books

1y

<p>Sure, but does anyone start reading the classics? Reading on any level should be encouraged 😊 </p><p>@reading @bookstodon @bookbubble @humour </p><p><a href="/tags/readingmemes/" rel="tag">#ReadingMemes</a> <a href="/tags/memes/" rel="tag">#Memes</a> <a href="/tags/readallthebooks/" rel="tag">#ReadAllTheBooks</a> <a href="/tags/humor/" rel="tag">#Humor</a> <a href="/tags/humour/" rel="tag">#Humour</a> <a href="/tags/ya/" rel="tag">#YA</a> <br><a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#Reading</a> <a href="/tags/readers/" rel="tag">#Readers</a> <a href="/tags/readersofmastodon/" rel="tag">#ReadersOfMastodon</a> <a href="/tags/readingcommunity/" rel="tag">#ReadingCommunity</a><br><a href="/tags/book/" rel="tag">#Book</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/novel/" rel="tag">#Novel</a> <a href="/tags/novels/" rel="tag">#Novels</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#Fiction</a> <br><a href="/tags/recommendation/" rel="tag">#Recommendation</a> <a href="/tags/bookrecommendation/" rel="tag">#Bookrecommendation</a><br><a href="/tags/bookwyrm/" rel="tag">#Bookwyrm</a> <a href="/tags/bookworm/" rel="tag">#Bookworm</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/booklove/" rel="tag">#BookLove</a> <a href="/tags/boostingissharing/" rel="tag">#BoostingIsSharing</a></p>

Post by @MATCHAURA
‘reading classics doesn’t make you any better than wattpad readers’ okay it does a little come on now

Reply by @l_ou_r_de s
As a society, we need to stop pretending that YA is a decent genre when it's the literary equivalent of a marvel movie.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1922.</p><p>In a "savage creative storm" of less than three weeks beginning today at Château de Muzot in Switzerland, Rainer Maria Rilke writes his Sonnets to Orpheus (Die Sonette an Orpheus) and completes his Duino Elegies (Duineser Elegien).</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnets_to_Orpheus" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnets_to_Orpheus"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnets_</span><span class="invisible">to_Orpheus</span></a></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duino_Elegies" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duino_Elegies"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duino_El</span><span class="invisible">egies</span></a></p><p>Books by Rainer Maria Rilke at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/846" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/846"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/846</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>

First edition book cover of Sonette an Orpheus (Sonnets to Orpheus) (1923) by Rainer Maria Rilke.

Cover of Rainer Maria Rilke's Duineser Elegien (1923)

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1920.</p><p>Beyond the Horizon, Eugene O'Neill's second full-length play, opens with a Morosco Theatre matinée in New York City, partly as a producer's experiment and partly to quiet the actor Richard Bennett, who sought to play the lead. Reviewers hail the play and O'Neill gains fame. It won the 1920 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Horizon_(play)" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Horizon_(play)"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_t</span><span class="invisible">he_Horizon_(play)</span></a></p><p>Beyond the Horizon at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58569" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58569</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/theatre/" rel="tag">#theatre</a></p>

First edition cover of Beyond The Horizon.

The book has a simple yet classic design, with an orange dust jacket and black text. The title, Beyond The Horizon, is prominently displayed at the top in bold font.

Below the title, there is a quote that reads, "Can You Recall More Enthusiastic Comment Than This?" followed by a passage praising the significance and dramatic power of the play.

The book cover contains additional text describing the play as an "absorbing, significant, and memorable tragedy" and highlights Eugene O'Neill’s dramatic skill.

Towards the bottom, the author’s name, Eugene O'Neill, is displayed along with a mention of his previous work, The Moon of the Caribbees.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1852.</p><p>Alexandre Dumas, fils's stage adaptation of his 1848 novel La Dame aux caméllias is premièred at the Théâtre du Vaudeville in Paris.</p><p>Shortly thereafter, Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi set about putting the story to music in the 1853 opera La traviata, with female protagonist Marguerite Gautier renamed Violetta Valéry.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_the_Camellias" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_the_Camellias"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady</span><span class="invisible">_of_the_Camellias</span></a></p><p>La dame aux camélias at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2419" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2419</a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1608" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1608</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Alphonse Mucha's poster for a performance of the theatrical version, with Sarah Bernhardt (1896).

