books

235d

<p>Book Review: Of the Emperor's Kindness by Chaz Brenchley [ from <span class="h-card"><a href="https://wandering.shop/@WTPress" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WTPress</span></a></span> ]<br>A new and modern approach to fantasy of manners. <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 at the NOAF blog.<br><a href="http://www.nerds-feather.com/2025/10/book-review-of-emperors-kindness-by.html" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.nerds-feather.com/2025/10/book-review-of-emperors-kindness-by.html"><span class="invisible">http://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.nerds-feather.com/2025/10/</span><span class="invisible">book-review-of-emperors-kindness-by.html</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/review/" rel="tag">#review</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#bookstodon</a> @bookstodon</p>

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2y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1915.</p><p>The rondeau "In Flanders Fields" by the Canadian poet John McCrae is written; it is first published on December 8 in the London magazine Punch. He was inspired to write it, after presiding over the funeral of friend and fellow soldier Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, who died in the Second Battle of Ypres. According to legend, fellow soldiers retrieved the poem after McCrae, initially dissatisfied with his work, discarded it.</p><p>In Flanders Fields at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/353" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/353</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

An autographed copy of the poem from In Flanders Fields and Other Poems. Unlike the printed copy in the same book, McCrae's handwritten version ends the first line with "grow".

John McCrae - Scan of McCrea's In Flanders fields and other poems, obtained from archive.org.

Facsimile of handwritten version of McCrae's "In Flanders Fields", in a volume of his poetry where an acknowledgement is given "The reproduction of the autograph poem is from a copy belonging to Carleton Noyes, Esq., of Cambridge, Mass., who kindly permitted its use."

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252d

<p>📚 An Immense World by: Ed Yong</p><p>The Earth teems with sights and textures, sounds and vibrations, smells and tastes, electric and magnetic fields. But every kind of animal, including humans, is enclosed within its own unique sensory bubble, perceiving but a tiny sliver of our immense world.</p><p>In An Immense World, Ed Yong coaxes us...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/an-immense-world" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/an-immense-world"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/an-immense</span><span class="invisible">-world</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/nature/" rel="tag">#nature</a> <a href="/tags/animals/" rel="tag">#animals</a> <a href="/tags/generalscience/" rel="tag">#generalscience</a> <a href="/tags/lifesciences/" rel="tag">#lifesciences</a> <a href="/tags/zoology/" rel="tag">#zoology</a></p>

The Earth teems with sights and textures, sounds and vibrations, smells and tastes, electric and magnetic fields. But every kind of animal, including humans, is enclosed within its own unique sensory bubble, perceiving but a tiny sliver of our immense world.

In An Immense World, Ed Yong coaxes us beyond the confines of our own senses, allowing us to perceive the skeins of scent, waves of electromagnetism, and pulses of pressure that surround us. We encounter beetles that are drawn to fires, turtles that can track the Earth’s magnetic fields, fish that fill rivers with electrical messages, and even humans who wield sonar like bats. We discover that a crocodile’s scaly face is as sensitive as a lover’s fingertips, that the eyes of a giant squid evolved to see sparkling whales, that plants thrum with the inaudible songs of courting bugs, and that even simple scallops have complex vision. We learn what bees see in flowers, what songbirds hear in their tunes, and what dogs smell on the street. We listen to stories of pivotal discoveries in the field, while looking ahead at the many mysteries that remain unsolved.

Funny, rigorous, and suffused with the joy of discovery, An Immense World takes us on what Marcel Proust called “the only true voyage . . . not to visit strange lands, but to possess other eyes.”

