books

9d

<p>A Few Happy Memories From My Life: <a href="https://lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-a-few-happy-memories-from-my-life/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-a-few-happy-memories-from-my-life/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-week</span><span class="invisible">ly-blogging-challenge-a-few-happy-memories-from-my-life/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/memories/" rel="tag">#Memories</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</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>

Wooden library shelves filled with books.

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51d

Guantánamo : why the illegal US base should be returned to Cuba - Anna’s Archive <small class="notice" x-post-type-data="None"> Takahe has limited support for this type: <a href="https://lemmy.ml/post/44369183">See Original Page</a> </small>

691cca5826cf57ab1bdfdc156e76bfdc

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360d

<p>finished reading <a href="https://eggplant.place/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/7Ob16VQQxQHsLLzU4d9Syz" rel="nofollow">My Father and Other Animals: How I Took on the Family Farm</a> 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 <br>by Sam Vincent.</p><p>After an unsettled life of freelance writing, the author takes on the family farm. A memoir of his father and the land, an ode to regenerative agriculture, and an example of how to connect with Traditional Owners. The author is only two degrees of separation from me, so I found it easy to imagine myself in his shoes, going down a route that appeals but was not available.</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/autobiography/" rel="tag">#Autobiography</a> <a href="/tags/farming/" rel="tag">#Farming</a> <a href="/tags/regenag/" rel="tag">#RegenAg</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> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>

Edited 360d ago

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1y

<p>“A Mystery Novel Like No Other Before.” On Josephine Tey’s The Daughter of Time</p><p>Sarah Weinman in Praise of an Innovative and Timeless Work of Detective Fiction</p><p><a href="https://lithub.com/a-mystery-novel-like-no-other-before-on-josephine-teys-the-daughter-of-time/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20April%2016%2C%202025&utm_term=lithub_master_list" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lithub.com/a-mystery-novel-like-no-other-before-on-josephine-teys-the-daughter-of-time/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20April%2016%2C%202025&utm_term=lithub_master_list"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lithub.com/a-mystery-novel-lik</span><span class="invisible">e-no-other-before-on-josephine-teys-the-daughter-of-time/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20April%2016%2C%202025&utm_term=lithub_master_list</span></a></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daughter_of_Time" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daughter_of_Time"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daug</span><span class="invisible">hter_of_Time</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

The Daughter of Time - Josephine Tey.

This image is the cover of The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. The design features a medieval-style banner in blue and gold, unfurled across the center, bearing the book’s title in bold, uppercase serif letters: THE DAUGHTER OF TIME. Below the title, the author’s name is written in a flowing script on a golden ribbon.

The background includes heraldic elements, such as a crown, laurel wreath, and checkered floor, evoking the themes of history, monarchy, and mystery central to the novel. The style is detailed and slightly abstract, with strong black outlines and contrasting colors, giving it a dramatic, vintage feel.

This historical detective novel questions the legacy of King Richard III and the nature of historical truth—reflected visually through the use of regal and timeworn imagery.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daughter_of_Time#/media/File:The_Daughter_of_Time_-_Josephine_Tey.JPG

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68d

<p>I wrote about a Tech Bro that had to invade my offline life, and a quiet indie bookstore, and then I just had enough so had to fight him. <a href="https://sightlessscribbles.com/posts/the-bookstore-hope/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="sightlessscribbles.com/posts/the-bookstore-hope/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">sightlessscribbles.com/posts/t</span><span class="invisible">he-bookstore-hope/</span></a> <a href="/tags/ai/" rel="tag">#AI</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstore/" rel="tag">#Bookstore</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#Writing</a> <a href="/tags/blog/" rel="tag">#Blog</a> <a href="/tags/blogs/" rel="tag">#Blogs</a></p>

