reading

2d

I saw a post saying that Simon Winchester has died, and I realized I have only read one of his books, "Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883." I shall have to change that.

#books #reading @bookstodon

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38d

📚 Monster of a Land by: Lauren Hough

Lauren Hough has always been haunted by the road trips she never got to take: no money, no vacation days, no car capable of making the trip. So, upon finally finding herself in a situation where such a trip might be possible—being a writer may not always pay better than being a bartender or a cab...

https://bookblabla.com/book/monster-of-a-land

#books #reading #libraries #biographyautobiography #specialinterest #lgbtq

Lauren Hough has always been haunted by the road trips she never got to take: no money, no vacation days, no car capable of making the trip. So, upon finally finding herself in a situation where such a trip might be possible—being a writer may not always pay better than being a bartender or a cable guy, but at least the schedule’s flexible—she leaps at the chance, refurbishing a ramshackle 2001 Dodge van and setting off from Austin, Texas with her Husky mix Woody by her side.

Her influences feel obvious—but a lot has changed about the United States since the 1962 trip John Steinbeck chronicles in Travels with Charley. And Lauren Hough isn’t John Steinbeck—unless the Nobel Prize-winning author of The Grapes of Wrath had a secret past as a six-foot-tall lesbian and Air Force vet. But even better as a social lubricant than beer, a dog is the ultimate conversation starter. With Woody as wingman, Lauren chats—at gas stations and restaurants and auto shops and bars—with an incredible cross-section of Americans from all walks of life and every possible political perspective. And as she circumnavigates the country, she documents, with all-too-rare empathy, what it means to be poor, to be marginalized, and to be seen as Other in America.

Part travelogue, part social commentary, and 100% Lauren Hough, Monster of a Land unites her poignant vulnerability, her hilarious narrative voice, and her razor-sharp insights into a journey that will show us how far we’ve com

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3d

📚 It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by: Ally Carter

Ella Chambers didn’t kill Liam Montgomery.
If she had, she certainly wouldn’t have done it outside his family’s mansion during the Christmas party of the year. She definitely wouldn’t have loaded his body into the trunk of her car...

https://bookblabla.com/book/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-murder

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #romance #mysterydetective #cozy #billionairesfiction

Ella Chambers didn’t kill Liam Montgomery.
If she had, she certainly wouldn’t have done it outside his family’s mansion during the Christmas party of the year. She definitely wouldn’t have loaded his body into the trunk of her car. And she absolutely would not have announced to the town that the boy who ruined her life ten years ago was “so dead to her.”
But now Liam is missing—nothing but a bloody spot on the drive and a host of unanswered questions—and Ella is the only person who knows he’s still alive.
So it’s up to her to prove it.
Liam Montgomery didn’t want to die.
But, it turns out, when you’re the sole heir to a billionaire, someone might want you dead. Luckily for Liam, being dead works for him.
Now he’s on the hunt for a killer. Unfortunately, Ella is on the hunt for him.
She’ll have to prove he’s still alive to clear her name, but that’s easier said than done in a quaint mountain town where everyone knows your story but no one knows the truth. Can the billionaire’s grandson and the housekeeper’s daughter join forces to catch a killer? Or is their past too steeped in secrets and lies?
As the storm of the century blows in, every step will bring these two childhood rivals closer to a killer—and each other.
Because, this Christmas, only one thing is certain: it’s beginning to look a lot like murder.

- A billionaire’s grandson and the housekeeper’s daughter square off in this cat-and-mouse holiday romance-mystery f

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4d

"There Used to Be People Here" by Kennedy Cole. My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Published in 2026.

Book description: In 1970s Mississippi, a Black detective and his temporary partner are assigned to a case that shifts from murder to paranormal conspiracy with life-altering repercussions. Samuel Barkley is Wenton's only Black detective. Assigned to the case, Samuel's one goal is to keep his head down with eyes on moving up in the police ranks. But it's not easy with Harvey, a new, temporary partner who Samuel can't seem to like...or hate.

This book also involves paranormal conspiracy. I did enjoy it, though it isn't my usual sort of read.

