books

1y

#OTD in 1755. Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language is published in London.

Johnson's dictionary was not just a list of words with their meanings; it also included extensive quotations from various literary works to illustrate the usage of each word. It played a significant role in standardizing English spelling and usage, helping to establish a common linguistic framework for communication.

Books by Samuel Johnson at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/297

#books #literature #dictionary

Title page from the second edition of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

Samuel Johnson - Eighteenth Century Collections Online

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1y

Spanish poet and man of letters Manuel José Quintana was born #OTD in 1772.

Quintana was known for his eloquent poetry and his active involvement in the political and cultural affairs of his time. One of Quintana's most famous works is his poem "La Pelayo," which celebrates the victory of the Spanish forces led by Pelayo over the Moors in the Battle of Covadonga in 722 AD.

Books by Manuel José Quintana at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Manuel+Jos%C3%A9+Quintana&submit_search=Go%21

#books #literature #poetry

Portrait of the Spanish romantic poet Manuel José Quintana (1772-1857). This work was donated in 1880 by Manuel José Quintana and Teresa Gómez y Rivas, who were nephews of the poet, to the Iconographic Museum, to later become part of the Gallery of Illustrious Spaniards.

Title page of Modern Poets and Poetry of Spain by Juan Bautista Arriaza et al.

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1y

American journalist & writer of fiction & drama Richard Harding Davis died #OTD in 1916.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Davis was also a prolific author of fiction. He wrote numerous novels and short stories, many of which drew on his experiences as a war correspondent and adventurer. Some of his best-known works include "Soldiers of Fortune" (1897), "The Bar Sinister" (1903), and "The Lost Road" (1913).

Books by Richard Harding Davis at PG
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/181

#books #literature

American writer Richard Harding Davis in 1890.

Published by Charles Scribner, NY,1917 - Adventures and letters of Richard Harding Davis

Cover of "Three gringos in Central America and Venezuela" by American journalist and novelist Richard Harding Davis (1864-1916). Published by Harper & Brothers, New York. Color lithograph poster by Edward Penfield (1866-1925).

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11d

📚 The Shattering Peace by: John Scalzi

For a decade, peace has reigned in interstellar space. A tripartite agreement between the Colonial Union, the Earth, and the alien Conclave has kept the forces of war at bay, even when some would have preferred to return to the fighting and struggle of former times. For now, more sensible ...

https://bookblabla.com/book/the-shattering-peace

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #sciencefiction #militaryfiction #humorous

For a decade, peace has reigned in interstellar space. A tripartite agreement between the Colonial Union, the Earth, and the alien Conclave has kept the forces of war at bay, even when some would have preferred to return to the fighting and struggle of former times. For now, more sensible heads have prevailed – and have even championed unity.

But now, there is a new force that threatens the hard-maintained peace: The Consu, the most advanced intelligent species humans have ever met, are on the cusp of a species-defining civil war. This war is between Consu factions... but nothing the Consu ever do is just about them. The Colonial Union, the Earth and the Conclave have been unwillingly dragged into the conflict, in the most surprising of ways.

Gretchen Trujillo is a mid-level diplomat, working in an unimportant part of the Colonial Union bureaucracy. But when she is called to take part in a secret mission involving representatives from every powerful faction in space, what she finds there has the chance to redefine the destinies of humans and aliens alike... or destroy them forever.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

After a decade, acclaimed science fiction master John Scalzi returns to the galaxy of the Old Man's War series with the long awaited seventh book, The Shattering Peace

THE PEACE IS SHATTERING

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33d

📚 After Atlas by: Emma Newman

Gov-corp detective Carlos Moreno was only a baby when Atlas left Earth to seek truth among the stars. But in that moment, the course of Carlos’s entire life changed. Atlas is what took his mother away; what made his father lose hope; what led Alejandro Casales, leader of the religious cult known ...

https://bookblabla.com/book/after-atlas

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #sciencefiction #mysterydetective #policeprocedural

Gov-corp detective Carlos Moreno was only a baby when Atlas left Earth to seek truth among the stars. But in that moment, the course of Carlos’s entire life changed. Atlas is what took his mother away; what made his father lose hope; what led Alejandro Casales, leader of the religious cult known as the Circle, to his door. And now, on the eve of the fortieth anniversary of Atlas’s departure, it’s got something to do why Casales was found dead in his hotel room—and why Carlos is the man in charge of the investigation.