Edited 66d ago

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75d

<p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@queerromanceclub" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>queerromanceclub</span></a></span> <a href="/tags/queerromanceclub/" rel="tag">#QueerRomanceClub</a> </p><p>I just finished In Spite of You by Patrick Lenton<br><a href="https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/in-spite-of-you-1" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/in-spite-of-you-1"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/in-sp</span><span class="invisible">ite-of-you-1</span></a></p><p>I took one look at Mr Sultry Eyes on the cover and thought it was going to be traumatic literary fiction — in actual fact, it’s a perfectly lovely gay contemporary romcom set in Sydney (though the blurb is also not overly accurate, leaning too hard into tropes that aren’t really there).</p><p>Hints of Alexis Hall for me, and I appreciated the Australian author and setting. Highly recommended, just wish both cover and blurb positioned it better to find its audience. </p><p><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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359d

<p>What Was Saint Augustine’s Narrative of the Two Cities?</p><p>What was Saint Augustine’s narrative of the two cities, the City of God and the City of the World, all about?</p><p>by Marnie Binder</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/saint-augustine-narrative-two-cities/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/saint-augustine-narrative-two-cities/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/saint-aug</span><span class="invisible">ustine-narrative-two-cities/</span></a></p><p>Saint Augustine at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1156" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1156"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/1156</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

St. Augustine in His Study by Vittore Carpaccio, 1502

The saint is portrayed seated at a writing desk, surrounded by an elaborately furnished interior brimming with Renaissance luxuries and scholarly tools: globes, books, instruments, and exotic artifacts. The architecture of the room features vaulted ceilings, ornate wooden shelves, and tiled floors, reflecting a harmonious blend of Gothic and early Renaissance design.

St. Augustine is robed in ecclesiastical garments, captured mid-movement as he turns in awe, reacting to a divine vision or spiritual presence — traditionally interpreted as a supernatural communication from St. Jerome, informing Augustine of his death. His expression is thoughtful and moved, enhancing the spiritual atmosphere of the scene.

Carpaccio meticulously includes animals (like a dog at Augustine’s feet), detailed maps, astrolabes, and manuscripts, demonstrating the saint’s intellectual breadth and curiosity, and symbolizing the humanist fusion of faith and reason.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo#/media/File:Vittore_carpaccio,_visione_di_sant'agostino_01.jpg

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77d

<p>Subverting hell</p><p>In their visions of the underworld Dante and Milton were truly subversive, incorporating predecessors into their own repudiation</p><p>by Charlie Ericson</p><p><a href="https://aeon.co/essays/feel-the-burn-how-subversion-works-in-literature?utm_source=Aeon+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e6bfbf5e1b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_02_12&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-4ef8a26106-72664972" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="aeon.co/essays/feel-the-burn-how-subversion-works-in-literature?utm_source=Aeon+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e6bfbf5e1b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_02_12&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-4ef8a26106-72664972"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">aeon.co/essays/feel-the-burn-h</span><span class="invisible">ow-subversion-works-in-literature?utm_source=Aeon+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e6bfbf5e1b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_02_12&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-4ef8a26106-72664972</span></a></p><p>Dante and Milton at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/507" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/507"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/507</span></a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/17" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/17"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/17</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Dante and Virgil in the Ninth Circle of Hell (1861) by Gustave Doré.

The painting depicts a scene from Dante Alighieri's Inferno, showing Dante (in orange/red robes) and his guide Virgil (in blue) standing on an elevated position, looking down upon the frozen lake of Cocytus, the ninth and deepest circle of Hell where traitors are punished. The damned souls are shown frozen in ice in various states of torment, emerging from the misty, icy landscape.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gustave_Dor%C3%A9_-_Dante_et_Virgile_dans_le_neuvi%C3%A8me_cercle_de_l%27Enfer.jpg

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77d

<p>7 of the Most Scandalous Romantic Plot Twists in Classic Literature</p><p>By Paul Anthony Jones</p><p><a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/literature/books/romantic-plot-twists-in-classic-literature" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.mentalfloss.com/literature/books/romantic-plot-twists-in-classic-literature"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.mentalfloss.com/literature</span><span class="invisible">/books/romantic-plot-twists-in-classic-literature</span></a></p><p>They are all available at PG:<br>Bleak House<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1023" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1023</a><br>Ethan Frome<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4517" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4517</a><br>Far From the Madding Crowd<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/107" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/107</a><br>Jane Eyre<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1260" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1260</a><br>Sense and Sensibility<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/161" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/161</a><br>The Return of the Native<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/122" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/122</a><br>Twelfth Night<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1526" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1526</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Cover image of Bleak House by Charles Dickens.

