books

46d

Do you take notes when reading, especially for sci-fi/fantasy?

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46d

"You see and remember; this text is a memorial, a wailing wall, for the dead and the mourners have no other place to meet except by the wall of words—the wall that unites the living and the dead." ~~ from 'Oblivion' by Sergei Lebedev, trans. Antonina W. Bouis

#SundaySentence #BookQuote #books #reading @bookstodon

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46d

📚 The Underground Railroad by: Colson Whitehead

Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. An outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is on the cusp of womanhood—where greater pain awaits. And so when Caesar, a slave who has recently ...

https://bookblabla.com/book/the-underground-railroad-pulitzer-prize-winner-national-book-award-winner-oprahs-book-club

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #literaryfiction #historical #generalfiction #general

Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. An outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is on the cusp of womanhood—where greater pain awaits. And so when Caesar, a slave who has recently arrived from Virginia, urges her to join him on the Underground Railroad, she seizes the opportunity and escapes with him.

In Colson Whitehead's ingenious conception, the Underground Railroad is no mere metaphor: engineers and conductors operate a secret network of actual tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Cora embarks on a harrowing flight from one state to the next, encountering, like Gulliver, strange yet familiar iterations of her own world at each stop.

As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the terrors of the antebellum era, he weaves in the saga of our nation, from the brutal abduction of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day. The Underground Railroad is both the gripping tale of one woman's will to escape the horrors of bondage—and a powerful meditation on the history we all share.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, PULITZER PRIZE WINNER, NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER, "An American masterpiece" (NPR) that chronicles a young slave's adventures as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South.

One of The New York Times’s 10 Best Books of the 21st Century. A Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of the Century. A Los Angeles Times Best Fiction Book of the Last 30 Years

The basis for the acclaimed original Prime Video series di

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1y

"Everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait."

In December 1869.

Publication of Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace complete in book form concludes. It is printed in Moscow and sold by the author on subscription. Portions of an earlier version, titled The Year 1805, were serialized in The Russian Messenger from 1865 to 1867 before the novel was published in its entirety in 1869.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace#

War and Peace at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/2600

#books #literature

Front page of War and Peace sixth volume, first edition, 1869 (Russian)

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1y

In December 1917.

The first of many editions of Robert Baden-Powell's The Wolf Cub's Handbook is published.

The Wolf Cub's Handbook, in various editions, remained The Boy Scouts Association's official handbook for Wolf Cubs until The Chief Scout's Advance Party Report of 1966 recommended that less emphasis be placed on the Jungle Book theme and renamed its Wolf Cubs program as Cubs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wolf_Cub%27s_Handbook

Books by Robert Baden-Powell at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2144

#books #literature

Cover of The Wolf Cub's Handbook by Robert Baden-Powell, first published in 1916

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1y

In December 1855.

Charles Dickens publishes the first instalment of Little Dorrit, which continues to appear into 1857.

Little Dorrit was published in 19 monthly instalments, each consisting of 32 pages with two illustrations by Hablot Knight Browne whose pen name was Phiz. Each instalment cost a shilling except for the last, a double issue which cost two shillings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Dorrit#

Little Dorrit at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/963

#books #literature

Cover of serial, "Little Dorrit" by Charles Dickens

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1y

In December 1914.

Wilhelm Apollinaris de Kostrowitzky, who writes under the pen name "Guillaume Apollinaire", enlists in the French Army to fight in World War I and becomes a French citizen after an August attempt at enlistment is rejected.

Apollinaire is considered one of the foremost poets of the early 20th century, as well as one of the most impassioned defenders of Cubism and a forefather of Surrealism.

Books by Apollinaire at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/6075

#books #literature #poetry

Photograph of Guillaume Apollinaire in spring 1916 after a shrapnel wound to his temple.

Apollinaire, wearing a military uniform, might appear seated or standing in a composed but slightly weary posture. His head is likely bandaged due to the shrapnel wound he sustained while serving as a soldier. The bandages emphasize the physical scars of war while also symbolizing the poet's enduring spirit amidst adversity.

His expression might convey a mix of stoicism and introspection, with his intense eyes reflecting his poetic sensibility and his experiences on the battlefield.

Du coton dans les oreilles

[première page]

Tant d'explosifs sur le point vif !
Ecris un mot si tu l'oses ?
Les points d'impact dans mon âme toujours en guerre
Ton troupeau féroce crache le feu
Ô Mégaphone
[écriteau]

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55569

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1y

#OTD in 1898.

