The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst. This book was hyped on the cover so my expectations were high and they were met.

Set in the 80s it focuses on Nick, who lodges in London with the grand family of fellow Oxford grad Toby, whose father Gerald is a Tory MP. Nick hides his homosexuality in a time of AIDS tragedy and hysteria, which together with Gerald's nefarious activities puts them ultimately on a collision course. Outstanding writing, excellent characterisation.

#12 🧵 #books #bookstodon

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Monochrome cover showing several blurry boys in evening dress larking about against an indistinct background. The title is in shocking pink capitals and relates to either cocaine, architectural elements or something else altogether.

Longbourn by Jo Baker. This is Pride and Prejudice below stairs, very skilfully done. As well as providing an insight into the work behind all the social events in P&P it shows us another side of its protagonists and sets them all against the realities of life for rich and poor in early C19th Britain. I question whether the final bit rings true - would Sarah really undertake that journey? - but overall I really enjoyed it, unlike other reworkings of #Austen's characters.

🧵17 #books #bookstodon

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Paperback cover showing the back view of a well-dressed woman in a pale dress facing green panelling, around which is just visible a young female servant carrying a heavy bucket.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. I chose this as the 'book made into a film' on my library bingo card. I knew the story obviously and I swiftly realised that with AC's formulaic writing if you already know whodunnit the writing can be pretty turgid. Repetitive ain't the word. Not really recommended unless you have no idea whodunnit and enjoy a very iterative approach to case solving.

🧵18 #books #bookstodon

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A paperback cover with stylised people arranged in a train carriage. The title is written over the top in thin bright blue capitals and Christie's signature is in white across the top.

The Quiet American by Graham Greene. I knew nothing about this but love GG so was optimistic. All through the book I swithered between enjoying it or not but I reckon that's Greene and his existential crises for you. It riffed on the usual themes. It was my library bingo pick for 'a book set in a foreign country'. I learned about Vietnam and the war, rued everyone's attitude to Phuong and thought how Fowler fitted in with all Greene's antiheros.

🧵19 #books #bookstodon

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Screen grab of a cover which isn't the edition I read as I can't find that cover and forgot to take a photo at the time. Abstract design royal blue, grey and red shapes with the title and author is ln large white lettering.

Book 5 was Now Shake It, Baby! by Micah Flowers.

Black disabled nonbinary demisexual lesbians 🧡💛🩷🤎
A dancer and a DJ 🎶
Shame-free first time ✅

Get it direct from the author: https://payhip.com/b/IDiP5

#bookstodon #queerbooks

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Now Shake It, Baby! by Micah Flowers.

🚤🌊 Nancy Drew's lakeside adventure takes a dangerous turn in this clip from a LibriVox reading of the 1930 public domain classic, THE BUNGALOW MYSTERY. 🔍

📚It's just one of tens of thousands of free public domain audiobooks in the LibriVox Audio Collection on the Internet Archive. From mysteries and adventures to poetry, history, science fiction, and children's classics, there's always something new to hear. 🎧

Find your next audio adventure 👇
https://archive.org/details/librivoxaudio

#Bookstodon #LibriVox

This #SolarPunkSunday my book is on sell in smashwords as part of the summer sale. It is the story of a 70yr old woman who has to coordinate the defense of her decentralized nation when a colonizee invades to steal the tech that makes them a #solarpunk utopia. Get it here https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1977090

#books #book #bookstodon #sff

Book 4 was The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid (narrated by Greg Boudreaux).

Two totally heterosexual hockey bros 🏒
And they were roommates 🛌
Hockey culture is basically indistinguishable from evangelicalism ✝

#bookstodon #queerbooks

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The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid (narrated by Greg Boudreaux).

"Out came Snufkin and the grasshopper, playing with all their might.

A huge barrel of palm-wine was rolled out, and everyone got a little birch-bark mug to drink from. The glow-worms rolled themselves into a ball in the middle of the glade, and everybody sat around drinking wine and eating sandwiches.

'Now we should tell a story,' said Sniff.

And nobody gave a thought to the comet that was rushing towards them, lighting up the night with its fierce glow."

#MoominMonday #Bookstodon

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Black and white illustration from Comet in Moominland shows the gang drinking palm-wine and telling stories in the forest

"Before them lay the ocean, glittering in the sunshine. 'I want to go for a swim!' cried Moomintroll, for he felt all right again. 'Me too,' said the little creature, and so they ran right into the water.

'Don't stay in too long,' called Moominmamma, and then she lay down to sunbathe, for she was still quite tired."

from 'The Moomins and the Great Flood', by Tove Jansson

#MoominMonday #Bookstodon #BeMoreMoomin

Free Book Alert!

So my book is on promotion on Kobo, discounted to $0 from 3rd to 9th August, but I think it's only available in these locations: CA, US, UK, AU, NZ. It's being featured on the Free Page of Diverse Stories, so hoping it gets some more attention. Help spread the word!

