books

Picture of George Orwell which appears in an old accreditation for the BNUJ.

Orwell has dark, neatly combed hair swept back from a high forehead, a thin moustache, and a slender face with pronounced cheekbones. His expression is serious and composed, with a direct, steady gaze. He appears to be wearing a jacket over a collared shirt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Orwell#/media/File:George_Orwell_press_photo.jpg

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

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1y

#OTD in 1864 (until April 16).

James Payn publishes his most popular story, Lost Sir Massingberd, in Chambers's Journal. He follows it in the magazine (August 6 – December 24) by Married Beneath Him. Lost Sir Massingberd was published as a book in two volumes in 1864.

Lost Sir Massingberd at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37170
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37171

Title page of Lost Sir Massingberd.

The book is in two volumes, with this being Volume I.
Published in London by Sampson Low, Son, and Marston, located at 14, Ludgate Hill, in 1864.
It includes the note: "[The Right of Translation is Reserved.]".

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/73882

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45d

Peter Kropotkin’s Memoirs of a Revolutionist (1899)

“Many a man and many a woman have accomplished a great life-work without having led a great life”, the influential Danish literary critic Georg Brandes wrote in his introduction to Peter Kropotkin’s 1899 Memoirs of a Revolutionist. “Many people are interesting, although their lives may have been quite insignificant and commonplace. Kropotkin’s life is both great and interesting”.

Book at PG:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R.

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1y

"Nothing is stranger to man than his own image."

#OTD in 1921.

World premiere of the science fiction play R.U.R. (Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti) by the Czech writer Karel Čapek in a theater in Hradec Králové. It introduced the word "robot" to the English language and to science fiction as a whole.

R.U.R. at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/59112

#books #literature #theatre

Cover of the first edition of R.U.R. by Karel Čapek.

Unknown author - Karel Čapek: R.U.R.: Rosumovi Univerzální Roboti. Vydalo Aventinum, Prague 1920. via answcdn.com

This is the cover of the first edition of "R.U.R." (Rossum's Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek, a Czech playwright and author. Published in 1920, this science fiction drama is famous for introducing the word "robot" to the world. The play explores themes of industrialization, artificial intelligence, and the potential dangers of technological advancement.

Edited 1y ago

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45d

Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2026: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-most-anticipated-books-releasing-in-the-first-half-of-2026/

#Books #AmReading #TBR

Drawing of the outside of a blue multi-story building. Snow is falling gently outside as the street lamp glows dimly.Inside a window on the second story of this building, a pale-skinned man and woman who both have black hair sit by the window wearing sweaters and reading books in companionable silence.

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

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1y

"Every human institution (Justice included) will stretch a little, if you only pull it the right way."

From January 4 till August 8 1868.

Wilkie Collins' epistolary novel The Moonstone: a Romance is serialised in All the Year Round (U.K.), being published in book format in July by Tinsley Brothers of London. It is seen as a precursor of full-length mystery fiction and the psychological thriller.

The Moonstone at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/155

First edition title page.

The title, The Moonstone, prominently displayed in a serif typeface, with the author's name, Wilkie Collins, positioned below.

It includes a subtitle describing the novel, such as "A Romance".

Details of the original publisher, Tinsley Brothers, are found at the bottom of the title page, indicating the publication city, London, and sometimes the publication year.

The layout and typography are straightforward, avoiding elaborate ornamentation, characteristic of 19th-century literature.

https://lithub.com/alexander-the-great-ancient-gay-icon/

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44d

Alexander the Great, Ancient Gay Icon

Harry Tanner Explores Queerness and Homophobia in the Hellenistic Period

Alexander the Great at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/3864

#books #literature #history

Alexander Cuts the Gordian Knot by Jean-Simon Berthélemy (1767).

At the center of the composition stands Alexander, shown as a youthful. He wears a metal breastplate, a short tunic, and a flowing blue cloak. With one arm extended, he raises a sword, poised mid-action as he decisively cuts the knot rather than attempting to untie it.

Around him, several figures react with surprise and tension. To the right, men kneel or lean forward, their bodies twisted toward the knot, hands outstretched as if caught between disbelief and awe. To the left, older figures and attendants watch intently, one bearded man appearing contemplative, while a child looks on with curiosity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#/media/File:Alexander_cuts_the_Gordian_Knot.jpg

https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2026/01/14/book-review-in-the-circle-of-ancient-trees-our-oldest-trees-and-the-stories-they-tell/

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45d

What book(s) are you currently reading or listening to? January 13

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44d

New review: A nicely balanced collection of essays with long-lived trees from around the globe that provides ten different answers to the question: "And what else can you learn from tree rings?"

