Skip to main content

Search

Items tagged with: Books

I pulled all my e-books off Kindle yesterday because of this. It effectively ends my writing career because, despite everyone complaining that Amazon is evil... nobody buys books from the many other stores my books are available on.

I am sad. I am angry. I am *exhausted*.

I am ONE indie author. I am nobody. My protest is utterly meaningless in the face of this ever-expanding AI takeover. Unless all indies do this, and all tradpub authors pressure their publishers to fight Amazon, my pulling my books is not going to do a damned thing to make Amazon stop doing this. All it will do is end whatever tiny little chance I might still have had at having a real writing career.

But I am so sick of AI being shoved into every aspect of my life and not even having the right to opt out of it. This is the ONLY protest I CAN make. So that's what I'm doing. And at least I know they won't be able to use my books this way.

#books #bookstodon #reading #readingCommunity #AmReading #amazon

writerbeware.blog/2025/12/12/k…


Kindle's New Gen AI-Powered "Ask This Book" Feature Raises Rights Concerns - Writer Beware

In a recent press release, Amazon noted that some new features were coming to Kindle. We’re adding new AI-powered reading features that preserve the magic of reading on Kindle.
Victoria Strauss (Writer Beware)
#books #amazon #reading #bookstodon #amreading #readingcommunity

An Amazon AI chatbot that sums up the book you are reading while you are reading it. While trampling over the writer’s rights.

“Ask This Book."

“Your expert reading assistant, instantly answering questions about plot details, character relationships, and thematic elements without disrupting your reading flow.”

Enshittification is too polite a word for all this.

#Books #Bookstodon
#Enshittification #AI

writerbeware.blog/2025/12/12/k…

Passage abbreviated to fit. "Story So Far lets you catch up on the book you’re reading—but only up to where you’ve read without any spoilers. For our endlessly curious readers, Ask this Book will let you highlight any passage of text while reading a book and get spoiler-free answers to questions about things like a character’s motive or the significance of a scene. The lead article in today’s Publishers Lunch (PL) is all about Ask This Book, which went live in the Kindle iOS app earlier this week (it’ll be rolled out on all devices and Android OS in 2026). Amazon describes it as “your expert reading assistant, instantly answering questions about plot details, character relationships, and thematic elements without disrupting your reading flow.” You can highlight a phrase or sentence, type a question into a search box, and AI will generate an answer “right on the page.” That might sound inoffensive enough. But as PL points out, Ask This Book is, in effect, “an in-book chatbot. You ask any question about the book, and a generative AI process provides you answers.” Which would seem…hmmm…to raise some rights concerns. Questioned about this, Amazon was not prepared to elaborate, but did note that Ask This Book is not optional for rightsholders: Asked whether rightsholders could elect to withdraw from the program, Iraheta wrote, “To ensure a consistent reading experience, the feature is always on, and there is no option for authors or publishers to opt titles out.”

Kindle's New Gen AI-Powered "Ask This Book" Feature Raises Rights Concerns - Writer Beware

In a recent press release, Amazon noted that some new features were coming to Kindle. We’re adding new AI-powered reading features that preserve the magic of reading on Kindle.
Victoria Strauss (Writer Beware)
#books #ai #bookstodon #enshittification

I’m currently reading “Abolition Democracy: Beyond Empire, Prisons, and Torture,” by Angela Davis. If I used a highlighter in this book, about 90% of it would be yellow.

#Books #Reading #AngelaDavis #Abolition #Democracy #SystemicRacism #PrisonIndustrialComplex

Quote by Angela Davis that reads “the challenge of the twenty-first century is not to demand equal opportunity to participate in the machinery of oppression. Rather, it is to identify and dismantle those structures in which racism continues to be embedded. This is the only way the promise of freedom can be extended to masses of people.”
#books #democracy #reading #systemicracism #abolition #prisonindustrialcomplex #angeladavis

#Iceland #crime #books
@hildur.bsky.social: My favourite fact about Iceland is that we have many, many crime writers but only one forensic pathologist, and he was so busy answering all of their questions that he decided to have a small seminar for writers to get some peace. It immediately sold out so he had another one that also sold out.
#books #crime #iceland

Hey everyone, I’m #newhere. I’m interested in #books, #greeklanguage, #pagan, #poetry, and #wales. Thanks for the invite, @Andrew Pam!

Previously on diasporasocial, which seems to have disappeared without warning. Before that on diasp.eu, which disappeared with plenty of warning. Maybe Glass Wings will stay around a while...!

I can be found, also, on libranet.de (Friendica) and mastodon.sdf.org

#books #Wales #poetry #pagan #newhere #greeklanguage @Andrew Pam

What was your best read of 2025? I'm building my 2026 hopefuls list, so please tell me your favs! Extra points for books by and about marginalized/minority identities.