To figure out who killed one of the most powerful men on Earth, Carlos is supposed to put aside his personal history. But the deeper he delves into the case, the more he realizes that escaping the past is not so easy. There’s more to Casales’s death than meets the eye, and something much more sinister to the legacy of Atlas than anyone realizes...

Acclaimed author Emma Newman returns to the captivating universe she created in Planetfall with a stunning science fiction mystery where one man’s murder is much more than it seems—an Arthur C. Clarke Award Nominee.

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31d

On Celebrities and Politicians who Write Books: https://www.longandshortreviews.com/miscellaneous-musings/thursday-thoughts-september-25-2025/

#ThursdayThoughts #Books #Writers

A hardcover book is lying open on a table. Its pages are slowly spreading out.

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33d

The Dead Zone (S. King)

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33d

Books on My Fall 2025 to-Read List: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-on-my-fall-2025-to-read-list/

#TopTenTuesday #Books #TBR #AmReading

wo freshly picked yellow and light red apples and several apple leaves lying on an opened book that itself is lying on a wooden surface that may be a picnic table or a bench.

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10d

He Was the Most Acclaimed Novelist of His Generation. He Won the Nobel. He Was Worse Than Anyone Knows. Takahe has limited support for this type: See Original Page

saul-bellow-herzog-nobel-book-abuse-domestic-violence.html

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30d

“I’ve changed my mind. I called you here because I had a vision. A child, mine, yours. I want her to come to pass.”

A devil confesses to an angel... then the trouble Really begins! 👀 💥🌪️

My newest tale in FALLEN
#NewRelease
https://mybook.to/Fallen1

#Books #BookToot #HorrorAnthology #FallenAngels #DarkReads #DarkFantasyReaders #HorrorBooks #HorrorRomance #RomanticHorror #GothicReads #DarkFantasy

@bookstodon@a.gup.pe @bookstadon @horror @fantasy @sffbookclub @paranormal @romancelandia @books @bookstodon

Grayscale background of a shadowy figure and white feathered angel wings. “I’ve changed my mind. I called you here because I have had a vision. A child, mine, yours. I would like her… I want her to come to pass.” From "Sovereign," by A.S. Etaski, Fallen: Darkness Ascending Volume 1

Story cover for "Sovereign," by A.S. Etaski. A black background with abstract angel wings made of light in the center. A lightning bolt strikes from above and a sweeping rainbow escapes from the light underneath. Tropes listed around the cover: Dark Epic World, Love-Hate Relationship, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished, Compulsive Pursuit, The Best Laid Plans Often Go Awry

Grayscale background with sleeping woman resting in a pair of white feather wings. "Sovereign," in 3 Emojis: wing, pregnant woman, frowning devil

Catch me in "Fallen" September 26th!
3D image of a paperback and ereader showing the cover of Fallen: Darkness Ascending Volume 1. A gothic, dark-haired female angel with a crown of light about her head stands upon a white snake, surrounded by a mass of longswords driven into the ground covered by red mist.

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40d

#AmericanPrestige pod welcomes #GregGrandin for Part 1 of an interview about his recent book, #AmericaAmérica: A New History of the New World. Discussion includes the #SpanishConquest, aspects of English and Spanish #settlerColonialism, as well as the evolution of US-Latin American relations

https://americanprestige.supportingcast.fm/listen/american-prestige-1/e226-a-new-history-of-the-americas-pt-1-w-greg-grandin

#historyOfTheAmericas #LatinAmericanHistory #AmericanHistory #UShistory #ModernHistory #colonialism #colonialViolence #revolutions #bookstodon #books @bookstodon

Edited 40d ago

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33d

During the birdsite's heyday, it was a place where we engaged with other people who cared about sending #books to incarcerated #readers. We followed and retweeted #prison book programs in the US, Canada, UK, and France. We also chatted with many of our volunteers and supporters.