#Books #BookReview #Bookstodon #Dendrochronology #Trees #Wood #Forests #Plants #Botany #Scicomm @bookstodon

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44d

If sniffing old books is wrong then I don't want to be right 😁

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

#Book #Books #BookMemes #Memes #Humor #Humour
#ReadingMemes #Memes #ReadAllTheBooks #Reading #Readers #ReadersOfMastodon #ReadingCommunity
#Litterature #Novel #Novels #Bookshelf #Mastobooks #BooksofMastodon #Bookstodon #Bookworm #Bookwyrm #Bookstodon #BookLove #FantasyBooks

Meme with a large photo of a nose and nostrils looking like it's about to sniff you.
Caption: pov: you are an old book i discovered

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

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1y

#OTD in 1893.

The first story featuring the private detective character Sexton Blake, "The Missing Millionaire", appears in Alfred Harmsworth's new boys' story paper The Halfpenny Marvel, written by Harry Blyth under the pen-name Hal Meredeth.

Sexton Blake adventures were featured in a wide variety of British and international publications from 1893 to 1978, comprising more than 4,000 stories by some 200 different authors.

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

#books #pulpfiction

The cover of the first Sexton Blake tale, published in The Halfpenny Marvel in 1893, introduces the iconic detective Sexton Blake to readers, presenting an aesthetic typical of late 19th-century pulp fiction.

The title prominently features "The Halfpenny Marvel" in bold, eye-catching font at the top, emphasizing the magazine's affordability and accessibility.

Below the publication name, the story’s title—likely something dramatic like The Missing Millionaire—is highlighted, immediately drawing attention to the thrilling nature of the tale.

Taglines or subtitles, such as “A Sensational Detective Story,” may be included to emphasize the excitement and mystery.

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

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1y

"What remains?" cried Ivanhoe; "Glory, maiden, glory! which gilds our sepulchre and embalms our name."

#OTD in 1819.

Walter Scott's popular Waverley Novel Ivanhoe is published anonymously in 3 volumes by Archibald Constable in Edinburgh, dated 1820. A chivalric romance set in 12th-century England, it represents a move away from Scott setting his fiction in Scotland.

Ivanhoe at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/82

Title page of Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, 1st edition.

The text is presented in an elegant serif font, reflecting the formal and refined style of the period.

The title, Ivanhoe, appears prominently at the top, likely in larger font to draw attention, followed by the subtitle A Romance, emphasizing the book's genre.

Walter Scott's name does not appear on the title page because, at the time of publication, the novel was released anonymously. Instead, it is attributed to "The Author of Waverley", connecting it to Scott's earlier works.

Figure caption:
Whether from love of form, or from curiosity, the marshals paid no attention to his expressions of reluctance, but unhelmed him by cutting the laces of his casque, and undoing the fastening of his gorget.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/82/pg82-images.html

https://bookblabla.com/book/call-me-ishmaelle

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45d

📚 Call Me Ishmaelle by: Xiaolu Guo

I must work on a ship as a man... I must find freedom on the seas.
1843. Ishmaelle is born in a small village on the stormy Kent coast where she grows up swimming with dolphins. After her parents and infant sister die, her brother, Joseph, leaves to find work as a sailor. Abandoned and de...

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #feministfiction #historical #19thcentury #general

I must work on a ship as a man... I must find freedom on the seas.
1843. Ishmaelle is born in a small village on the stormy Kent coast where she grows up swimming with dolphins. After her parents and infant sister die, her brother, Joseph, leaves to find work as a sailor. Abandoned and desperate for a life at sea, Ishmaelle disguises herself as a cabin boy and travels to New York.

Years later, as the American Civil War breaks out, Ishmaelle boards the Nimrod, a whaling ship led by the obsessive Captain Seneca, a Black free man of heroic stature who is haunted by a tragic past. Here, she finds protectors amidst the bloody male violence of whaling and discovers a mysterious bond between herself and the white whale who claimed Seneca’s leg.

Built on the bones of Melville’s classic, Call Me Ishmaelle is a dynamic new tale, imbued with an eclectic crew—from a Polynesian harpooner to a Taoist Monk—and a powerful exploration of human nature, gender, man’s place among the animals, and the nature of home.

A KIRKUS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A propulsive powerhouse of a read. Marie Claire (UK)
Ambitious, brave, and strange. Philip Hoare, author of Leviathan
From the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author, a feminist reimagining of Herman Melville’s classic Moby-Dick through the eyes of one inimitable woman and a diverse, swashbuckling crew

#author #indieauthor #books #writing #fantasy #scifi #sciencefiction #actionadventure #fiction

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1y

The Ebook of Sky Children is now available for purchase! Print copies will be available on Friday, January 3rd!