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1y

<p>"There are very few who can think, but every man wants to have an opinion; and what remains but to take it ready-made from others, instead of forming opinions for himself?"</p><p>The Art of Controversy, and Other Posthumous Papers (ed. 1896)</p><p>~Arthur Schopenhauer (22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860)</p><p>Books by Arthur Schopenhauer at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3648" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/3648"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/3648</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>

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1y

<p>"I know that Beauty must ail and die,<br>And will be born again, — but ah, to see<br>Beauty stiffened, staring up at the sky!<br>Oh, Autumn! Autumn! — What is the Spring to me?"</p><p>Second April (1921)</p><p>~Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950)</p><p>Books by Edna St. Vincent Millay at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/70" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/70"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/70</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>

Millay, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1933.

She is captured in a three-quarter view, looking slightly to the side with an introspective expression.

Dramatic high-contrast lighting, with strong shadows cast across her face, emphasizing depth and mood.

Millay wears a dark jacket over a patterned blouse, with a deep neckline revealing her collarbone.

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206d

<p>Grains of sand prove people – not glaciers – transported Stonehenge rocks</p><p>Ask people how Stonehenge was built and you’ll hear stories of sledges, ropes, boats and sheer human determination to haul stones from across Britain to Salisbury Plain, in south-west England. </p><p>by Anthony Clarke and Chris Kirkland</p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/grains-of-sand-prove-people-not-glaciers-transported-stonehenge-rocks-271310" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="theconversation.com/grains-of-sand-prove-people-not-glaciers-transported-stonehenge-rocks-271310"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theconversation.com/grains-of-</span><span class="invisible">sand-prove-people-not-glaciers-transported-stonehenge-rocks-271310</span></a></p><p>Stonehenge at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/12218" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/12218"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje</span><span class="invisible">ct/12218</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/geology/" rel="tag">#geology</a></p>

Stonehenge. As painted by John Constable, 1835.

The most striking feature is the turbulent, stormy sky with sweeping dark clouds, rays of light breaking through, and possibly a rainbow.

The ancient sarsen stones and trilithons are shown in their weathered, partially ruined state.

A large fallen lintel stone lies in the foreground, emphasizing the monument's age and decay.

Tiny figures near the stones provide scale and emphasize the monument's monumentality.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge#/media/File:Constable_-_Stonehenge,_1629-1888,_2006AK8142.jpg

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206d

<p>Book Review: ECO 24 edited by Marissa Van Uden<br>A speculative fiction anthology devoted to ecological fiction.<br><span class="h-card"><a href="https://wandering.shop/@Princejvstin" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>Princejvstin</span></a></span> has the review at the NOAF blog<br><a href="http://www.nerds-feather.com/2026/01/book-review-eco-24-edited-by-marissa.html" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.nerds-feather.com/2026/01/book-review-eco-24-edited-by-marissa.html"><span class="invisible">http://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.nerds-feather.com/2026/01/</span><span class="invisible">book-review-eco-24-edited-by-marissa.html</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/review/" rel="tag">#review</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#bookstodon</a> @bookstodon</p>

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205d

<p>Why Regency Romances Are the Best Type of Romance Novels</p><p>"Sarah E. Ladd on How the “Rules” of the Period Make It the Most Inspiring to Read and Write"</p><p><a href="https://lithub.com/why-regency-romances-are-the-best-type-of-romance-novels/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="lithub.com/why-regency-romances-are-the-best-type-of-romance-novels/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">lithub.com/why-regency-romance</span><span class="invisible">s-are-the-best-type-of-romance-novels/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1869.</p><p>Booth's Theatre opens on Manhattan with the owner, Edwin Booth, playing the male lead in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.</p><p>Some reports said it was one of the most elaborate productions of Romeo and Juliet ever seen in America; it was certainly the most popular, running for over six weeks and earning over $60,000 (equivalent to $1,000,000 in 2023).</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_an</span><span class="invisible">d_Juliet</span></a></p><p>Romeo and Juliet at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1513" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/1513</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/theatre/" rel="tag">#theatre</a></p>

An 1870 oil painting of Romeo and Juliet by Ford Madox Brown depicting the play's balcony scene.

In the painting, Juliet leans over a stone balcony, dressed in a flowing, golden-yellow gown, her expression a mix of longing and affection.

Romeo, clad in a deep red tunic, clings to the balcony’s edge, gazing up at her with passionate devotion.

