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Beiträge, die mit reading getaggt sind

Many people have told me how they like to read the opening few paragraphs of books before buying.

So, here is the opening to mine, 'Drystone - A Life Rebuilt' which will be available for pre-order early 2025 and then released in August.

I'm a first time author, so shares mean a lot and I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts.

#Writing #NatureWriting #Books #Bookstodon #Scotland #Caithness #Bookworm #Reading
I was eight years old when our mum moved us from one end of Scotland to the other. From Jedburgh, where you cross the border to England, to Thurso, where you catch the boat to Orkney. I don’t know what mum saw in Caithness, but I suspect it was just as far as she could go without leaving the country. Caithness is flat and vast and lies prostrate to a wind pushed inland by the thuggish North Sea. A wind that reminds anything attempting to grow that it should perhaps reconsider. On the heaths and moors, plants have no choice but to stay close to the ground and each other. Even in July, when the rest of Scotland is dressed by the full flair of summer, the Flow Country is understated. Thriving in the nutrient-poor soil, bog asphodel, myrtle and bean hide among heather and peat. In the skies above these rare blanket bogs, golden plover and greenshank float silently on warm air and mottled wings. On the coast, the sandstone shark fins of Duncansby Stacks ward off all but the most determined travellers. The Borders are Scotland at its most pastoral, but Caithness akin to a moonscape. I had never seen anything like it. On either side of a road, cutting long and straight through an expansive moorland, people stood in smoke and flames, soft-edged silhouettes as they beat the ground around them with huge paddles. Muirburn, the controlled burning of heather. It felt ancient, apocalyptic. Last paragraph missing as no room for all the text.
#writing #books #reading #bookstodon #scotland #bookworm #naturewriting #caithness

#PsychicDrool | OK. Here's my #BlogPost about the first three #Dune novels.

You're gonna hate it.

https://www.psychicdrool.site/the-mechanics-of-dune/

#FrankHerbert #Blog #Books #Reading

The Mechanics of Dune

Spoilers, I suppose, for the first three Dune novels … If I had one criticism for Frank Herbert’s Dune books it is that I don’t believe he had a clear plan where his stories were heading.
Lydia Conwell (Psychic Drool)
#books #reading #blogpost #blog #dune #psychicdrool #frankherbert

Read more about the upcoming prequel short story that expands the Eric Icarus Mythos
https://jonmcbrine.live/2p8742bw
#blog #prequel #writer #books #new #fiction #scifi #reading #blogger
Blog

Title reveal

The Eric Icarus Mythos expands
Jon McBrine - Author (Jonfiction Blog)
#books #reading #blog #blogger #writer #fiction #scifi #new #prequel

Would you like a gentle and inspiring start to your weekend?

If so, I'd recommend reading this piece I wrote for Barley magazine about drystone, the land, resilience and the life lessons learned from this ancient craft.

https://www.barleymagazine.com/blog/kristie-de-garis-drywalling

#Writing #Scotland #NatureWriting #Article #Reading
A colour photograph of a drystone wall that disappears into the distance. Surrounded by green grass with a soft blue sky above.

The Wonder Waller

Writer and photographer explains how drystone walling in Scotland helped her discover a more nourishing future away from the rat race.
Kristie De Garis (Barley)
#writing #reading #scotland #Article #naturewriting

There been a regular debate in my timeline about the relative advantages (value) of reading on screen or on the printed page with partisans of both often expressing strongly held opinions....

But now the To Read Pile wants it voice to be heard....

#books #reading
@bookstodon

h/t @tomgauld.bsky.social - Guardian
Cartoon: The Bedside Reading Pile Turns Nasty. On a bedside table some of the books from the reading pile are shouting & brandishing weapons at the person in the bedroom reading from a phone. One books shouts: 'Nobody needs get hurt... Lets just put the phone down, nice & slowly...'
#books #reading @Tom Gauld @bookstodon group

Anyone planning on doing any fun reading challenges next year?

#books #bookstodon #reading #ReadingChallenge #AmReading
#books #reading #bookstodon #amreading #readingchallenge

And more distressing news

Is it a matter of alternatives to reading, the ‘mechanisation of reading in children’s education a culmination of generations growing up believing that reading is simply a ‘skill’ and not reading to their young children, library closures (fierce in the UK), taking them to libraries and buying books?

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/nov/05/report-fall-in-children-reading-for-pleasure-national-literacy-trust

#Reading #Bookstadon #ReadingForPleasure #Children #UK #ChildrensLiterature #Literature
#uk #children #reading #literature #childrensLiterature #readingforpleasure #bookstadon

Shepherd is a nifty book discovery site that you should check out if you're a reader!

Each year they hold a three fave reads extravaganza, which eventually produces a books of 2024 list.

Here are my three:
https://shepherd.com/bboy/2024/f/mark-a-rayner

#book #books #bookstodon #writing #writingcommunity #reading #readers
Mark A. Rayner's 3 favorite reads in 2024 Showing the cover art for: Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield

Want to know Mark A. Rayner's Top 3 Books of 2024?

Mark's top 3 reads of 2024 include Kafka on the Shore and two other amazing books. Discover what makes these books unmissable!
Shepherd
#book #writing #writingcommunity #books #reading #bookstodon #readers

This morning on the tram:

A little old lady in a traditional Transylvanian dress (skirts and petticoats, blouse, head scarf, etc.) was sitting on the tram, completely absorbed in a book.

The book was an erotic thriller titled "In the bed of the mafia"

Go little old lady

#reading #books #bookstodon #Budapest
#books #reading #bookstodon #budapest

My retail therapy is ordering translations of underappreciated epics online late at night.