You can learn more at my website:
https://owentyme.us/books/sky-children/sky-children.html

Or go straight to the store links:
https://books2read.com/SkyChildren

The cover of the novel Sky Children, by Owen Tyme.

The cover shows the dark silhouette of a man against a night sky consisting of a view of the Milky Way, in more stunning detail than it's usually seen.

https://lithub.com/on-henry-james-and-the-enduring-lessons-of-love/

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1y

On Henry James and the Enduring Lessons of Love

Katherine J. Chen Rediscovers James (and Falls in Love)

Books by Henry James at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/113

#books #literature #literarycriticism

Portrait of Henry James, charcoal drawing by John Singer Sargent (1912)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_James#/media/File:Portrait_of_Henry_James_1913.jpg

https://bookblabla.com/book/one-day-everyone-will-have-always-been-against-this

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44d

📚 One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by: Omar El Akkad

On October 25th, 2023, after just three weeks of the bombardment of Gaza, Omar El Akkad put out a tweet: "One day, when it's safe, when there's no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it's too late...

#books #reading #libraries #biographyautobiography #world #politicalideologies #democracy

$On October 25th, 2023, after just three weeks of the bombardment of Gaza, Omar El Akkad put out a tweet: "One day, when it's safe, when there's no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it's too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this." This tweet was viewed more than ten million times. One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This chronicles the deep fracture that has occurred for Black, brown, Indigenous Americans, as well as the upcoming generation, many of whom had clung to a thread of faith in Western ideals, in the idea that their countries, or the countries of their adoption, actually attempted to live up to the values they espouse. This book is a reckoning with what it means to live in the West, and what it means to live in a world run by a small group of countries—America, the UK, France, and Germany.  It will be The Fire Next Time for a generation that understands we're undergoing a shift in the so-called “rules-based order,” a generation that understands the West can no longer be trusted to police and guide the world, or its own cities and campuses. It draws on intimate details of Omar's own story as an emigrant who grew up believing in the Western project, who was catapulted into journalism by the rupture of 9/11. This book is El Akkad's heartsick breakup letter with the West. It is a breakup we are watching all over the United States, on college campuses, on city streets, and the consequen$

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

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1y

#OTD in 1895.

The première of Oscar Wilde's comedy An Ideal Husband takes place at the Haymarket Theatre in London. In April, on the last day of the Haymarket run, Wilde was arrested for gross indecency; his name was removed from the playbills and programmes when the production transferred to the Criterion Theatre, where it ran for a further 13 performances, from 13 to 27 April.

An Ideal Husband at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/885

#books #literature #theatre

Act II: Mrs Cheveley, centre, denounces Sir Robert Chiltern to his wife, 1895 premiere

Henry Wright (artist) - Illustrated London News, p. 44

"Mr. Oscar Wilde's New Play, 'An Ideal Husband', at the Haymarket Theatre": Mrs Chevely accuses Sir Robert

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

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1y

#OTD in 1846.

Fyodor Dostoevsky's first original novel, Poor Folk, is published in the St. Petersburg Collection.

The first English translation was provided by Lena Milman in 1894, with an introduction by George Moore, cover art design by Aubrey Beardsley and publication by London's Mathews and Lane. It is the first novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, written over the span of nine months between 1844 and 1845.

Poor Folk at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/2302

First English language edition of Poor Folk by Fedor Dostoiesvsky.

The first English-language edition of Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Poor Folk" was published in 1894 by Elkin Mathews and John Lane in London, and Roberts Brothers in Boston. This edition featured a distinctive cover designed by Aubrey Beardsley, a prominent English illustrator and author associated with the Aesthetic Movement.

The book was bound in original yellow pictorial cloth, a design choice reminiscent of the quarterly "Yellow Book," for which Beardsley served as art director. The cover and title page bore Beardsley's illustrations, including his "key monogram" on the spine and rear cover. This monogram, a stylized design incorporating his initials, was a signature element in many of Beardsley's works.

The yellow cloth binding, combined with Beardsley's distinctive black ink illustrations, gave the book a striking appearance that stood out among publications of the time.

This edition was part of Mathews and Lane's Keynotes Series and included an introduction by Irish novelist George Moore.

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42d

New #BookReview on my #blog: "Diary of a Bookseller."
https://itinerantlibrarian.blogspot.com/2026/01/book-review-diary-of-bookseller.html

#books #reading #ItinerantLibrarian #reviews #bookstodon
💙📚

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

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1y

Russian feminist and activist Maria Trubnikova was born #OTD in 1835.

