books

264d

<p>From Monte Carlo to the final frontier</p><p>“Beyond the Blue Horizon,” introduced in Lubitsch’s Monte Carlo, enters the public domain soon. Jeanette MacDonald’s train-scene song later inspired Alexander Courage’s Star Trek theme of hopeful exploration.<br> <br>By John Mark Ockerbloom </p><p><a href="https://everybodyslibraries.com/2025/11/22/from-monte-carlo-to-the-final-f#rontier/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="everybodyslibraries.com/2025/11/22/from-monte-carlo-to-the-final-f#rontier/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">everybodyslibraries.com/2025/1</span><span class="invisible">1/22/from-monte-carlo-to-the-final-f#rontier/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/publicdomaindaycountdown/" rel="tag">#publicDomainDayCountdown</a> <a href="/tags/music/" rel="tag">#music</a></p>

Beyond the blue horizon
by Young, Victor, 1900-1956

The image shows a handwritten sheet music manuscript titled “Lion and Boy” (Beyond the Blue Horizon), attributed to Victor Young. The notation is written in dark ink on yellowed paper, giving it an aged archival look. Musical staves fill the page, with expressive handwritten notes, chords, measure numbers, and performance markings.

Boxes and small annotations appear throughout, indicating cues or edits. At the bottom, a handwritten note reads “Property of Paramount Pictures Inc.” followed by a date written in cursive, 1/23/41.

https://archive.org/details/beyondbluehorizo00youn

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265d

<p>Is Victor Pelevin's 'Babylon' (also known as Homo Zapiens and Generation P) the ideal novel for Mastodonians ?</p><p>It's an alcohol-and-drug-fuelled fantastical satire on both capitalism and tech, in which (we gradually discover) politicians are computer-generated, and representations more important than reality. In one key scene, we find ourselves in an art exhibition, but the walls are hung not with paintings, but with notarised certificates confirming that the original was bought by its current owner for so-many-million-dollars. Not even a copy of the original - because only the price is important now,</p><p>But it precedes and predicts our ai-and-billionaires world. It was written in Russia in the 1990s, and clearly reflects the shock of the cowboy-capitalism that was imposed there after the soviet collapse. It is horrific - yet it is the model for the world the likes of Trump would propagate. They saw the emergence of Russian oligarchy, and wanted it. I first read it when I was working in Russia 20 years ago, so can vouch for its accuracy. I came to this re-reading after also re-reading Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, and was struck by the contrast between that story of 1930s capitalism-as-worker-exploitation, and Pelevin's portrayal of capitalism as insane consumerism.</p><p>Today is the author's birthday.</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="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/capitalism/" rel="tag">#capitalism</a></p>

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242d

Adrian Tchaikovsky book bundle on Humble Bundle - thoughts?

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261d

<p>Nancy Drew and the secret of the old contract</p><p>Nancy Drew’s first four mysteries enter the public domain pretty soon. Once ghostwritten under “Carolyn Keene,” a rights dispute revealed Mildred Wirt Benson as the original author—surprising Harriet Adams, who thought her dead.<br> <br>By John Mark Ockerbloom </p><p><a href="https://everybodyslibraries.com/2025/11/25/nancy-drew-and-the-secret-of-the-old-contract/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="everybodyslibraries.com/2025/11/25/nancy-drew-and-the-secret-of-the-old-contract/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">everybodyslibraries.com/2025/1</span><span class="invisible">1/25/nancy-drew-and-the-secret-of-the-old-contract/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/publicdomaindaycountdown/" rel="tag">#publicDomainDayCountdown</a></p>

The Secret of the Old Clock (1930) front cover.

Russell H. Tandy (1891 – 1963)

In the foreground, Nancy Drew is depicted as a young woman with short, wavy blond hair, wearing a stylish dress. She walks in the grass at twilight, holding an old-fashioned wooden clock and examining it intently, as if searching for a hidden clue.

