books

143d

<p>What character, storyline, setting, or other bookish topic are you currently overthinking in a fun way?</p><p>For example, I’m wondering how Yetu’s people first developed language in Rivers Solomon’s “The Deep” given their unusual origin story? </p><p>(Without giving away too many spoilers, the first wajinru were raised by oceanic creatures like whales instead of members of their own culture). </p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/readersofmastodon/" rel="tag">#ReadersOfMastodon</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#Fantasy</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>

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136d

<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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141d

<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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143d

<p>📚 A Midlife Holiday by: Cary J. Hansson</p><p>Meet Helen. She worries that the walls are closing in. With her children grown and her selfish husband away again, she's full of regrets at not taking the exciting paths she dreamed about in her youth. So when the chance of a last-minute holiday to Cyprus with her two best friends i...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/a-midlife-holiday" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/a-midlife-holiday"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/a-midlife-</span><span class="invisible">holiday</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/generalfiction/" rel="tag">#generalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/humorous/" rel="tag">#humorous</a> <a href="/tags/womenfiction/" rel="tag">#womenfiction</a> <a href="/tags/friendship/" rel="tag">#friendship</a></p>

Meet Helen. She worries that the walls are closing in. With her children grown and her selfish husband away again, she's full of regrets at not taking the exciting paths she dreamed about in her youth. So when the chance of a last-minute holiday to Cyprus with her two best friends is offered, she grabs it.

Meet Caro.A successful city analyst. Single and childless, she's not in Cyprus for the glorious sunshine and crystal-blue waters. But her secret feels so shameful she can't bring herself to share it.
Meet Kay. Sandwiched between the needs of a grown-up son with learning difficulties and elderly parents, all she wants to do is sleep in the sun, preferably all week.
As Caro's secret emerges, tensions between the women explode.
Friendship was easy when they were young, how can it be so hard now?

A Midlife Holiday is the life-affirming first tale in The Midlife Trilogy women's fiction series. Funny, emotional, compassionate and wise, Cary J Hansson shows us why middle-aged women are only just getting started!Prepare to meet three new friends you'll feel you've known all your life!

A wonderfully witty and brutally honest story about female friendship.

'Heart-warming, heart-breaking and hilarious' Reader review.
'Shirley Valentine meets Bridget Jones' Cup Full of Books.

An Amazon All-Stars award winning title

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141d

<p>So I guess it's time for an <a href="/tags/introduction/" rel="tag">#introduction</a>. Well, I'm a 30 something <a href="/tags/black/" rel="tag">#Black</a> <a href="/tags/queer/" rel="tag">#queer</a> woman. I love to read <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a>. I love the <a href="/tags/nyknicks/" rel="tag">#NYKnicks</a>. I like <a href="/tags/bicycles/" rel="tag">#bicycles</a> even though, it's not my primary mode of transportation. I like refurbishing and upgrading old electronics, specifically <a href="/tags/ipods/" rel="tag">#iPods</a> and <a href="/tags/laptops/" rel="tag">#laptops</a>. <a href="/tags/tv/" rel="tag">#TV</a> and music have kept me going more than anything else. I'm branching into <a href="/tags/linux/" rel="tag">#Linux</a> and getting more familiar with <a href="/tags/foss/" rel="tag">#FOSS</a>. I am a <a href="/tags/blogger/" rel="tag">#blogger</a> and I have linked my blog in my bio.</p>

