books

2y

<p>The Lost Art of Handwriting</p><p>A new book provides a glimpse into how some of the most resoundingly famous writers actually, you know, wrote.</p><p>By Sarah Rose Sharp via @hyperallergic</p><p><a href="https://hyperallergic.com/928594/the-lost-art-of-handwriting-lesley-smith/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="hyperallergic.com/928594/the-lost-art-of-handwriting-lesley-smith/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hyperallergic.com/928594/the-l</span><span class="invisible">ost-art-of-handwriting-lesley-smith/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/handwriting/" rel="tag">#handwriting</a></p>

Esther Inglis, excerpt from Proverbs of Solomon (1599) (all images courtesy the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford)

Inglis' calligraphy is meticulous and ornate, featuring a variety of styles. The text of the Proverbs is often written in a flowing, elegant script, possibly a form of Italic or Secretary hand.

Created in 1599, this manuscript represents the intersection of art, literature, and devotion during the late Renaissance period.

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244d

<p>The StoryGraph has changed it's review priorities, I wonder if it is because of the advent of LLMs.</p><p>Since it's inception The StoryGraph has emphasized its questioner as the preferred method of book review. Allowing it to categories its database according to easily measurable criteria instead of free text reviews.</p><p>The open text box was located at the bottom of the page and regarded as optional. </p><p>This week the text box and star rating where elevated to the top of the page and strongly emphasized </p><p>I speculate that this may have something to do with LLMs. For the StoryGraph who's stated goal is to give the best book reccomendations, the free text box is now more valuable as data than the traditional statistical model. </p><p><a href="/tags/thestorygraph/" rel="tag">#TheStoryGraph</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span> <br><a href="https://bookstodon.thestorygraph.com/@thestorygraph" rel="nofollow">@thestorygraph</a></p>

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2y

<p>In August 1869.</p><p>Ambrose Bierce, writing a satirical column for the San Francisco News Letter, begins to produce the cynical definitions which will eventually become The Devil's Dictionary.</p><p>Bierce's witty definitions were imitated & plagiarized for years before he gathered them into books, first as The Cynic's Word Book in 1906 & then in a more complete version as The Devil's Dictionary in 1911.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Dictionary" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Dictionary"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devi</span><span class="invisible">l%27s_Dictionary</span></a></p><p>The Devil's Dictionary at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/972" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/972</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

The first "The Demon's Dictionary" column by Ambrose Bierce, from The San Francisco Newsletter and California Advertiser, 11 December 1875, page 13.

The Demon's Dictionary eventually because the Devil's Dictionary and was re-published in the 1900s.

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2y

<p>English engineer and writer on music George Grove was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1820.</p><p>He is best known as the founding editor of Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians. He stated, in the prospectus of the dictionary, in March 1874, that "The want of English works on the history, theory, or practice of Music, or the biographies of musicians accessible to the non-professional reader, has long been a subject of remark."</p><p>Books by George Grove at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/42192" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/42192"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/42192</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/music/" rel="tag">#music</a></p>

Title page of A dictionary of music and musicians ...
by Grove, George, Sir, 1820-1900

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277d

<p>What really happened on Easter Island? Ancient sediments rewrite the 'ecocide' story</p><p>edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan</p><p><a href="https://phys.org/news/2025-11-easter-island-ancient-sediments-rewrite.html" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="phys.org/news/2025-11-easter-island-ancient-sediments-rewrite.html"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">phys.org/news/2025-11-easter-i</span><span class="invisible">sland-ancient-sediments-rewrite.html</span></a></p><p>Easter Island at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/38560" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/38560"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje</span><span class="invisible">ct/38560</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/earth/" rel="tag">#earth</a> <a href="/tags/environment/" rel="tag">#environment</a></p>

RANO RARAKU FROM THE SEA.

Title: The mystery of Easter island: the story of an expedition

Author: Katherine Routledge

Original publication: United Kingdom: Printed for the author by Hazell, Watson and Viney, 1919.

The composition features the island’s rugged volcanic formation rising from the shore, rendered in delicate grayscale tones. Two distinct peaks dominate the center of the image: the left slope descends smoothly toward the sea, while the right peak is more sharply defined, showing vertical rock faces and shadowed ridges that emphasize its steepness and texture.