Behind her stands a dark forest. The sky is a deep blue. Bold yellow lettering displays the title at the top, with the author credit “Carolyn Keene” beneath.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_of_the_Old_Clock#/media/File:The_Secret_of_the_Old_Clock_(1930)_front_cover,_printing_1933B-14.jpg

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220d

<p>📚 Three Mothers by: Hannah Beckerman</p><p>A heartbroken mother</p><p>When seventeen-year-old Isla Richardson is killed in a hit-and-run incident, a community's lives are thrown into disarray. For Isla's mum, Abby, it is her second devastating bereavement, having lost her husband five years ago. As Abby begins to uncover secrets...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/three-mothers" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/three-mothers"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/three-moth</span><span class="invisible">ers</span></a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/libraries/" rel="tag">#libraries</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/literaryfiction/" rel="tag">#literaryfiction</a> <a href="/tags/psychologicalfiction/" rel="tag">#psychologicalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/thrillers/" rel="tag">#thrillers</a> <a href="/tags/domestic/" rel="tag">#domestic</a></p>

A heartbroken mother

When seventeen-year-old Isla Richardson is killed in a hit-and-run incident, a community's lives are thrown into disarray. For Isla's mum, Abby, it is her second devastating bereavement, having lost her husband five years ago. As Abby begins to uncover secrets about Isla's life, she's forced to rethink everything she thought she knew about her family.

A supportive best friend
For Abby's best friend, Nicole, the tragic death sets in motion a chain of events that will have irreparable consequences for her husband and her two teenage sons.

A determined mum

For Jenna, Isla's death threatens to expose secrets about her son's past that she has done everything in her power to hide, to secure him a better future.
A tragedy unites them--but it could also tear their families apart
Tackling friendship, family, social prejudice and the pressures facing young women, Three Mothers asks: How well do we really know our children? And how far would any of us go to protect the people we love?

Ideal for fans of Louise Candlish, Lisa Jewell and Liane Moriarty, Three Mothers is a tense, page-turning domestic suspense story with a final twist that will make you gasp.

From the bestselling author of The Forgetting: a tense, character-driven suspense with a final twist that will make you gasp.

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262d

<p>📚 Neuromancer by: William Gibson</p><p>Case was the sharpest data-thief in the matrix—until he crossed the wrong people and they crippled his nervous system, banishing him from cyberspace. Now a mysterious new employer has recruited him for a last-chance run at an unthinkably powerful artificial intelligence. With a dead ma...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/neuromancer" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/neuromancer"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/neuromance</span><span class="invisible">r</span></a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/libraries/" rel="tag">#libraries</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefiction/" rel="tag">#sciencefiction</a> <a href="/tags/cyberpunkfiction/" rel="tag">#cyberpunkfiction</a> <a href="/tags/thrillers/" rel="tag">#thrillers</a> <a href="/tags/technological/" rel="tag">#technological</a></p>

Case was the sharpest data-thief in the matrix—until he crossed the wrong people and they crippled his nervous system, banishing him from cyberspace. Now a mysterious new employer has recruited him for a last-chance run at an unthinkably powerful artificial intelligence. With a dead man riding shotgun and Molly, a mirror-eyed street-samurai, to watch his back, Case is ready for the adventure that upped the ante on an entire genre of fiction.

Neuromancer was the first fully-realized glimpse of humankind’s digital future—a shocking vision that has challenged our assumptions about technology and ourselves, reinvented the way we speak and think, and forever altered the landscape of our imaginations.

Winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards, Neuromancer is a science fiction masterpiece—a classic that ranks as one of the twentieth century’s most potent visions of the future.

