BZBrainz , to bookstodon group
@BZBrainz@mastodonbooks.net avatar

@bookstodon @bookwyrm
If you read large print or dyslexic font paperback books do you prefer this to be indicated on the cover (say on a banner at the top) to help you identify the accommodation?

I compiled a quick poll based on different perspectives I've read.

➡️ Please consider sharing to help me reach more readers.

hawksquill , to bookstodon group
@hawksquill@writing.exchange avatar

My 2024 reading thread is below!

Book 1: On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

5 stars

Stunning art, lovely found family, and a fun sci fi setting, all while managing to strike the perfect balance between cozy and yearning.

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hawksquill OP ,
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Book 9 of 2024: Silence by Endō

4 stars

As an agnostic, this meditation on faith and suffering was interesting and sometimes frustrating. The prose was sparse but quite lovely, and I enjoyed the epistolary passages. I found the protagonist self-absorbed and unlikeable, though that was probably intentional. I would have enjoyed a deeper dive into the colonialist implications, as well as the hybridized form of Japanese Christianity which is only hinted at.

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hawksquill OP ,
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Book 10 of 2024: Ammonite by Nicola Griffith

5 stars

This book truly has it all: feminist sci fi, compelling characters, a mysterious virus, a spy plot, a sweet queer romance, and anti-capitalist, anti-colonialist politics. I've also read Griffith's medieval historical fiction and it was so fun to see her tinkering with similar themes in a completely different setting. A sequel seems unlikely at this point, but I live in hope.

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hawksquill OP ,
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Book 11 of 2024: The Art Thief by Finkel

4 stars

I enjoy nonfiction about cultural heritage crimes because it's basically low stakes, less violent and gendered true crime. The bare bones of the story are compelling: a working class amateur art connoisseur who steals art at an astonishing pace for several years. I was intrigued by the short passages on the psychology of art theft and personal art collections, so am looking forward to mining the bibliography.

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hawksquill OP ,
@hawksquill@writing.exchange avatar

Book 12: The Marriage Question: George Eliot's Double Life

5 stars

One of the best biographies I've ever read. Carlisle is a philosopher, which provides a rich lens for analyzing Eliot's life and work. She articulates things about Eliot's style and influences that I've sensed but been unable to verbalize. I identified with the way Eliot's creative life was shaped by her simultaneous awareness of her own talent, self-doubt, and shame about her ambition.

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hawksquill OP ,
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Book 13 of 2024: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

4 stars

This was a lovely cozy fantasy with some truly funny moments and creative trope subversion. The characters were deeper, the themes more complex, and the world building more interesting than I was expecting from the fluffy marketing. At the outset I wasn't sure whether I'd bother reading the sequel, but I certainly want to now!

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hawksquill OP ,
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Book 14 of 2024: The Other Wind

5 stars

Only a true genius could dedicate an entire book to addressing the plot holes of her own setting. Le Guin confronted these contradictions, saw the pain and oppression at the root of them, and used them to craft a beautiful narrative of reconciliation.

I'm dealing with several losses, so the book's focus on the naturalness and necessity of true death, without resurrection or afterlife, has been very cathartic.

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hawksquill OP ,
@hawksquill@writing.exchange avatar

Book 15 of 2024: Making Money by Pratchett

4.25 stars

Another strong installment with several of my favorite characters from the series. Some withering satire about banks along with my beloved golems, a compelling villain, a fun romance, and some good old clownery. Unfortunately I thought there was one subplot too many, but it's forgivable when Pratchett is just so good.