The foreground suggests the calm surface of the sea, drawn in gentle horizontal strokes that contrast with the dark, angular shading of the mountainside. The sky is lightly toned, with minimal cloud detail, providing an open and atmospheric backdrop that enhances the sense of isolation and scale.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/69807/pg69807-images.html#Page_124

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244d

<p>📚 Fundamentally by: Nussaibah Younis</p><p>When Nadia Amin, a witty and bighearted PhD, publishes an article on deradicalization, everything changes. The United Nations comes calling with an opportunity to put her theory into practice and lead a rehabilitation program for women caught in the crosshairs of harmful ideology. And why n...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/fundamentally" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/fundamentally"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/fundamenta</span><span class="invisible">lly</span></a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/libraries/" rel="tag">#libraries</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/politicalfiction/" rel="tag">#politicalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/humorous/" rel="tag">#humorous</a> <a href="/tags/generalfiction/" rel="tag">#generalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/women/" rel="tag">#women</a></p>

When Nadia Amin, a witty and bighearted PhD, publishes an article on deradicalization, everything changes. The United Nations comes calling with an opportunity to put her theory into practice and lead a rehabilitation program for women caught in the crosshairs of harmful ideology. And why not? Abandoned by her mother and devastated by unrequited love, she leaps at the chance.

In Iraq, Nadia quickly realizes she’s in over her head. The UN is a mess of competing interests, and her team consists of Goody Two-shoes Sherri who never passes up an opportunity to remind Nadia of her objections; and Pierre, a snippy Frenchman who has no qualms about perpetually scrolling through Grindr. But then Nadia meets Sara, a hilarious, foul-mouthed East Londoner who was pulled into radicalism at just fifteen. The two are kindred spirits, and Nadia vows to get Sara home.

As the rehabilitation program picks up traction, Sara reveals a secret that upends everything, forcing Nadia to make a drastic choice. In the fallout, Nadia’s brown-savior fantasies crumble, leaving her to wonder if she can save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.

A fierce, wildly funny, and razor-sharp exploration of radicalism, family, and the quest for belonging, Fundamentally boldly inspects one of the defining controversies of our age and introduces a fearless new voice in contemporary fiction.

A wickedly funny and audacious debut novel following an academic who flees from heartbreak and lands in Iraq wi

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2y

<p>German poet Sibylla Schwarz died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1638.</p><p>Her verse reflects the difficult times in the middle of the Thirty Years' War, of which she saw neither the beginning nor the end. Her verse was published posthumously in 1650 by her teacher Samuel Gerlach under the title Deutsche Poëtische Gedichte in two parts containing over 100 poems. She was famous as the "Pomeranian Sappho", but her work fell into oblivion in the 18th century. </p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibylla_Schwarz" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibylla_Schwarz"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibylla_</span><span class="invisible">Schwarz</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

Sibylla Schwarz (1621–1638), image from Deutsche Poëtische Gedichte. 1650

Sibÿllen Schwarzin German Poëtic Poems (title page, 1650).

Sibyllen Schwarzin/ Vohn Greiffswald aus Pommern/ Deutsche Poëtische Gedichte/ Nuhn Zum ersten mahl/ auß ihren eignen Handschrifften/ herauß gegeben und verleget Durch M. Samuel Gerlach/ auß dem Herzogtuhm Würtemberg. und in Dantzig Gedrukt/ bey seel. Georg Rheten Witwen/ im M.DC.L. Jahr.

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276d

<p>I’ve enjoyed all of her other books, but Michelle Obama’s “The Look” was a DNF for me because fashion isn’t something I find interesting other than making sure my clothes and shoes are neat, clean, and comfortable to wear. </p><p>If you do like that topic, there are plenty of pictures of the fancy outfits she’s worn over the years in it. </p><p>There is something to be said for trying new stuff sometimes, though. </p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/fashion/" rel="tag">#Fashion</a> <a href="/tags/michelleobama/" rel="tag">#MichelleObama</a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p>

