intentional reading life — tackling classic literature, South African fiction, history, literary criticism, and “mega books” that demand serious commitment. If you love classic literature, deep reading, bookish structure, and thoughtful analysis — welcome.
And for the almighty algorithm:
#ReadingWrapUp #ClassicLiterature #BookTube #ReadingVlog #SouthAfricanLiterature #ToniMorrison #ReadingGoals