Moscow Art Theatre's first season opens with a double bill of Emilia Matthai's Greta's Happiness and Carlo Goldoni's The Mistress of the Inn. The successful and influential Moscow Art Theatre production of The Seagull by Chekhov (its Moscow première), would open on 29 December 1898.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mistress_of_the_Inn

#books #literature #theatre

The Russian actor and director Constantin Stanislavski in a production of Goldoni's Locandiera in 1898.

In this image, Stanislavski is dressed in an elaborate 18th-century costume reflective of the play's setting—a richly embroidered jacket, breeches, and a wig styled in the fashion of the period.

This image encapsulates his early experiments with realism, which would later form the foundation of his influential acting system.

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1y

"O Day! he cannot die
When thou so fair art shining!
O Sun, in such a glorious sky,
So tranquilly declining;..."

#OTD in 1844.

Emily Brontë writes the poem "A Death-Scene". It was published in 1846 in a book collecting poetry by Brontë and her siblings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Death-Scene

Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1019

#books #literature #poetry

Portrait of Emily Jane Brontë by Patrick Branwell Brontë.

Emily is dressed in plain, dark Victorian attire, with a high-collared dress that suggests her preference for simplicity over adornment. The muted color palette of the portrait adds to the somber yet striking impression she gives. Over time, this painting has become iconic, capturing the aura of mystery that surrounds Emily Brontë’s life and work. Branwell’s artistic style, while somewhat unpolished, imbues the portrait with an emotional depth that reflects his intimate knowledge of his sister’s character.

Edited 1y ago

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1y

#OTD in 1851.

The French coup d'état of 1851 prompts Victor Hugo to be a leader of an unsuccessful insurrection against it. He is forced into exile, initially to Brussels, then Jersey, from which he was expelled for supporting L’Homme. He finally settled with his family at Hauteville House in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey, where he would live in exile from October 1855 until 1870.

Books by Victor Hugo at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/85

#books #literature

Charles Hugo - Victor Hugo on the Rock of the Exiles.

The photograph titled Victor Hugo on the Rock of the Exiles, taken by Charles Hugo, is a striking visual representation of the legendary French writer during his period of exile on the Channel Islands. The image captures Victor Hugo standing or seated on a rugged rock formation, overlooking the sea, symbolizing his defiance and resilience during his years away from France.

Hugo is typically depicted wearing dark, heavy clothing suitable for the windy, coastal environment. His demeanor is contemplative, with his gaze fixed on the horizon, evoking a sense of introspection and strength. The wild, untamed landscape around him complements the romantic and rebellious spirit of Hugo’s personality and his works.

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1y

#OTD in 1928.

Radclyffe Hall's novel The Well of Loneliness, published by Jonathan Cape in London, is tried and convicted on the grounds of obscenity under the Hicklin test, after a campaign against it by James Douglas in the Sunday Express.

https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/73042

#books #literature

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1y

#OTD in 1920.

D. H. Lawrence's novel Women in Love appears in a limited U.S. subscribers' edition. This first was available only to subscribers, due to the controversy caused by Lawrence's previous work, The Rainbow (1915).

Women in Love at PG
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/4240

#books #literature

Book cover for the first edition of Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence

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46d

📚 The High Mountains of Portugal by: Yann Martel

In Lisbon in 1904, a young man named Tomás discovers an old journal. It hints at the existence of an extraordinary artifact that--if he can find it--would redefine history. Traveling in one of Europe's earliest automobiles, he sets out in search of this stran...

https://bookblabla.com/book/the-high-mountains-of-portugal

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #historical #generalfiction #literaryfiction #places

In Lisbon in 1904, a young man named Tomás discovers an old journal. It hints at the existence of an extraordinary artifact that--if he can find it--would redefine history. Traveling in one of Europe's earliest automobiles, he sets out in search of this strange treasure.

Thirty-five years later, a Portuguese pathologist devoted to the murder mysteries of Agatha Christie finds himself at the center of a mystery of his own and drawn into the consequences of Tomás's quest.

Fifty years on, a Canadian senator takes refuge in his ancestral village in northern Portugal, grieving the loss of his beloved wife. But he arrives with an unusual companion: a chimpanzee. And there the century-old quest will come to an unexpected conclusion.

The High Mountains of Portugal--part quest, part ghost story, part contemporary fable--offers a haunting exploration of great love and great loss. Filled with tenderness, humor, and endless surprise, it takes the reader on a road trip through Portugal in the last century--and through the human soul.