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276d

<p>finished reading <a href="https://eggplant.place/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/5vHoPnEKgpwQNlrqpN033y" rel="nofollow">The Art of Uncertainty: How to Navigate Chance, Ignorance, Risk and Luck</a> 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 <br>by David Spiegelhalter.</p><p>A fairly readable overview of probability & uncertainty, from the straightforward games of chance through to the deep uncertainty of future risks such as climate change & AI. Not sure who it's aimed at: some of it is too complex for the layman, but not deep enough for the technically minded. Has some good examples, especially from covid. Would have liked some worked examples of how to apply its principles to real life decision-making.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/nonfiction/" rel="tag">#Nonfiction</a> <a href="/tags/statistics/" rel="tag">#Statistics</a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://wyrms.de/user/wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>wildwoila@wyrms.de</span></a></span><br></p>

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2y

<p>"I am no bird, and no net ensnares me,..."</p><p>Between 7-24 August 1847.</p><p>Charlotte Brontë completes Jane Eyre at Haworth and sends the manuscript to her publisher, who has rejected The Professor.</p><p>It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first American edition was published the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyr</span><span class="invisible">e</span></a></p><p>Jane Eyre at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1260" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/1260</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

"I am no bird, and no net ensnares me," declares Jane in this manuscript copy of Jane Eyre in Brontë's handwriting. The British Library Board

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277d

<p>This week's <a href="/tags/newbooks/" rel="tag">#NewBooks</a> at the library:<br>- a damaged copy of Positive Tipping Points: How to Fix the Climate Crisis<br>- a second-hand copy of the 1982 classic Lamarck the Mythical Precursor: A Study of the Relations Between Science and Ideology published by <span class="h-card"><a href="https://mastodon.mit.edu/@themitpress" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>themitpress</span></a></span> (there aren't that many books on Lamarck)<br>- a former library copy of The Environmental Consequences of War: Legal, Economic and Scientific Perspectives. This one came from the holdings of the JSCSC (Joint Services Command and Staff College)'s Hobson Library, one of the UK's largest military libraries (!), probably the most unusual provenance for any of the books I have.</p><p><a href="/tags/climatechange/" rel="tag">#ClimateChange</a> <a href="/tags/historyofscience/" rel="tag">#HistoryOfScience</a> <a href="/tags/sciencehistory/" rel="tag">#ScienceHistory</a> <a href="/tags/histsci/" rel="tag">#HistSci</a> <a href="/tags/history/" rel="tag">#History</a> <a href="/tags/environmentalhistory/" rel="tag">#EnvironmentalHistory</a> <a href="/tags/warfare/" rel="tag">#Warfare</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/scicomm/" rel="tag">#Scicomm</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p>

A photo of three books standing on a small, brown, wooden table. The out-of-focus background shows black shelves full of books, part of the beech-coloured laminate floor, and a red curtain hanging from a door.

On the left, Positive Tipping Points, showing a light blue hardback with an abstract graphic of a white cone with its tip facing upwards. Balanced on the tip is a white curved bar, curving upwards like a smile. At the top right, impossibly balanced, is a marble-sized miniature planet Earth.

In the middle, Lamarck the Mythical Precursor, showing a small moss-green hardback with several botanical line-drawings in darker green of flower and plant parts.

On the right, The Environmental Consequences of War, showing a photo of a large column of smoke rising from something that is on fire, though it is hard to make out what. The bottom half of the photo is rendered in a bright orange, the top half in grey. The whole photo is rendered hard to decipher by having been printed in coarse screentone (the pattern of dots you will recognise from how photos were printed in newspapers).

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277d

<p>📚 Run for the Hills by: Kevin Wilson</p><p>Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it’s been just Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While it’s a bit lonely, she sometimes admits, and a less exciting life than what she imagined for herself, it’s mostly okay. Mostly.</p><p>Then one...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/run-for-the-hills" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/run-for-the-hills"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/run-for-th</span><span class="invisible">e-hills</span></a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/libraries/" rel="tag">#libraries</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/literaryfiction/" rel="tag">#literaryfiction</a> <a href="/tags/southernfiction/" rel="tag">#southernfiction</a> <a href="/tags/familylife/" rel="tag">#familylife</a> <a href="/tags/generalfiction/" rel="tag">#generalfiction</a></p>

Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it’s been just Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While it’s a bit lonely, she sometimes admits, and a less exciting life than what she imagined for herself, it’s mostly okay. Mostly.