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1y

<p>What Are the 5 Most Influential English Ghost Stories?</p><p>Ghost stories are an ancient tradition, often carrying moral or religious messages. Over time, writers realized the power of crafting uniquely unsettling tales, and this list examines 5 of the most influential.</p><p>By Lauren Jones</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/most-influential-english-ghost-stories/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/most-influential-english-ghost-stories/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/most-infl</span><span class="invisible">uential-english-ghost-stories/</span></a></p><p>All these ghost stories are available at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/768" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/768</a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1289" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1289</a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14522" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14522</a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8486" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8486</a><br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/209" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/209</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

(no description)

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1y

<p>What Is the Diamond Sutra? The Oldest Printed Book in the World</p><p>We explore the fascinating story behind the Diamond Sutra, thought to be the oldest printed book in the world.</p><p>By Maysara Kamal</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/what-is-the-diamond-sutra/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/what-is-the-diamond-sutra/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/what-is-t</span><span class="invisible">he-diamond-sutra/</span></a></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Sutra" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Sutra"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_</span><span class="invisible">Sutra</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/manuscripts/" rel="tag">#manuscripts</a></p>

Front line of the Chinese Diamond Sūtra, printed in the 9th year of the Xiantong era of the Tang dynasty, i.e. 868 CE, the oldest known dated printed book in the world. British Library

The colophon, at the inner end, reads: Reverently [caused to be] made for universal free distribution by Wang Jie on behalf of his two parents on the 13th of the 4th moon of the 9th year of Xiantong [i.e. 11th May, CE 868 ].

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92d

On reading

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205d

<p>📚 Operation Bounce House by: Matt Dinniman</p><p>To be released February 10, 2026.</p><p>All colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do was run the family ranch with his sister, maybe play a gig or two with his band, and keep his family's aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking as long as possible. He figures it will be a...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/operation-bounce-house" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/operation-bounce-house"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/operation-</span><span class="invisible">bounce-house</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/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/epicfiction/" rel="tag">#epicfiction</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefiction/" rel="tag">#sciencefiction</a> <a href="/tags/thrillers/" rel="tag">#thrillers</a></p>

To be released February 10, 2026.

All colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do was run the family ranch with his sister, maybe play a gig or two with his band, and keep his family's aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking as long as possible. He figures it will be a good thing when the transfer gate finally opens all the way and restores instant travel and full communication between Earth and his planet, New Sonora. But there's a complication.

Even though the settlers were promised they'd be left in peace, Earth's government now has other plans. The colossal Apex Industries is hired to commence an eviction action. But maximizing profits will always be Apex's number one priority. Why spend money printing and deploying AI soldiers when they can turn it into a game? Why not charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines and remotely pilot them from the comfort of their homes?

The game is called Operation Bounce House.

Oliver and his friends soon find themselves fighting for their lives against machines piloted by gamers who've paid a premium for the privilege. With the help of an old book from his grandfather and a bucket of rusty parts, Oliver is determined to defend the only home he's ever known.

A man must fight for his planet against impossible odds when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate it in this epic, fast-paced novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl.

To

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206d

<p>📚 Anxious People by: Fredrik Backman</p><p>Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hid...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/anxious-people" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/anxious-people"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/anxious-pe</span><span class="invisible">ople</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/sportsfiction/" rel="tag">#sportsfiction</a></p>

Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.

First is Zara, a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else until tragedy changed her life. Now, she’s obsessed with visiting open houses to see how ordinary people live—and, perhaps, to set an old wrong to right. Then there’s Roger and Anna-Lena, an Ikea-addicted retired couple who are on a never-ending hunt for fixer-uppers to hide the fact that they don’t know how to fix their own failing marriage. Julia and Ro are a young lesbian couple and soon-to-be parents who are nervous about their chances for a successful life together since they can’t agree on anything. And there’s Estelle, an eighty-year-old woman who has lived long enough to be unimpressed by a masked bank robber waving a gun in her face. And despite the story she tells them all, Estelle hasn’t really come to the apartment to view it for her daughter, and her husband really isn’t outside parking the car.