Praise for The High Mountains of Portugal

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "Fifteen years after The Life of Pi, Yann Martel is taking us on another long journey. Fans of his Man Booker Prize-winning novel will recognize familiar themes from that seafaring phenomenon, but the itinerary in this imaginative new book is entirely fresh. Martel's writing has never been more charming."--Ron Charles, The Washington Post

"Just as ambitious, just as clev

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1y

Is Oedipus Rex the Mother of All Drama?

Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex (aka Oedipus the King) … Is it the mother of all Western drama? The father? Or both?

By Thom Delapa

https://www.thecollector.com/oedipus-rex-mother-drama/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_Rex

Oedipus King of Thebes by Sophocles at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27673

#books #literature #culture #history

Bénigne Gagneraux, The Blind Oedipus Commending his Children to the Gods.

Oedipus, aged and blind, is the central figure, seated with his arms extended in a gesture of fervent prayer. His tattered robes and gaunt appearance reflect his physical suffering and moral struggles. His face, lined with age and anguish, conveys a mix of despair and hope as he entrusts his children to the divine powers.

His children, Antigone and possibly Polynices or Ismene, are depicted nearby. Antigone, often portrayed with a sense of grace and compassion, might be kneeling or standing close to Oedipus, offering support. The other child may exhibit a contrasting demeanor, illustrating the familial tension inherent in the myth.

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51d

Released today! Get your copy of this special illustrated edition of THE MALTESE FALCON here:

https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=KrWotmqOjtKZBuYHUz3CCpeM8kOmMOKaMzWcwbipaqm

Read more about it here:

https://www.markcoggins.com/the-maltese-falcon/

@bookstodon #books #Bookstodon #noir #thriller #photography #maltesefalcon #dashiellhammett #sanfrancisco #novel #detective

Ad for the Poltroon Press edition of THE MALTESE FALCON. Shows the cover of the book against a background of a dark urban setting.

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46d

For someone who greatly prefers stand-alone reads, I have accrued a phenomenal list of mostly fantasy and/or mystery sequels/continuations I’m looking forward to this year:

- The Raven Scholar continuation
- The Sorcery and Small Magics continuation
- The Stranger Times continuation
- The Tainted Cup continuation
- Cursed in the Lost City, sequel to Cursed Under London (I feel like Gabby Hutchinson Crouch is massively underrated in the light fantasy arena)
- The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy, sequel to The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy (even if it is Dramione fanfic)
- The Tapestry of Fate, sequel to the Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
- Father Material, final (I assume) in the Boyfriend Material series
- the Helle and Death continuation
- the Blanchard Twins continuation

And that’s just what occurred to me off the top of my head.

What big sequels are you anticipating in 2026?

#books @bookstodon #reading #series

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210d

Saw this and thought of you Takahe has limited support for this type: See Original Page

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1y

#OTD in 1901.

The first Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded, to French poet Sully Prudhomme.

He devoted the bulk of the money he received to the creation of a poetry prize awarded by the Société des gens de lettres. He also founded, in 1902, the Société des poètes français with Jose-Maria de Heredia and Leon Dierx.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sully_Prudhomme

Books by Sully Prudhomme at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7695

#books #literature #poetry

Sully-Prudhomme, René François Armand Prudhomme, known as (1839 - 1907), french writer.

In such portraits, he wears a suit with a high-collared shirt and tie, consistent with the fashion of the late 1800s. His facial features, including a prominent mustache and neatly groomed hair, contribute to the dignified and intellectual aura often associated with prominent writers of his time.

Autograph manuscript of “Science et poésie” published in the Nouvelle Revue internationale in 1898, then in Épaves in 1908.

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46d

US print book sales hit 762.4M units in 2025, up 0.3% YoY, settling at levels higher than before the pandemic; graphic novels saw a 9.2% rise Takahe has limited support for this type: See Original Page

99417-print-book-sales-rose-slightly-in-2025.html

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1y

Alfred North Whitehead, who died #OTD in 1947, was an English mathematician and philosopher. He is best known as the defining figure of the philosophical school known as process philosophy, which today has found application to a wide variety of disciplines, including ecology, theology, education, physics, biology, economics, and psychology, among other areas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_North_Whitehead

Alfred North Whitehead at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/8283

#books #philosophy #mathematics

Alfred North Whitehead portrait.

Portraits of Alfred North Whitehead, the eminent mathematician and philosopher, often depict him as a distinguished and contemplative figure, reflecting his intellectual contributions to fields like logic, mathematics, and metaphysics.

