books

230d

New 📚 Release! How EV Charging Actually Works: A guide to the technology, business, and operations of electric vehicle charging by Charles O'Donoghue

Find it on Leanpub!

Link: https://leanpub.com/anevcharging101

#books #evs #technology

(no description)

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1y

The Authorship Debate: Who Is the Real Shakespeare?

The Shakespeare Authorship Debate concerns the ongoing mystery as to the true author of the plays, sonnets and other works attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford Upon Avon.

By Lauren Jones

https://www.thecollector.com/the-authorship-debate-who-is-the-real-shakespeare/

Shakespeare at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/65

#books #literature #drama

Portrait of William Shakespeare by John Taylor, edited.

The Portrait of William Shakespeare by John Taylor, commonly known as the Chandos Portrait, is one of the most famous and widely accepted depictions of the playwright. Created in the early 17th century, it is an oil painting on canvas and is believed to be the only portrait of Shakespeare painted during his lifetime.

The portrait features Shakespeare with a slightly receding hairline, dark, wavy hair, and a mustache and goatee.

He wears a black doublet with a white collar, and a gold hoop earring in his left ear, which was fashionable among Elizabethan gentlemen and artists.

His expression is calm and introspective, with dark eyes that appear to gaze directly at the viewer.

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266d

"About 26 billion #chickens occupy Earth, but apart from the lucky ones in backyards, most are condemned to the hellscape that is #industrialFarming."

Ian Frazier reviews #UnderTheHenfluence, #Yardbirds, and #Hatched

https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2026/02/12/bang-the-drumstick-slowly-under-the-henfluence-yard-birds/
https://archive.ph/v4Fjl

#farms #factoryFarms #factoryFarming #CAFOs #crueltyToAnimals #BigAg #animalWelfare #poultryIndustry #poultry #backyardChickens #books @bookstodon

Edited 266d ago

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184d

A rant about the second sentence of Prophet Song

I just finished Prophet Song and loved it but I want to rant about the second sentence. Here are the first three:

The night has come and she has not heard the knocking, standing at the window looking out onto the garden. How the dark gathers without sound the cherry trees. It gathers the last of the leaves and the leaves do not resist the dark but accept the dark in whisper.

The first sentence is great. Introduces the setting and the tone and tells the reader, “I’m about to play with standard grammar.”

The third sentence is, like, one of thesis statements for the book. Lovely imagery. I wouldn’t have written it that way but I’m not a poet and I’m sure there’s some meter I’m missing.

But the second sentence is clunky. It reads like he forgot a word. He didn’t. If you read it as “How the dark gathers, without sound, the cherry trees.” then it’s fine. It links to the next sentence. But I read it as “How the dark gathers without sound <adverb omitted > the cherry trees.”

I ran an informal servey at a board game night and no thought this was a sentence. They did not understand.

So here’s where my rant begins: he knew I’d do that. He demonstrates profound ability to control how you read. And he absolutely can write grammatically illegal sentences that are super readable and compelling. He’s good at this shit.

He goes back to the cherry trees over and over again in the book and it’s comforting to check back in on the tree metaphor. It’s a wonderful, comforting metaphor for suffering. You get to high five it a bunch of times during the book. It’s important you remember the trees.

And I sure did! Because of that clunky second sentence I showed my friends. My wife said, “only a white guy would dare write like this.” And, I dunno about only but his choices do scream, “I’m a pretentious Irish poet and this is Literary Literature.”

He knows people are going to say, “this dude wishes he was Joyce” and “he sure ain’t Cormac McCarthy.” Again, he’s good at this shit. I think he wanted to do a Literary Literature about refugees.

Back to cherry trees. I think he chose to make that sentence flow so badly that it stuck in your craw so you’d remember the stupid trees. Talk about them. I think this is a thing Literary types like to do. To put ideas in your head using these fun meta tricks.

And it worked! I’m talking about the damn trees. And if you read the book and are reading this you are being reminded of the trees and the peotic thesis. I think this is intentional. You don’t risk the second sentence of your book being clunky unless you know what’ll happen.

But was it worth it? I almost put the book down. I’ve never read this dude before. I almost gave it back to the library on page three when I realized he wasn’t doing paragraphs. I’m ok without quotation marks. Didn’t bother me.