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263d

<p>Ebook and print: <a href="https://books2read.com/TheMostPowerfulWords" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="books2read.com/TheMostPowerfulWords"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">books2read.com/TheMostPowerful</span><span class="invisible">Words</span></a><br>Audiobook: <a href="https://owentyme.bandcamp.com/album/short-of-tyme-the-most-powerful-words" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="owentyme.bandcamp.com/album/short-of-tyme-the-most-powerful-words"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">owentyme.bandcamp.com/album/sh</span><span class="invisible">ort-of-tyme-the-most-powerful-words</span></a></p><p>Hungry and hunting alone, a goblin boy meets a bouncing, blue slime and assumes it will be dinner. Naturally, the slime has other ideas, and the boy gets his hind-end handed to him by what’s supposed to be one of the weakest monsters of the forest.</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/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/goblin/" rel="tag">#goblin</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/audiobook/" rel="tag">#audiobook</a></p>

(Left) The cover of The Most Powerful Words, by Owen Tyme, which consists of a temperate forest path in twilight, with a tree on the right side, which hangs over the path. At the base of the tree is a translucent, blue slime monster, with shiny, black eyes that give it a somewhat cute appearance, while the shadow that's visible at its base almost looks like a big mouth. The air has an almosty golden look, because there's a hint of fog in it. The cover is framed with beveled stone.

(Right) The background is a bookcase with three shelves that are filled with old-looking books. Some have bookmark ribbons that stick off the edge, adding a little color. The books are largely brown, with ribbed spines. The following quote is laid over it:

“There are words so powerful, they can shake the foundations of reality or alter the fate of the world.”

“The most powerful words of all can change a man’s heart and mind about old, incorrect beliefs.”

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

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243d

<p>Guillaume Apollinaire’s Trailblazing Caligrams, 1913</p><p>The form is part of the message in French writer Guillaume Apollinaire's "caligrams", in which the shape of the words on the page creates meaning.</p><p>by Paul Sorene</p><p><a href="https://flashbak.com/guillaume-apollinaire-caligrams-poems-480405/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=guillaume-apollinaire-caligrams-poems" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="flashbak.com/guillaume-apollinaire-caligrams-poems-480405/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=guillaume-apollinaire-caligrams-poems"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">flashbak.com/guillaume-apollin</span><span class="invisible">aire-caligrams-poems-480405/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=guillaume-apollinaire-caligrams-poems</span></a></p><p>Caligrames at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55569" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55569</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Transcription of the image:

006—Il pleut

Il pleut des voix de femmes comme si elles étaient mortes même dans
le souvenir c'est vous aussi qu'il pleur merveilleuses rencontres de
ma vie ô gouttelettes et ces nuages cabrés se prennent à hennir tout
comme un univers de villes auriculaires écoute s'il pleut tandis que
le regret et le dédain pleurent une ancienne musique écoute tomber les
liens qui te retiennent en haut et en bas

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/55569/pg55569-images.html#a006

Description of the image:

The title of the poem is in normal orientation at the top of the image. The poem itself is typed in lines at a slight angle to vertical - each letter of a word below the previous letter, and each line to the right of the previous line. The lines aren't precisely straight or parallel. The shape of the poem suggests rain.

English translation:

It rains women's voices as if they were dead even in
memory it is you too that it cries wonderful encounters of
my life oh droplets and these rearing clouds begin to neigh just
like a universe of ear cities listen if it rains while
regret and disdain cry an ancient music listen to the
ties that bind you above and below falling

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167d

<p>Bookstore run: </p><p>- The Pocket Pema Chödrön (when instructed to hear a kind voice in one's head, I hear Pema)<br>- The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (everyone tells me this is fantabulous)<br>- How Far the Light Reaches (picked it up in bookstore and couldn't put it down)<br>- Unwinding Anxiety (Jud Brewer has done great peer-reviewed research into both anxiety and addiction) </p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</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 stack of books on the end of a desk, titles in post.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1922.</p><p>Sinclair Lewis's satirical novel Babbitt is published by Harcourt, Brace & Company.</p><p>It is a satirical novel about American culture and society that critiques the vacuity of middle class life and the social pressure toward conformity. The controversy provoked by Babbitt was influential in the decision to award the Nobel Prize in Literature to Lewis in 1930.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babbitt_(novel)" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babbitt_(novel)"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babbitt_</span><span class="invisible">(novel)</span></a></p><p>Babbitt at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1156" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/1156</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