A characteristic portrait of Whitehead would show him with a serious yet approachable expression, a high forehead emphasizing his scholarly demeanor, and neatly combed white hair, signifying his advanced years during his most influential period. The pose and setting often evoke an academic atmosphere, with books, a desk, or a study as part of the background, symbolizing his lifelong dedication to learning and teaching.

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1y

Arthur Schopenhauer’s Idealism: Is Our World Just a Dream?
Schopenhauer argued that the world is but an intricate dream, and what he suggested lies beyond it may shock you.

By Maysara Kamal

https://www.thecollector.com/arthur-schopenhauers-idealism-is-our-world-just-a-dream/

Books by Arthur Schopenhauer at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3648

#books #literature #philosophy

Schopenhauer portrait.

A portrait of Arthur Schopenhauer typically depicts the German philosopher with a serious and introspective demeanor, reflecting his profound and often somber philosophy. His distinctive physical features include a high forehead, sharp cheekbones, and piercing eyes that suggest a deep intellectual presence.

Schopenhauer is often shown wearing formal 19th-century attire, such as a dark coat, white shirt, and cravat, emphasizing his scholarly persona. His hair is white and wild, framing his face in an untamed manner that has become iconic. The background in such portraits is usually subdued, with neutral tones or simple drapery, ensuring that the focus remains on the subject.

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1y

#OTD in 1899.

Robert Browning's book Asolando; Fancies and facts is published on the same day he dies at Ca' Rezzonico in Venice. He is buried in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.

His magnum opus, The Ring and the Book (1868–1869), is a 12-volume epic poem based on a real-life Italian murder trial. He is particularly celebrated for his dramatic monologues, which reveal the inner workings of his characters' minds.

Asolando
https://archive.org/details/asolandofanciesf00browiala

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/146

Portrait by Herbert Rose Barraud, c. 1888.

A portrait of Robert Browning, the renowned Victorian poet, depicts him as a dignified and thoughtful figure, reflective of his literary prowess. Browning’s distinctive features include a broad forehead, expressive eyes, and a well-groomed beard, which frames his face with an air of intellectual sophistication.

Browning’s expression is typically captured as introspective or gently engaging, embodying the dual qualities of a deep thinker and an accessible conversationalist.

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43d

📚 In the Lives of Puppets by: TJ Klune

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots—fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a ...

https://bookblabla.com/book/in-the-lives-of-puppets

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #fantasy #contemporaryfiction #humorousfiction #lgbtq

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots—fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a family, hidden and safe.

The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labeled “HAP,” he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio–a past spent hunting humans.

When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?

Inspired by Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, and like Swiss Family Robinson meets Wall-E, In the Lives of Puppets is a masterful stand-alone fantasy adventure from the beloved author who brought you The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door.

An epic quest of rescue and discovery [with] the author’s trademark charm, heart, and bittersweetness. Library Journal, starred review

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Manag

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1y

📣 Reminder: #MEAction is giving away 2 copies (one paperback, one audiobook) of the book "Pillow Writers Anthology 1: Near-Life Experiences"

Their "Chronically Complex" podcast has extracts from the book:

https://www.meaction.net/chronically-complex-meaction-podcast/

Deadline for entry is December 15, winners will be selected the next day

I can't find an announcement on the #MEAction website but here's a link to what they posted on Bluesky:

https://bsky.app/profile/meactnet.bsky.social/post/3lbkjfa4w6c2t

@mecfs

#MEcfs #PwME #NEISvoid #Writers #Books #Giveaway

Free Giveaway!
One lucky winner will receive a free paperback copy of the book (limited to the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Canada and Italy) and another winner will receive a free copy of the audiobook (limited to the US and UK).

* Listen to the episode.
* Email podcast@meaction.net by December 15th with "Pillow Writers Giveaway" as the subject heading.
* Please indicate whether you'd prefer the audiobook, paperback, or either version.
* Please include your name, and if you preference is for the paperback, please list your home address so we can mail it to you if you win.

The deadline for entries is December 15th. The winners will be selected the next day.

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1y

The Long History of a Short Form.
The aphorism, from Hippocrates to Maggie Nelson.

By Ryan Ruby via @laphamsquart

For a word that literally means definition, the aphorism is a rather indefinite genre. It bears a family resemblance to the fragment, the proverb, the maxim, the hypomnema, the epigram, the mantra, the parable, and the prose poem.

https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/long-history-short-form

#books #aphorism

Detail of Big Fish Eat Little Fish, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, engraving by Pieter van der Heyden, 1557. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917. This is among the first of Bruegel’s many illustrations of proverbs.

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