FINALIST FOR THE KIRKUS PRIZE

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “thrilling” (The New York Times), “dazzling” (The Wall Street Journal) tour of the ra

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17d

<p>The Fitzgeralds of Dublin series is a sweeping 19th-century Irish family saga. Follow Will and Isobel through struggles, secrets, and choices that test their love and loyalty in a changing Ireland.</p><p>Amazon - <a href="https://mybook.to/FitzgeraldsSeries" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>mybook.to/FitzgeraldsSeries</a><br>Other Retailers - <a href="https://books2read.com/LornaPeel" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>books2read.com/LornaPeel</a></p><p><a href="/tags/thefitzgeraldsofdublinseries/" rel="tag">#TheFitzgeraldsOfDublinSeries</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/booksbylornapeel/" rel="tag">#BooksByLornaPeel</a> <a href="/tags/familysaga/" rel="tag">#FamilySaga</a> <a href="/tags/historicalfiction/" rel="tag">#HistoricalFiction</a> <a href="/tags/ireland/" rel="tag">#Ireland</a> <a href="/tags/bookseries/" rel="tag">#BookSeries</a> <a href="/tags/kindleunlimited/" rel="tag">#KindleUnlimited</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>

Promotional image for The Fitzgeralds of Dublin series - an Irish historical fiction series by Lorna Peel. The tagline reads: "Love, trust, family ties and secrets…" followed by "Discover Lorna Peel’s gritty family saga set in 19th-century Ireland." The image displays ten book covers in two rows. The titles are:
Top row (left to right):

1. A Scarlet Woman
2. A Suitable Wife
3. A Discarded Son
4. A Forlorn Hope
5. A Cruel Mischief

Bottom row (left to right):
6. A Hidden Motive
7. A Minor Detail
8. A Pleasant Distraction
9. A Stark Prediction
10. A Perfect Solution

Each cover features characters in late 19th-century clothing, and 19th-century Dublin photographs.

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2y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1897.</p><p>J. J. Thomson of the Cavendish Laboratory announces his discovery of the electron as a subatomic particle, over 1,800 times smaller than a proton (in the atomic nucleus), at a lecture at the Royal Institution in London.</p><p>Thomson showed that cathode rays were composed of previously unknown negatively charged particles (now called electrons), which he calculated must have bodies much smaller than atoms and a very large charge-to-mass ratio.</p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/38322" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/38322"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/38322</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/physics/" rel="tag">#physics</a></p>

English physicist J J Thomson.

Black and white photo featuring J J Thomson sporting glasses and a mustache.

The cathode ray tube by which J. J. Thomson demonstrated that cathode rays could be deflected by a magnetic field, and that their negative charge was not a separate phenomenon

JJ Thomson - Philosophical Magazine, 44, 293 (1897)

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2y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1905. Albert Einstein completes his doctoral thesis at the University of Zurich.</p><p>Titled "Eine neue Bestimmung der Moleküldimensionen", he calculated the size of sugar molecules in solution and from this a value for the Avogadro constant. It is related to his work on Brownian motion, published in the same year, and supported the atomic hypothesis, which was still controversial among leading physicists at the time. </p><p>Books by Albert Einstein at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1630" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1630"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/1630</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/physics/" rel="tag">#physics</a></p>

Cover image of the Ph.D. dissertation of Albert Einstein defended in 1905 at ETH Zürich.

Einstein's 1905 dissertation, Eine neue Bestimmung der Moleküldimensione ("A new determination of molecular dimensions")

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2y

<p>American author E. E. Smith was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1890.</p><p>E. E. "Doc" Smith is considered a major figure in the history of science fiction literature, particularly for his development of the space opera genre. His first major work, "The Skylark of Space" (1928), is often considered one of the first space operas. Perhaps his most famous work, the Lensman series, began with "Triplanetary" in 1934.</p><p>Books by E. E. Smith at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/9515" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/9515"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/9515</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

E. E: Smith c. 1960

A man in his old age wearing a suit and tie while sitting at a table.

Amazing Stories, Volume 3 Number 5, August 1928. Cover illustration by Frank R. Paul. From the contents page: Our Cover this month depicts a scene from the first installment in this issue of the story entitled THE SKYLARK OF SPACE by Edward Elmer Smith and Lee Hawkins Garby, in which the scientist, who has discovered a chemical substance for the liberation of intra-atomic energy, is making his initial tests, preparatory to his interplanetary flight by means of this liberated energy, which makes possible his interstellar space-flyer. Also in this issue is en:Armageddon 2419 A.D. The main character and narrator is Anthony (Buck) Rogers.