#books #bookstodon

#books #bookstodon

A book from the 19th century that depicts the Rhine Valley by creating an impression of three-dimensionality and spatial distance.
@MasayukiTsuda2 #globalmuseum #books #travel #19thcentury
#books #travel #globalmuseum #19thcentury

BREECHES BIBLE. An edition of the Bible printed in 1598, wherein it is said that Adam and Eve sewed figleaves together, and made themselves breeches.

A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)

--
#books #literature #dictionaries #history #society #language #slang @histodons

Image imitating a page from an old document, text (as in main toot): BREECHES BIBLE. An edition of the Bible printed in 1598, wherein it is said that Adam and Eve sewed figleaves together, and made themselves breeches. A selection from Francis Grose’s “Dictionary Of The Vulgar Tongue” (1785)
#society #History #books #language #literature #slang #dictionaries @histodons group

It's time to open door number 2 of our Sapphic Book Advent Calendar!

I'm feeling a little extra excited about today's bookish treat. Let's just say that it's a book that holds a special place on my shelf.

Head over to my website to check it out: jae-fiction.com/sapphic-book-a…

#sapphicbooks #books #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA

Door number 2 of the Sapphic Book Advent Calendar. Depicted is a calendar door with a present and the number 2.

Sapphic Book Advent Calendar - Jae

For the Sapphic Book Advent Calendar, Jae has teamed up with 90 fellow authors of sapphic fiction for daily giveaways, free ebooks, and books on sale.
Jae
#books #LGBTQ #lgbtqia #sapphicbooks

Your offensive-security library, ready to go.

18 DRM-free books. $700+ value. Pay what you want (as little as $36).

Includes Black Hat Bash, Serious Cryptography, Practical Malware Analysis, and more.

Support the @eff and level up your lab. Link in bio.

humblebundle.com/books/hacking…

#hacking #books #offensive #security

Promotional graphic for a No Starch Press Humble Bundle. Five No Starch Press book covers are fanned out on a dark blue, tech-patterned background. Titles shown: “Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercises: From Planning to Execution,” “The Art of Mac Malware (Volume 2): Detecting Malicious Software,” “Metasploit (Second Edition): The Penetration Tester’s Guide,” “Black Hat Bash: Creative Scripting for Hackers and Pentesters,” and “Serious Cryptography (2nd Edition): A Practical Introduction to Modern Encryption.” Below the books, a wide dark-blue strip with a pixel/circuit motif reads “HACKING” in large white letters. Under that is a blue label with the No Starch Press animal logo and the text “no starch press.” Across the bottom, a red banner says “Get a bundle of books for” followed by a crossed-out “$736” and a large “$36.” On the right of the red banner is the white “Humble” logo in script.

Humble Tech Book Bundle: Hacking by No Starch

Turn your curiosity about computer hacking into a fast-paced, proven, and practical career with the latest Humble Tech Book Bundle!
Humble Bundle
#security #books #Hacking #offensive @Electronic Frontier Foundation

If you can't attend my event tomorrow (1st December) at University of Glasgow, it's available to live stream at the link below

uofglasgow.zoom.us/j/848479852…

It's going to be an interesting and lively conversation about my book Drystone - A Life Rebuilt, writing, publishing, life. Chaired by the brilliant Simon Kövesi. 1pm start.

I believe you can also ask questions vie the livestream.

#Glasgow #Scotland #Event #Reading #Writing #WritingCommunity #Author #Books #Book #Accessibility

A woman with short, greying dark hair stands outdoors beside an old red British phone box. She wears a teal button-up shirt tucked into high waisted dark jeans and black shoes. A pair of sunglasses hangs from her shirt. Behind her is a stone wall, a flowing river, and trees with early autumn foliage. Two small blue andwhite utility markers are set into the grass near her feet. The atmosphere is calm and slightly overcast.

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.
Zoom
#books #Scotland #reading #book #accessibility #author #glasgow #writing #writingcommunity #event

support #indie #books for #smallbusinesssaturday! Get 5 eBooks for 20% off normal price in the Space Wizard Year 4 campaign, and help support small businesses rather than big stores today!
#fantasy #sciencefiction
backerkit.com/c/projects/space…
A graphic for the Space Wizard Black Friday sale, saying you can get 5 eBooks for $4 each.