#fiction #ScienceFiction #horror #books #reading @bookstodon

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1y

I hate both of these things, who knew I'd have so much in common with #JaneAusten 😂

#ReadingMemes #Memes #ReadAllTheBooks #Humor #Humour
#Reading #Readers #ReadersOfMastodon #ReadingCommunity
#Book #Books #Novel #Novels #Fiction
#Recommendation #Bookrecommendation
#Bookwyrm #Bookworm #Bookstodon #BookLove #BoostingIsSharing

Text above what I assume is a painted picture of Jane Austen..

Jane Austen's works are timeless classics because she knew the real
horrors in life are having to listen to men who think they're better than
you and receiving unannounced visitors.

Edited 4d ago

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37d

📚 Uncle Tallulah by: Bruce McLean

With love comes grief. With grief comes growth for Rob Malone. It happens after his beloved Anna drowns while feeding the swans on the lake near their potato farm. Ardently, he keeps her alive in spirit wearing stylish hats.

Equally poignant is Rob's compassion for one of the swans, Uncle Tallulah, when he suffers a broken left wing...

https://bookblabla.com/book/uncle-tallulah

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #general

With love comes grief. With grief comes growth for Rob Malone. It happens after his beloved Anna drowns while feeding the swans on the lake near their potato farm. Ardently, he keeps her alive in spirit wearing stylish hats.

Equally poignant is Rob's compassion for one of the swans, Uncle Tallulah, when he suffers a broken left wing and has it woefully dragging down beside him, feathers fraying.

Rob must choose between a mercy killing or having the wing surgically removed. This novel becomes an honest-to-god tearjerker while Rob agonizes over what life would be like for a swan with one wing.

The farmer and the swan get safely beyond that on a journey of mutual survival. En route, the sly and saddened Uncle Tallulah will steal your heart away. You'll never forget him. You'll surely want to say a prayer for him when hope arises that he'll fly over the lake once again.

Source: Publisher

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37d

"History by a Hair: Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings & Solving a 200-Year-Old Mystery" by Richard Kurin. My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Published in 2026.

Book description: The definitive account of how a discarded strand of hair found in Thomas Jefferson’s Bible led to a sweeping, multi-year genomic investigation, drawing on technological advances in DNA to finally resolve a 200-year national controversy.

I found the writing to be first rate, though somewhat technical, at least for someone like me with no science background. That said, the book was still a most interesting read.

#nonfiction #history #genetics #science #books #reading @bookstodon

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4d

Authors using initials is the theme for #MurderEveryMonday this week so it's apt thanks to our #Aotearoa timezone, this might be the initial post for the week. Here are the 11l Dean Street Press E. R. Punshon books I've finished. Only one have I rated under 4 (3.75) @thestorygraph. I gave Mystery Villa 5/5 & some others 4.75/5 To keep the images symmetrical, I've included the one I'm starting today, book 12 in the series #bookstodon #Reading
@bookstodon
https://crossexaminingcrime.com/murdereverymonday-theme-list/

The covers of 3 books in the Bobby Owen Mystery Series by E. R. Punshon
Top to bottom
Book 1 Information Received
Book 2 Death Among the Sunbathers,
book 3 Crossword Mystery

The covers of 3 books in the Bobby Owen Mystery Series by E. R. Punshon
Top to bottom
book 4 Mystery Villa,
book 5, Death of a Beauty Queen,
book 6 Death Comes to Cambers

The covers of 3 books in the Bobby Owen Mystery Series by E. R. Punshon
Top to bottom
book 7 The Bath Mysteries
book 8 The Dusky Hour
book 9 Mystery of Mr. Jessop

The covers of 3 books in the Bobby Owen Mystery Series by E. R. Punshon
Top to bottom
book 10 Dictator's Way.
Book 11 Comes a Stranger
book 12 Suspects Nine

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4d

The Disappearers. Marlon James.

You are young and gay in Jamaica in the 80’s (so: not safe) and you and others join a theater group putting on a gay play that gets violently interrupted, which puts you all on different paths the next 20 years that trade on your invisibility to straight culture in different ways.