The cover features a decorative gold-stamped coat of arms or heraldic emblem with the title "BLEAK HOUSE" at the top and "Charles Dickens" at the bottom, along with what appears to be a motto banner reading "IN CHANCERY." Published serially from 1852-1853.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1023/pg1023-images.html

Cover image Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

This is an ornate Victorian-era cover of "Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen, featuring elaborate gold Art Nouveau-style floral and vine patterns on a dark green background. The decorative design frames the title and author name in elegant lettering.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/161/pg161-images.html

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357d

<p>I found this cool <a href="/tags/fediverse/" rel="tag">#Fediverse</a> software called <a href="/tags/neodb/" rel="tag">#NeoDB</a> via <span class="h-card"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@dansup" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>dansup</span></a></span> 's awesome FediDB website.</p><p><a href="https://fedidb.com/software/neodb?version=latest&registration=open" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="fedidb.com/software/neodb?version=latest&registration=open"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">fedidb.com/software/neodb?vers</span><span class="invisible">ion=latest&registration=open</span></a></p><p>It's a tracking / shelf platform for <a href="/tags/tv/" rel="tag">#TV</a> / <a href="/tags/drama/" rel="tag">#drama</a>, <a href="/tags/movies/" rel="tag">#movies</a> / <a href="/tags/films/" rel="tag">#films</a>, <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a>, and <a href="/tags/games/" rel="tag">#games</a> </p><p>Automated import from <a href="/tags/goodreads/" rel="tag">#Goodreads</a> work well. Just provide the required URL and voila. If it doesn't appear immediately, it is probably waiting for server workers or waiting for the server load to lower or Goodreads request limit, just be patient, only submit the same URL once! If in doubt, contact the admins instead of resubmitting.</p><p>Unfortunately, the software doesn't support import (automated, API, or manual) from Trakt, SIMKL, MyAnimeList, and other popular tracking/shelf services for TV/drama and movies/films. There is one, Douban or something, which I think is popular in the Chinese and Japanese speaking markets.</p><p>Anyway, what if the item you want to add doesn't exist in the database yet?</p><p>Worry not! There are three ways NeoDB software populates its database.</p><p>* Method 1: You can add the details yourself</p><p>* Method 2: Search the other NeoDB instances for existing similar items</p><p>* Method 3: Search for the item from TMDB, IMDB, IGDB, Steam, Goodreads, and other supported sites (no TVDB), and paste the URL to NeoDB's search box and it will import it to your instance</p><p>Method 2 is already sweet. That is the entire idea of the <a href="/tags/socialweb/" rel="tag">#SocialWeb</a>. But Method 3 is even sweeter!</p><p>Methods 2 and 3 are the best because it's a win-win for everyone. Regular users can forget about manually re-entering new data. Seriously, who wants to manually duplicate data from one DB to another? I certainly don't! I contribute to <a href="/tags/tmdb/" rel="tag">#TMDB</a> but I'm definitely not repeating the same effort in <a href="/tags/tvdb/" rel="tag">#TVDB</a>.</p><p>Secondly, there's no need for instances to duplicate large databases just to ensure their site is useful for any user. Items are added as local users interact with the items. It keeps the db small instead of having thousands of items no one has interacted to yet (or probably not).</p><p>Check my accounts:</p><p>* Flagship server: <span class="h-card"><a href="https://neodb.social/@youronlyone/" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>youronlyone</span></a></span> <br>* Instance: <span class="h-card"><a href="/@youronlyone@eggplant.place/" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>youronlyone@eggplant.place</span></a></span> </p><p>~~Hmm… I haven't checked but I think music is not supported (yet?). NeoDB can use the largest <a href="/tags/opendb/" rel="tag">#OpenDB</a> for music: <a href="/tags/musicbrainz/" rel="tag">#Musicbrainz</a> ~~</p><p>UPDATE: Music is supported, as well as, <a href="/tags/podcasts/" rel="tag">#podcasts</a> .</p><p>🖖🏽🙇🏽</p>

Edited 356d ago

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9d

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1892, The Awakening by Kate Chopin is published. </p><p><a href="https://lithub.com/lit-hub-daily-april-22-2026/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lithub.com/lit-hub-daily-april-22-2026/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lithub.com/lit-hub-daily-april</span><span class="invisible">-22-2026/</span></a></p><p>Works by Chopin at PG:</p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/100" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/100"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/100</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Photograph of Kate Chopin. It shows her from the shoulders up and her head turned towards her right. She has a high-collared dress on.