Black Friday/Small Business Saturday Limited Deal! | Space Wizard Science Fantasy: Year 4, part 2! - BackerKit

Back the $20 Black Friday/Small Business Saturday Limited Deal! on Space Wizard Science Fantasy: Year 4, part 2!
www.backerkit.com
#books #fantasy #indie #sciencefiction #smallbusinesssaturday

Sådär, nu har jag lyssnat klart på Brandi Carlisles bok Broken Horses. Tror det var @LeoR1010 och en bekant i Australien som tipsade om den. Mycket bra, får 5/5 av mig. Plus med ljudboken är att det är hon själv som
läser och dessutom sjunger massor. Alla låtar finns sen även som ett avslutskapitel med bara musik. Rekommenderas varmt!
#books #bookstodon #lgbtq #memoir

goodreads.com/book/show/577244…


Broken Horses

The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, producer, a…
Goodreads
#books #LGBTQ #bookstodon #memoir @Leo Ringqvist

BookWyrm is a Fediverse alternative to Amazon's Goodreads. It lets people keep track of their books, publish reviews and discover new titles. Find out more about BookWyrm at:

➡️ fedi.tips/bookwyrm-a-social-ne…

There's a list of servers you can sign up on at:

➡️ joinbookwyrm.com/instances

(The flagship is overcrowded, you might want to use a different server.)

You can import your data from Goodreads, LibraryThing, StoryGraph, OpenLibrary or Calibre:

➡️ fedi.tips/importing-your-data-…

#FediTips #Books #Reading


BookWyrm: A social network for people who enjoy reading | Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse

An unofficial guide to using Mastodon and the Fediverse
fedi.tips
#books #FediTips #reading

As part of his annotated Lisp bibliography Simon Dobson @simoninireland reviewed the book "Lisp from Nothing" by @AverageDog Nils Holm.

simondobson.org/2025/11/26/lis…

simondobson.org/development/an…

#lisp #books #review

Lisp from nothing | Simon Dobson

simondobson.org
#books #review #lisp @Simon Dobson @Nils M Holm

Dags att gå igenom denna rea.
#books #sapphicbooks
#bookstodon
#sale
iheartsapphfic.com/2025/11/20/…

2025 IHS Sapphic Mega Sale Guide - I Heart SapphFic

2025 IHS Sapphic Mega Sale Guide - Welcome to the I Heart SapphFic's Sapphic Mega Sale! November 20 through November 24   Dive into your favorite genres with more than 500 hundred
TB Markinson (I Heart SapphFic)
#books #bookstodon #sale #sapphicbooks

Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'jam' #BookQW
To say Dan and Fin are in a right pickle doesn't begin to cover the challenges they're facing. Has Dan had an idea how to get them out of this sticky situation?
Modern fantasy rooted in British myths and folklore, widely available from retailers.

Amazon link amazon.co.uk/Green-Mans-Holida…
Kobo link kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-green…
More purchase options from @wtpress.bsky.social
wizardstowerpress.com/books-2/…

#books #writing #SFF #Fantasy #UrbanFantasy

Cover art by Ben Baldwin shows a creature crouching in a low tunnel entrance lined with grey stones and partly hidden by green undergrowth and white flowers. The creature has pale skin covered in sparse black hair and it looks a bit like an ape, a bit like a bear, and completely unlike either of those. Book extract reads: I looked up and stared at nothing. An idea was floating just out of reach. A moment later, it hit me like a smack in the face. I ran up the stairs, taking them two and three at a time. In the front bedroom, I emptied Fin’s suitcase onto the bed. I turned over her clothes, raking them apart with my hands. Nothing. I realised anyone outside would be able to see what I was doing. They’d also see I’d lost the towels I’d been wearing on the stairs. I quickly drew the curtains. Fin had hung the dress bag for her bridesmaid’s frock on the front of the wardrobe. I pulled the zip down so hard it jammed. I forced myself to go more slowly. Taking the frock out of the bag, I shook it. The shoes and the headdress of silk flowers fell onto the floor. I didn’t care about them. I carefully turned the dress inside out. I saw a fleck of white caught in a seam. A tiny, downy feather.

The Green Man’s Holiday

ISBNs Paperback: 978-1-917950-10-7 Hardcover: 978-1-917950-11-4 EPUB: 978-1-917950-09-1
Wizard's Tower Press
#books #fantasy #writing #sff #urbanfantasy #bookqw

Always nice to keep an eye on this one 👌
#books #bookstodon #sapphicbooks mastodon.social/@JaeAuthor/115…

JaeAuthor (@JaeAuthor@mastodon.social)

Attached: 1 image It’s almost time for the Sapphic Book Advent Calendar! I’ve teamed up with 110 authors to bring you daily freebies, giveaways & deals from Dec 1–25.
JaeAuthor (Mastodon)
#books #bookstodon #sapphicbooks

Marcel Pagnol : la gloire de mon grand-père

Lucian Freud avec son grand-père, Sigmund Freud, Londres, 1938
#children #books #movie #psychology #photography #family

Lucian Freud avec son grand-père, Sigmund Freud, Londres, 1938
#books #photography #movie #children #Family #psychology

⇧