I read an interview where he said he felt like Europeas just weren’t getting the refugee crisis. I’ve seen people criticize him to telling this story in Ireland or telling a fictional story when so many real life stories happened in the 30s. And much more recently in Eastern Europe. But I don’t buy that criticism. He’s correct that Europeans don’t get it. Well, I know Americans don’t because I’m here and ICE and shit. But I’ve seen some y’all’s media and it sure looks like you are in the same boat as us.

Whatever. He may as well give it a shot. If tarting it up with metaphor and Literary Literature gets the message out then great.

But if you want to get the message out then why risk the clunky second sentence? Is it not clunky to Literary Literature types?! If it isn’t clunky then I’d have expected him spend another sentence or two of the trees. Can’t high five a metaphor you forgot.

So I think this is intentionally clunky. And it does help me remember the tree metaphor. But maybe it does more? I certainly showed it to a bunch of folks. But the lack of paragraph breaks dominate the conversation and he had to know it would. He’s good at this shit.

Ideas? I’m obviously overreacting. But this is an important choice! One that I don’t understand. I don’t understand lots of stuff and it doesn’t usually bother me. Why does this sentence bother me?

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266d

Bookish Discoveries I Made in 2025: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-bookish-discoveries-i-made-in-2025/

#Books #ReadingCommunity #Bookstodon #ReadersOfMastodon

Drawning of four hardback books stacked on top of each other neatly. There is a spigot attached to the top novel, and little lightbulbs glowing of light are gently falling out of it like large drops of water.

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75d

In the past few days, I found myself rereading Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams. I greatly admire his writing, even though his books take me quite a while to finish. I'm not sure if it's the density of the text or the endless number of other readings I need to get through as a teacher. Either way, it's always a pleasure to return to the world of Osten Ard.

#books #reading #bookstodon #fantasy #tadwilliams #stoneoffarewell @bookstodon

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1y

7 Out-of-This-World Facts About Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Martian Chronicles’

The fix-up novel, which turns 75 this year, would become one of Bradbury’s most famous books—and inspire future scientists.

By Lorna Wallace

https://www.mentalfloss.com/ray-bradbury-martian-chronicles-book-facts

#books #literature

Publicity photo of Ray Bradbury from the television progam Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1959.

It shows him as a middle-aged man with a youthful yet intellectual demeanor. Bradbury, known for his iconic works such as Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles, typically had neatly combed hair and wore thick, dark-framed glasses, which contributed to his scholarly appearance.

In this black-and-white image, he is dressed in a suit, appropriate for the formal nature of television appearances in the late 1950s.

His expression is serious yet approachable, reflecting his deep imagination and storytelling prowess.

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262d

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. This is a very well written book but geez is it bleak. Honestly I think it will age well as a record of modern war but right now it’s not exactly what I want for my recreational #reading. If you have or love children prepare to have your heart ripped out #BookerPrize #books @bookstodon

Black, white and red cover of Prophet Song by Paul Lynch.

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262d

This month's Distributed Proofreaders' (DP) Blog talks about the book "Famous Old Receipts." In this case Receipts means recipes. Read all about this cookbook and see the delicious looking dish our brave blogger tried from it.

https://blog.pgdp.net/2026/02/01/famous-old-receipts/

#dp #dpblog #cooking #food #books

Cover of "Famous Old Receipts" - Used a hundred years and more in the Kitchens of the North and the South - Contributed by Descendants

Edited 262d ago

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173d

The Fairytale Language of the Brothers Grimm

By Chi Luu

How the Brothers Grimm went hunting for fairytales, accidentally changed the course of historical linguistics, and kickstarted a new field of scholarship in folklore

https://daily.jstor.org/the-fairytale-language-of-the-brothers-grimm/?utm_source=mcae&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jstordaily_04302026

Brothers Grimm at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Brothers+Grimm

#Books #Literature #Philology #Folklore

IN: Snowdrop & Other Tales

Author: Jacob Grimm

Wilhelm Grimm

Illustrator: Arthur Rackham

Arthur Rackham illustration (c. 1909). A cloaked girl clings to an icy, crystalline cliff edge above a swirling, richly patterned sea under a starlit night sky. Signature visible lower left.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/37381/pg37381-images.html

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187d

I'm helping to launch Andy Southall's new science fiction novel "Perfect World" - the third book in his science fiction trilogy - at 3pm on Sunday 17th May at Johnsonville Community Centre, Wellington.