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1826.</p><p>In the Mexican Republic, lithographer Claudio Linati inaugurates El Iris, a "pocket sized" bi-weekly. It is in print until August 2, when its popularization of liberal ideas prompts the intervention of state censors.</p><p>It was founded as an illustrated literary review, with topics of interest to women. It included articles on poetry, theater and fashion, as well as portraits and biographies of heroes of the recent war of independence.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Iris" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Iris</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Cover of the Mexican journal El Iris from 3 May 1826.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1859.</p><p>German scholar Constantin von Tischendorf identifies portions of the mid-4th century Codex Sinaiticus (an uncial manuscript of the Greek Bible) at Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai in the Khedivate of Egypt and arranges for its presentation to his patron, Tsar Alexander II of Russia at Saint Petersburg.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Sinaiticus" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Sinaiticus"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Si</span><span class="invisible">naiticus</span></a></p><p>Tischendorf.IV.Monumenta Sacra Inedita. 1857-1870 at TIA:<br><a href="https://archive.org/details/Tischendorf.iv.monumentaSacraInedita.newcollection.subscript.6vols.1857-1870/01.MonumentaSacraInedita.NCVA.FragEvangLucLibGen.v1.Tischendorf.Subsc.1857./mode/1up" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="archive.org/details/Tischendorf.iv.monumentaSacraInedita.newcollection.subscript.6vols.1857-1870/01.MonumentaSacraInedita.NCVA.FragEvangLucLibGen.v1.Tischendorf.Subsc.1857./mode/1up"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archive.org/details/Tischendor</span><span class="invisible">f.iv.monumentaSacraInedita.newcollection.subscript.6vols.1857-1870/01.MonumentaSacraInedita.NCVA.FragEvangLucLibGen.v1.Tischendorf.Subsc.1857./mode/1up</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/oldmanuscript/" rel="tag">#oldmanuscript</a></p>

New Testament manuscript.

Book of Esther.

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1856.</p><p>Lewis Carroll chooses his pseudonym; on May 1 he takes up photography as a hobby. A romantic poem called "Solitude" appeared in The Train under the authorship of "Lewis Carroll". This pseudonym was a play on his real name: Lewis was the anglicised form of Ludovicus, which was the Latin for Lutwidge, and Carroll an Irish surname similar to the Latin name Carolus, from which comes the name Charles.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Carroll"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Ca</span><span class="invisible">rroll</span></a></p><p>At PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/7"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/7</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Lewis Carroll self-portrait c. 1856, aged 24 at that time.

In the image, Carroll (whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) appears as a young man with wavy, slightly unkempt hair.

His expression is serious and contemplative, with deep-set eyes and a focused gaze, reading a book.

He is dressed in formal Victorian attire, including a dark jacket, waistcoat, and a high-collared shirt.

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1y

<p>From March 1 to October 15, 1919. </p><p>Publication runs of the American pulp magazine The Thrill Book are oriented towards the fantasy genre or science fiction. It includes the serialization of The Heads of Cerberus, written by Gertrude Barrows Bennett as Francis Stevens, with its early thematic use of an alternate time-track, or parallel worlds.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thrill_Book" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thrill_Book"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thri</span><span class="invisible">ll_Book</span></a></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heads_of_Cerberus" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heads_of_Cerberus"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Head</span><span class="invisible">s_of_Cerberus</span></a></p><p>The Thrill Books is available at LibriVoX:<br><a href="https://librivox.org/group/676?primary_key=676&search_category=group&search_page=1&search_form=get_results&search_order=alpha" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="librivox.org/group/676?primary_key=676&search_category=group&search_page=1&search_form=get_results&search_order=alpha"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">librivox.org/group/676?primary</span><span class="invisible">_key=676&search_category=group&search_page=1&search_form=get_results&search_order=alpha</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/pulpfiction/" rel="tag">#pulpfiction</a></p>

The cover of the first issue, dated March 1, 1919. The artwork, by Sidney H. Riesenberg, is "shabby and second-rate", according to Richard Bleiler.

The illustration portrays a dramatic scene with a man in a suit and bowtie, appearing startled as he gestures toward a glowing globe or orb on a small table.

Behind him, a dark figure, possibly a creature or a cloaked person, looms menacingly.

The background consists of shadowy forms and a mysterious atmosphere, aligning with the magazine's focus on thrilling and supernatural fiction.

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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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62d

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

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58d

<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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58d

<p>Happy National Library Week!</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Library_Week" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Library_Week"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National</span><span class="invisible">_Library_Week</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/libraries/" rel="tag">#libraries</a> <a href="/tags/nationallibraryweek/" rel="tag">#NationalLibraryWeek</a> <a href="/tags/libraryweek/" rel="tag">#LibraryWeek</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#bookstodon</a></p>

A two-panel Charlie Brown comic.

In the first panel, three young children (Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Linus) stand outside. One of the children, Linus, approaches the other two children, holding a library card, and says:

"Look! Library card! I've taken out a library card!"

He stands proud, holding his library card to his chest, and continues:

"I have been given my citizenship in the land of knowledge!"