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2y

<p>English sociologist, economist, feminist and social reformer Beatrice Webb died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1943.</p><p>Some of her key works, often co-authored with her husband, include The History of Trade Unionism (1894) and Industrial Democracy (1897). One of her most significant research endeavors was her study of the British poor, which resulted in the seminal work The Poor Law Report of 1909. </p><p>Books by Beatrice Webb at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/42231" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/42231"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/42231</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Beatrice Webb (19th century photo) Illus. in: Harper's weekly, 1894 June 23, p. 584. Uncropped original from en:Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division found at TITLE: A group of English socialists

Cover of The History of Trade Unionism by Sidney Webb and Beatrice Webb (Revised edition extended to 1920).

LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
FOURTH AVENUE & 30TH STREET, NEW YORK
BOMBAY, CALCUTTA, AND MADRAS
1920

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2y

<p>"The burning soul, the burden'd mind,<br>In books alone companions find."</p><p>American writer and editor Sarah Josepha Hale died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1879.</p><p>She initially gained recognition with the publication of her novel "Northwood: Life North and South" (1827), which addressed the issue of slavery in America. Under her leadership, the magazine "Godey's Lady's Book" became one of the most influential women's magazines in America.</p><p>Books by Sarah Josepha Hale at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/43680" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/43680"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/43680</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Sarah Josepha Hale, 1831, by James Lambdin

Cover and frontispice of Frontispiece of the second edition of Northwood: Life North and South by Sarah Josepha Hale

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2y

<p>Italian mathematician and physicist Vito Volterra was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1860.</p><p>One of Volterra's most famous contributions came in the field of mathematical biology with his work on population dynamics. He formulated the The Lotka–Volterra equations which are frequently used to describe the dynamics of biological systems in which two species interact, one as a predator and the other as prey.</p><p>Books by Vito Volterra at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/34164" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/34164"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/34164</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/science/" rel="tag">#science</a> <a href="/tags/mathematics/" rel="tag">#mathematics</a></p>

Vito Volterra (3 May 1860 – 11 October 1940)

Black and white portrait of Vito Volterra with a full beard and mustache, looking directly at the camera. He wears a formal dark suit and has slightly wavy, graying hair.

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2y

<p>American archeologist Esther Boise Van Deman died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1937.</p><p>She utilized detailed measurements and meticulous documentation of building materials and techniques, which enabled a more precise understanding of the chronological development of Roman construction practices. One of her most notable contributions was her work on the Roman concrete construction technique known as "opus caementicium."</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/archeology/" rel="tag">#archeology</a> <a href="/tags/womeninsciene/" rel="tag">#womeninsciene</a></p>

Sepia-toned portrait of Esther B. Van Deman (middle-aged) with her hair styled up, wearing a dark floral jacket over a white blouse with lace trim, posed against a plain backdrop.

Cover page of The Atrium Vestae by Esther Boise Van Deman 1909.

The Atrium Vestae was a three-story 50-room palace in the ancient Roman Forum built around an elegant elongated atrium or court with a double pool. To the very east is an open vaulted hall with a statue of Numa Pompilius, the mythological founder of the cult.

The complex lay at the foot of the Palatine Hill, where a sacred grove that was slowly encroached upon lingered into Imperial times, when all was swept away by the Fire of Rome in 64. The House of the Vestals was rebuilt several times in the course of the Empire. After the dissolution of the College of the Vestals in the late 4th century AD, the House of the Vestals continued to serve as a residence building. It now housed officials of the imperial court, and subsequently the papal court. Archaeological finds from this period include a hoard of 397 gold coins from the 5th century and another 830 Anglo-Saxon coins dating from the 9th and 10th centuries. The site was abandoned in the 11th/12th century.

