books

The American novelist Madeline Miller describes how she overcame her fears of a classical backlash to write a gay love story about Achilles and Patroclus.

<p>I write, erase, rewrite</p><p>Erase again, and then</p><p>A poppy blooms.</p><p> Katsushika Hokusai</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a> <a href="/tags/haiku/" rel="tag">#haiku</a> <a href="/tags/haikuday/" rel="tag">#haikuday</a> <br><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>

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1748.</p><p>The first instalment of Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, also known as Fanny Hill, is published anonymously by John Cleland to raise money to free himself from the London debtors&#x27; prison. It is considered by some to be the first modern erotic novel.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Hill" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Hill"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Hi</span><span class="invisible">ll</span></a></p><p>Memoirs of Fanny Hill at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/25305" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/25305</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

<p>Top 10 Most Read Pieces from 2025<br> <br>via <span class="h-card"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@publicdomainrev" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>publicdomainrev</span></a></span> </p><p>It’s that time in December when we inevitably end up asking the question: what, exactly, captured people’s attention over the past year? The list below is one answer. </p><p><a href="https://publicdomainreview.org/blog/2025/12/top-10-most-read-pieces-from-2025/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="publicdomainreview.org/blog/2025/12/top-10-most-read-pieces-from-2025/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">publicdomainreview.org/blog/20</span><span class="invisible">25/12/top-10-most-read-pieces-from-2025/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/illustrations/" rel="tag">#illustrations</a></p>

<p>Tintin, The Wayback Machine, and The Public Domain</p><p>by Sterling Dudley</p><p>What do a Belgian boy reporter, a forgotten 2008 webpage, and the Wayback Machine have in common? They all played a role in uncovering Tintin the Belgian detective’s earliest adventures as part of Public Domain Day 2025. </p><p><a href="https://blog.archive.org/2025/12/26/wayback-machine-and-public-domain-research/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="blog.archive.org/2025/12/26/wayback-machine-and-public-domain-research/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">blog.archive.org/2025/12/26/wa</span><span class="invisible">yback-machine-and-public-domain-research/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/publicdomaindaycountdown/" rel="tag">#publicDomainDayCountdown</a></p>

You Can Buy Julius Evola’s Revolt Against the Modern World from a Vending Machine at the Iași Train Station

<p>Abby Morton Diaz was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1821.</p><p>Born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, she became involved in the reform movements of the 19th century, particularly those related to women&#x27;s suffrage, education, and labor.</p><p>Abby Morton Diaz at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2166" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2166"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/2166</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

<p>In November 1887.</p><p>Arthur Conan Doyle&#x27;s first detective novel, A Study in Scarlet, is published in Beeton&#x27;s Christmas Annual by Ward Lock &amp; Co. in London, introducing the consulting detective Sherlock Holmes &amp; his friend &amp; chronicler Dr. Watson.</p><p><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/244" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/244</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> In 1397, Chaucer tells the Canterbury Tales for the first time at the court of Richard II. </p><p><a href="https://lithub.com/lit-hub-daily-april-17-2026/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lithub.com/lit-hub-daily-april-17-2026/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lithub.com/lit-hub-daily-april</span><span class="invisible">-17-2026/</span></a></p><p>&quot;Canterbury Tales&quot; at PG:</p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Canterbury+Tales" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Canterbury+Tales"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc</span><span class="invisible">h/?query=Canterbury+Tales</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

<p>50% off omnibus @ <a href="/tags/smashwords/" rel="tag">#Smashwords</a>: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1733647" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.smashwords.com/books/view/1733647"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.smashwords.com/books/view/</span><span class="invisible">1733647</span></a></p><p>Levi always dreamed of being like his father, a great wizard, but had no understanding what it would be like. Follow Levi&#x27;s journey from bumbling teen to great hero, while the young wizard learns to master magical powers that are barely under control.</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><br><a href="/tags/author/" rel="tag">#author</a> <a href="/tags/indieauthor/" rel="tag">#indieauthor</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#writing</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#scifi</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefiction/" rel="tag">#sciencefiction</a> <a href="/tags/sff/" rel="tag">#sff</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefantasy/" rel="tag">#sciencefantasy</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#scifi</a> <a href="/tags/actionadventure/" rel="tag">#actionadventure</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/eoysale25/" rel="tag">#EOYSale25</a> <a href="/tags/ebook/" rel="tag">#ebook</a> <a href="/tags/sale/" rel="tag">#sale</a> <a href="/tags/books2read/" rel="tag">#books2read</a> <a href="/tags/indiebooks/" rel="tag">#indiebooks</a></p>

<p>In November 1874.</p><p>After completing a four-year prison sentence for thefts and frauds at Waldheim, Saxony, Karl May has his first story, &quot;Die Rose von Ernstthal&quot; (&quot;The Story of Rose Ernstthal&quot;), published.</p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1018" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1018"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/1018</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

<p>8 Famous Women Writers Who Wrote Under Male Pseudonyms.</p><p>Historically, women faced barriers to publication and prejudicial attitudes, leading some to adopt male pseudonyms.</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/famous-women-writers-under-male-pseudonyms/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/famous-women-writers-under-male-pseudonyms/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/famous-wo</span><span class="invisible">men-writers-under-male-pseudonyms/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