Check out more about the book and the trilogy on Andy's website, https://andy-southall.com/

Hope you'll come along to the launch!

@bookstodon #Johnsonville #Waitohi #Wellington #books #booklaunch #nzbooks #ScienceFiction

Poster giving details of Andy Southall's launch of his novel "Perfect World", as described in the text of the post. "Perfect World" is the third volume of a trilogy – the poster also shows the covers of all three books in the trilogy against a yellow background.

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1y

#OTD in 1776.

Scottish political economist Adam Smith's book The Wealth of Nations, the first modern work in economics, was published.

It has become a fundamental work in classical economics, and has been described as "the first formulation of a comprehensive system of political economy".

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

Wealth of Nations at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3300

#books #literature #economy

The full title reads:

"An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations",
by Adam Smith, LL.D. and F.R.S.,
Formerly Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of Glasgow.

The title is arranged in a centered layout, using a combination of capital and small capital letters, reflecting the typographic conventions of the time. Below the author’s name and credentials, the volume number (as the work was published in two volumes) is indicated.

At the bottom of the page is the publication information, which reads:

"London: Printed for W. Strahan; and T. Cadell in the Strand. MDCCLXXVI."

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1y

#OTD in 1896.

While Oscar Wilde is in prison, his play Salome (written in 1891) is premièred in its original French by Lugné-Poe's Théâtre de l'Œuvre company in Paris, perhaps at the Comédie-Parisienne. Because the play depicted biblical characters it was banned in Britain and was not performed publicly there until 1931.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salome_(play)

Salomé at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1339

#books #literature #theatre

Illustration by Aubrey Beardsley for the first English edition of the play (1894).

The image depicts Salomé holding the severed head of John the Baptist (also known as Jokanaan) on a platter.

She gazes at it with a mixture of fascination and satisfaction, while dark liquid (presumably blood) drips from the head onto the pedestal below.

Her elaborate gown, accessories, and stylized hair reflect the Art Nouveau aesthetic, infused with Beardsley’s signature decadence and eroticism.

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1y

In February 1919.

Richmal Crompton's anarchic English schoolboy William Brown is introduced in the first published Just William story, "Rice-Mould", in Home magazine. The books were published over a period of almost fifty years, between 1922 and 1970.

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

Just William at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34414

#books #literature

Just William original cover.

The original cover of Just William by Richmal Crompton features a bright red background with bold yellow text at the top that reads "JUST WILLIAM". Below, the author's name, "RICHMAL CROMPTON", appears in large white letters. A subtitle in yellow text at the bottom highlights that this is "The first EVER William book!".

At the center of the cover is an illustration of a cheerful young boy, William Brown, with a mischievous smile. He is wearing a green jacket, a white shirt, a red and yellow striped tie, and a blue-and-white cap that is slightly askew.

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1y

Jane Austen was a satirist – why isn’t she treated like one?

By Adam J Smith

Although many women writers were critiquing society in the 18th century, hardly any of them were considered satirists.

https://theconversation.com/jane-austen-was-a-satirist-why-isnt-she-treated-like-one-262274?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20August%204%202025%20-%203474435381&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20August%204%202025%20-%203474435381+CID_11a7064190437d6047887b31fe5798d3&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=Jane%20Austen%20was%20a%20satirist%20%20why%20isnt%20she%20treated%20like%20one

Jane Austen at PG
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/68

#books #literature

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260d

Life, Work & Adoration

Becoming George: The Invention of George Sand

review by Lucasta Miller

https://literaryreview.co.uk/life-work-adoration

George Sand at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/851

#books #literature

Portrait of George Sand (cropped)
Part of: Portrait of Frédéric Chopin and George Sand
By Eugène Delacroix

George Sand depicted:

In masculine attire (white collar visible)
With dark hair and intense gaze
Holding what appears to be a small bird or flower
Against a rich, dark background with reddish-brown tones
Delacroix's characteristic loose, colorful brushwork
Contemplative, serious expression

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Sand#/media/Fichier:Eug%C3%A8ne_Ferdinand_Victor_Delacroix_041.jpg

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266d

#OTD in1960 Zora Neale Hurston died. She "was an American writer, anthropologist, folklorist, and documentary filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-20th-century American South and published research on Hoodoo and Caribbean Vodou."

