books

175d

<p>Famous Medieval Words and Their Surprising Origins</p><p>Words like castles, Vikings, and even medieval itself instantly evoke the Middle Ages. Some of these terms were used by people of the time, while others were coined centuries later to describe their world. Each carries traces of history, revealing how language has preserved — and reimagined — the medieval past.</p><p><a href="https://www.medievalists.net/2025/10/medieval-words-origins/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.medievalists.net/2025/10/medieval-words-origins/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.medievalists.net/2025/10/m</span><span class="invisible">edieval-words-origins/</span></a></p><p>Medieval words at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=medieval+words" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=medieval+words"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc</span><span class="invisible">h/?query=medieval+words</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

The Squire in the Ellesmere manuscript of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

The image shows a finely dressed young man riding a prancing horse. The rider, The Squire, is adorned in elegant, elaborately patterned garments wears a blue hat with white decorations, a dark, elaborately embroidered tunic, and white hose. His short blond hair curls outward under his hat, reflecting the fashionable style of the late 14th century. A richly patterned cloak drapes over his shoulders, flowing behind him as the horse rears gracefully.

The horse is light brown with a well-groomed mane and tail, decorated with red and white harness straps in an ornamental pattern.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Squire_-_Ellesmere_Chaucer.jpg

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1y

<p>In July 1866.</p><p> Anthony Trollope's novel Nina Balatka: The Story of a Maiden of Prague is initially published anonymously (serialisation in Blackwood's Magazine July 1866–January 1867). Trollope is interested in discovering whether his books sell on their own merits or as a consequence of the author's name and reputation.</p><p>Nina Balakta at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8897" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8897</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

First edition title page of Nina Balatka by Anthony Trollope.

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1y

<p>"Our deeds are like children that are born to us; they live and act apart from our own will."</p><p>In July 1862.</p><p>George Eliot's historical novel Romola begins serialization in Cornhill Magazine, the first time she has published a full-length book in this format. George Murray Smith of the publishers Smith, Elder & Co. has agreed a £7,000 advance for it. It was first published as a book, in three volumes, by Smith, Elder & Co. in 1863.</p><p>Romola at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/24020" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/24020</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

First edition of Romola bye George Sand.

The novel first appeared in fourteen parts published in Cornhill Magazine from July 1862 (vol. 6, no. 31) to August 1863 (vol. 8, no. 44), and was first published as a book, in three volumes, by Smith, Elder & Co. in 1863.

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173d

<p>This week I've been mainly reading, no. 264. </p><p>Claire Baglin's novella, On the Clock (2022/25) is a mediation on being working-class in France, told through the narrators childhood experiences of her father's working life, and her subsequent work at a fast-food restaurant. Its a melancholy but telling read of the relentlessness of working class labour & the explorative manner of work for the low paid. While short it packs quite a (subtle) punch.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> @bookstodon <a href="/tags/workers/" rel="tag">#workers</a> <a href="/tags/france/" rel="tag">#France</a></p>

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1y

<p>Girl <br>Power.<br><a href="/tags/caturday/" rel="tag">#caturday</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/photography/" rel="tag">#photography</a></p>

Blume is standing on a pile of books that have a common theme of females in their titles, she is looking at Brontë and Brontë is looking at her.

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1y

<p>"Empires dissolve and peoples disappear,<br>Song passes not away."</p><p>English poet William Watson died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1935.</p><p>Watson's early work, like Wordsworth's Grave (1890), demonstrated his deep admiration for the Romantic poets and established him as a significant literary figure. Despite his popularity and influence during his lifetime, his work fell out of favor in the years following his death, and he is less well-known today. </p><p>William Watson at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4885" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4885"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/4885</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Sir William Watson, English poet.
Elliot & Fry, Ltd. - World's Library of Best Books Part 20

The image typically would depict Watson in a formal pose, characteristic of late 19th and early 20th-century portraiture. He might be dressed in traditional attire, possibly a dark suit with a high-collared shirt, and perhaps looking directly at the camera or slightly off to the side, creating a dignified and thoughtful expression.

The background would likely be plain or subtly textured to keep the focus on Watson's features. The photograph would have been reproduced in "World's Library of Best Books," Part 20, emphasizing its importance as a part of literary history.