First edition cover of the novel Babbitt (1922), by Sinclair Lewis

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263d

<p>THE EXPERT OF SUBTLE REVISIONS on NPR's 2025 list of Books We Love! Lot's of great books on this list. Thanks, NPR and Ilana Masad!</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://apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2025" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=covers&year=2025"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">apps.npr.org/best-books/#view=</span><span class="invisible">covers&year=2025</span></a></p>

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1y

<p>Italian poet, writer, and philosopher Dante Alighieri died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1321.</p><p>Dante is known for establishing the use of the vernacular in literature at a time when most poetry was written in Latin, which was accessible only to educated readers. His use of the Florentine dialect for works such as The New Life and Divine Comedy helped establish the modern-day standardized Italian language.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante_Alighieri" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante_Alighieri"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante_Al</span><span class="invisible">ighieri</span></a></p><p>Books by Dante Alighieri at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/507" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/507"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/507</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

Andrea del Castagno, Dante Alighieri, ne Ciclo degli uomini e donne illustri, affresco, tra il 1448 e il 1451, Galleria degli Uffizi, Firenze

The painting of Dante Alighieri by Andrea del Castagno, part of the Ciclo degli uomini e donne illustri (Cycle of Famous Men and Women), is a fresco created between 1448 and 1451. It is housed in the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence. The portrait honors Dante as one of the most prominent literary figures in Italian history.

In this fresco, Dante is depicted as a tall, solemn figure, wearing a traditional red robe with a matching cap (a zucchetto), which was associated with scholars and intellectuals. The red color symbolizes Dante's prominence and the honor bestowed upon him in Florence's cultural history.

Dante’s face is dignified and contemplative, reflecting his status as a thinker and poet. His face is slightly turned to the side, emphasizing his prominent nose and thoughtful gaze.

He is shown standing in a stately posture, holding a book in his hand, most likely representing The Divine Comedy. The book signifies his contribution to literature and his intellectual achievements.

Botticelli’s "The Map of Hell" is a detailed and dramatic representation of Dante’s Inferno.
The painting is structured around a massive funnel or pit, which spirals downward toward the Earth’s core. These circles narrow as they descend, representing Dante’s journey through Hell, where the severity of sin increases the deeper one goes. Each ring or layer corresponds to a specific category of sin, following the structure Dante outlined in Inferno.
The first circle represents Limbo, where virtuous non-Christians and unbaptized souls reside in a less tormented, shadowy existence.
The second circle shows those punished for lust, buffeted by strong winds.
The third circle depicts gluttons suffering in a filthy, icy slush.
The fourth circle portrays the misers and spendthrifts, forced to push heavy weights against one another.
The fifth circle illustrates the wrathful fighting each other in the River Styx, while the sullen are submerged beneath it.
The sixth circle shows heretics trapped in flaming tombs.
The seventh circle is divided into three sub-circles, where violent sinners are punished, including those who commit violence against others, against themselves, and against God.
The eighth circle depicts the fraudsters suffering in ten ditches, each with a unique punishment based on the type of fraud.
The ninth and final circle is the frozen lake of Cocytus, where traitors are encased in ice, and Lucifer himself resides at the center, holding the ultimate traitors in his jaws.

Illustration for Paradiso (of The Divine Comedy) by Gustave Doré.

The illustration of Paradiso from The Divine Comedy by Gustave Doré is a breathtaking and ethereal portrayal of Dante's ascent into Heaven. Doré’s illustrations for The Divine Comedy, completed in the 19th century, are renowned for their dramatic use of light and shadow, as well as their grand, visionary style. His illustrations for Paradiso stand out for their portrayal of divine beauty, light, and celestial order.

In typical illustrations of Paradiso, Doré masterfully captures the overwhelming presence of divine light. This light, emanating from the center of the illustration, symbolizes the presence of God. The radiance fills the entire composition, with Dante and Beatrice often depicted as tiny figures in comparison to the vast, celestial brightness. The light represents purity and divine truth, essential themes of Dante's journey through Heaven.