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75d

<p>Design insights from studying the Van Gogh Museum</p><p>A new predictive model can forecast visitor movement through a museum to help illuminate how physical and digital spaces shape engagement.</p><p>By Dylan Walsh</p><p><a href="https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/design-insights-studying-van-gogh-museum" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/design-insights-studying-van-gogh-museum"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to</span><span class="invisible">-matter/design-insights-studying-van-gogh-museum</span></a></p><p>Van Gogh at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/40599" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/40599"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/40599</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/art/" rel="tag">#art</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

The Sower with Setting Sun, c.1888. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

The painting depicts a peasant farmer striding across a plowed field, scattering seeds, silhouetted against a brilliant yellow sun. A gnarled tree trunk dominates the right side of the composition, with furrows of the field rendered in vivid blues, purples, and greens.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh#/media/File:De_zaaier_-_s0029V1962_-_Van_Gogh_Museum.jpg

Still Life: Vase with Fourteen Sunflowers, August 1888. National Gallery, London

One of the most iconic paintings in art history, it shows fourteen sunflowers in various stages of bloom arranged in a simple earthenware vase signed "Vincent" in blue. The composition is dominated by brilliant yellows and golds against a pale yellow background, with the flowers ranging from fresh blooms to wilting seed heads.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh#/media/File:Vincent_Willem_van_Gogh_127.jpg

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75d

<p>Previously Unknown Medieval Chronicle Discovered</p><p>A newly discovered chronicle from the early eighth century is giving medieval historians a rare new window onto the political shocks and religious debates that reshaped the eastern Mediterranean in the decades before and after the rise of Islam.</p><p><a href="https://www.medievalists.net/2026/02/previously-unknown-medieval-chronicle-discovered/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.medievalists.net/2026/02/previously-unknown-medieval-chronicle-discovered/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.medievalists.net/2026/02/p</span><span class="invisible">reviously-unknown-medieval-chronicle-discovered/</span></a></p><p>More articles about Maronite Chronicle of 713:<br><a href="https://medievalworlds.net/0xc1aa5572_0x004102d6.pdf" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="medievalworlds.net/0xc1aa5572_0x004102d6.pdf"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">medievalworlds.net/0xc1aa5572_</span><span class="invisible">0x004102d6.pdf</span></a></p><p><a href="https://www.academia.edu/145038749/Recovering_Syro_Chalcedonian_Historical_Memory_The_Maronite_Chronicle_of_713_and_its_Manuscript_Transmission" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.academia.edu/145038749/Recovering_Syro_Chalcedonian_Historical_Memory_The_Maronite_Chronicle_of_713_and_its_Manuscript_Transmission"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.academia.edu/145038749/Rec</span><span class="invisible">overing_Syro_Chalcedonian_Historical_Memory_The_Maronite_Chronicle_of_713_and_its_Manuscript_Transmission</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/old_manuscripts/" rel="tag">#old_manuscripts</a></p>

Arabic Manuscripts 597. Book of Daniel and Solomon's Proverbs.

The image shows two pages of Arabic text written in traditional calligraphy, appearing to be a biblical manuscript. St. Catherine's Monastery houses one of the world's most important collections of ancient manuscripts, including significant Arabic Christian texts. This manuscript represents the Arabic translation tradition of biblical books, important for understanding how scripture was transmitted and read in Arabic-speaking Christian communities.