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143d

<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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109d

<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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44d

<p>People always say you shouldn't rush growing up, so I'm saving my adulthood for when they put me in the incinerator 😜😂 </p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@reading" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>reading</span></a></span> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span> <a href="https://lemmy.world/u/books" rel="nofollow">@books</a> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@humor" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>humor</span></a></span> @humor@lemmy.world @aiop @worldbuilding</p><p><a href="/tags/speculativefiction/" rel="tag">#SpeculativeFiction</a> <a href="/tags/fantasybooks/" rel="tag">#FantasyBooks</a><br><a href="/tags/fantasymemes/" rel="tag">#FantasyMemes</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#Fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/tolkien/" rel="tag">#Tolkien</a> <a href="/tags/lotr/" rel="tag">#LotR</a> <a href="/tags/hobbit/" rel="tag">#Hobbit</a><br><a href="/tags/readingmemes/" rel="tag">#ReadingMemes</a> <a href="/tags/meme/" rel="tag">#Meme</a> <a href="/tags/memes/" rel="tag">#Memes</a> <a href="/tags/humor/" rel="tag">#Humor</a> <a href="/tags/humour/" rel="tag">#Humour</a> <a href="/tags/funny/" rel="tag">#Funny</a><br><a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#Reading</a> <a href="/tags/readers/" rel="tag">#Readers</a> <a href="/tags/readingcommunity/" rel="tag">#ReadingCommunity</a><br><a href="/tags/novel/" rel="tag">#Novel</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#Fiction</a> <br><a href="/tags/bookwyrm/" rel="tag">#Bookwyrm</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a></p>

Post by ohsalome:
Me, aged 14, reading Tolkien: Hobbits are considered
chuldren until they are 30? How funky! Fantasy
worldbuilding! This is so different from us humans!
Me, aged 25: Oh i get it now
Reply by roguebelle:
Me, aged 34: Actually the Hobbits might be rushing
things a bit.

Edited 43d ago

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143d

<p>Ebook: <a href="https://books2read.com/TheWizardsScion" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>books2read.com/TheWizardsScion</a></p><p>Levi Jacobs always dreamed of being like his father, the greatest wizard in the world, but had no understanding what it would be like. Follow Levi’s journey from bumbling teen to a great hero, while the young wizard learns to master magical powers that are initially completely beyond him and barely 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>

The cover for the omnibus edition of The Wizard's Scion.

The background is a symbolic representation of a wormhole, hinting at the time-travel elements of the series.

The foreground consists of four figures, in silhouette, each filled with a different texture and behind them is a black octopus with red eyes and a menacing, red aura.

The central figure is a wizard in the midst of casting a spell, with his arms and robe outstretched. The texture used is black, with patches of mottled gold, overlaid with eight pointed stars. He's surrounded by a golden aura.

To the immediate left of the wizard is a girl. The texture used has a black background, overlaid with symbols for music, in green, cyan and white. She's surrounded by a green aura.

Standing just ahead of the wizard, but also slightly to the left is a woman wielding a pair of short swords in a combat-ready pose. The texture used is of blood spatter on a black background. She's surrounded by a dark red aura.

Ahead and to the right of the wizard is another woman with short swords, in a more relaxed stance than the other dual-wielder. The two woman are very similar in appearance, hinting at the fact that the one is a clone of the other. The texture used for this figure is a combination of a golden sunrise and translucent parts of clocks, hinting that the clone was made by time travelers. She's surrounded by a dark golden aura.

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143d

<p>One good thing about life these days are the number of independent and small press publishers that have sprung up. The majority of the most interesting books published now come from them, and in this piece six editors whose presses specialize in finding and reissuing engaging backlist titles talk about why they publish the books they do and how they find them. <br><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/publishing/" rel="tag">#publishing</a> <a href="/tags/indies/" rel="tag">#indies</a> <a href="/tags/smallpress/" rel="tag">#SmallPress</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</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://www.culturedmag.com/article/2026/01/08/literature-small-press-editors-out-of-print-books/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.culturedmag.com/article/2026/01/08/literature-small-press-editors-out-of-print-books/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.culturedmag.com/article/20</span><span class="invisible">26/01/08/literature-small-press-editors-out-of-print-books/</span></a></p>