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1y

<p>Portuguese poet Tomás António Gonzaga was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1744.</p><p>He is best known for his work Marília de Dirceu, a collection of pastoral love poems that became a classic of Portuguese literature. His life took a dramatic turn when he was implicated in the Inconfidência Mineira, a failed conspiracy against Portuguese rule in Brazil. He was arrested and exiled to Mozambique, where he spent the remainder of his life. </p><p>Books by Tomás António Gonzaga at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7794" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7794"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/7794</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

A drawing of Gonzaga

Unknown author - Pantheon Escolar Brazileiro. p. Cartão 09 (THOMAZ Antonio Gonzaga: Inconfidente, Desmbargador Poeta de "Marilia e Dirceu". Rio de Janeiro, RJ: Livraria de J. G. de Azevedo, [18--]. 1 cartão, zincogravura, p&b, 13,4 x 9cm.

Disponível em: http://objdigital.bn.br/objdigital2/acervo_digital/div_iconografia/icon95726_1396400/icon1396386.jpg. Acesso em: 5 ago. 2019.).

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175d

<p>📚 1Q84 by: Haruki Murakami</p><p>The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo.</p><p>A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84, Q is for question mark. A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an as...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/1q84" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>bookblabla.com/book/1q84</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/dystopian/" rel="tag">#dystopian</a></p>

The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo.

A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84, Q is for question mark. A world that bears a question.” Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.

As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.

A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s 1Q84 is Haruki Murakami’s most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers.

Murakami is like a magician who explains what he’s doing as he performs the trick and still makes you believe he has supernatural powers... But while an

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175d

<p>Some <a href="/tags/peertube/" rel="tag">#PeerTube</a> video accounts you might want to follow about <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#Writing</a> & <a href="/tags/authors/" rel="tag">#Authors</a> :</p><p>➡️ <span class="h-card"><a href="[{'type': 'Link', 'href': 'https://spectra.video/a/kerry_ferrand/video-channels', 'mediaType': 'text/html'}, {'type': 'Link', 'href': 'https://spectra.video/a/kerry_ferrand', 'mediaType': 'text/html'}, {'type': 'Link', 'href': 'https://spectra.video/accounts/kerry_ferrand', 'mediaType': 'text/html'}]" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>kerry_ferrand</span></a></span> - In-depth book reviews and book hauls</p><p>➡️ <span class="h-card"><a href="[{'type': 'Link', 'href': 'https://makertube.net/a/faereviews/video-channels', 'mediaType': 'text/html'}, {'type': 'Link', 'href': 'https://makertube.net/a/faereviews', 'mediaType': 'text/html'}, {'type': 'Link', 'href': 'https://makertube.net/accounts/faereviews', 'mediaType': 'text/html'}]" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>faereviews</span></a></span> - Brief reviews & shorts about romantic fantasy books</p><p>➡️ <span class="h-card"><a href="https://spectra.video/accounts/weirdwriter" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>weirdwriter</span></a></span> - Blind author posting videos on writing, accessibility, gaming etc</p><p>➡️ <span class="h-card"><a href="[{'type': 'Link', 'href': 'https://spectra.video/a/mcoorlim/video-channels', 'mediaType': 'text/html'}, {'type': 'Link', 'href': 'https://spectra.video/a/mcoorlim', 'mediaType': 'text/html'}, {'type': 'Link', 'href': 'https://spectra.video/accounts/mcoorlim', 'mediaType': 'text/html'}]" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>mcoorlim</span></a></span> - Steampunk novelist, retro game fan</p><p>➡️ <span class="h-card"><a href="https://tilvids.com/accounts/athenaproductions" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>athenaproductions</span></a></span> - Irreverent sweary videos about history, philosophy, literature</p><p>➡️ <span class="h-card"><a href="[{'type': 'Link', 'href': 'https://fedi.video/c/audiobooks/videos', 'mediaType': 'text/html'}, {'type': 'Link', 'href': 'https://fedi.video/c/audiobooks', 'mediaType': 'text/html'}, {'type': 'Link', 'href': 'https://fedi.video/video-channels/audiobooks', 'mediaType': 'text/html'}]" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>audiobooks</span></a></span> - Well-performed public domain audiobooks</p>