Part of
Manuscripts in St. Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai: Microfilm 5014: Arabic (312)
Manuscripts in St. Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai (1,691)

https://www.loc.gov/resource/amedmonastery.00279390684-ms/?sp=19&st=image

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1y

<p>Born into a family of merchants, in 1271 a teenage Marco Polo set out for the court of the Mongol emperor – and he would not return to Italy for nearly a quarter of a century. This episode of You're Dead to Me traces Polo's extraordinary life and adventures.</p><p>Written by: Hannah Cusworth, Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner</p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002913n" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002913n"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002</span><span class="invisible">913n</span></a></p><p>The Travels of Marco Polo at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/6046" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/6046"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/6046</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/travel/" rel="tag">#travel</a> <a href="/tags/history/" rel="tag">#history</a></p>

Marco Polo recounts his voyages while imprisoned in Genoa.

Original from Storia veneta espressa in centocinquanta tavole inventate e disegnate da Giuseppe Gatteri sulla scorta delle cronache e delle storie e secondo i vari costumi del tempo, incise da Antonio Viviani e dai migliori artisti veneziani ed illustrate da Francesco Zanotto. Venice, Giuseppe Grimaldo , 1863.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Marco_Polo#/media/File:42._Marco_Polo_nelle_prigioni_di_Genova_racconta_i_suoi_viaggi_e_le_sue_avventure,_anno_1298.jpg

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10d

<p>AI paranoia is a symptom of a larger problem: a corporate culture that values quantity over quality.</p><p><a href="https://lithub.com/its-getting-harder-to-spot-ai-in-contemporary-publishing-and-thats-very-very-bad/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lithub.com/its-getting-harder-to-spot-ai-in-contemporary-publishing-and-thats-very-very-bad/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lithub.com/its-getting-harder-</span><span class="invisible">to-spot-ai-in-contemporary-publishing-and-thats-very-very-bad/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/edition/" rel="tag">#edition</a> <a href="/tags/ai/" rel="tag">#ai</a> <a href="/tags/llm/" rel="tag">#llm</a> <a href="/tags/lithub/" rel="tag">#lithub</a> <a href="/tags/litterature/" rel="tag">#litterature</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#writing</a></p>

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77d

<p>Ebook and paperback: <a href="https://books2read.com/TymeStarwitch" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>books2read.com/TymeStarwitch</a><br>Audiobook: <a href="https://owentyme.bandcamp.com/album/the-book-of-newts-starwitch" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="owentyme.bandcamp.com/album/the-book-of-newts-starwitch"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">owentyme.bandcamp.com/album/th</span><span class="invisible">e-book-of-newts-starwitch</span></a></p><p>The undead queen of the space pirates kidnapped Amelia’s sisters and damaged her ship, leaving her with little fuel. Amelia’s a dead woman without her sisters, forced to attack the pirate’s mountain-sized star ship, despite how slim the odds are…</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/audiobook/" rel="tag">#audiobook</a></p>

(Left) The cover of Starwitch, by Owen Tyme.

In the background is a red, orange and white nebula.

In the foreground is a line drawing of a red spotted newt, in white. The lines of the newt are outlined in black, to help it stand out. The interior is red, with an appearance similar to stained glass.

(Right) In the background is a red and orange galaxy, with a blue core, which bears a resemblance to an eye. It has the following text over it:

“First you turn my dog against me, then you steal my ship’s core? What’s next, pulling my teeth?”

“We didn’t ask for this! You attacked us! Why don’t you just let us go?”

“I might as well cover myself in tartar sauce, then go swimming in shark infested waters! My lieutenants would tear me to shreds, just the same!”

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

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350d

<p>Newly published stories show a different side of Ian Fleming and Graham Greene</p><p>By Milton Guevara, Majd Al-Waheidi</p><p><a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/15/nx-s1-5397182/strand-magazine-ian-fleming-graham-greene-short-stories" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.npr.org/2025/05/15/nx-s1-5397182/strand-magazine-ian-fleming-graham-greene-short-stories"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.npr.org/2025/05/15/nx-s1-5</span><span class="invisible">397182/strand-magazine-ian-fleming-graham-greene-short-stories</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/literarycriticism/" rel="tag">#literarycriticism</a></p>

Portrait of Ian Fleming.

This portrait of Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, captures the author in a relaxed yet sophisticated pose.

Fleming is dressed in a suit and a polka-dot bow tie, reinforcing his refined and classic style.

He holds a cigarette holder to his mouth with a slight, knowing smile, suggesting confidence and wit—qualities often attributed to his famous fictional spy.