Surrounding the light, Doré often illustrates ranks of angels or blessed souls arranged in celestial circles or spheres. These figures are frequently portrayed in intricate, flowing robes, with wings outstretched, creating a sense of motion and harmony. The angelic beings are shown in concentric circles, as Dante describes in Paradiso, reinforcing the structured, ordered nature of Heaven according to medieval cosmology.

The illustration of Purgatorio, Canto XXX, 60-146 by William Blake, titled Beatrice Addressing Dante, is a vivid and emotional representation of the moment when Beatrice confronts Dante in the Earthly Paradise near the summit of Mount Purgatory. In this scene from Dante’s Purgatorio, Beatrice appears in a triumphal chariot, symbolizing divine grace, to address Dante for the first time, offering him spiritual guidance and chastising him for straying from the path of righteousness.

At the center of the composition is Beatrice, standing in her chariot. She is depicted as a radiant and almost otherworldly figure, with an aura of divine authority. Blake often emphasizes Beatrice’s spiritual purity by portraying her with soft, flowing robes and a serene expression, which contrasts with the darker tones of the surrounding environment. Her posture is commanding but graceful, reflecting her role as a guide and embodiment of divine love.

Below or to the side of Beatrice, Dante is shown kneeling or standing in awe, gazing upward toward Beatrice with a look of intense emotion. His posture and expression reflect a mixture of reverence, penitence, and shock.

The chariot in which Beatrice stands is a key symbol in this illustration, representing divine authority and grace.

Blake’s illustration blends heavenly and earthly elements, reflecting the liminal space of the Earthly Paradise.

Edited 1y ago

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263d

Any good books on the relationship between anarchism and communism?

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263d

<p>Questions on the Beautiful</p><p>Few great visual artists are especially good writers, Eugène Delacroix was one of the exceptions.</p><p>By Alice Gribbin</p><p><a href="https://www.alicegribbin.com/p/delacroix-the-beautiful" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.alicegribbin.com/p/delacroix-the-beautiful"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.alicegribbin.com/p/delacro</span><span class="invisible">ix-the-beautiful</span></a></p><p>Delacroix at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/47658" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/47658"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/47658</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/painting/" rel="tag">#painting</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Eugène Delacroix: Arabs Traveling (1855).

The painting shows Eugène Delacroix’s Arabs Traveling (1855), depicting a small caravan moving through a rugged, mountainous landscape. In the foreground, a rider on a dark horse turns slightly, draped in flowing white garments and a turban. Nearby, another rider on a pale horse is guided by a man walking alongside. A fourth figure, carrying supplies and a long firearm, looks toward the travelers.

The terrain is rocky and uneven, with steep slopes leading into distant valleys. The sky is expansive, filled with soft clouds and warm light.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Delacroix_-_Arabs_Traveling,_1855.jpg

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261d

<p>Ebook and paperback: <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></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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243d

<p>An Amazon AI chatbot that sums up the book you are reading while you are reading it. While trampling over the writer’s rights. </p><p>“Ask This Book."</p><p>“Your expert reading assistant, instantly answering questions about plot details, character relationships, and thematic elements without disrupting your reading flow.”</p><p>Enshittification is too polite a word for all this.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <br><a href="/tags/enshittification/" rel="tag">#Enshittification</a> <a href="/tags/ai/" rel="tag">#AI</a> </p><p><a href="https://writerbeware.blog/2025/12/12/kindles-new-gen-ai-powered-ask-this-book-feature-raises-rights-concerns/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="writerbeware.blog/2025/12/12/kindles-new-gen-ai-powered-ask-this-book-feature-raises-rights-concerns/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">writerbeware.blog/2025/12/12/k</span><span class="invisible">indles-new-gen-ai-powered-ask-this-book-feature-raises-rights-concerns/</span></a></p>