We love Mastodon, but are finding it a bit lonely. We would love to follow other groups that send books to people in #prisons. Does anyone have recommendations for whom we should follow?

Boosts welcome.

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11d

📚 The Killer Question by: Janice Hallett

Sue and Mal Eastwood run an isolated rural pub called The Case is Altered where a weekly trivia game has revived its flagging fortunes—that is, until a body is found in the nearby river. Soon after, a mysterious new team arrives and shakes up the diverse field of regulars by s...

https://bookblabla.com/book/the-killer-question

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #mysterydetective #thrillers #suspensefiction #crime

Sue and Mal Eastwood run an isolated rural pub called The Case is Altered where a weekly trivia game has revived its flagging fortunes—that is, until a body is found in the nearby river. Soon after, a mysterious new team arrives and shakes up the diverse field of regulars by scoring top marks in every round...every week.

Meanwhile, Sue and Mal have a secret of their own. Before arriving here, they were caught up in a secret police operation which meant they had to leave town—and whatever happened back then seems to have finally caught up with them.

Five years later, the pub lies derelict, and their nephew Dominic is determined to make a documentary about their story. What happened at this unassuming pub? And can a single question really kill?

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

Named a Most Anticipated Book of Fall by The New York Times, LitHub, BookBub, Goodreads, and many more!

Janice Hallett, “the new queen of crime” (Electric Literature), returns with a fresh, edge-of-your-seat mystery that takes place at a pub’s weekly trivia night, revealed through quiz categories, phone messages, and email correspondence.

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33d

I hate both of these things, who knew I'd have so much in common with #JaneAusten 😂

@reading @bookstodon @books @humor @humor@lemmy.world @aiop

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

Text above what I assume is a painted picture of Jane Austen..

Jane Austen's works are timeless classics because she knew the real
horrors in life are having to listen to men who think they're better than
you and receiving unannounced visitors.

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33d

Christine de Pizan: Europe’s First Professional Female Writer

Christine used her pen to make a living at the French court, but even more pointedly, she used it to argue the value of educated women.

By: Emily Zarevich

https://daily.jstor.org/christine-de-pizan-europes-first-professional-female-writer/

Christine de Pizan at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4613

#books #literature

Christine de Pisan with Queen Isabeau.

Detail of a presentation miniature with Christine de Pisan presenting her book to queen Isabeau of Bavaria. Illuminated miniature from The Book of the Queen (various works by Christine de Pizan), BL Harley 4431.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christine_de_Pisan_and_Queen_Isabeau_(2).jpg

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1y

French astronomer Charles Messier died #OTD in 1817.

He is best known for his catalog, the Messier Catalog (contains 110 objects), which lists various astronomical objects, including nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. Messier was primarily interested in comet hunting, and his catalog was created to help him and other astronomers differentiate between permanent celestial objects and comets, which could easily be mistaken for new discoveries.

#books #science #astronomy

Charles Messier, French astronomer, at the age of 40. A celestial globe showing a swan among the stars.

Ansiaux (1729-1786) (??) - Stoyan R. et al. Atlas of the Messier Objects: Highlights of the Deep Sky. - Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. - P. 15.

The Orion Nebula as drawn by Messier, and which he gave the designation M 42 in his catalogue

Charles Messier - Stoyan R. et al. Atlas of the Messier Objects: Highlights of the Deep Sky. — Cambridge: Cambridge Univercity Press, 2008. — P. 33.

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1y

Italian poet and librettist Pietro Metastasio died #OTD in 1782.

His librettos were characterized by their lyrical quality, emotional depth, and dramatic structure, which made them well-suited for musical adaptation. Some of his most famous works include "La clemenza di Tito," which was later set to music by Mozart, "Didone abbandonata," and "Artaserse."