<p>📚 The Family Experiment by: John Marrs</p><p>The world’s population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families, let alone raise them.</p><p>But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly ...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/the-family-experiment" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/the-family-experiment"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/the-family</span><span class="invisible">-experiment</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/thrillers/" rel="tag">#thrillers</a> <a href="/tags/suspensefiction/" rel="tag">#suspensefiction</a> <a href="/tags/psychologicalfiction/" rel="tag">#psychologicalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/crimefiction/" rel="tag">#crimefiction</a></p>

<p>Herman Melville’s Great American Novel, ‘Moby-Dick,’ Only Got Mixed Reviews When It First Hit Bookstores</p><p>By Eli Wizevich</p><p><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/discover-the-origins-and-early-criticism-of-herman-melvilles-great-american-novel-moby-dick-180985272/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/discover-the-origins-and-early-criticism-of-herman-melvilles-great-american-novel-moby-dick-180985272/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-n</span><span class="invisible">ews/discover-the-origins-and-early-criticism-of-herman-melvilles-great-american-novel-moby-dick-180985272/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/kiterature/" rel="tag">#kiterature</a></p>

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1910.</p><p>Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy dies of pneumonia aged 82 at Astapovo railway station, after a day&#x27;s train journey south, fleeing from his home.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Tolstoy" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Tolstoy"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Tols</span><span class="invisible">toy</span></a></p><p>Books by Leo Tolstoy at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/136" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/136"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/136</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1906.</p><p>Frank Wedekind&#x27;s play Spring Awakening: A Children&#x27;s Tragedy (Frühlings Erwachen), completed 1901, receives its first staging, directed by Max Reinhardt.</p><p>The Awakening of Spring at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/35242" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/35242</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/theatre/" rel="tag">#theatre</a></p>

<p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://wandering.shop/@adriabailton" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>adriabailton</span></a></span> thank you for hosting the last <a href="/tags/writephant/" rel="tag">#writephant</a> of 2025 😊 </p><p><a href="/tags/selfpromo/" rel="tag">#SelfPromo</a><br> <br>The <a href="/tags/smashwords/" rel="tag">#Smashwords</a> sale is in its last few days (ends 11:59 p.m. Pacific January 1st US time, so Australians have to the middle of 2 Jan)</p><p>All mine are 25% off, if you’re in the mood for well-rated quirky/low-key/non-epic fantasy with queer romance:</p><p><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/wendylpalmer" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.smashwords.com/profile/view/wendylpalmer"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.smashwords.com/profile/vie</span><span class="invisible">w/wendylpalmer</span></a></p><p>there’s plenty more to browse too. I’ve got a few queued up, but the one I’ve already read, and really liked was, The King is Dead, by Naomi Libicki, for a not-European-set fantasy about a man who must look after his deeply traumatised cousin, while uncovering a conspiracy within his own family and beyond. </p><p><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1474178" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.smashwords.com/books/view/1474178"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.smashwords.com/books/view/</span><span class="invisible">1474178</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/booksale/" rel="tag">#BookSale</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>

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1902.</p><p>J. M. Barrie&#x27;s comedy The Admirable Crichton is first performed, at the Duke of York&#x27;s Theatre in London, starring H. B. Irving, Henry Kemble and Irene Vanbrugh.</p><p><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/3490" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/3490</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/theatre/" rel="tag">#theatre</a></p>

<p>José-Maria de Heredia was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1842.</p><p>He published in 1893 Les Trophées comprising 198 sonnets that retrace the history of the world or depict privileged moments as well as four longer poems.</p><p>José-Maria de Heredia at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/5697" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/5697"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/5697</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1850.</p><p>Alfred Tennyson is named Poet Laureate of the UK in succession to William Wordsworth, but only after Samuel Rogers has declined the offer because of his age and Tennyson is assured that birthday odes will not be required of him.</p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2987" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2987"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/2987</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1918.</p><p>Wilfred Owen is killed in action aged 25, at the Sambre–Oise Canal, with only five of his poems published. News of his death reaches his parents in Shrewsbury a week later on Armistice Day. </p><p><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><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>

<p>Endre Ady was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1877.</p><p>Some of his notable poetry collections include &quot;Új versek&quot; (New Poems, 1906), &quot;A Holnap&quot; (Tomorrow, 1908), and &quot;A halottak élén&quot; (At the Head of the Dead, 1918).</p><p>Books by Endre Ady at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/39489" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/39489"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/39489</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>

<p>French and American writer, journalist and pianist Ève Curie was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1904.</p><p>She is best known for writing a biography of her mother, Madame Curie (1937). Ève was the only member of her family who did not choose a career as a scientist and did not win a Nobel Prize, although her husband, Henry Richardson Labouisse Jr., did collect the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 on behalf of UNICEF.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%88ve_Curie" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%88ve_Curie"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%88ve</span><span class="invisible">_Curie</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

<p>Book Review: The Gryphon King by Sara Omer<br>A monster-filled secondary-world fantasy that takes its cues and worldbuilding inspirations from points east of the Bosporus Strait<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 our review<br><a href="http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/01/book-review-gryphon-king-by-sara-omer.html" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.nerds-feather.com/2026/01/book-review-gryphon-king-by-sara-omer.html"><span class="invisible">http://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.nerds-feather.com/2026/01/</span><span class="invisible">book-review-gryphon-king-by-sara-omer.html</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/review/" rel="tag">#review</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#bookreview</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#bookstodon</a> @bookstodon</p>