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58d

<p>It's been almost a month since I last performed any maintenance on my digital library (maintenance primarily being backing up recently purchased books and a few post-processing actions). I feel like the books that catch attention and make their way to a TBR shelf can tell you, well maybe not a lot, but at least something about someone, and I think this is a pretty comprehensive, and not bad looking list of books, IMO. So, here are the books I've recently added to my library (all, sadly, bought through Amazon at severe discounts): </p><p>- A Memory Called Empire (Book 1 of Teixcalaan) by Arkady Martine*<br>- These Prisoning Hills by Christopher Rowe*<br>- The Rose Rent (Book 13 of The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael) by Ellis Peters<br>- Shakespeare by Bill Bryson<br>- Pastoralia by George Saunders<br>- Grave Empire (The Great Silence) by Richard Swan<br>- The Best of Me by David Sedaris<br>- Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Reflections on Death, Rebirth, and Hunger for a Faith by Studs Terkel<br>- The Kill Artist (Book 1 of Gabriel Allon) by Daniel Silva**<br>- The Mephisto Club (A Rizzoli & Isles Novel) by Tess Gerritsen<br>- The Running Man by Stephen King<br>- The Long Walk by Stephen King<br>- Night Shift by Stephen King<br>- Christine by Stephen King<br>- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas<br>- The Warded Man (Book 1 of the Demon Cycle) by Peter V. Brett<br>- Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits (Zoey Ashe) by Jason Pargin & David Wong***<br>- Shadow and Bone (Book 1 of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy) by Leigh Bardugo<br>- Siege and Storm (Book 2 of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy) by Leigh Bardugo<br>- Neon Riders by AE Marling*<br>- Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead (The Loyal Opposition Trilogy) by K. J. Parker***<br>- Queen Demon (Book 2 of the Rising World) by Martha Wells<br>- Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud<br>- No Life Forsaken (Book 2 of Witness) by Steven Erikson<br>- Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher<br>- The Tiger and the Wolf (Book 1 of Echoes of the Fall) by Adrian Tchaikovsky<br>- The Bear and the Serpent (Book 2 of Echoes of the Fall) by Adrian Tchaikovsky<br>- The Hyena and the Hawk (Book 3 of Echoes of the Fall) by Adrian Tchaikovsky<br>- King Sorrow by Joe Hill<br>- Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker</p><p>*These books were discovered via the fediverse (thanks for the recommendations and for sharing)<br>**Recommended via IRL local networks<br>***Just some badass covers because, don't lie, everyone loves a good book cover</p><p><a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p>

Book cover for _Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead_ by K. J. Parker. A gothic stone arch frames a black background with the title in bold white and red lettering. Above, a gold chalice holds a skull; below, a small red, stylized animal stands. The overall tone is dark with medieval, slightly eerie imagery.

Book cover for _Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits_ by Jason Pargin (writing as David Wong). A stylized figure with a cat’s head and a cybernetic eye stands against a teal, circuit-patterned background. One hand is raised, wearing a ring emitting red beams. Bright splashes of red and yellow paint surround the head, and the bold title appears in large, jagged red lettering. The overall style is chaotic, graphic, and sci-fi.

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143d

<p>This week's <a href="/tags/newbooks/" rel="tag">#NewBooks</a> at the library:<br>- I finally bought <a href="/tags/terrygoodkind/" rel="tag">#TerryGoodkind</a>'s "The Children of D'Hara" bundle from Head of Zeus to replace the individual novellas I had.<br>- Plus a second-hand copy of James Delbourgo's "Collecting the World: The Life and Curiosity of <a href="/tags/hanssloane/" rel="tag">#HansSloane</a>" from Allen Lane.<br>- and a second-hand copy of "Darwin and Design: Does Evolution Have a Purpose?" by the ever-thoughtful Michael Ruse, published by Harvard University Press.</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/scicomm/" rel="tag">#Scicomm</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#Fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/historyofscience/" rel="tag">#HistoryOfScience</a> <a href="/tags/sciencehistory/" rel="tag">#ScienceHistory</a> <a href="/tags/histsci/" rel="tag">#HistSci</a> <a href="/tags/evolution/" rel="tag">#Evolution</a> <a href="/tags/evolutionarybiology/" rel="tag">#EvolutionaryBiology</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 photo of three books standing on a small, brown, wooden table. The out-of-focus background shows black shelves full of books and part of the beech-coloured laminate floor.

On the left, The Children of D'Hara, showing a slate-grey cover with the title against the backdrop of what could be a solar eclipse, with the silhouettes of two birds of prey in flight.