Trubnikova hosted a women-only salon which became a center of feminist activism. Alongside Anna Filosofova and Nadezhda Stasova, whom she mentored, Trubnikova was one of the earliest leaders of the Russian women's movement; the three women were referred to as the "triumvirate".

#books #feminism

Russian feminist Maria Vassilievna Troubnikova, depicted in a 1909 publication by the All-Russian League for Women's Equality.

Maria Vassilievna Troubnikova is depicted in the 1909 publication by the All-Russian League for Women's Equality in a formal portrait.

Her attire reflects the style of the late 19th to early 20th century, with a high-collared dress that is modest yet elegant, emphasizing her professionalism and commitment to social causes.

Her expression is serious and contemplative, conveying her intellectual depth and the gravity of her activism.

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

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1y

Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist Kahlil Gibran was born #OTD in 1883.

He is best known as the author of The Prophet, which was first published in the United States in 1923 and has since become one of the best-selling books of all time, having been translated into more than 100 languages.

Books by Kahlil Gibran at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1813

Self-Portrait and Muse, c. 1911 (Museo Soumaya) by Kahlil Gibran.

The painting features Gibran's self-portrait on one side, rendered with introspective and solemn expression.

Opposite him is the figure of a muse, often interpreted as an embodiment of inspiration or creativity, exuding a sense of calm and mystery.

Gibran employs muted, earthy tones—soft browns, creams, and touches of gold—creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

https://bookblabla.com/book/nightcrawling

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43d

📚 Nightcrawling by: Leila Mottley

Kiara and her brother, Marcus, are scraping by in an East Oakland apartment complex optimistically called the Regal-Hi. Both have dropped out of high school, their family fractured by death and prison

But while Marcus clings to his dream of rap stardom, Kiara hunts for work to pay their rent—which has ...

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #literaryfiction #familylife #siblings

$Kiara and her brother, Marcus, are scraping by in an East Oakland apartment complex optimistically called the Regal-Hi. Both have dropped out of high school, their family fractured by death and prison But while Marcus clings to his dream of rap stardom, Kiara hunts for work to pay their rent—which has more than doubled—and to keep the nine-year-old boy next door, abandoned by his mother, safe and fed. One night, what begins as a drunken misunderstanding with a stranger turns into the job Kiara never imagined wanting but now desperately needs: nightcrawling. Her world breaks open even further when her name surfaces in an investigation that exposes her as a key witness in a massive scandal within the Oakland Police Department. Rich with raw beauty, electrifying intensity, and piercing vulnerability, Nightcrawling marks the stunning arrival of a voice unlike any we have heard before. NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • AN OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICK • A dazzling novel about a young Black woman who walks the streets of Oakland and stumbles headlong into the failure of its justice system. This debut of a blazingly original voice “bursts at the seams of every page and swallows you whole” (Tommy Orange, author of There There). A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, TIME, GOODREADS$

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

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1y

Jacob Bernoulli was born #OTD in 1655.

He was an early proponent of Leibnizian calculus; along with his brother Johann, he was one of the founders of the calculus of variations. He also discovered the fundamental mathematical constant e. However, his most important contribution was in the field of probability, where he derived the first version of the law of large numbers in his work Ars Conjectandi.

#books #mathematics

Portrait of Jacob Bernoulli (also known as James or Jacques) (1654 – 1705)

@bookstodon
#author #indieauthor #writing #fantasy #actionadventure #fiction #books

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42d

Ebook and paperback: https://books2read.com/SheSeeksPeace

The Hunter seeks peace and quiet to mourn the loss of her best friend in a world that seems bound and determined to make that task impossible. Enemies attack when she’d rather be alone, allies can’t take a hint and the arch-demon Wrath seeks the Hunter’s hand in marriage, even though she’d sooner kill him.

(Left) The cover of She Seeks Peace, by Owen Tyme.

The background is a snow-capped, craggy mountain with green, grassy hills at its base, which feature yellow and blue flowers.

The foreground is dominated by the round symbol for peace, in gold. Along the bottom of it are two olive branches. At the top is a dove in flight. Arranged on the lower three spokes of it are three figures based on the AIGA symbol for a woman. The figure on the right is blue. The one in the middle is a very dark gray, bordering on black, which includes a top hat. The figure on the left is red and has horns, like a demon.

(Right) The background is a view from the interior of a gun's barrel, with the rifling very apparent and the following quote over the top:

Reggie looked down the barrel of one of his own pistols, which the girl held in both hands, because the M1911 was a little large for someone so small.

There was a long, silent moment as the girl giggled and met his gaze. The murderous look was gone, replaced by something more playful, like a cat toying with a mouse.

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