5 of 5 library cats 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈 🐈

CW: sex, violence

@bookstodon #bookstodon #books #reading #gay #lgbtq #jamaica #1980s #sex #marlonjames #bookerprize

Book cover featuring an abstract black silhouette and smeared paint

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36d

'They were cranes dancing on the marsh. They reached their wings out to one another, curled their necks and squawked. They started moving towards him. He sat completely still, breathing as quietly as he could. He had never seen anything so wondrous. He stared at their beaks and swaying tail feathers. Their necks moving up and down. The birds hopped about, as clumsy as newborn calves and yet the most elegant, graceful things he had ever seen.' -- from 'Tangled Roots' by Maria Turtschaninoff, trans. A.A. Prime

#WednesdayBookQuote #books #ReadingJournal #reading @bookstodon

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9d

Today's the day, my friends...

RISE OF IRON IS NOW LIVE! 🥳

It's available on Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and KU (Kindle+) formats. Get your copy today, and join the resistance for a better tomorrow!
https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Tredania-Chronicles-Sarah-Hoodlet/dp/B0HNH8HD88

#Books #Reading #FantasyBooks #Fantasy #RomanticFantasy #Romantasy #IndieAuthor #SelfPublishing #ReleaseDay #WritingCommunity #WritersLife #Writer #Writing #ReadingCommunity #Read

A paperback proof copy of my book, Rise of Iron. The book is set on a wooden bookshelf. The cover features a young woman facing away from the viewer. Her body appears to be made of stone, with silvery iron veins racing across her body. Her hair is coming undone in a breeze. In her right hand she's holding a pickaxe, while her left is touching stone.

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36d

"A Little More Love: The Life and Legacy of Olivia Newton-John" by Matthew Hild. My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Published in 2026.

Book description: This book is a biography that looks beyond the celebrity image to explore her music, personal struggles, and humanitarian work. It follows her journey from a shy childhood in England and Australia through country-pop success, international stardom in Grease, and her reinvention with hits such as “Physical and others.

I'm so glad I read this biography. Not only was it interesting, but it brought back so many good memories for me. I don't think anyone could forget that voice.

#nonfiction #biography #books #reading @bookstodon

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36d

📚 Korean Messiah by: Jonathan Cheng

For nearly eight decades, North Korea has marched defiantly to its own beat, shaking off its Soviet and Chinese sponsors to emerge as the world’s most enigmatic nation—a nuclear-armed state ruled by a dictatorial dynasty. Underpinning the state is a personality cult more soaked in religiosity than those constr...

https://bookblabla.com/book/korean-messiah

#books #reading #libraries #history #asia #politicalideologies

For nearly eight decades, North Korea has marched defiantly to its own beat, shaking off its Soviet and Chinese sponsors to emerge as the world’s most enigmatic nation—a nuclear-armed state ruled by a dictatorial dynasty. Underpinning the state is a personality cult more soaked in religiosity than those constructed by Stalin or Mao—one that traces its roots back to the Christian fervor of post–Civil War America.

Jonathan Cheng, the Wall Street Journal’s China bureau chief and former Korea bureau chief, takes us deep inside Pyongyang, a city once so dominated by Christianity that it was known as the “Jerusalem of the East.” Cheng introduces us to Samuel Moffett, a Presbyterian missionary from Madison, Indiana, who would venture into Pyongyang at the end of the nineteenth century and build a remarkable following—one that would include the Kim family that today presides over one of the world’s harshest persecutors of the Christian faith.

At the center of this story is North Korea’s founder, Kim Il Sung, son of two fervent Christians and progenitor of an ideology known as Kimilsungism, an exercise in idolatry that has elevated him, and his successor son and grandson, to Christlike status, from the humble manger where he was born to the subway seat on which the venerated leader once placed his posterior, cordoned off as if it were a religious relic.

Drawing on letters, diaries, and never-before-unearthed archival material that temper and often contradi

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2d

https://thoughts.pivic.com/review-boox-picco/

I've reviewed the Boox Picco, which is the latest e-reader from Boox. The Picco is very small.