Edited 175d ago

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175d

<p>Today I finished reading "Turning to Birds: the Power and Beauty of Noticing" by Lili Taylor. This is a collection of essays, each mostly focused on one type of bird. It is a combination of her experiences in both birdwatching and bird conservation and how those activities have changed her. In particular, the essays on migrating and on the chimney swifts were interesting to me, and the bluebird/sparrow one somewhat heartbreaking.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/birding/" rel="tag">#birding</a> <a href="/tags/birders/" rel="tag">#birders</a> <a href="/tags/birds/" rel="tag">#birds</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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173d

<p>In Praise of Librarians in Dangerous Times</p><p>Sarah Weinman on the Awesome Responsibility of the Seekers and Keepers of Truth</p><p><a href="https://lithub.com/in-praise-of-librarians-in-dangerous-times/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lithub.com/in-praise-of-librarians-in-dangerous-times/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lithub.com/in-praise-of-librar</span><span class="invisible">ians-in-dangerous-times/</span></a></p><p>Librarians at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/search/?query=librarians" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/search/?query=librarians"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje</span><span class="invisible">cts/search/?query=librarians</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Librarians classifying books at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LOC)

The Library of Congress from Washington, DC, United States

The image shows a number of librarians actively engaged in processing library material in a space within the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The room appears to be a large, well-lit working area. Long tables, shelving units and stacks of books and bound volumes are visible.

The librarians seem to be engaged in classification, cataloguing and shelving tasks — handling books, perhaps checking index cards or labels, and placing the volumes in their correct place.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Librarians#/media/File:(Librarians_classifying_books_at_the_Library_of_Congress,_Washington,_D.C.)_(LOC)_-_Flickr_-_The_Library_of_Congress.jpg

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173d

<p>Plato and the Poets</p><p>The centuries-old debate should be settled: an intellectual world bereft of poetry is a damaged one.</p><p>by Elaine Scarry</p><p><a href="https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/plato-and-the-poets/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.bostonreview.net/articles/plato-and-the-poets/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.bostonreview.net/articles/</span><span class="invisible">plato-and-the-poets/</span></a></p><p>Plato at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/93" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/93"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/93</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/philosophy/" rel="tag">#philosophy</a></p>

Parts of P.Oxy. LII 3679, 3rd century, containing fragments of Plato's Republic.

The visible portion of the papyrus displays Greek text in several lines of uncial script, with some variation in the size of the letters and some spacing between columns or lines.

There are holes, tears, frayed edges and missing sections. Some of the text is missing or worn away, and there are irregular boundaries where pieces have broken off.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato#/media/File:P._Oxy._LII_3679.jpg

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1y

<p>In December 1894.</p><p>An abridgement of Stephen Crane's American Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage is first published as a serial in The Philadelphia Press. This version of the story, which was culled to 18,000 words by an editor specifically for the serialization, was reprinted in newspapers across America, establishing Crane's fame.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Badge_of_Courage#" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_Badge_of_Courage#"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_</span><span class="invisible">Badge_of_Courage#</span></a></p><p>The Red Badge of Courage at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/73" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/73</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Stephen Crane in 1894; print of a portrait by artist and friend Corwin K. Linson.

This portrait captures Crane at a pivotal moment in his life, just as his literary career was beginning to take shape with works like Maggie: A Girl of the Streets and The Red Badge of Courage on the horizon.

The artist has rendered Crane in formal attire, likely a dark suit and tie, fitting for the era, but the overall effect is understated, focusing more on his character than his clothing. Linson's technique—subtle shading and fine lines—gives the portrait a contemplative mood, drawing attention to Crane's intellect and introspection.