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185d

WorldCat has been enshittified

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254d

<p>Can anyone recommend any Black Death dramas? I'm kind of fascinated by the enormity of it.</p><p>I have seen and love The Decamaron. Would prefer less of a comedy, though. Book recs also good. </p><p>Specifically looking for fiction here. I have consumed a lot of up-to-the-minute research on this, I want to explore it imaginatively now.</p><p>[Edit:] not The Doomsday Book 😅 for reasons.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/film/" rel="tag">#film</a> <a href="/tags/tv/" rel="tag">#tv</a> <a href="/tags/blackdeath/" rel="tag">#BlackDeath</a> <a href="/tags/plague/" rel="tag">#plague</a></p>

Edited 254d ago

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2y

<p>Danish novelist, poet, and scientist Jens Peter Jacobsen died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1885.</p><p>His literary career is highlighted by his two major novels: "Niels Lyhne" (1880) and "Fru Marie Grubbe" (1876). "Niels Lyhne" is an autobiographical novel that follows the life of its eponymous hero, who struggles with faith and existential doubt in a seemingly indifferent world.</p><p>Books by Jens Peter Jacobsen at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2193" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2193"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/2193</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Danish writer Jens Peter Jacobsen.

An elderly man with glasses and a mustache in a vintage photograph.

Cover of Niels Lyhne by J. P. Jacobsen

Translator: Hanna Astrup Larsen

NEW YORK
THE AMERICAN-SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION
LONDON: HUMPHREY MILFORD
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

1919

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2y

<p>French writer Anna de Noailles died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1933.</p><p>Some of her notable poetic works include "Le Cœur innombrable" (The Uncountable Heart, 1901), "L'Ombre des jours" (The Shadow of Days, 1902), and "Les Éblouissements" (The Dazzlements, 1907). Her salon in Paris was a gathering place for many of the leading intellectual and artistic figures of her time, including Marcel Proust, Colette, and Jean Cocteau, among others. </p><p>Books by Anna de Noailles at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/25065" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/25065"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/25065</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Princess Anna-Élisabeth Bibesco Bassaraba de Brancovan, who became Comtesse de Noailles, (1876-1933), French poetess and novelist.

An elegant lady in a fashionable hat and fur coat.

Cover of the book

COMTESSE MATHIEU DE NOAILLES

La
Domination
— ROMAN —

Pyrrhus ne pouvait être heureux ni avant ni après avoir conquis le monde.
Pascal.

PARIS
CALMANN-LÉVY, ÉDITEURS
3, RUE AUBER, 3

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2y

<p>English poet, author and humorist Thomas Hood died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1845.</p><p>His humorous works often included puns and wordplay, which became immensely popular. These works were frequently published in magazines, including Punch. Some of his well-known comic poems include "Miss Kilmansegg and Her Precious Leg" and "The Song of the Shirt", which highlights the dire conditions of the working class and is considered one of his best works.</p><p>Thomas Hood at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/6181" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/6181"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/6181</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Thomas Hood, by unknown artist. 1799-1845

Oil painting portrait of Thomas Hood seated in front of a striped red curtain, wearing a dark coat and a cravat, with a contemplative expression.

Cover of The Comic Poems of Thomas Hood.

Antique book cover titled "Hood's Comic Poems, Complete Edition, Illustrated" featuring ornate embossing and a central illustration of an owl holding a glass.

Edited 2y ago

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2y

<p>American illustrator Jessie Willcox Smith died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1935.</p><p>Smith’s career took off when she began working for the Ladies' Home Journal, for which she created many covers and interior illustrations. She illustrated over 60 books throughout her career, including classics such as Charles Kingsley's The Water-Babies, Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses, and Clement Moore’s The Night Before Christmas.</p><p>Jessie Willcox Smith at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7158" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7158"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/7158</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>

Jessie Willcox Smith, estimate between 1880-1910.

Black and white photograph of a seated woman (Jessie Willcox Smith) in vintage clothing, wearing glasses and a dark high-collar dress, with her left arm resting on a chair.

Fairy Tales, Boston Public Library
Smith, Jessie Willcox, 1863-1935 (artist); L. Prang & Co. (publisher).

An illustration of a woman and two children reading a book titled "Fairy Tales" in a garden, sitting on a hammock with lush greenery and flowers in the background.

Cover image from from The Princess and the Goblins - by George MacDonald, illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith, 1920.

Jessie Willcox Smith, illustrator - http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34339

Vintage painting of a young girl in a white headscarf and blue cloak, reaching forward with a curious expression, with a dark, shadowy background and parts of a flower barely visible.

