Eggplant.place

272d

Humorous Book Titles: https://lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-humorous-book-titles-3/

#WednesdayWeeklyBloggingChallenge #Books #Humor

@bookstodon

Book cover for How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You by Matthew Inman. Image on cover shows a drawing of a grey cat walking around with a thought bubble filled with a skull and crossbones above his or her head.

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275d

Before Newton: How the Islamic Golden Age Shaped the Physics We Know

Remarkable discoveries were made during the Islamic Golden Age, which laid the foundation for the study of physics as we know it.

by Matt Whittaker

https://www.thecollector.com/how-did-physics-begin-islamic-golden-age/

Books in Physics at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/bookshelf/103

#books #science #physics #history

An illustration from al-Biruni's astronomical works, explains the different phases of the Moon, with respect to the position of the Sun, from manuscript of the Kitab al-Tafhim by Al-Biruni (973-1048).

The illustration demonstrates:
The Moon's orbit shown by the elliptical path with red lines;
Different phases of the Moon represented by the circles divided into black and illuminated (red/white) portions;
The Sun's position (indicated by the Farsi text on the right: "âftâb" meaning "the sun");
Geometric lines showing the relationship between the Sun's light and the Moon's appearance from Earth;
Arabic annotations explaining the astronomical concepts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Biruni#/media/File:Lunar_phases_al-Biruni.jpg

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1y

#OTD in 1863.

Jules Verne's novel Five Weeks in a Balloon, or, Journeys and Discoveries in Africa by Three Englishmen (Cinq semaines en ballon) is published in Paris. It will be the first of Verne's Voyages Extraordinaires. This was Verne's first novel to be published by Pierre-Jules Hetzel, following the rejection of Voyage en Angleterre et en Écosse.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Weeks_in_a_Balloon

Five Weeks in a Balloon at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/3526
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/4548

#books #literature

Jules Verne "Five Weeks in a Balloon" front cover.

One of the most famous versions includes an ornate red or blue cloth binding with gold and black embossed decorations.

The cover often prominently displays an illustration of a grand hot air balloon soaring over an African landscape, emphasizing the novel’s central theme of exploration.

The balloon is depicted above exotic terrain, with figures in the balloon's basket scanning the horizon.

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1y

#OTD in 1848.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish The Communist Manifesto (Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei) in London.

Published amid the Revolutions of 1848 in Europe, the manifesto remains one of the world's most influential political documents.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Communist_Manifesto

At PG.
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/61

#books #literature

A decorative border and ornate text reading "Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei." on darker-than-white paper.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Communist_Manifesto#/media/File:Communist-manifesto.png

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Only surviving page from the first draft of the Manifesto, handwritten by Karl Marx.

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271d

📚 The Unnoticeables by: Robert Brockway

There are angels, and they are not beneficent or loving. But they do watch over us. They watch our lives unfold, analyzing us for repeating patterns and redundancies. When they find them, the angels simplify those patterns and remove the redundancies, and the problem that is "you" gets solved.
...

https://bookblabla.com/book/the-unnoticeables

@bookstodon

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #fantasy #urbanfiction #horror #general

There are angels, and they are not beneficent or loving. But they do watch over us. They watch our lives unfold, analyzing us for repeating patterns and redundancies. When they find them, the angels simplify those patterns and remove the redundancies, and the problem that is "you" gets solved.

Carey doesn't much like that idea. As a punk living in New York City, 1977, Carey is sick and tired of watching strange kids with unnoticeable faces abduct his friends. He doesn't care about the rumors of tar-monsters in the sewers or unkillable psychopaths invading the punk scene—all he wants is to drink cheap beer and dispense ass-kickings.

Kaitlyn isn't sure what she's doing with her life. She came to Hollywood in 2013 to be a stunt woman, but last night a former teen heartthrob tried to eat her, her best friend has just gone missing, and there's an angel outside her apartment. Whatever she plans on doing with her life, it should probably happen in the few remaining minutes she has left. There are angels. There are demons. They are the same thing. It's up to Carey and Kaitlyn to stop them. The survival of the human race is in their hands.
We are, all of us, well and truly screwed.

A nasty, freaky, and haphazardly funny horror story. Kirkus Reviews
Strangely readable, with unexpected depths. Publishers Weekly

Filled with "irreverent wit" this urban fantasy novel is a raunchy, rollicking tale of punk rock, gruesome horror and pop-culture satire ( NPR).

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1y

#OTD in 1904.