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ModernDayBartleby , to bookstodon group
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And so it begins -
PASSING by Nella Larsen (1929) via Oshun Publishing imbibed at Yanaka Coffee
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ModernDayBartleby OP ,
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SO YOU'VE BEEN PUBLICLY SHAMED by @jonronson via Picador imbibed at Coffee Base Meguro

The photo is outside the coffee shop. The metal table is round. The paperback book is on it with an illustration of the eyes & forehead of the author, a white man with short hair and aquamarine glasses. Above his head are a round of hands pointing at him. To the right is a black mug of black coffee. In the distance are 2 Japanese people walking further by. There is a black sandwich board between the people and the table. The sidewalk is red brick
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    • ModernDayBartleby OP ,
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    SOCIAL WARMING: HOW SOCIAL MEDIA POLARISES US ALL by Charles Arthur via OneWorld Publications imbibed at Cafe & Bar BASE @bookstodon

    Photo of a wooden bench and table outside the cafe. The table's wood is darker than the light wooden bench On the table is the paperback book which is yellow blending to orange blending to pink top to bottom. In the middle is black cracked screen smartphone with the title. To the left is a clear brown coffee cup of black coffee. Behind it is a silver cylinder cup. To the mug's left is a tiny round silver plate with a red strawberry in it. In the distance on the brick alley is a bicycle pedaling to the left. The rider's torso is cut off.
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    • ModernDayBartleby OP ,
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    THE SKIN WE'RE IN: A YEAR OF BLACK RESISTANCE & POWER by @desmondcole via @doubledaybooks Canada imbibed at Cafe & Bar BASE @bookstodon

    Photo is of a wooden counter. The hardcover book of bright colors & black silhouettes is prominently in front. Above to left is a brown translucent plastic mug of black coffee on a blue octagonal coaster. To the right is a brown scone with white icing on a white napkin on a round plate. Behind the counter are several clear containers of coffee beans.
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    • ModernDayBartleby OP ,
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    HEADS OF THE COLORED PEOPLE by Nafisa Thompson-Spires via Vintage Books imbibed at Coffee Costa @bookstodon

    ModernDayBartleby OP ,
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    PREDICTABLY IRRATIONAL: THE HIDDEN FORCES THAT SHAPE OUR DECISIONS by Dan Ariely via Harper imbibed at Greenberry Coffee Company
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    ModernDayBartleby OP ,
    @ModernDayBartleby@mstdn.plus avatar

    WOUNDED by Percival Everett via Faber & Faber imbibed at Komeda Coffee
    @bookstodon

    Photo is of a light brown wooden cafe table The paperback book is old timey brownish focusing on a coppery belt buckle of a cowboy. Behind the book is a small narrow wicker basket perpendicular to the book. It contains a tiny silver spoon in a tiny white bowl containing a dollop of yellow and white scrambled eggs and a long protruding thick rectangular slice of toast with red strawberry jam on it. To the right is a white mug and saucer of black coffee. It has the Komeda Coffee logo of a man in a cowboy hat drinking coffee. There is a tiny silver spoon in front of it, handle pointing left
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    • ModernDayBartleby OP ,
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    ANTI-RACISM INC: WHY THE WAY WE TALK ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE MATTERS Edited by Felice Blake, Paula Iaonide, & Alison Reed via Punctum Books brewed with Coffee Boy coffee
    digitalcommons.odu.edu/english_book...
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    ModernDayBartleby OP ,
    @ModernDayBartleby@mstdn.plus avatar

    THE COLOR OF WATER: A BLACK MAN'S TRIBUTE TO HIS WHITE MOTHER by James McBride via Riverhead Books imbibed at Yanaka Coffee -Machida
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    ModernDayBartleby OP ,
    @ModernDayBartleby@mstdn.plus avatar

    CROOK MANIFESTO by Colson Whitehead via @doubledaybooks imbibed at Miyakoshiya Coffee
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    The photo is of a dark brown round wooden table inside a coffeehouse. In front is a mug & saucer of black coffee. The yellow paperback book is behind it, as is a white plate with a slice of pound cake with cream. And old style wooden chair is behind the table & an alley view can be seen our the window where a blurry masked Asian woman can be seen looking at the canera
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    • ModernDayBartleby OP ,
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    THE WAR ON CRITICAL RACE THEORY by David Theo Goldberg via @politybooks imbibed at Social Good Roasters