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175d

<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 apologise, I’ve let the ball drop for the Queer Romance Club November read (got ever so slightly frantically busy the last few weeks…).</p><p>The theme is classics/old favourites, and I thought maybe instead of running a vote and picking a single book, queer romance fans can drop their recommendations in the comments:</p><p>- maybe the first romance you ever read that wasn’t just straight m/f (even if it was m/f with a bisexual character etc)<br>- nostalgic reads which might not hold up today but which you still have a soft spot for<br>- a classic of the genre which you think is the gold standard (I don’t know, like LoTR is for fantasy)<br>- even just books that are a few years old now that you think did not get the attention they deserved when they were released.</p><p>No need to be a regular participant in the QRC, this is just about blowing up those TBR lists :)</p><p>(But more about it here, FYI:<br><a href="https://mastodon.au/@wendypalmer/113144943004145104" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="mastodon.au/@wendypalmer/113144943004145104"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">mastodon.au/@wendypalmer/11314</span><span class="invisible">4943004145104</span></a>)</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> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/lgbtqbooks/" rel="tag">#LGBTQBooks</a> <a href="/tags/lgbtqromance/" rel="tag">#LGBTQRomance</a> <a href="/tags/romancelandia/" rel="tag">#romancelandia</a> <a href="/tags/romancereads/" rel="tag">#RomanceReads</a></p>

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174d

<p>This week's <a href="/tags/newbooks/" rel="tag">#NewBooks</a> at the library:<br>- I adopted a damaged copy of David Farrier's Nature's Genius: Evolution's Lessons for a Changing Planet, published by <span class="h-card"><a href="https://bookish.community/@canongatebooks" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>canongatebooks</span></a></span>.</p><p>The other two are cases of the more I read, the more I go down rabbit holes.<br>- After reviewing Mysteries of the Deep, I bought an ex-library copy of the classic 1995 Paleoclimate and Evolution, with Emphasis on Human Origins, published by Yale University Press, to read more on the work of Elisabeth Vrba and colleagues (this one came from the holdings of the University Library of Durham)</p><p>- After reviewing Every Living Thing, I wanted to know more about Cuvier and tracked down an ex-library copy of the classic 1987 The Cuvier-Geoffroy Debate: French Biology in the Decades Before Darwin, published by Oxford University Press (this one came from the holdings of the University of Saint Katherine Library) </p><p><a href="/tags/climatechange/" rel="tag">#ClimateChange</a> <a href="/tags/evolution/" rel="tag">#Evolution</a> <a href="/tags/palaeoclimate/" rel="tag">#Palaeoclimate</a> <a href="/tags/humanevolution/" rel="tag">#HumanEvolution</a> <a href="/tags/historyofscience/" rel="tag">#HistoryOfScience</a> <a href="/tags/sciencehistory/" rel="tag">#ScienceHistory</a> <a href="/tags/histsci/" rel="tag">#HistSci</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/scicomm/" rel="tag">#Scicomm</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 top-down photo of three books lying on a small, brown, wooden table. The background shows part of the beech-coloured laminate floor.

On the left, Nature's Genius, showing a photo of a tree against a blue sky. The tree is impossibly clinging on with its root system to the very tip of a rocky outcrop, seemingly growing sideways out of the rock.

In the middle, decidedly bigger than the books on either side, is Paleoclimate and Evolution, with Emphasis on Human Origins, showing a collage of two photos that are diagonally stacked against each other. On the left is a black-and-white aerial photo of a glacial landscape, printed in blue tones (specifically showing the confluence of Beardmore and Mill Glaciers in Antarctica, credited to George H. Denton). On the right is a black-and-white photo of an open grassland savannah with some trees, printed in yellow tones (specifically showing savannah in the Serengeti in Tanzania, credited to Elisabeth S. Vrba). Overlain on the right photo is a drawing of the head and shoulders of a bearded and hairy hominin (specifically Homo habilis).

On the right, The Cuvier-Geoffroy Debate, showing a plain hardcover bound in dark blue cloth with gilded lettering debossed in the cover.