Passage abbreviated to fit. "Story So Far lets you catch up on the book you’re reading—but only up to where you’ve read without any spoilers. For our endlessly curious readers, Ask this Book will let you highlight any passage of text while reading a book and get spoiler-free answers to questions about things like a character’s motive or the significance of a scene. The lead article in today’s Publishers Lunch (PL) is all about Ask This Book, which went live in the Kindle iOS app earlier this week (it’ll be rolled out on all devices and Android OS in 2026). Amazon describes it as “your expert reading assistant, instantly answering questions about plot details, character relationships, and thematic elements without disrupting your reading flow.” You can highlight a phrase or sentence, type a question into a search box, and AI will generate an answer “right on the page.” That might sound inoffensive enough. But as PL points out, Ask This Book is, in effect, “an in-book chatbot. You ask any question about the book, and a generative AI process provides you answers.” Which would seem…hmmm…to raise some rights concerns. Questioned about this, Amazon was not prepared to elaborate, but did note that Ask This Book is not optional for rightsholders: Asked whether rightsholders could elect to withdraw from the program, Iraheta wrote, “To ensure a consistent reading experience, the feature is always on, and there is no option for authors or publishers to opt titles out.”

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167d

Hyperion author Dan Simmons dies from stroke at 77

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261d

<p>New review: Spinosaur Tales brings together two of the finest popular palaeontology writers for a nuanced and detailed overview of this challenging group of dinosaurs.</p><p><a href="https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2025/11/26/book-review-spinosaur-tales-the-biology-and-ecology-of-the-spinosaurs/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="inquisitivebiologist.com/2025/11/26/book-review-spinosaur-tales-the-biology-and-ecology-of-the-spinosaurs/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">inquisitivebiologist.com/2025/</span><span class="invisible">11/26/book-review-spinosaur-tales-the-biology-and-ecology-of-the-spinosaurs/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/dinosaurs/" rel="tag">#Dinosaurs</a> <a href="/tags/theropods/" rel="tag">#Theropods</a> <a href="/tags/spinosaurs/" rel="tag">#Spinosaurs</a> <a href="/tags/spinosaurus/" rel="tag">#Spinosaurus</a> <a href="/tags/fossils/" rel="tag">#Fossils</a> <a href="/tags/evolution/" rel="tag">#Evolution</a> <a href="/tags/paleontology/" rel="tag">#Paleontology</a> <a href="/tags/palaeontology/" rel="tag">#Palaeontology</a> <a href="/tags/scicomm/" rel="tag">#Scicomm</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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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1905.</p><p>Albert Einstein publishes the third of his Annus Mirabilis papers, introducing the special theory of relativity, which used the universal constant speed of light c to derive the Lorentz transformations.</p><p>There are some controversies on the question of the extent to which Mileva Marić contributed to the insights of Einstein's annus mirabilis publications</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annus_mirabilis_papers#" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annus_mirabilis_papers#"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annus_mi</span><span class="invisible">rabilis_papers#</span></a></p><p>On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/66944" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/66944</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/science/" rel="tag">#science</a> <a href="/tags/physics/" rel="tag">#physics</a></p>

Einstein, Albert (30 June 1905). "Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper" [On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies] (PDF). Annalen der Physik (in German). 17 (10): 891–921.

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1y

<p>"The mind is an iceberg—it floats with only one-seventh of its bulk above water."</p><p>Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist Sigmund Freud died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1939.</p><p>He was the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies seen as originating from conflicts in the psyche, through dialogue between patient and psychoanalyst, and the distinctive theory of mind and human agency derived from it.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud#" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud#"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_</span><span class="invisible">Freud#</span></a></p><p>Sigmund Freud at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/391" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/391"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/391</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

Photographic portrait of Sigmund Freud, signed by the sitter ("Prof. Sigmund Freud")
Max Halberstadt - https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=6116407

The photographic portrait of Sigmund Freud, taken by Max Halberstadt around 1921, is an iconic representation of the founder of psychoanalysis. The half-length image captures Freud holding a cigar, a frequent motif in images of him. This particular photograph is unique due to Freud's personal inscription, which reads in English, "Prof. Sigm. Freud with kind regards 1921." This use of English and the title "Professor" is notable since most of Freud's correspondences and inscriptions were in German.