As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face

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1y

<p>wants to read <a href="https://eggplant.place/search?r=1&q=https://eggplant.place/book/30HPbbpeklE8KBoLcMHOhl" rel="nofollow">Estação Perdido</a> <br><a href="/tags/livros/" rel="tag">#Livros</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/scifi/" rel="tag">#SciFi</a> <a href="/tags/newweird/" rel="tag">#NewWeird</a> <a href="/tags/chinamieville/" rel="tag">#ChinaMieville</a> </p><p><a href="/tags/neodb/" rel="tag">#NeoDB</a></p>

Edited 1y ago

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197d

<p>Midnight stories. <a href="/tags/grickledoodle/" rel="tag">#grickledoodle</a> <a href="/tags/horror/" rel="tag">#horror</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/cartoon/" rel="tag">#cartoon</a> <a href="/tags/art/" rel="tag">#art</a> <a href="/tags/drawing/" rel="tag">#drawing</a> <a href="/tags/funny/" rel="tag">#funny</a></p>

A cartoon illustration of a young boy in bed reading a book with a flashlight, surrounded by numerous spooky looking monsters in the dark. Caption reads "Flashlight reading."

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203d

<p>📚 Seascraper by: Benjamin Wood</p><p>Twenty-year-old Thomas Flett lives a slow, deliberate life with his mother in Longferry, Northern England, working his grandpa’s trade as a shanker. He rises early to take his horse and cart to the drizzly shore to scrape for shrimp, and spends the afternoon selling his wares, trying to wash...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/seascraper" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>bookblabla.com/book/seascraper</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/historical/" rel="tag">#historical</a> <a href="/tags/generalfiction/" rel="tag">#generalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/familylife/" rel="tag">#familylife</a></p>

Twenty-year-old Thomas Flett lives a slow, deliberate life with his mother in Longferry, Northern England, working his grandpa’s trade as a shanker. He rises early to take his horse and cart to the drizzly shore to scrape for shrimp, and spends the afternoon selling his wares, trying to wash away the salt and sea-scum, pining for his neighbor, Joan Wyeth, and playing songs on his guitar. At heart, he is a folk musician, but this remains a private dream.

Then a mysterious American arrives in town, and enlists Thomas's help in finding a perfect location for his next movie. Though skeptical at first, soon Thomas starts to trust the stranger, Edgar, and, shaken from the drudgery of his days by the promise of Hollywood glamour, begins to see a different future for himself. But how much of what Edgar claims is true, and how far can his inspiration carry Thomas?

Haunting and timeless, from one of the finest British novelists of his generation (The Times) Seascraper tells the story of a quiet existence upturned over the span of one day, and a young man hemmed in by his circumstances, striving to achieve fulfilment far beyond the world he knows.

Longlisted for the Booker Prize, this cinematically plotted, radiant (The New York Times) novel follows shanker Thomas Flett as his quiet life in a small English coastal town is forever changed over the course of one fateful day.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1616.</p><p>Galileo Galilei is formally banned by the Roman Catholic Church from teaching or defending the view that the earth orbits the sun.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_affair#Inquisition_and_first_judgment,_1616" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_affair#Inquisition_and_first_judgment,_1616"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_</span><span class="invisible">affair#Inquisition_and_first_judgment,_1616</span></a></p><p>Galileo Galilei at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=galileo+galilei&submit_search=Search" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=galileo+galilei&submit_search=Search"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc</span><span class="invisible">h/?query=galileo+galilei&submit_search=Search</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/science/" rel="tag">#science</a> <a href="/tags/astronomy/" rel="tag">#astronomy</a></p>

Galileo before the Holy Office, a 19th-century painting by Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury

Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury - https://respvblica.com/galileo-galilei-before-the-holy-office-in-the-vatican-by-robert-fleury/

The artwork depicts the famous moment when the Italian astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei stands before the Roman Catholic Inquisition, facing trial for his support of the heliocentric theory, which proposed that the Earth orbits the Sun.

The scene is rendered with dramatic realism, characteristic of 19th-century historical painting.

Galileo, an elderly man with a long white beard, appears dignified yet weary as he stands before a panel of stern-faced inquisitors. He is dressed in dark robes, a symbol of his scholarly status, while the members of the tribunal, seated in a semicircle, wear elaborate garments reflecting their authority.