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187d

<p>The weather (in the Northern Hemisphere) is getting chilly, so it's a great time to warm up with a Mountain Man! </p><p>My best-selling romance audiobook of 2024 was Taken by the Mountain Man by Kelsie Calloway, which I narrated as Eden Cavell.</p><p>Lily is a divorced single mom starting over in a small mountain town… hoping for a second chance at romance with her brother's hot best friend Beckett! She can't forget their kiss under the mistletoe last Christmas. Maybe this is the year she can make her dreams come true.</p><p>Kelsie Calloway writes big-hearted, high heat romances with determined female leads, sweetheart male love interests, and sizzling sex scenes. Lily is a protagonist you can cheer for and Beckett is the kind of guy you'd hook up with your sister (if you weren't single yourself). </p><p>If you like second chance romance, brother's best friend romance, mountain man romance, or just plain spicy romance, this is a bestseller for a reason. </p><p>At 42 minutes, you can listen to this in one go and it makes a good bedtime story. </p><p>Available in audiobook on Apple Books, Amazon and Audible, plus in ebook on Amazon.</p><p><a href="https://geni.us/TBTMM" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>geni.us/TBTMM</a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@audiofiction" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>audiofiction</span></a></span> <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/audiobook/" rel="tag">#Audiobook</a> <a href="/tags/audiobooks/" rel="tag">#Audiobooks</a> <a href="/tags/audiofiction/" rel="tag">#Audiofiction</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/romance/" rel="tag">#Romance</a> <a href="/tags/romancebooks/" rel="tag">#RomanceBooks</a> <a href="/tags/romancelandia/" rel="tag">#Romancelandia</a></p>

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1y

<p>"Unless one is a genius, it is best to aim at being intelligible."<br>The Dolly Dialogues</p><p>British novelist and playwright Anthony Hope died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1933.</p><p>Hope wrote numerous other novels and plays, though none achieved the same level of acclaim as "The Prisoner of Zenda." Notable works include "The Dolly Dialogues", a collection of witty sketches, and "The Chronicles of Count Antonio", an adventure novel set in Renaissance Italy.</p><p>Anthony Hope at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/63" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/63"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/63</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Anthony Hope Hawkins by Zaida Ben-Yusuf, 1897

Zaida Ben-Yusuf - Philadelphia Museum of Art

Platinum print of Anthony Hope Hawkins.

An individual wearing a suit and sitting on a chair.

Second edition cover of The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope.

The cover might feature decorative borders or frames around the illustration and text, adding to the visual appeal and giving a classic, timeless look. These borders could include intricate patterns or motifs that align with the novel's setting.

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174d

<p>Just hit pg 179 of the “remastered, full-color edition” of Mark Z. Danielewski’s “House of Leaves” and I need to gush about it somewhere. Obviously some (mild) spoilers on my end, but I’d appreciate no spoilers in the discussion below. </p> <p>I went into this mostly blind. I knew it was a horror novel, experimental; that it had inspired several cool “non-Euclidean” video games, and I knew it was about a house that’s “bigger on the inside”. I was also prepped for weirdness, as it’s often included in weird/horror fiction lists alongside the likes of Lovecraft & “The King in Yellow”. </p> <p>Honestly, I was ready to ditch this, but now I’m fully invested. </p> <p><details><summary>SPOILERS<br/></summary><p>I did <em>not</em> know about the footnotes. Or the formatting. Or the fonts. Or the meandering. Folks, last night I was ready to put this book down. Expedition #3 was underway, and I found myself having to hunt for each footnote. Back and forth, back and forth. Sometimes they’d go on for pages, and often they’d wander far away from the ongoing story. I’m pretty sure some didn’t exist. Then came Footnote #142. Completely blank. “What the hell? Just a dead en–” and that’s when it hit me - it’s a labyrinth. The book mimics the house. The <em>book</em> is a labyrinth. I’m bouncing between footnotes & story, between fonts/voices & tone. Sometimes it’s a dead end and I have to backtrack. Sometimes I feel a little progress. It’s a maze, and I’m suddenly excited & apprehensive to explore more of it. </p> <p>I mean… <em>damn</em>, Danielewski. I’m hooked. You got me.<br/></p></details> </p> <p>None of my friends have read it, so I had to release some excitement somewhere. Thanks for reading. </p> <p>Without spoiling anything, have you read / enjoyed House of Leaves? What’s your favorite “experimental” book?</p>