Then one day Reuben Hill pulls up in a PT Cruiser and informs Madeline that he believes she’s his half sister. Reuben—left behind by their dad thirty years ago—has hired a detective to track down their father and a string of other half siblings. And he wants Mad to leave her home and join him for the craziest kind of road trip imaginable to find them all.
As Mad and Rube—and eventually the others—share stories of their father, who behaved so differently in each life he created, they begin to question what he was looking for with every new incarnation. Who are they to one another? What kind of man will they find? And how will these new relationships change Mad’s previously solitary life on the farm?

A touching and generous romp of a novel... Wilson makes a bold and convincing case that every real family is one you have to find and, at some point, choose, even if it’s the one you’re born into. New York Times Book Review.

An unexpected road trip across America brings a family together, in this raucous and moving new novel from the bestselling author of Nothing to See Here.

Infused with deadpan wit, zany hijinks, and enormous heart, Run for the Hills is a sibling story like no other—a

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244d

<p>Book Review: Babylonia by Constanza Casati<br>Imagining the life of a historical figure whose life has been imagined and reimagined far more than the actual historical facts about her: Semiramis.<br><span class="h-card"><a href="https://wandering.shop/@Princejvstin" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>Princejvstin</span></a></span> has the review at the NOAF blog<br><a href="http://www.nerds-feather.com/2025/12/book-review-babylonia-by-constanza.html" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.nerds-feather.com/2025/12/book-review-babylonia-by-constanza.html"><span class="invisible">http://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.nerds-feather.com/2025/12/</span><span class="invisible">book-review-babylonia-by-constanza.html</span></a></p><p>@bookstodon <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/review/" rel="tag">#review</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a></p>

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276d

<p>Did Odysseus Really Travel All Around the Mediterranean?</p><p>"The traditional view of the Odyssey is that Odysseus traveled all over the Mediterranean. Is that really what Homer described?"</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/odysseus-travels-mediterranean/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/odysseus-travels-mediterranean/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/odysseus-</span><span class="invisible">travels-mediterranean/</span></a></p><p>The Odyssey at PG:</p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1727" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1727</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

" ODYSSEUS LOOKED DOWN AT THE WOODS AND THE SEA." - picryl.com

Edited 276d ago

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279d

<p>David G. Wells’ “The Penguin dictionary of curious and interesting…” books are excellent and have been great source of inspiration for me.</p><p>They are now are almost 30 years old. </p><p>What new entries would you put in these books—either because they’re new after publication, or could have (should have) been included at the time? </p><p><a href="/tags/mathematics/" rel="tag">#mathematics</a> <a href="/tags/geometry/" rel="tag">#geometry</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/askfedi/" rel="tag">#askfedi</a></p>

The Penguin dictionary of curious and interesting numbers. Revised edition.
The cover uses green and blue text on white. The lower third of the cover has a various green numbers on a blue backgroup.

The Penguin dictionary of curious and interesting geometry (illustrated by John Sharp)
The cover is dominated by an old monochrome stock photograph of a man pulling a face and pointing at a lightbulb that has ‘v + f = e + 2’ written on it.

The Penguin book of curious and interesting puzzles.
The cover uses green text on white. The lower third of the cover has a various puzzles drawn in white outline on a blue backgroup, e.g. a cubic trefoil knot and a Chinese magic knot.

$The Penguin book of curious and interesting mathematics. The cover uses green and yellow text on white. The lower third of the cover has a various geometric figures in yellow outline on a blue background, e.g. Dudeney’s square to triangle dissection and a fractal figure.$

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2y

<p>English painter and illustrator John Everett Millais died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1896.</p><p>He was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He became the most famous exponent of the style, his painting Christ in the House of His Parents (1849–50) generating considerable controversy, and he produced a picture that could serve as the embodiment of the historical & naturalist focus of the group, Ophelia (1851–52).</p><p>Books about John Everett Millais at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=John+Everett+Millais&submit_search=Go%21" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=John+Everett+Millais&submit_search=Go%21"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc</span><span class="invisible">h/?query=John+Everett+Millais&submit_search=Go%21</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/art/" rel="tag">#art</a> <a href="/tags/painting/" rel="tag">#painting</a></p>

Ophelia (1852)
John Everett Millais

"Ophelia" (1852) by John Everett Millais is a captivating portrayal of the tragic character from Shakespeare's "Hamlet." The painting depicts Ophelia floating in a river, surrounded by flowers and lush greenery. Her face, serene and pale, contrasts with the vibrant and detailed natural setting. Millais captures the moment of her madness and impending death, her body partially submerged in the water, her hands delicately holding flowers. The meticulous attention to botanical detail and the luminous quality of the water create a hauntingly beautiful and melancholic scene, evoking a sense of loss and innocence.