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

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1y

<p>finished reading <a href="https://eggplant.place/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/5N9UUoQchWHC77d2mJpl9G" rel="nofollow">The Tainted Cup</a> 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 <br>by Robert Jackson Bennett.</p><p>A murder mystery fantasy novel - why is this a first for me?! Fairly standard whodunnit which escalates to political intrigue, made distinctive by very cool world-building: an empire built to defend against leviathans attacking from the sea, whose bodily fluids enable a raft of fantastical bio-enhancements. Interesting characters and the potential for more fleshing out give the series much promise.</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/murdermystery/" rel="tag">#MurderMystery</a> <a href="/tags/crimefiction/" rel="tag">#CrimeFiction</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#Fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/sff/" rel="tag">#SFF</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> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>

Edited 1y ago

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77d

<p>📚 Twist by: Colum McCann</p><p>Anthony Fennell, an Irish journalist and playwright, is assigned to cover the underwater cables that carry the world’s information. The sum of human existence words, images, transactions, memes, voices, viruses—travels through the tiny fiber-optic tubes. But sometimes the tubes break, at an unfath...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/twist" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>bookblabla.com/book/twist</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/familylife/" rel="tag">#familylife</a> <a href="/tags/generalfiction/" rel="tag">#generalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/psychological/" rel="tag">#psychological</a></p>

$Anthony Fennell, an Irish journalist and playwright, is assigned to cover the underwater cables that carry the world’s information. The sum of human existence words, images, transactions, memes, voices, viruses—travels through the tiny fiber-optic tubes. But sometimes the tubes break, at an unfathomable depth. Fennell's journey brings him to the west coast of Africa, where he uncovers a story about the raw human labor behind the dazzling veneer of the technological world. He meets a fellow Irishman, John Conway, the chief of mission on a cable repair ship. The mysterious Conway is a skilled engineer and a freediver capable of reaching extraordinary depths. He is also in love with a South African actress, Zanele, who must leave to go on her own literary adventure to London. When the ship is sent up the coast to repair a series of major underwater breaks, both men learn that the very cables they seek to fix carry the news that may cause their lives to unravel. At sea, they are forced to confront the most elemental questions of life, love, absence, belonging, and the perils of our severed connections. Can we, in our fractured world, reweave ourselves out of the thin, broken threads of our pasts? Can the ruptured things awaken us from our despair? Resoundingly simple and turbulent at the same time, Twist is a meditation on the nature of narrative and truth from one of the great storytellers of our times. INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER. An urgent and ingenious (The New Y$

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356d

<p>I've never read any Richard K. Morgan, but watching the brilliant Netflix show Alerted Carbon and reading about him and the books definitely want to read the series.</p><p><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_K._Morgan" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_K._Morgan"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richar</span><span class="invisible">d_K._Morgan</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

There is a central conceit that I keep — not consciously, I swear! — returning to in my work. It takes different metaphorical guises, but at root it's always the same sense of something grand and worthwhile being abandoned by vicious and stupid men in favour of short-term profit and tribal hegemony. You see it in the regressive politics of the Protectorate in the Kovacs novels, the way both the Yhelteth Empire and the — so-called — Free Cities fail their duty as civilisations in A Land Fit for Heroes. So also with Thin Air — the landscape is littered with the markers of a retreat from the grand scheme of terraforming and building a home for humanity on Mars, in favour of an ultraprofitable corporate stasis and an ongoing lie of highly emotive intangibles sold to the general populace in lieu of actual progress.

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76d

The End of Books Coverage at the Washington Post <small class="notice" x-post-type-data="None"> Takahe has limited support for this type: <a href="https://reddthat.com/post/60268518">See Original Page</a> </small>

the-death-of-book-world

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355d

<p>Just in case, like me, you're in need of something wholesome to start a new week: Betty's Reading Room by the dock in Tingwall, Orkney.</p><p>Apparently set up by a couple in memory of their late friend Betty Prictor - a place for folk to hang out while waiting for the Rousay ferry and really just the loveliest memorial I can imagine.</p><p><a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/travel/" rel="tag">#travel</a></p>

The exterior of a small single-storey stone cottage with a metal sign by the door 'Betty's Reading Room' . An old metal mangle and various random bits and bobs outside, a small patch of grass speckled with daisies, a low slate roof.