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251d

<p>That's why I write <a href="/tags/speculativefiction/" rel="tag">#SpeculativeFiction</a> things are always right if I'm making everything up 😜😂 <br>Also, did you know to create a fictional world from scratch you have to start with creating the <a href="/tags/multiverse/" rel="tag">#Multiverse</a>? At least that's what I've been told... 😅 </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> <a href="https://lemmy.world/u/books" rel="nofollow">@books</a><br>@worldbuilding <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@humor" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>humor</span></a></span> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@humor" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>humor</span></a></span> @humor@lemmy.world @aiop</p><p><a href="/tags/fantasymemes/" rel="tag">#FantasyMemes</a> <a href="/tags/scifimemes/" rel="tag">#SciFiMemes</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#Fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#SciFi</a> <a href="/tags/memes/" rel="tag">#Memes</a> <a href="/tags/humor/" rel="tag">#Humor</a> <a href="/tags/humour/" rel="tag">#Humour</a><br><a href="/tags/low/" rel="tag">#Low</a> <a href="/tags/high/" rel="tag">#High</a> <a href="/tags/epic/" rel="tag">#Epic</a> <a href="/tags/science/" rel="tag">#Science</a> <a href="/tags/opera/" rel="tag">#Opera</a> <a href="/tags/hard/" rel="tag">#Hard</a> <a href="/tags/cottagecore/" rel="tag">#CottageCore</a> <a href="/tags/solarpunk/" rel="tag">#SolarPunk</a> <a href="/tags/comedic/" rel="tag">#Comedic</a> <a href="/tags/whatever/" rel="tag">#Whatever</a> <br><a href="/tags/book/" rel="tag">#Book</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <br><a href="/tags/boostingissharing/" rel="tag">#BoostingIsSharing</a></p>

Why researching before writing is so, so important.

Screenshot from book MADERING MILLER: His skin was the color of just-pressed olive.

Picture of just pressed olive that is an alien looking lime green.

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2y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1715.</p><p>A total solar eclipse is visible across northern Europe and northern Asia, as predicted by Edmond Halley to within four minutes accuracy. He also drew a predictive map showing the path of totality across Great Britain. The original map was about 20 miles off the observed eclipse path, mainly due to his use of inaccurate lunar ephemeris. After the eclipse, he corrected the eclipse path, and added the path and description of the 1724 total solar eclipse.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/science/" rel="tag">#science</a> <a href="/tags/astronomy/" rel="tag">#astronomy</a></p>

Halley's map of the path of the Solar eclipse of 3 May 1715 across England.

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2y

<p>Italian diplomat, author, philosopher and historian Niccolò Machiavelli was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1469.</p><p>The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise written in the form of a realistic instruction guide for new princes. "Discourses on Livy" is another important work by Machiavelli, which is a broader political analysis but centers on the concept of republican government, as opposed to the monarchical focus in "The Prince".</p><p>Books by Niccolò Machiavelli at PG<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/563" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/563"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/563</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli by Santi di Tito, c. 1550–1600.

Portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli standing in traditional Renaissance attire, featuring a black robe with a red mantle, posing with his right hand resting on a stone ledge, against a muted brown background.

Cover page of 1550 edition of Machiavelli's Il Principe and La Vita di Castruccio Castracani da Lucca.

The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise written by the Italian diplomat, philosopher, and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli in the form of a realistic instruction guide for new princes.

Edited 2y ago

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251d

<p>Classic Books I Would Reread: <a href="https://lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-classic-books-i-would-reread/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-classic-books-i-would-reread/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lydiaschoch.com/wednesday-week</span><span class="invisible">ly-blogging-challenge-classic-books-i-would-reread/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/wednesdayweeklybloggingchallenge/" rel="tag">#WednesdayWeeklyBloggingChallenge</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/classic/" rel="tag">#Classic</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>

A vintage brown leather bag sitting on a white rock carved into the shape of what appears to be a low fence.