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124d

What book(s) are you currently reading or listening to? April 14

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119d

<p>"About 422 new indie bookshops opened in 2025, according to the American Booksellers Association, a 31% rise from 2024."</p><p>Nice! </p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/19/independent-bookstores-comeback" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/19/independent-bookstores-comeback"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.theguardian.com/business/2</span><span class="invisible">026/apr/19/independent-bookstores-comeback</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/news/" rel="tag">#news</a> <a href="/tags/bookshops/" rel="tag">#bookshops</a> <a href="/tags/indiebookshops/" rel="tag">#IndieBookshops</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

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204d

<p>How George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four predicted the global power shifts happening now</p><p>Orwell is feted for the farsightedness of his geopolitical vision as long ago as the 1940s. But a lot of writers were thinking along similar lines.</p><p>by Emrah Atasoy</p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-george-orwells-nineteen-eighty-four-predicted-the-global-power-shifts-happening-now-273122?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321&utm_content=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321+CID_43c6452557555cbd4df21443bb065cc9&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="theconversation.com/how-george-orwells-nineteen-eighty-four-predicted-the-global-power-shifts-happening-now-273122?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321&utm_content=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321+CID_43c6452557555cbd4df21443bb065cc9&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theconversation.com/how-george</span><span class="invisible">-orwells-nineteen-eighty-four-predicted-the-global-power-shifts-happening-now-273122?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321&utm_content=The%20Weekender%20-%203653437321+CID_43c6452557555cbd4df21443bb065cc9&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk</span></a></p><p>Dystopias at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/3316" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/3316"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje</span><span class="invisible">ct/3316</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

The first edition cover of George Orwell's book, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984).

This iconic cover design is simple but striking, with bold handwritten-style typography on a dark green background.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four#/media/File:1984_first_edition_cover.jpg

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171d

<p>📚 Bald-Faced Liar by: Victoria Helen Stone</p><p>Traveling nurse Elizabeth May has a promising new home in Santa Cruz. And another new identity. It's a pattern of reinvention for a woman escaping her traumatic childhood and hiding from the decades of notoriety and destruction that followed.Invisibility has kept Eliza...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/bald-faced-liar" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/bald-faced-liar"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/bald-faced</span><span class="invisible">-liar</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/psychologicalfiction/" rel="tag">#psychologicalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/thrillers/" rel="tag">#thrillers</a> <a href="/tags/suspensefiction/" rel="tag">#suspensefiction</a> <a href="/tags/psychological/" rel="tag">#psychological</a></p>

Traveling nurse Elizabeth May has a promising new home in Santa Cruz. And another new identity. It's a pattern of reinvention for a woman escaping her traumatic childhood and hiding from the decades of notoriety and destruction that followed.Invisibility has kept Elizabeth safe. Until now. After all these years, someone sees her for who she is.

Threat by threat, a vengeful stalker is dismantling Elizabeth's carefully constructed lifetime of lies. And no one in her temporary circle can be trusted--not her fleeting new love interest, not the supportive friend she knows only from online forums, and certainly not the police. They've never been there for her.

As fear sharpens to terror, Elizabeth soon discovers something about her past that even she didn't know. The revelation could finally set her on a path of healing and redemption. Or, now alone in the dark, it could be Elizabeth's worst nightmare.

Living a lie becomes a matter of life and death for a woman hiding from her past in a novel of mounting psychological suspense by the bestselling author of Jane Doe and The Hook.

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1y

<p>Is This the Best of All Possible Worlds? Leibniz vs. Voltaire</p><p>What does it mean for this world to be the “best possible world,” even with the obvious existence of evil? Leibniz and Voltaire weigh in.</p><p>By Mirjana Jojić</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/is-this-best-all-possible-worlds-leibniz-voltaire/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/is-this-best-all-possible-worlds-leibniz-voltaire/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/is-this-b</span><span class="invisible">est-all-possible-worlds-leibniz-voltaire/</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>

Portrait of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

Ludwig Bechstein - from the book Zweihundert deutsche Männer in Bildnissen und Lebensbeschreibungen (Two hundred German men in portraits and biographies), Leipzig 1854, edited by Ludwig Bechstein

Portrait c. 1720s, the Musée Carnavalet

François-Marie Arouet (1694–1778), known as Voltaire, French Enlightenment writer and philosopher

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1y

<p>I recently finished The Will of the Many. this story follows an orphaned prince surviving in the Republic that invaded his country in a Romanesque world that uses will based magic in all things. Vis finds himself stuck between a plot to tear down the Republic and a senator that adopts him to attend a school to solve the murder of his brother. This was a fun read but there were issues with the grammar that were frustratingly repetitive. ⭐⭐🌟 @bookstodon @fantasy <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

(no description)

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