The Princes in the Tower (1878)
John Everett Millais

"The Princes in the Tower" (1878) by John Everett Millais portrays the young Edward V and his brother Richard of Shrewsbury, who were famously imprisoned in the Tower of London. The painting captures the brothers' vulnerability and the foreboding atmosphere of their confinement. The boys are depicted huddled together on a bed, dressed in richly detailed clothing, with expressions of innocence and concern. The dimly lit room and the shadowy background emphasize the ominous fate that awaited them. Millais' use of light and shadow enhances the emotional intensity of the scene, highlighting the tragic historical narrative.

An Idyll of 1745. The three female artists models on the right were the sisters Lily Pettigrew [1870-1920]; Hetty Pettigrew [1867-1953] and Rose Pettigrew [1872-1905]

"An Idyll of 1745" by John Everett Millais captures a charming, serene scene with three women as the focal point. The painting features the Pettigrew sisters, Lily, Hetty, and Rose, elegantly posed on the right side. The women are depicted in period clothing, their dresses detailed and indicative of 18th-century fashion. Millais' attention to the sisters' expressions and interactions adds a sense of intimacy and connection between them. The lush, pastoral background enhances the idyllic and tranquil atmosphere, making the painting a beautiful portrayal of the elegance and grace of the era.

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220d

<p><a href="/tags/thebolivarianrevolution/" rel="tag">#TheBolivarianRevolution</a>, a collection of writings by <a href="/tags/símonbolívar/" rel="tag">#SímonBolívar</a> with an introduction by <a href="/tags/hugochávez/" rel="tag">#HugoChávez</a>, is now available in free ebook format via <a href="/tags/versobooks/" rel="tag">#VersoBooks</a>. (NB that the posted price for the ebook is discounted to zero once it's placed in the cart. It costs nothing to set up a Verso account): </p><p><a href="https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/2093-the-bolivarian-revolution" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/2093-the-bolivarian-revolution"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.versobooks.com/en-gb/produ</span><span class="invisible">cts/2093-the-bolivarian-revolution</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/venezuela/" rel="tag">#Venezuela</a> <a href="/tags/latinamericanhistory/" rel="tag">#LatinAmericanHistory</a> <a href="/tags/bolívar/" rel="tag">#Bolívar</a> <a href="/tags/bolivarianrevolution/" rel="tag">#BolivarianRevolution</a> <a href="/tags/revolutions/" rel="tag">#revolutions</a> <a href="/tags/historyoftheamericas/" rel="tag">#historyOfTheAmericas</a> <a href="/tags/decolonialstruggles/" rel="tag">#decolonialStruggles</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p>

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244d

<p>📚 The Names by: Florence Knapp</p><p>It is 1987, and in the aftermath of a great storm, Cora sets out with her nine-year-old daughter to register the birth of her son. Her husband intends for her to follow a long-standing family tradition and call the baby after him. But when faced with the decision, Cora hesitates. ...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/the-names" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>bookblabla.com/book/the-names</a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/libraries/" rel="tag">#libraries</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/generalfiction/" rel="tag">#generalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/familylife/" rel="tag">#familylife</a> <a href="/tags/multigenerationalfiction/" rel="tag">#multigenerationalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/worldliterature/" rel="tag">#worldliterature</a></p>

It is 1987, and in the aftermath of a great storm, Cora sets out with her nine-year-old daughter to register the birth of her son. Her husband intends for her to follow a long-standing family tradition and call the baby after him. But when faced with the decision, Cora hesitates. Going against his wishes is a risk that will have consequences, but is it right for her child to inherit his name from generations of domineering men? The choice she makes in this moment will shape the course of their lives.

Seven years later, her son is Bear, a name chosen by his sister, and one that will prove as cataclysmic as the storm from which it emerged. Or he is Julian, the name his mother set her heart on, believing it will enable him to become his own person. Or he is Gordon, named after his father and raised in his cruel image - but is there still a chance to break the mould?