In the middle, Darwin and Design, showing a colour drawing of a bird's nest with three eggs lying on top of a grey brick wall. The background shows a hedge. Above the nest is the silhouette of a bird in flight against a blue sky with white fluffy clouds. The silhouette is filled in with the same pattern as the hedge underneath. This is the lithograph Le Printemps by René Magritte.

On the right, Collecting the World, showing several black and white drawings. Along the top, several cocoa plant fruits hang from their branch. At the bottom, a 1715 engraving of a large manor with a fancy garden with planted trees, statues, and a fountain in the centre. This is the façade of Montagu House, looking across the forecourt, which would later become the British Museum. The left half of the cover is coloured red, starting wide at the top and becoming narrower towards the bottom. The remainder of the cover is coloured in a light blue.

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1y

<p>'The truth is she did the right thing': The mystery of why Jane Austen's letters were destroyed – by her own sister</p><p>By Neil Armstrong</p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250129-the-mystery-of-why-jane-austens-letters-were-destroyed-by-her-own-sister" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250129-the-mystery-of-why-jane-austens-letters-were-destroyed-by-her-own-sister"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.bbc.com/culture/article/20</span><span class="invisible">250129-the-mystery-of-why-jane-austens-letters-were-destroyed-by-her-own-sister</span></a></p><p>Books by Jane Austen at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/68" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/68"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/68</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

This pencil and watercolour portrait of Jane by Cassandra is the only authenticated picture of the novelist.

The sketch is somewhat unfinished, with detailed attention given to Jane Austen's face while the rest of the figure remains lightly outlined. The portrait is often referenced in discussions about Austen’s life and works, though some have debated whether it truly captures her likeness. It is now housed in the National Portrait Gallery in London.

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142d

<p>📚 Pines by: Blake Crouch</p><p>One way in. No way out.</p><p>Secret Service agent Ethan Burke arrives in Wayward Pines, Idaho, with a mission: locate two federal agents who went missing in the bucolic town one month earlier. But within minutes of his arrival, Ethan is involved in a violent accident. He comes to in a hospital, with no ID, n...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/pines" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>bookblabla.com/book/pines</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/thrillers/" rel="tag">#thrillers</a> <a href="/tags/technologicalfiction/" rel="tag">#technologicalfiction</a> <a href="/tags/horror/" rel="tag">#horror</a> <a href="/tags/generalfiction/" rel="tag">#generalfiction</a></p>

One way in. No way out.

Secret Service agent Ethan Burke arrives in Wayward Pines, Idaho, with a mission: locate two federal agents who went missing in the bucolic town one month earlier. But within minutes of his arrival, Ethan is involved in a violent accident. He comes to in a hospital, with no ID, no cell phone, and no briefcase.

As the days pass, Ethan's investigation turns up more questions than answers: Why can't he get any phone calls through to his wife and son in the outside world? Why doesn't anyone believe he is who he says he is? And what is the purpose of the electrified fences surrounding the town? Are they meant to keep the residents in? Or something else out?

Each step closer to the truth takes Ethan farther from the world he knew, from the man he was, until he must face a horrifying fact—he may never get out of Wayward Pines alive.

The nail-bitingly suspenseful opening installment in Blake Crouch’s blockbuster Wayward Pines trilogy, Pines is at once a brilliant mystery tale and the first step into a genre-bending saga of suspense, science fiction, and horror.

The first book of the smash-hit Wayward Pines trilogy, from the New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter, Recursion, and Upgrade

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1y

<p>Finnish priest, lyric and epic poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1804 (Runeberg Day).</p><p>He is the author of the lyrics to Vårt land (Our Land, Maamme in Finnish) which became the Finnish national anthem. Runeberg was also involved in the modernization of the Finnish Lutheran hymnal and produced many texts for the new edition.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Ludvig_Runeberg" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Ludvig_Runeberg"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johan_Lu</span><span class="invisible">dvig_Runeberg</span></a></p><p>Books by Johan Ludvig Runeberg at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2842" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/2842"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/2842</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>

Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, 1804-1877. Portrait by Albert Edelfelt (1893).

This portrait of Runeberg depicts him as a dignified and intellectual figure, reflecting his literary influence and patriotic spirit. A well-known painting typically present him in formal 19th-century attire, with a contemplative expression, emphasizing his role as a writer and thinker.

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