#review #tech #Boox #Picco #BooxPicco #reading @bookstodon @bookstodon@fedigroups.social

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76d

Remembering that this poll led to The Last Philosopher with illustrations being available at my shop: https://payhip.com/NickEastIndieWriter 😁

As I was editing The Last Philosopher I realised I can add images to #ebooks 😁

I've added some examples of #drawings from my world. The question is, should I put them in the story? 🤔 And if yes how?

#FanArtFriday #DiscoverArtists #DiscoverIndieEbooks
#AmWriting #IndieAuthor #Indie
#Fantasy #Satire
#Novel #Books #Bookstodon
#Reading #Readers #ReadingCommunity

Options: (choose one or more)

67% Add as scene/chapter headers
24% Add as appendix
2% Don't bother adding any images
7% Other, tell me how in the comments

Sign in to vote

Map of the sorcerers' city Pentakl

Mashup theme of diffrent characters and maps from The Last Philosopher.

Edited 20d ago

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3d

I call this work: "Photoception!"
A photo of a photo I found in an old thrift store book I bought. I have no idea who these people are but if you do please tell me 😁

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

#OldSchoolCool #PhotoMonday #Reading #Readers #ReadingCommunity
#Litterature #Novel #Bookshelf #Books #Bookstodon #FantasyBooks

Photo of a photo of some people on a sailboat.

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1y

I can't say I've done this personally, but I understand the sentiment 😁

#ReadingMemes #Memes #ReadAllTheBooks #Humor #Humour
#Reading #Readers #ReadersOfMastodon #ReadingCommunity
#Book #Books #Novel #Novels #Fiction
#Bookwyrm #Bookworm #Bookstodon #BookLove #BoostingIsSharing

Drawn image of two old ladies in a cosy room, one climbing a ladder with a stack of books to put in a shelf, the other sitting in a chair built of books reading a book.

Caption: I won't buy any more books until I've read all the ones I've got. I said. Then I laughed and laughed.

Edited 3d ago

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3d

"The Pope Against Nuremberg: How the Vatican Helped Nazis Escape Postwar Justice" by Gerald J. Steinacher. My rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Published in 2026.

Book description: In the aftermath of World War II, the Nuremberg Trials promised a new era of international justice, holding Nazi leaders to account for their war crimes. Yet, beyond the courtroom, a very different struggle was unfolding. This book uncovers how the Vatican shielded war criminals, challenged the principles of postwar justice, and facilitated ratline networks in which Church leaders played a central role in spiriting Nazi perpetrators to safety, calling it Christian mercy.

There is so much historical detail and information here to document what happened over a period of years, resulting in the undermining of justice, and I venture to say, many knew nothing about the complicity of the Catholic church in this process. I know I was totally unaware of this. I highly recommend this book.

#nonfiction #history #WWII #NaziWarCrimes #CatholicChurch #books #reading @bookstodon

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35d

📚 Animal Farm by: George Orwell

This is a classic tale of humanity awash in totalitarianism. A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. First published during the epoch of Stalinist Russia, today it is clear that w...

https://bookblabla.com/book/animal-farm

#books #reading #libraries #literarycriticism #generalfiction #classics

This is a classic tale of humanity awash in totalitarianism. A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. First published during the epoch of Stalinist Russia, today it is clear that wherever and whenever freedom is attacked, and under whatever banner, the cutting clarity and savage comedy of Orwell's masterpiece is a message still ferociously fresh.

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21h

This may be good fiction. We'll see.

"Follow Me Back (Follow Me Back #1) by A.V. Geiger.

Tessa Hart's world feels very small. Confined to her bedroom with agoraphobia, her one escape is the online fandom for pop sensation Eric Thorn. When he tweets to his fans, it's like he's speaking directly to her... Eric Thorn is frightened by his obsessive fans. They take their devotion way too far. It doesn't help that his PR team keeps posting to encourage their fantasies. When a fellow pop star is murdered at the hands of a fan, Eric knows he has to do something to shatter his online image fast--like take down one of his top Twitter followers. But Eric's plan to troll @TessaHeartsEric unexpectedly evolves into an online relationship deeper than either could have imagined. And when the two arrange to meet IRL, what should have made for the world's best episode of Catfish takes a deadly turn... Told through tweets, direct messages, and police transcripts, this thriller for the online generation will keep you guessing right up to the shocking end.