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2y

<p>Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1519.</p><p>He was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested on his achievements as a painter, he has also become known for his notebooks, in which he made drawings and notes on a variety of subjects, including anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting, and paleontology.</p><p>Books by Leonardo Da Vinci at PG<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1629" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1629"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/1629</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>

STUDY FOR "THE LAST SUPPER" (ACADEMY, VENICE)
PHOTO, BRAUN, CLÉMENT

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/56844/pg56844-images.html

STUDY FOR BACKGROUND OF "THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI" (UFFIZI, FLORENCE)
PHOTO, BRAUN, CLÉMENT

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/56844/pg56844-images.html

STUDIES OF HANDS (WINDSOR)
PHOTO, BRAUN, CLÉMENT

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/56844/pg56844-images.html

STUDY OF DRAPERY FOR A KNEELING FIGURE (WINDSOR)
PHOTO, BRAUN, CLÉMENT

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/56844/pg56844-images.html

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251d

<p>My wife doesn't run a fediverse account, so I'm alerting anyone interested that her new book is part of the itch.io bundle collated to bring awareness of <a href="/tags/adhd/" rel="tag">#ADHD</a> in writing for <a href="/tags/adhdawarenessmonth/" rel="tag">#ADHDAwarenessMonth</a>. There's a whole bunch of different genres included and they're all either written by an ADHD author, or have an ADHD significant character.<br>"The Players Act 1" is both.<br>If you fancy $90 of ebooks for $25, please give it a look - all DRM-free.<br><a href="https://itch.io/b/3300/adhd-awareness-month-fiction" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="itch.io/b/3300/adhd-awareness-month-fiction"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">itch.io/b/3300/adhd-awareness-</span><span class="invisible">month-fiction</span></a><br><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> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/indieauthor/" rel="tag">#IndieAuthor</a></p>

Composite image showing all the books available in the bundle. There's a also a QR code in the top right. The text reads:
ADHD Awareness Month Fiction Bundle
Oct 1st-15th
22 books
mostly by ADHD authors
Most with 1+ significant ADHD character(s)
Available exclusively at itch.io
A star shape in the top right has the text "$25 - over $90 value".
The QR code takes people to https://itch.io/b/3300/adhd-awareness-month-fiction

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249d

<p>What Was Behind Jonathan Swift’s Modest Proposal?</p><p>Swift’s savage animosity towards the Irish Protestant elites is front and center in his biting (perhaps literally) critique of the landlord class.</p><p>By: Matthew Wills </p><p><a href="https://daily.jstor.org/what-was-behind-jonathan-swifts-modest-proposal/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="daily.jstor.org/what-was-behind-jonathan-swifts-modest-proposal/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">daily.jstor.org/what-was-behin</span><span class="invisible">d-jonathan-swifts-modest-proposal/</span></a></p><p>Modest Proposal at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1080" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1080</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Jonathan Swift by Charles Jervas detail.

The portrait focuses closely on Jonathan Swift’s face and upper torso. He is turned slightly to his left, glancing off-camera rather than straight ahead.

His expression is dignified and composed, with a calm confidence. There’s a slight flush to his cheeks, and his lips are closed.

He wears a full curly wig, with soft lines and volume framing his face.

His clothes include clerical attire: a white neckcloth or bands under a darker coat or robe.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jonathan_Swift_by_Charles_Jervas_detail.jpg#/media/File:Jonathan_Swift_by_Charles_Jervas_detail.jpg

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251d

<p>New report from PEN America: The Normalization of Book Banning (published Oct 1, 2025)</p><p>"In 2025, book censorship in the United States is rampant and common. Never before in the life of any living American have so many books been systematically removed from school libraries across the country. Never before have so many states passed laws or regulations to facilitate the banning of books, including bans on specific titles statewide. Never before have so many politicians sought to bully school leaders into censoring according to their ideological preferences, even threatening public funding to exact compliance. Never before has access to so many stories been stolen from so many children."</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#writing</a> <a href="/tags/writersofmastodon/" rel="tag">#writersofmastodon</a> <a href="/tags/writingcommunity/" rel="tag">#WritingCommunity</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><p><a href="https://pen.org/report/the-normalization-of-book-banning/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="pen.org/report/the-normalization-of-book-banning/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">pen.org/report/the-normalizati</span><span class="invisible">on-of-book-banning/</span></a></p>

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