#reading #bookstodon #epics #folklore #WomensEpics
#reading #bookstodon #folklore #epics #womensepics

We (the NGO I work for) put a survey on FB about adults who read folktales / fairy tales.

It's getting a bunch of trolls.
How is THIS a post getting the trolls?!

"Adults should read literature, not infantile gibberish."

"Tales for adults are called fantasy fiction. Or the news."

"Doesn't this organization do anything else but stories?"

What. The. Hell.

#WTF #folklore #folktales #reading #storytelling
#reading #folklore #WTF #storytelling #folktales

The Change series by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith is my favorite YA fantasy.

By "fantasy" I mean post-apocalyptic western with mutant superpowers :D

This series does diversity right. It's part of the setting. The story also features a very cute throuple, a demisexual main character, and realistic depiction of PTSD. And yes, it's well written and exciting. Final book out in October.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0753KXMV3?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1718896357&sr=1-1&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tkin

#YA #fantasy #books #amreading #reading #bookstodon #pride #representation
#books #reading #bookstodon #amreading #fantasy #pride #representation #ya

It is surprising how often, when I say "Hey, I'm reading this really interesting book..." people immediately respond with "Oh, you have TIME to read?! I don't even..."

Like... what is that?
What makes people jump right to that?

It bugs me for a bunch of reasons.

1. Yes, I am busy too. I make time because it relaxes me.

2. No, I don't care how much you read and I'm not judging you. You don't need to defend yourself.

3. I wanted to share something I found fun, geez.

#reading
#reading

I am barely ready for this year's A to Z Blogging, but I am already super excited for next year's theme 😅

I just decided that I'll do another reading challenge - reading 26 epics about women.

And yes, I already have a list. 26 traditional epics with female protagonists from around the world.

Hopefully a year will be enough to read all of them 😄

#Amreading #Books #folklore #epics #women #WomensHistoryMonth #storytelling #reading
#books #reading #folklore #storytelling #amreading #Women #womenshistorymonth #epics

The magic of audiobooks? Deep down, we still long to be read to
Elizabeth Quinn https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/07/the-magic-of-audiobooks-deep-down-we-still-long-to-be-read-to #books #audiobooks #reading
#books #reading #audiobooks

"What are you reading?"

Um let's see

I'm reading a book about underground historians in modern day China (Sparks) for a reading challenge

I'm reading Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett for a book club

I'm reading the poem a day book by @brianbilston

I'm reading The flowering wand by Sophie Strand in the evenings because it's enchanting

I'm reading Apollodorus' Library for research

Yes I can keep them straight
I'm a bit book promiscuous?... 😅

#reading #AmReading #bookstodon #books
#books #reading #bookstodon #amreading @Brian Bilston

As a student I loved reading Vonnegut and as a young adult gorged on Adams. So today I'm very much looking forward to this #weekend #reading 😀
@markarayner
Cover of Alpha Max by Mark A Rayner
#reading #weekend @Mark A. Rayner

I was today years old when I learned that Felix Salten was Hungarian.
Makes sense, we love our children's books with a side of trauma 😆

#books #reading
#books #reading

Just discovered: a more evil way to mark your place in a book than dog-earing.

#cat #cats #catstodon #catsofmastodon #evil #books #book #reading
A black cat with its mouth open gnawing on the corner of an open book, possibly George Orwell's 1984
#book #Cats #books #reading #catsofmastodon #cat #catstodon #evil

I suddenly felt the need to read more poetry, and now, after about two decades, I'm writing poetry again too.
It feels good.

#poetry #writing #reading
#writing #reading #Poetry

I'm alternating between T.H. White's 1939 novel about King Arthur's childhood, "The Sword in the Stone", and a new biography of the amazing 18th century #Stockholm poet Carl Michael Bellman, whose main themes were drink, sex and death.

#books #bookstodon #reading
#books #reading #bookstodon #stockholm

*Me, burying myself in a pile of TBR books I deliberately put off till 2024*

Hey all! Happy new year! Whatcha reading? 😊 Any reading goals, wishes, hopes or resolutions?

#AmReading #books #bookstodon #reading
#books #reading #bookstodon #amreading

So here is a question to the @bookstodon community: what is the best #nofiction book you have read this year?

#reading #books #AmReading #bookstodon
#books #reading #bookstodon #amreading #nofiction @bookstodon group

They just published the categories for the 2024 Polymath Reading Challenge 🥰 It's the 10th year so people got to vote in past favorites.
The list is:

1. Gastronomy
2. Grammar, linguistics, foreign languages
3. Non-European history
4. Russia
5. Crime
6. Human connections
7. Film, cartoons, television
8. Mental health
9. Famous women
10. Addiction
11. Secrets and hoaxes
12. Individual random category

#reading #bookstodon #ReadingChallenge
#reading #bookstodon #readingchallenge

At the Budapest International Book Fair, where you can get a free haircut for reading out loud. 😄

#reading #books #bookstodon #Budapest #BookFair #image
Photo from the book fair building. There is a colorful carpet on the floor, with books scattered on it. A girl sits on a small chair, reading from a yellow book, while a man kneels behind her, cutting her hair. There are people sitting and standing around, listening.
#books #reading #bookstodon #budapest #image #bookfair

Last night I finished a funhouse mirror of a book, C.D. Rose's 'Who's Who When Everyone is Someone Else', which could almost be a cross between Italo Calvino and Umberto Eco's 'Foucault's Pendulum' and is a comic metafiction of literary games.

The narrator is not worlds away from the author and they share a first book, 'The Biographical Dictionary of Literary Failure'. By the end I felt like I had just stepped off a fast, but exhilarating merry-go-round.

#books #reading @bookstodon
Photo of book cover of C.D. Rose's Who's Who When Everyone is Someone Else'
#books #reading @bookstodon group

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