#fiction #thriller #SocialMedia #books #reading @bookstodon

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16h

I have wanted to learn more about the people and inner workings of the George W. Bush administration because I opposed so much of what went on during those years. This book might provide some insight for me.

"The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill" by Ron Suskind. Published in 2004.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7519053

#nonfiction #books #reading @bookstodon

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34d

📚 Eros the Bittersweet by: Anne Carson

A book about romantic love, Eros the Bittersweet is Anne Carson's exploration of the concept of "eros" in both classical philosophy and literature. Beginning with, "It was Sappho who first called eros 'bittersweet.' No one who has been in love disputes her," Carson examines her subject from numero...

https://bookblabla.com/book/eros-the-bittersweet

#books #reading #libraries #literarycriticism #subjectsthemes #general

A book about romantic love, Eros the Bittersweet is Anne Carson's exploration of the concept of "eros" in both classical philosophy and literature. Beginning with, "It was Sappho who first called eros 'bittersweet.' No one who has been in love disputes her," Carson examines her subject from numerous points of view, creating a lyrical meditation in the tradition of William Carlos Williams's Spring and All and William H. Gass's On Being Blue.

Epigrammatic, witty, ironic, and endlessly entertaining, Eros is an utterly original book.

Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time

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2d

I know some people really struggle in this area, so this may be a helpful read.

"Approval Removal: Finding Freedom from Fitting In" by Dr. Rob Allan. Published in 2026.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248283580

A practical, psychology-backed guide that unlocks the hidden reason we crave approval, and equips readers with the tools to finally break free from their dependence on others’ approval and validation. Approval Removal exposes a silent epidemic affecting the exhausting need to be liked, validated, and accepted at the expense of authenticity and peace of mind.

#nonfiction #SelfHelp #psychology #books #reading @bookstodon

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10d

An extra special Gratitoot for my birthday! 😊

For those who haven't seen Dr Alice Violett has written a very good review of my story The Last Philosopher.

And I think you should check out her blog even if you have no interest in my story 😁

https://www.draliceviolett.com/the-last-philosopher-part-1-and-2-by-nick-east/

#Mastodon #Gratitude #Celebration #Indie
#Reading #Readers
#Fiction #Fantasy #Comedy #SFF #Funny #Satire
#Bookstodon #FantasyBooks
#Review #Bookreview #Books

In The Last Philosopher Part 1 and 2, by Nick East, we're introduced to the planet of Huom: home to long-lived sorcerers, imprisoned philosophers, ingenious “Knomes”, ordinary folk with varying proportions of human-ness, and all manner of other mix-and-match beings.

Planetside, there are three storylines we follow: sorcerer Philrsep) fer
Lyeasrakardsul, headmaster of the school of Dalcimir in the city of Pentakl, has recently been plagued by dreams of darkness and is on the brink of betraying his principles and asking the Knomes for help; philosopher Herschel is on the run after escaping the not-particularly-secure desert prison of Zig-Zig; and Earl Westman, marshal of the town of Stagna, is preparing to catch a notorious chicken thief (and alleged pervert) and bring him to justice.

Edited 6d ago

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31d

📚 The Library at Mount Char by: Scott Hawkins

Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts.

After...

https://bookblabla.com/book/the-library-at-mount-char

#books #reading #libraries #fiction #fantasy #contemporaryfiction #horror #general

Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts.

After all, she was a normal American herself once.

That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father.

In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God.

Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation.

As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own.

But Carolyn has accounted for this.

And Carolyn has a plan.

The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human.

Populated by an unforgettable cast of characters and propelled by a plot that will shock you again and again, The Library at Mount Char is at once horrifying and hilarious, mind-blowingly alien and heart

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