J. M. Synge's tragedy Riders to the Sea is first performed at Molesworth Hall, Dublin, by the Irish National Theatre Society, with Helen Laird playing Maurya.

Synge's use of phrasing from the Irish language is part of the Irish Literary Revival, a period when Irish literature looked to encourage pride and nationalism in Ireland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_to_the_Sea

Riders to the Sea at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/994

#books #literature #theatre

Sara Allgood photo taken by Carl Van Vechten, photographer.

Source: http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?van:1:./temp/~ammem_Xnh9:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_to_the_Sea#/media/File:Sara_Allgood.jpg

The photograpgh captures the Irish actress in a dramatic and expressive pose. Van Vechten, known for his striking portrait photography, often utilized high contrast and deep shadows to emphasize the subject's character and presence.

In this image, Allgood's face is likely the focal point, showcasing her strong features, expressive eyes, and theatrical presence. The lighting and composition highlight the depth of her expression, giving a glimpse into her career as a stage and film actress.

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1y

#OTD in 1909.

The first issue appears of La Nouvelle Revue Française, a literary magazine founded in Paris by André Gide, Jacques Copeau, Jean Schlumberger, Gaston Gallimard, and others.

Established writers such as Paul Bourget and Anatole France contributed to the magazine from its early days. The first published works by André Malraux and Jean-Paul Sartre were in the pages of the Revue.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nouvelle_Revue_Fran%C3%A7aise

Nouvelle Revue Française is available at UPenn:
https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=nouvellerevfr

#books

Cover of the first issue of La Nouvelle Revue Française, February 1909.

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1y

10 most iconic lines by Dostoevsky that make people sit back and overthink life

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/web-stories/10-most-iconic-lines-by-dostoevsky-that-make-people-sit-back-and-overthink-life/photostory/121135703.cms

Dostoevsky at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/314

#books #literature

Portrait of Dostoevsky by Vasily Perov, c. 1872.

Seated with his hands clasped and gaze cast downward, Dostoevsky appears weary yet contemplative, reflecting the emotional intensity and philosophical depth of his writing.

Dressed in a simple brown coat against a dark, muted background, his gaunt face, high forehead, and unkempt beard emphasize a life marked by suffering, imprisonment, and spiritual searching.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyodor_Dostoevsky#/media/File:Vasily_Perov_-_%D0%9F%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%82_%D0%A4.%D0%9C.%D0%94%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

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270d

Book Review: The Regicide Report by Charlie Stross
Regicide? Schmegicide says Stewart Hotston at the NOAF blog:
http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/01/book-review-regicide-report-by-charlie.html

#books #review #fantasy #bookstodon @bookstodon

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277d

After some fixes and more than 400+ commits, I'd like share my repo on UI Design now having a better life on Codeberg.

https://codeberg.org/tipoqueno/UI-Design

You'll get a huge list of resources to learn & practice User Interface Design (and more)

I started this in 2017 on Github but was archived 3 years ago because I started to dislike BS from Github and Microsoft.

Enjoy!

#uidesign #frontend #ux #html #css #books

Banner from the UI Design repository, with a purple background and the inscription "UI Design" in a rounded font

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1y

The Bloomsbury Group: A Reading List

In 1905, a group of writers and painters gathered in a London home and began a conversation on politics, love, sex, and art that lasted decades.

By: Jenny Noyce

https://daily.jstor.org/bloomsbury-group-reading-list/

Bloomsbury Group at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/89
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/975
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54154
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4565

#books #literature

Left to right: Lady Ottoline Morrell, Maria Nys, Lytton Strachey, Duncan Grant, and Vanessa Bell, July 1915 via Wikimedia Commons

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1y

Sure, but does anyone start reading the classics? Reading on any level should be encouraged 😊

@reading @bookstodon @bookbubble @humour

#ReadingMemes #Memes #ReadAllTheBooks #Humor #Humour #YA
#Reading #Readers #ReadersOfMastodon #ReadingCommunity
#Book #Books #Novel #Novels #Fiction
#Recommendation #Bookrecommendation
#Bookwyrm #Bookworm #Bookstodon #BookLove #BoostingIsSharing

Post by @MATCHAURA
‘reading classics doesn’t make you any better than wattpad readers’ okay it does a little come on now

Reply by @l_ou_r_de s
As a society, we need to stop pretending that YA is a decent genre when it's the literary equivalent of a marvel movie.