    @bookstodon

    The photo is of a square silver metal table of ant outside seating area. The orange paperback book mentioned in the skeet is on the table. The title is in white bold letters with a black line through CRITICAL RACE THEORY. The author's name is below the title in smaller bold black letters. To the right is a white paper lid & cup of coffee with a brown sleeve with little designs on it of birds & other shapes. In the distance you can see a black computer bag on a bench and 2 other Japanese patrons in (left to right) a puffy black winter jacket and puffy grey winter jacket.
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    • ModernDayBartleby OP ,
    @ModernDayBartleby@mstdn.plus avatar

    MY STORY: FROM BUSH KID TO AFL LEGEND by Nicky Winmar w/ Matthew Hardy via Allen & Unwin imbibed at Kamome Coffee
    @bookstodon

    The photo is of the corner of a square brown table. The paperback book featuring the iconic photo of Aboriginal Australian Rules Footballer Nicky Winmar lifting up his St Kilda Saints jersey pointing proudly at his skin in a gesture of defiance at racial abuse in 1993. To the left is a white coffee mug of black coffee. 2 pairs of legs can be seen outside on the sidewalk through the window
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    • ModernDayBartleby OP ,
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    EDDIE BETTS: THE BOY FROM BOOMERANG CRESCENT by Eddie Betts via Simon & Schuster imbibed at Saza Coffee
    @bookstodon

    The photo is of a white counter with the hardcover book featuring a photo of Aboriginal footballer Eddie Betts smiling. His black hair is short & he has a fuller moustache & a sparse beard To the right is an ornate blue & grey flowerly coffee cup & saucer of black coffee. A silver spoon is perpendicular in front. In the distance, 3 siphon coffee apparatuses can be seen, the middle bulb of water being bunsen burnered, its upper urn is full of coffee grounds
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    • ModernDayBartleby OP ,
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    UNCOMMON TYPE: SOME STORIES by Tom Hanks via @vintagebooks brewed with Overview Coffee
    @bookstodon

    The photo is of a coach divider tray. The coach is grey. The divider is briwn plastic. Tye paperback book is aquamarine with 3 big yellow circles surrounded by silver to represent old style typewriter keys. The top one says TOM HANKS, the middle one the book title mentioned in the skeet, & the partially cut off bottom with a large # and NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. To the left is an orange mug of black coffee. The tan floor of a living room can be seen in the distance
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    • ModernDayBartleby OP ,
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    YOU GOTTA HAVE WA by Robert Whiting via Vintage Books imbibed at Saito's Coffee
    @vintagebooks @bookstodon

    Photo is of a coffee house table. In front is a white mug of black coffee with the red medieval timey logo. Behind it to the left is a Cleveland Guardians dark blue baseball cap from the 2023 All Star Game logo on the left and a bid red C with an asterisk on the front & a sticker on the bill. To the right is the paperback book with has a baseball with the title on the upper left and Japanese woodblock type images of Japanese men, one in a Yomiuri Giants hat & white jersey & the other has a Hanshin Tigers cap. An old tattered leather chair is in the distance. We can see a man's back & red tennis shoes can be see in the seat in front
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    • ModernDayBartleby OP ,
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    INVISIBILITY BY DESIGN: WOMEN & LABOR IN JAPAN'S DIGITAL ECONOMY by Gabriella Lukács via @dukepress imbibed at Black Sloth Coffee
    @bookstodon

    The photo is of a coffee house counter looking out onto a rainy street. The white paperback book is on the brown wooden counter. It features a photo of a young long blue, pink, & black haired Japanese woman in a black tank top & black jeans with a camera covering her nose & mouth. The brown outside/white inside cup of black coffee has a profile of a black and white sloth logo. Outside you can see an intersection. A old blurry Japanese man is heading left on a scooter where another old blurry Japanese man wearing a mask is on a bicycle on the distant sidewalk heading right
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    • ModernDayBartleby OP ,
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    HOW TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES Edited by Matthew Thomas Payne & Nina B Hunteman via @nyupress brewed with Yanaka Coffee Sakura Blend @bookstodon