The photo is a gelatin silver print, measuring 225 x 165 mm, mounted on a card. It was part of the Wesley Marans Collection and was later auctioned at Christie's.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1846.</p><p>Astronomers Urbain Le Verrier, John Couch Adams and Johann Gottfried Galle collaborate on the discovery of Neptune.</p><p>There is evidence that Neptune was seen and recorded by Galileo Galilei in 1613, Jérôme Lalande in 1795, and John Herschel in 1830, but none are known to have recognized it as a planet at the time.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_of_Neptune" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_of_Neptune"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discover</span><span class="invisible">y_of_Neptune</span></a></p><p>Neptune at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=neptune&submit_search=Search" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=neptune&submit_search=Search"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc</span><span class="invisible">h/?query=neptune&submit_search=Search</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/science/" rel="tag">#science</a> <a href="/tags/astronomy/" rel="tag">#astronomy</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

New Berlin Observatory at Linden Street, where Neptune was discovered observationally.

Carl Daniel Freydanck - Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam

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1y

<p>English poet, playwright, critic, Nobel Prize laureate T. S. Eliot was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1888.</p><p>Eliot first attracted widespread attention for his poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" from 1914 to 1915, which, at the time of its publication, was considered outlandish. It was followed by The Waste Land, "The Hollow Men", "Ash Wednesday", and Four Quartets. He was awarded the 1948 Nobel Prize in Literature.</p><p>Books by T. S. Eliot at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/599" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/599"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/599</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

T. S. Eliot, photographed one Sunday afternoon in 1923 by Lady Ottoline Morrell.

Eliot is captured with a contemplative, somewhat somber expression. His face appears serious and introspective, a mood reflective of his complex, often dark literary themes.

Eliot is dressed formally in a suit, typical of the style of an educated, professional man of the 1920s.

The photograph is relatively straightforward, with Eliot seated in a relaxed but poised manner. The simplicity of the composition focuses attention on Eliot’s face and presence, allowing his personality to take center stage. Lady Morrell's photographic style often emphasized the character of her subjects, and this portrait reflects that approach.

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261d

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1859, Wilkie Collins’s novel, The Woman in White, begins serialization in the magazine "All the Year Round". This magazine was edited by Charles Dickens.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woman_in_White_(novel)" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woman_in_White_(novel)"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woma</span><span class="invisible">n_in_White_(novel)</span></a></p><p>The novel at PG: </p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/583" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/583</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

poster by fred walker for the woman in white - picyrl.com

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1y

<p>English author, screenwriter, and producer Elinor Glyn died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1943.</p><p>She was specialised in romantic fiction, which was considered scandalous for its time, although her works are relatively tame by modern standards. She popularized the concept of the it-girl, and had tremendous influence on early 20th-century popular culture and, possibly, on the careers of Rudolph Valentino, Gloria Swanson and, especially, Clara Bow.</p><p>Books by Elinor Glyn at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1762" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1762"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/1762</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

English novelist and scriptwriter Elinor Glyn (1864-1943).

Glyn is typically seen in fashionable, often elegant attire, befitting her status as a trendsetter and icon of glamour in the early 20th century. Her clothing often includes luxurious fabrics, lace, and intricate details, reflecting the high-society circles in which she moved.

Glyn's expressions often convey a sense of confidence and poise, with a subtle smile or a gaze that indicates self-assurance and intelligence.

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1y

<p>Spanish philosopher, novelist, and poet George Santayana died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1952.</p><p>The Sense of Beauty (1896), with a foreword by Arthur Danto, was his first book on aesthetics written in the United States. The Life of Reason recounts the “imaginative” path by which cultures and societies have been shaped. The great philosophical work in which he expounds his ontology and epistemology is The Realms of Being, which establishes four “regions” or domains of reality.</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>

George Santayana, a Spanish American philosopher and writer.
Artist: Samuel Johnson Woolf (1880-1948). Time magazine.

Santayana’s expression in this portrait is composed and reflective, highlighting his philosophical demeanor. His face is slightly aged, with fine lines that add to the sense of wisdom and contemplation, emphasizing his long career in both philosophy and literature.

Santayana is dressed in formal, yet simple attire, often a suit, which was typical for intellectuals of his era.

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