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270d

Niels Fredrik Dahl and “Reality Literature”: Writing to Become Visible to Yourself

What does it mean to write truth into literature? In recent decades, books that are largely autobiographical but also explicitly include fictional elements have become a very popular genre in Scandinavia.

by Linnea Gradin

https://www.asymptotejournal.com/blog/2026/01/21/niels-fredrik-dahl-and-reality-literature-writing-to-become-visible-to-yourself/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_id=01KFJX49SHZWE60334HQRV1RSS&_kx=3MZUehzXM-41qlWAMPUiuNZadX2p0SByuNf_t0eMLB0.U5D8ER

Realism at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/search/?query=realism

#books #literature #literarycriticism

Ornament from a 1923 magazine.

A pen-and-ink illustration depicting various objects associated with reading and writing:

An open book prominently displayed on what appears to be a book rest or stand
A rolled scroll or manuscript
Other books stacked or arranged around the central open volume

https://archive.org/details/storyworldphotod51phot

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1y

#OTD in 1920.

Beyond the Horizon, Eugene O'Neill's second full-length play, opens with a Morosco Theatre matinée in New York City, partly as a producer's experiment and partly to quiet the actor Richard Bennett, who sought to play the lead. Reviewers hail the play and O'Neill gains fame. It won the 1920 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Horizon_(play)

Beyond the Horizon at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58569

#books #literature #theatre

First edition cover of Beyond The Horizon.

The book has a simple yet classic design, with an orange dust jacket and black text. The title, Beyond The Horizon, is prominently displayed at the top in bold font.

Below the title, there is a quote that reads, "Can You Recall More Enthusiastic Comment Than This?" followed by a passage praising the significance and dramatic power of the play.

The book cover contains additional text describing the play as an "absorbing, significant, and memorable tragedy" and highlights Eugene O'Neill’s dramatic skill.

Towards the bottom, the author’s name, Eugene O'Neill, is displayed along with a mention of his previous work, The Moon of the Caribbees.

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1y

"There are very few who can think, but every man wants to have an opinion; and what remains but to take it ready-made from others, instead of forming opinions for himself?"

The Art of Controversy, and Other Posthumous Papers (ed. 1896)

~Arthur Schopenhauer (22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860)

Books by Arthur Schopenhauer at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3648

#books #literature #philosophy

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1y

"I know that Beauty must ail and die,
And will be born again, — but ah, to see
Beauty stiffened, staring up at the sky!
Oh, Autumn! Autumn! — What is the Spring to me?"

Second April (1921)

~Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950)

Books by Edna St. Vincent Millay at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/70

#books #literature #poetry

Millay, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1933.

She is captured in a three-quarter view, looking slightly to the side with an introspective expression.

Dramatic high-contrast lighting, with strong shadows cast across her face, emphasizing depth and mood.

Millay wears a dark jacket over a patterned blouse, with a deep neckline revealing her collarbone.

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270d

The Untold Story of Selene, Greek Goddess of the Moon

A daughter of the Titans, Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon. She appears throughout Greek mythology in divine wars and torrid love affairs.

by Kieren Johns

https://www.thecollector.com/selene-greek-goddess-moon/

Greek Mythology in literature at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/17235

#books #literature #mythology

Selene, engraving by François Chauveau.

The goddess is shown in flowing drapery, seated or reclining on a large crescent moon, which was her traditional attribute
Her pose is dynamic and graceful, with arms raised in a classical manner
A sleeping figure, likely Endymion, the handsome shepherd or astronomer with whom Selene fell in love according to Greek mythology

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selene#/media/File:S%C3%A9l%C3%A9n%C3%A9.jpg

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271d

Grains of sand prove people – not glaciers – transported Stonehenge rocks

Ask people how Stonehenge was built and you’ll hear stories of sledges, ropes, boats and sheer human determination to haul stones from across Britain to Salisbury Plain, in south-west England.

by Anthony Clarke and Chris Kirkland

https://theconversation.com/grains-of-sand-prove-people-not-glaciers-transported-stonehenge-rocks-271310

Stonehenge at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/12218

#books #literature #geology

Stonehenge. As painted by John Constable, 1835.

The most striking feature is the turbulent, stormy sky with sweeping dark clouds, rays of light breaking through, and possibly a rainbow.

The ancient sarsen stones and trilithons are shown in their weathered, partially ruined state.

A large fallen lintel stone lies in the foreground, emphasizing the monument's age and decay.