    The photo is of a book & coffee mug are on a brown plastic couch divider. The large paperback book is blue grid surrounding a cut out of a series of illustrated rooms where people are playing different games in different ways. Clockwise - A black man is playing a Nintendo Switch-like game in the kitchen; A white man plays a Dance Dance Revolution like game in the living room while a ponytailed white woman plays a handheld game on a couch; A Black man plats pinball in a basement with a foosball table in the room as well; a white man lies on a bed with Birkenstocks on playing MarioCart in a bedroom; a white woman has a VR headset on standing in a tiny room; a white man is playing a game on a laptop in a nook; & a white man is in another living room in a loveseat plays another handheld. To the right of the book is a orange mug of black coffee.
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    • kimlockhartga , to bookstodon group
    @kimlockhartga@beige.party avatar

    @bookstodon There are many great authors with new books coming out in 2024. What will you be looking for, in 2024?

    My most anticipated books in '24, by the month (thread).

    JANUARY 2024::

    THE BOOK OF FIRE, Christy Lefteri. (This book is fire!)

    THE STORM WE MADE, Vanessa Chan

    POOR DEER, Claire Oshetsky

    COLD VICTORY, Karl Marlantes

    YOU DREAMED OF EMPIRES, Alvaro Enrigue, Natasha Wimmer (translator)

    RIVER EAST, RIVER WEST, Aube Rey Lescure

    BEHIND YOU IS THE SEA, Susan Muaddi Darra

    FAMILY FAMILY, Laurie Frankel

    THE BULLET SWALLOWER, Elizabeth Gonzalez James

    INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SPACE, Emily R. Austin

    HARD BY A GREAT FOREST, Leo Vardiashvili

    kimlockhartga OP ,
    @kimlockhartga@beige.party avatar

    @bookstodon
    My most anticipated books in '24, by the month thread: May is always a blockbuster month for book publishing. This year is no exception. Believe it or not, this is my trimmed list:

    MAY 2024:

    AMÉRICA DEL NORTE, Nicolas Medina Mora

    CINEMA LOVE, Jiaming Tang

    THE MINISTRY OF TIME, Kaliane Bradley

    WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST, Alina Grabowski

    ARCHANGELS OF FUNK, Andrea Hairston

    DAUGHTERS OF SHANDONG, Eve J. Chung

    GHOSTROOTS, 'Pemi Aguda

    HOW IT WORKS OUT, Myriam Lacroix

    SEE: LOSS. SEE ALSO: LOVE, Yukiko Tominaga

    THIS BOOK WON'T BURN, Samira Ahmed

    ALL FOURS, Miranda

    LONELINESS & COMPANY, Charlee Dryoff

    LEANING ON AIR, Cheryl Grey Bostrom

    WHALE FALL, Elizabeth O'Connor

    THE DEEPEST LAKE, Andromeda Romano-Lax

    WHEN AMONG CROWS, Veronica Roth

    IN REPAIR, A.L. Graziadei

    MY FIRST BOOK, Honor Levy

    MY DARLING DREADFUL THING, Johanna van Veen

    OYE, Melissa Mogollon

    BLUE RUIN, Hari Kunzru

    THE WEALTH OF SHADOWS, Graham Moore

    LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE, Terah Shelton Harris

    COEXISTENCE: STORIES, Billy Ray Belcourt

    THE INCORRIGIBLES, Meredith Jaeger

    A HOUSE LIKE AN ACCORDION, Audrey Burges

    A NORTHERN LIGHT IN PROVENCE, Elizabeth Birkelund

    CECILIA, K Ming Chang

    EXHIBIT, R.O. Kwon

    GODDESS OF THE RIVER, Vaishnavi Patel

    LOST ARK DREAMING, Suyi Davies Okungbo

    PERFUME & PAIN, Anna Dorn

    THE LAST MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD, Stuart Turton

    YOU LIKE IT DARKER, Stephen King

    DREADFUL, Caitlin Rozakis

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