<p>Just hit pg 179 of the “remastered, full-color edition” of Mark Z. Danielewski’s “House of Leaves” and I need to gush about it somewhere. Obviously some (mild) spoilers on my end, but I’d appreciate no spoilers in the discussion below. </p><p>I went into this mostly blind. I knew it was a horror novel, experimental; that it had inspired several cool “non-Euclidean” video games, and I knew it was about a house that’s “bigger on the inside”. I was also prepped for weirdness, as it’s often included in weird/horror fiction lists alongside the likes of Lovecraft & “The King in Yellow”. </p><p>Honestly, I was ready to ditch this, but now I’m fully invested. </p><p>SPOILERS<br><p>I did not know about the footnotes. Or the formatting. Or the fonts. Or the meandering. Folks, last night I was ready to put this book down. Expedition <a href="/tags/3/" rel="tag">#3</a> was underway, and I found myself having to hunt for each footnote. Back and forth, back and forth. Sometimes they’d go on for pages, and often they’d wander far away from the ongoing story. I’m pretty sure some didn’t exist. Then came Footnote <a href="/tags/142/" rel="tag">#142</a>. Completely blank. “What the hell? Just a dead en–” and that’s when it hit me - it’s a labyrinth. The book mimics the house. The book is a labyrinth. I’m bouncing between footnotes & story, between fonts/voices & tone. Sometimes it’s a dead end and I have to backtrack. Sometimes I feel a little progress. It’s a maze, and I’m suddenly excited & apprehensive to explore more of it. </p><p>I mean… damn, Danielewski. I’m hooked. You got me.<br></p> </p><p>None of my friends have read it, so I had to release some excitement somewhere. Thanks for reading. </p><p>Without spoiling anything, have you read / enjoyed House of Leaves? What’s your favorite “experimental” book?</p> <small class="notice" x-post-type-data="None"> Takahe has limited support for this type: <a href="https://piefed.social/c/books/p/1435828/just-started-house-of-leaves">See Original Page</a> </small>

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136d

<p>50% off @ <a href="/tags/smashwords/" rel="tag">#Smashwords</a>: <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1899894" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.smashwords.com/books/view/1899894"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.smashwords.com/books/view/</span><span class="invisible">1899894</span></a></p><p>Amelia and The Book of Newts are in conflict. She wants to explore her feelings. It wants to explore space, taking back the gift for mathematics it gave her. She’s unable to plot a course home, but desperate to see the man she loves, lest she lose him forever…</p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span><br><a href="/tags/author/" rel="tag">#author</a> <a href="/tags/indieauthor/" rel="tag">#indieauthor</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#writing</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#scifi</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefiction/" rel="tag">#sciencefiction</a> <a href="/tags/sff/" rel="tag">#sff</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefantasy/" rel="tag">#sciencefantasy</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#scifi</a> <a href="/tags/actionadventure/" rel="tag">#actionadventure</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/eoysale25/" rel="tag">#EOYSale25</a> <a href="/tags/ebook/" rel="tag">#ebook</a> <a href="/tags/sale/" rel="tag">#sale</a> <a href="/tags/books2read/" rel="tag">#books2read</a> <a href="/tags/indiebooks/" rel="tag">#indiebooks</a></p>

(Left) The cover of The Next Horizon, by Owen Tyme.

The black silhouette of a man and woman hugging and kissing. The woman has lifted one leg, while the man leans toward her. They stand atop the dark side of a planet or moon in space, which has a slim crescent along the right side. The background in the stars of space, but some have been highlighted with a heat shape that surrounds the kissing couple. Everything is in shades of blue.

(Right) Deep space, displaying the edge of an orange and blue gaseous cloud from a nebula, while most of the stars appear golden in color. Floating in space is a square, red leather book with the image of a newt stamped on the cover. Over the top of everything is the following text:

“You can back down and cooperate, right now, or Marta will hit you so hard, you should reach a tenth the speed of light…”

“No one will ever find you again, but even if someone does, there’s no way they’ll have the capacity to safely slow you down, before you’re gone to them!”

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

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172d

<p>Celebrating Sir Tim Berners-Lee, 2025 Internet Archive Hero Award Recipient <a href="https://blog.archive.org/2025/11/05/celebrating-sir-tim-berners-lee-2025-internet-archive-hero-award-recipient/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="blog.archive.org/2025/11/05/celebrating-sir-tim-berners-lee-2025-internet-archive-hero-award-recipient/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">blog.archive.org/2025/11/05/ce</span><span class="invisible">lebrating-sir-tim-berners-lee-2025-internet-archive-hero-award-recipient/</span></a> </p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