Powerfully moving and full of hope, this is the story of three names, three versions of a life, and the infinite possibilities that a single decision can spark. It is the story of one family, and love's endless capacity to endure, no matter what fate has in store.

********

A once-in-a-generation debut from a major new talent, The Names is the story of three names, three versions of a life, and the infinite possibilities that a single decision can spark.
'I've just been blown away by the best debut novel in years... A genius idea for a book'
Sunday Times

'Wildly original and emotionally profound'
O

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1y

<p>French scholar, translator, commentator and editor of the classics Anne Dacier died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1730.</p><p>She is best known for her translations of classical works from Greek and Latin into French. Anne Dacier's most famous works include her translations of Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey". In addition to Homer, Dacier also translated works by other classical authors, such as Terence and Aristophanes, and wrote commentaries and essays on classical literature. </p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Dacier" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Dacier"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Dac</span><span class="invisible">ier</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Portrait dit d'Anne Dacier, peint sur porcelaine par Marie-Victoire Jaquotot. L'identité du modèle n'est pas certaine, non plus que l'auteur de l'oeuvre originale qui a été longtemps attribuée à Roger de Piles mais qui, selon la fiche d'inventaire du Louvre, serait plus probablement par François de Troy.

Voir Portrait d'une inconnue, sur collections.louvre.fr. Numéro dans la base Joconde : 50350214524.

In the portrait, Anne Dacier is presented with an air of intellectual grace. She is shown wearing attire typical of the late 17th or early 18th century, with a modest, elegant dress. Her expression is composed and thoughtful, befitting her reputation as a learned woman of letters. The porcelain medium gives the portrait a smooth, refined finish, with Jaquotot's skillful brushwork emphasizing the delicate features of Dacier's face.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1918.</p><p>The poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon meet for the last time, in London, and spend what Sassoon will recall as "the whole of a hot cloudless afternoon together."</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Owen#Relationship_with_Sassoon" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Owen#Relationship_with_Sassoon"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_</span><span class="invisible">Owen#Relationship_with_Sassoon</span></a></p><p>Books by Wilfred Owen at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/517" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/517"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/517</span></a></p><p>Books by Siegfried Sassoon at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2934" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2934"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/2934</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Portrait of Wilfred Owen, found in a collection of his poems from 1920.

Owen is depicted with a serious, introspective expression, reflecting the weight of his experiences during World War I. The portrait, likely a photograph or an engraving, shows him in military uniform, which serves as a poignant reminder of his service and the subject matter of his poetry. His eyes are intense, perhaps hinting at the trauma and disillusionment that characterized his work.

Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (1886-1967), poet and novelist, platinum print, wearing military uniform with the collar badges of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and hat, Beresford's stamp and copyright line on verso, 6 x 4½ in (15.2 x 11.5 cm).

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220d

<p>finished reading <a href="https://eggplant.place/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/1BbYbJnlN9zxNIUWJzpRpH" rel="nofollow">The Lebs</a> 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 <br>by Michael Mohammed Ahmad.</p><p>A deeply uncomfortable portrayal of Lebanese teenage boys in western Sydney as dumb, racist, misogynistic, sex-obsessed fundamentalists. The last third was more interesting, as the protagonist struggles with the foreignness & ugliness of the White world that he has always idolised.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> </p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://wyrms.de/user/wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>wildwoila@wyrms.de</span></a></span><br></p>

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58d

<p>The programme for the 2026 Edinburgh International Book Festival is now online, with over 600 events: talks, interviews, gigs, podcasts, workshops, food events, book signings & more, for Adults, Young Adults, and Children & Families. Tickets on sale from 25 June.</p><p><a href="https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/events" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.edbookfest.co.uk/events</a></p><p><a href="/tags/scottish/" rel="tag">#Scottish</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/edinburgh/" rel="tag">#Edinburgh</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/bookfestival/" rel="tag">#bookfestival</a> <a href="/tags/edinburghbookfestival/" rel="tag">#EdinburghBookFestival</a> <a href="/tags/edinburghinternationalbookfestival/" rel="tag">#EdinburghInternationalBookFestival</a> <a href="/tags/eibf/" rel="tag">#EIBF</a></p>