Tiny figures near the stones provide scale and emphasize the monument's monumentality.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge#/media/File:Constable_-_Stonehenge,_1629-1888,_2006AK8142.jpg

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271d

Book Review: ECO 24 edited by Marissa Van Uden
A speculative fiction anthology devoted to ecological fiction.
@Princejvstin has the review at the NOAF blog
http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/01/book-review-eco-24-edited-by-marissa.html

#books #review #bookstodon @bookstodon

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271d

A Review of What Do We Afford: https://lydiaschoch.com/a-review-of-what-do-we-afford/

#BookReview #Books #ScienceFiction #IndieBooks

@bookstodon

Book cover for What Do We Afford by Eyal Avissar. Image on cover is possibly AI-generated and shows a nondescript blue drawing of a male human body with various parts of it labelled. There is also a sketch of a cow behind the human. The text reads: “system diagram - Volume 1” and then has the following words and phrases written clockwise around figures: Afford data relay, Affords reverie, (deprecated), Affords calm gaze, Affords systematic rhymthm (which seems to be purposefully misspelled), Affords yield, Affords grounding, Affords noise detection, Affords extraction, Affords compliance, Affords gripping, Affords recognition, and Affords extraction.

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270d

Why Regency Romances Are the Best Type of Romance Novels

"Sarah E. Ladd on How the “Rules” of the Period Make It the Most Inspiring to Read and Write"

https://lithub.com/why-regency-romances-are-the-best-type-of-romance-novels/

#books

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271d

Ebook and paperback: https://books2read.com/TheInvertedGlass

After encountering the worst life has to offer, including the death of his wife and child, destruction of his home world, an addiction forced on him by the one responsible and a third of the galaxy falling under the heel of that tyrant, Levi Jacobs, a wizard, seeks to unravel the secrets of time and fate.

@bookstodon
#author #indieauthor #writing #fantasy #scifi #sciencefiction #sff #sciencefantasy #scifi #actionadventure #fiction #books

(Left) The cover of The Inverted Glass, by Owen Tyme.

The Background is a pink and purple nebula in space.

The foreground is largely line art, in white, with a black shadow outline.

At the center is an hourglass. The bottom has black sand, with a white figure standing in it. The top has is an inverted mirror image of the bottom, with a black figure in white sand.

The hourglass serves as the balance point for a set of scales, which hold a heart and a feather. The heart is on the left and the feather on the right. The heart is lower than the feather.

(Right) Lying in blue sand is a heart made of the same sand, full of cracks. It glows from the inside in a warm, yellow color. Over that is the following quote:

Nicole felt an extreme kind of loss, realizing she’d been stolen away from the afterlife, just before finding out if she deserved punishment or not!

“How dare you do this to me? Why?”

“I’m always in need of strong spirits and I’ve seen none stronger. You have unique talents I refuse to see go to waste.”

(Bottom) https://books2read.com/TheInvertedGlass

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1d

Ebook and paperback: https://books2read.com/TymeDarkMoon
Series Ebook omnibus: https://books2read.com/TheWizardsScion

On a world thought to have no moon, its sudden appearance inspires wonder and terror. Research links the full moon and catastrophe, revealing the existence of ‘Harbingers of Doom’, creatures that harvest souls. Can everyone survive or will they be reaped like wheat?

@bookstodon
#author #indieauthor #writing #fantasy #scifi #sciencefiction #sff #sciencefantasy #scifi #actionadventure #fiction #books

(Left) The cover of dark moon, by Owen Tyme, illustrated by Ryan Johnson.

In the foreground, a redheaded witch and a dark haired wizard fight back to back, holding some rather large pistols. The witch is in a black dress and the wizard is in a black robe with golden decorations. Both looked a bit purple, due to the lighting. The witch's hair blows on the wind and she wears a necklace of bone beads.

Behind them, there's dust, mist and fog lit by twilight as a moon rises, framing their heads. Objects that look like shooting stars fall from the moon and there's a few visible impacts.

(Right) A white moon, on a background of the stars of space, with the following quote over the top of it:

“Idiot! You’ve likely killed us both, leaving us stuck out in the open like this.”

“We’ve got incoming. I know you’re angry and I suppose you’ve got every right to be, but we need to defend ourselves.”

“ ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’, for now, and then we decide what to do about the conflict between us.”

(Bottom) https://books2read.com/TymeDarkMoon

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1y

#OTD in 1869.

Booth's Theatre opens on Manhattan with the owner, Edwin Booth, playing the male lead in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Some reports said it was one of the most elaborate productions of Romeo and Juliet ever seen in America; it was certainly the most popular, running for over six weeks and earning over $60,000 (equivalent to $1,000,000 in 2023).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet

Romeo and Juliet at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1513

#books #literature #theatre