The interior of the space, lined with books. There's a comfy old sofa, a low beamed roof, and some fresh flowers in a vase. Out of sight, there's a small fire and yet more books. An old stone floor, little coffee tables laden with things to read, squished cushions and a sense of a much-loved space.

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352d

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway was published.</p><p>What a Plunge! Teaching Mrs. Dalloway to High Schoolers in 2025</p><p>by Mia Manzulli</p><p><a href="https://lithub.com/what-a-plunge-teaching-mrs-dalloway-to-high-schoolers-in-2025/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lithub.com/what-a-plunge-teaching-mrs-dalloway-to-high-schoolers-in-2025/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lithub.com/what-a-plunge-teach</span><span class="invisible">ing-mrs-dalloway-to-high-schoolers-in-2025/</span></a></p><p>Mrs. Dalloway at PG</p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/71865" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/71865</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Cover art for the first edition of Mrs. Dalloway by Vanessa Bell.

Edited 352d ago

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76d

<p>📚 Skirting Danger by: Kay Keppler</p><p>Suspended for a hunch gone wrong, CIA language analyst Phoebe Renfrew is desperate to get her job back. But when she uncovers a terrorist plot at a Las Vegas start-up car company owned by famed ex-quarterback Chase Bonaventure, no one listens to her. </p><p>The CIA doesn't care, the FBI is too busy, and th...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/skirting-danger" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/skirting-danger"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/skirting-d</span><span class="invisible">anger</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/generalfiction/" rel="tag">#generalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/romance/" rel="tag">#romance</a> <a href="/tags/romanticcomedy/" rel="tag">#romanticcomedy</a></p>

Suspended for a hunch gone wrong, CIA language analyst Phoebe Renfrew is desperate to get her job back. But when she uncovers a terrorist plot at a Las Vegas start-up car company owned by famed ex-quarterback Chase Bonaventure, no one listens to her.

The CIA doesn't care, the FBI is too busy, and the cops are too tired. Even Chase rejects her wild story about Korean gun runners infiltrating his company to harm the secretary of state.

Besides, he's expecting Swedish investors at any minute...Swedish investors who speak only Korean. Chase hires Phoebe to translate at his investor meetings and tries every game plan he knows to keep her from ruining his deal. But Phoebe fears the worst. With time running out, she must nail down the bad guys, her job, and her relationship with Chase. Can she do it all and save Madam Secretary before the Las Vegas All-Elvis Revue belts out the last chorus of "Jailhouse Rock"?

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75d

<p>This week's <a href="/tags/newbooks/" rel="tag">#NewBooks</a> at the library:<br>- I expanded my collection of <a href="/tags/tolkien/" rel="tag">#Tolkien</a> books with The Tower and the Ruin: J.R.R. Tolkien's Creation from W.W. Norton<br>- I used my employer's Christmas voucher to buy a copy of Simon Parkin's The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad: A True Story of Science and Sacrifice in a City under Siege from Sceptre (look out for a review in due course).<br>- I also found a second-hand copy of What Is Regeneration? from the University of Chicago Press. </p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/scicomm/" rel="tag">#Scicomm</a> <a href="/tags/tolkien/" rel="tag">#Tolkien</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#Literature</a> <a href="/tags/developmentalbiology/" rel="tag">#DevelopmentalBiology</a> <a href="/tags/seedbank/" rel="tag">#SeedBank</a> <a href="/tags/botany/" rel="tag">#Botany</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.

On the left, standing up, The Tower and the Ruin, showing a black-and-white photo of J.R.R. Tolkien on a black background. He is wearing a suit and lighting his pipe.

In the middle, lying down, What Is Regeneration?, showing several blue drawings of hydras, a stalked underwater hydrozoan with a crown of tentacles at its free end.

On the right, standing up, The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad, showing part of a black-and-white photo of two women wearing head scarves, seated against a background of concrete rubble. The top half of the cover shows several technical botanical drawings of plants in colour and black-and-white.

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