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276d

<p>📚 The Black Wolf by: Louise Penny</p><p>Somewhere out there, in the darkness, a black wolf is feeding.</p><p>Several weeks ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team uncovered and stopped a domestic terrorist attack in Montréal, arresting the person behind it. A man they called the Black Wolf.</p><p>But their relief is s...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/the-black-wolf" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/the-black-wolf"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/the-black-</span><span class="invisible">wolf</span></a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/libraries/" rel="tag">#libraries</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/mysterydetective/" rel="tag">#mysterydetective</a> <a href="/tags/traditionalfiction/" rel="tag">#traditionalfiction</a></p>

Somewhere out there, in the darkness, a black wolf is feeding.

Several weeks ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team uncovered and stopped a domestic terrorist attack in Montréal, arresting the person behind it. A man they called the Black Wolf.

But their relief is short-lived. In a sickening turn of events, Gamache has realized that plot, as horrific as it was, was just the beginning. Perhaps even a deliberate misdirection. One he fell into. Something deeper and darker, more damaging, is planned. Did he in fact arrest the Black Wolf, or are they still out there? Armand is appalled to think his mistake has allowed their conspiracy to grow, to gather supporters. To spread lies, manufacture enemies, and feed hatred and division.

Still recovering from wounds received in stopping the first attack, Armand is confined to the village of Three Pines, leading a covert investigation from there. He must be careful not to let the Black Wolf know he has recognized his mistake. In a quiet church basement, he and his senior agents Beauvoir and Lacoste, pore over what little evidence they have. Two notebooks. A few mysterious numbers on a tattered map of Québec. And a phrase repeated by the person they had called the Grey Wolf. A warning...

In a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Gamache and his small team of supporters realize that for the Black Wolf to have gotten this far, they must have powerful allies, in law enforcement, i

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282d

<p>Book promotion: Take a chance on one of my otherworldly stories about people who risk everything for the sake of hope, trust, & cooperation. You also get heaps of humor, whimsy, sarcasm, & optimism. Sometimes gritty, but never grim.</p><p>Because I can, I've priced the ebooks at $0.99 on my website AT THIS LINK --> <a href="https://kmherkes.com/sale-bookshop" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>kmherkes.com/sale-bookshop</a></p><p>Other vendors & formats at regular prices:<br><a href="https://books2read.com/kmherkes" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>books2read.com/kmherkes</a></p><p><a href="/tags/fedibookshop/" rel="tag">#Fedibookshop</a><br><a href="/tags/fedifiction/" rel="tag">#Fedifiction</a><br><a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#bookstodon</a><br><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a><br><a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a><br><a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#writing</a><br><a href="/tags/sciencefiction/" rel="tag">#ScienceFiction</a><br><a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a></p>

Promotional graphic for all 7 books written by K. M. Herkes. The words CHOOSE AN ADVENTURE are centered on a autumn leaf background of golds, reds nd browns, with photos of the book covers positioned around text describing various elements and genres represented; namely: hopepunk, heists, chosen family, disability rep, feisty heroines, and superpowers, science fiction, fantasy, romance, and suspense, novels and short stories.

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245d

<p>1066 and still all that</p><p>Few humor books from 1930 still get laughs from many people now, but 1066 and All That does. W. C. Sellar and R. J. Yeatman don't just send up English history: they also satirize how history is often taught and remembered, where what really matters, whether Bad Kings or Good Things, is the story of whoever's on top. <br> <br>By John Mark Ockerbloom </p><p><a href="https://everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/11/1066-and-still-all-that/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/11/1066-and-still-all-that/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">everybodyslibraries.com/2025/1</span><span class="invisible">2/11/1066-and-still-all-that/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/publicdomaindaycountdown/" rel="tag">#publicDomainDayCountdown</a></p>

Later paperback edition of the book 1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England, Comprising All the Parts You Can Remember, Including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Date (c. late 1960s)

A late 1960s paperback cover of "1066 and All That" by W.C. Sellar & R.J. Yeatman, featuring whimsical stick-figure illustrations on a bright turquoise background. The minimalist line drawings humorously depict historical figures and scenes, perfectly capturing the book's satirical take on English history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1066_and_All_That#/media/File:1066AndAllThat.jpg

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