Books by Pietro Metastasio at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4069

#books #literature #poetry

Metastasio, c. 1770 by Meytens or Batoni

Opere drammatiche, oratorj sacri e poesie liriche (1737)
Metastasio, Pietro - Available in the BEIC digital library and uploaded in partnership with BEIC Foundation.

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10d

A book vending machine provides an outlet for D.C.-area authors after funding cuts

By Brittney Melton

https://www.npr.org/2025/10/16/g-s1-93546/litbox-dc-literature

A stack of hardback books

Edited 10d ago

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32d

The Bellwether for Reality (2025) – Patrick Abbott

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33d

At the NOAF blog today, our @Princejvstin reviews QUEEN DEMON (sequel to WITCH KING) by @marthawells
http://www.nerds-feather.com/2025/09/book-review-queen-demon-by-martha-wells.html

#books #review #bookreview #fantasy #bookstodon @bookstodon

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31d

Book Promo: Behold the glorious chaos of my Rollover Files series.

Rough Passages: get old, gain superpowers. Not as fun as most people hoped it would be.
https://books2read.com/Rough-Passages

Sharp Edge of Yesterday: middle-aged mom develops superpowers, makes the military nervous, and still has to deal with her ex-husband and her teenage daughters.
https://books2read.com/SharpEdge

#RolloverFiles #bookstodon #reading #ScienceFiction #Fantasy #scifi #books #Fedibookshop @bookstodon

series promotional graphic for The Rollover Files, with the book covers for Rough Passages and The Sharp Edge of Yesterday shown surrounded by trope keywords and phrases relevant to the book plots:
power changes everything
chosen families
so much swearing
definitely hopepunk
but also science fiction
fantasy
feisty heroines
superpowers
fighting the system
older protagonists
defying expectations
Rouvh Passages

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1y

English astronomer Edward W. Maunder was born #OTD in 1851.

The Maunder Minimum, named after him, refers to a period of low solar activity that occurred from about 1645 to 1715. During this time, very few sunspots were observed, indicating a decrease in solar magnetic activity. His research into historical records of sunspot observations led to the recognition of this extended period of solar quiescence, which is now associated with a decrease in global temperatures on Earth.

#books #astronomy

Photograph of Edward Maunder, the astronomer
Hector Macpherson - Opposite page 192 of Astronomers of Today

Strange phenomenon on 17 November 1882, observed and described by Maunder in The Observatory, June 1883 (pp. 192–193) and April 1916 (pp. 213–215), which he termed an "auroral beam" and "a strange celestial visitor." Drawing by astronomer and aurora expert John Rand Capron, Guildown Observatory, Surrey, UK, who also observed it. From Philosophical Magazine, May 1883.

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32d

"Sensei left his mark in places that didn’t appear in photographs or blueprints; in how surfaces felt to the touch, or the way a building was easy to use. Those were the things I’d wanted to see, feel, sketch, and record. With each survey I was coming closer to understanding his way of thinking, closer to finding the traces left by his hands." -- from 'The Summer House' by Masashi Matsuie, trans. Margaret Mitsutani

#WednesdayBookQuote #BookQuote #reading #books @bookstodon

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1y

Dutch mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer, & inventor who is regarded as a key figure in the Scientific Revolution Christiaan Huygens was born #OTD in 1629.

He developed the wave theory of light, proposing that light propagates as a wave rather than a stream of particles, which was a revolutionary idea at the time. Huygens also invented the pendulum clock, which greatly improved timekeeping accuracy and became widely used in scientific experiments and everyday life.

#books #science

Christiaan Huygens-painting
Caspar Netscher - http://ressources2.techno.free.fr/informatique/sites/inventions/inventions.html

$Cover of Treatise on light In which are explained the causes of that which occurs in reflexion, & in refraction and particularly in the strange refraction of Iceland crystal By Christiaan Huygens Translator: Silvanus P. Thompson$

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32d

The Bellwether for Reality (2025) – Patrick Abbott

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