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

Books by Hurston at PG:

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/6368

#books #literature

Photograph of Zora Neale Hurston by Carl Van Vechten. She is sitting and wearing a top (dress?), belt, necklace of beads, and stylish hat. She is looking to the right away from the camera.

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1y

Luckily Bert is right, you don't HAVE to read Dostoyevsky 😂 But you can if you want 😊

@bookstodon @bookbubble @humour @reading

#Song #Evita #Dostoyevsky
#Book #Books #BookMemes #Memes #Humor #Humour
#Novel #Novels #Bookshelf
#Mastobooks #BooksofMastodon #Bookstodon #Bookworm #Bookwyrm #Bookstodon #BookLove #BoostingIsSharing

Picture of a blackboard sign with colourful chalk writing:
Bert's Books
Don't cry for me Dostoyevsky
The truth is I never read you
All through your chapters
Your epic fiction
You kept on writing
I kept my distance

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260d

Where are the writers at now? (social media)

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126d

New research proposes Dante’s Inferno modelled a planetary impact 500 years before modern science!

by Asmae Ourkiya

https://www.egu.eu/news/1777/new-research-proposes-dantes-inferno-modelled-a-planetary-impact-500-years-before-modern-science/

Inferno by Dante Alighieri at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=inferno

#Books #literature #Science

Dante's Inferno, as illustrated by Botticelli.

Sandro Botticelli's c. 1480s illustration for Dante's Inferno, depicting the funnel-shaped descending circles of Hell in cross-section, packed with tiny figures suffering their respective torments, narrowing down to Satan at the very bottom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Comedy_Illustrated_by_Botticelli#/media/File:Sandro_Botticelli_-_La_Carte_de_l'Enfer.jpg

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187d

So here's #Spring with exclusive #ShortStories from Diana Evans, Takiguchi Yūshō, translated by Jesse Kirkwood, Bruna Martini, Holly Edwards and Joel Cox, plus Lucy Caldwell on the long and short of #ShortFiction

Check them all out at https://fictionable.world

#books #reading #writing #fiction #comics #ShortStories #translation #blog #podcast #bookstodon

The fantastic contributors to Fictionable Spring 2026. From top left to bottom right: Bruna Martini, Diana Evans, Holly Edwards, Joel Cox, Takiguchi Yūshō, Jesse Kirkwood and Lucy Caldwell

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144d

From Authors Against Book Bans:

"H.R. 8705 is the latest legislation in the GOP’s crusade to try to erase entire communities from the story of the United States, and it will have a suppressive and damaging effect on our schools and libraries." [1/3]

#books #bookstodon @bookstodon

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262d

This week's #NewBooks at the library: I adopted damaged copies of The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Plants (look out for a review in the near future) and David Attenborough's Life Trilogy Boxset.

#Books #Scicomm #Bookstodon #Paleobotany #Palaeobotany #Plants #Botany #NaturalHistory @bookstodon @princetonupress

A photo of four 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, standing up, The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Plants, showing colour drawings of prehistoric plants (a conifer, a cycad, and a fern).

On the right, lying down, a dark green slipcase with three hardback books (in blue, red, and green bindings) partially pulled out. From top to bottom, we have David Attenborough's The Trials of Life, Living Planet, and Life on Earth.

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1y

In February 1929.

The first of Margery Allingham's crime novels to feature Albert Campion, The Crime at Black Dudley (U.S. title: The Black Dudley Murder), is published in the UK. It introduces Albert Campion, her misleadingly vapid detective, who would go on to appear in another 18 novels and many short stories over the next 30 years.

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

Books by Margery Allingham at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=Margery+Allingham&submit_search=Search

#books #literature

First edition of The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham.

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1y

"I did not think; I investigated."

German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen died #OTD in 1923.

On 8 November 1895, he produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as X-rays or Röntgen rays, an achievement that earned him the inaugural Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. The non-SI unit of radiation exposure, the roentgen (R), is also named after him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_R%C3%B6ntgen

Books about Röntgen at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=R%C3%B6ntgen&submit_search=Search

#books #physics

Hand mit Ringen (Hand with Rings): a print of one of the first X-rays by Wilhelm Röntgen (1845–1923) of the left hand of his wife Anna Bertha Ludwig.

It was presented to Professor Ludwig Zehnder of the Physik Institut, University of Freiburg, on 1 January 1896.

Photo of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen.

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