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33d

<p>Pepper Basham on How The Secret Garden Inspired Her Love for British Literature</p><p>"I can still find my way there through these pages. Some gardens, it turns out, are always in season."</p><p><a href="https://lithub.com/pepper-basham-on-how-the-secret-garden-inspired-her-love-for-british-literature/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lithub.com/pepper-basham-on-how-the-secret-garden-inspired-her-love-for-british-literature/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lithub.com/pepper-basham-on-ho</span><span class="invisible">w-the-secret-garden-inspired-her-love-for-british-literature/</span></a></p><p>The secret garden at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17396" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17396</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>

"IT SEEMED SCARCELY BEARABLE TO LEAVE SUCH DELIGHTFULNESS"

A girl in a grey-blue dress and hat, and a red-haired boy in a white shirt — sitting cross-legged on the grass beneath a spreading tree, facing each other with absorbed attention. Between them, a small fox lies curled on the ground, apparently tame or injured, the focus of their gentle care. A red squirrel perches on the boy's shoulder. High in the branches above, a magpie watches the scene.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/17396/pg17396-images.html#Page_231

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174d

<p>Ebook 25% off on Itch.io: <a href="https://owentyme.itch.io/legacy-of-newts" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="owentyme.itch.io/legacy-of-newts"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">owentyme.itch.io/legacy-of-new</span><span class="invisible">ts</span></a><br>Also in other stores: <a href="https://books2read.com/LegacyOfNewts" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>books2read.com/LegacyOfNewts</a></p><p>The undead witch that rules the space pirates, known as the Dead Queen, has finally been defeated. That only makes it worse for the witches that pulled it off. She's livid and coming for them, at least once she gets her star ship back under control…</p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span><br><a href="/tags/author/" rel="tag">#author</a> <a href="/tags/indieauthor/" rel="tag">#indieauthor</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#writing</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#scifi</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefiction/" rel="tag">#sciencefiction</a> <a href="/tags/sff/" rel="tag">#sff</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefantasy/" rel="tag">#sciencefantasy</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#scifi</a> <a href="/tags/actionadventure/" rel="tag">#actionadventure</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/itchio/" rel="tag">#itchio</a> <a href="/tags/sale/" rel="tag">#sale</a></p>

(Left) The cover of Legacy of Newts, by Owen Tyme.

In the background dawn, as seen from space, above a blue world.

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 of the line drawing has been filled with the image of a spiral galaxy in red, orange and yellow, with a blue color that shades to white at the center, which lines up with the newt's head. The galaxy almost looks like fire.

(Right) The background is a blue and orange nebula, with the following text over it:

“You gotta be real strong, real bright, real quick, or real lucky to survive drawing *attention*. Which are you?”

“I’m quick, Amelia is bright, Marta is strong and all three of us have been lucky, after a fashion: if we didn’t have bad luck, then I suppose we wouldn’t have any luck at all.”

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

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1y

<p>"The dusk crept out across the fields wiping out the day's light."<br>Black April (1927)</p><p>American author Julia Peterkin died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1961.</p><p>In 1929 she won the Pulitzer Prize for Novel/Literature for her novel Scarlet Sister Mary. She wrote several novels about the plantation South, especially the Gullah people of the Lowcountry. She was one of the few white authors who wrote about the African-American experience.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Peterkin" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Peterkin"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Pe</span><span class="invisible">terkin</span></a></p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/72611" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/72611</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Doris Ulmann and Julia Peterkin.

Julia Peterkin, an author who focused on similar themes in her writing, might be seen standing or sitting beside Ulmann, engaged in conversation or simply sharing a moment of quiet reflection. Peterkin might also be dressed in a similar style, with her hair possibly pinned up. The background of the photograph is likely simple, perhaps a natural outdoor setting or a rustic interior, consistent with the subjects of their work.

Edited 1y ago

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174d

<p>I'm a fan of 4A games and the Metro franchise, but I've never read the books. Finally, now I have one, I've wanted to read it for a long time, because I really love the Ukrainian game Metro. But first I'll read The Murderbot Diaries books, and then Metro.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#scifi</a> <a href="/tags/scifibooks/" rel="tag">#scifibooks</a></p>

(no description)

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137d

Blue Are the Hills – a character-driven scifi novel about transhumanism and hope

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