Here is a link to get it.
https://www.kobo.com/ebook/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree-1

#books #bookstodon #solarpunk #sff #book

🎤 STARTING IN 15 MINUTES! 🆓

Join us soon for a free livestream booktalk with author Simone O. Elias in conversation with Sonia Mansfield about Elias's new book, PORCELAIN RAGE: A MANIFESTO FOR THE GEN Z WOMAN.

🕕 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET
📡 Join the #livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/vf0w9qqvHKA

#Bookstodon

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Promotional graphic for a "Porcelain Rage" book talk, with a bold green "TODAY!" graphic overlaid on the left panel. Text reads August 4th, doors at 5:30pm, talk at 6:00pm, in person at Internet Archive, 300 Funston Ave, SF. The event features Simone O. Elias in conversation with writer and podcaster Sonia Mansfield, discussing why Elias wrote a manifesto for her generation and chose to release it as an open-access book through the Internet Archive rather than a traditional publisher. The graphic includes photos of both authors, a stack of books, the Internet Archive lectern icon, and the pink-and-green Porcelain Rage cover art.

Book 3 was Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (narrated by Adjua Andoh).

After a long life as a ship-mind, Breq finds herself isolated in a single human body against her will.

Adjua Andoh could read me the phone book.

https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781405532389-ancillary-justice

#bookstodon

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Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (narrated by Adjua Andoh). My listening supports The Portal Bookshop Libro.fm

Book 2 was Shirley by Charlotte Brontë (narrated by Lia Williams).

I’ve been reading about the Luddite Rebellion lately (it forms the background of this book). I wanted an abridged version because it’s 25 hours long, but this is so condensed that it comes down to:
Girl A meets Girl B
*and they were roommates*
Then the girls marry boys

Anyways, it’s in #KoboPlus if you really want to confuse yourself: https://www.kobo.com/en/audiobook/shirley-140

#bookstodon

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Shirley by Charlotte Brontë (narrated by Lia Williams).

New month, new book thread! First up, A Little Discovery by Kate Bauer (narrated by Sam Stark).

The messiest divorce in the history of messy divorces 🫟
Cuddle puddles 🧸
Communal living … with kink 😈

Get it in #KoboPlus: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/audiobook/a-little-discovery

#bookstodon #queerbooks

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First up, A Little Discovery by Kate Bauer (narrated by Sam Stark).

Book 29 was Theoretically Straight by Amy Bailey & Alexander C. Eberhart (narrated by Mark Sanderlin & Jacob Bell).

But he’s a cheerleader!
Teenage bi-awakening 🩷💜💙
Homophobic parents … but everyone else is affirming 🏳️‍🌈

Get it in #KoboPlus: https://www.kobo.com/en/audiobook/theoretically-straight

#bookstodon #queerbooks

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Theoretically Straight by Amy Bailey & Alexander C. Eberhart (narrated by Mark Sanderlin & Jacob Bell).

Hello beautiful people. If you didn't catch my post from a few weeks ago, I've been spending the past 4 months setting up a pay-what-you can/affordable indie writing festival that will be both in-person here in Nelson, Aotearoa New Zealand, but also online. (Ooohh ahh.)

https://www.beautifulwords.net/

The in-person program's been announced and we're super excited. It'll be from the 1-26th September.

The online program's going to be announced in two weeks and will run from the 1-10th October. We've got a bunch of marvellous guests and practical workshops.

If you want to keep up to date and not miss anything, there's a newsletter sign up on the website. We'll be sending out our first newsletter in the next few days. We promise to make it interesting!

Thank you so much for reading my newsish whatnot. 🌺🌸😊

#books #bookstodon #writing #newzealand

📖 At just 16 years old, Simone O. Elias wrote PORCELAIN RAGE: A MANIFESTO FOR THE GEN Z WOMAN.

Her book explores femininity, culture, history, mental health, and the pressures shaping a generation.

Elias chose to publish it as an #openaccess book, making it FREE through the Internet Archive!

🆓 Read & download:
https://archive.org/details/porcelain-rage/PorcelainRage_Ack/

And Learn more about Elias, her book, and the Aug 4 #booktalk with livestream 📡 & in-person 🎟️ options at our blog:
https://blog.archive.org/2026/07/27/simone-o-elias-porcelain-rage/

#Bookstodon

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Book cover for "Porcelain Rage: A Manifesto for the Gen Z Woman" by Simone O. Elias. Bold green title text sits on a pink background above an image of a woman's bare legs on a green background, wrapped by a snake coiling from the thigh down to the feet.

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Slide reading "Porcelain Rage: Book Talk with Simone O. Elias & Sonia Mansfield." Includes a photo of Elias leaning against a brick wall in a floral dress, a photo of Mansfield smiling in rhinestone cat-eye glasses, and a pink-toned illustration of a toppling stack of books.

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Event details slide reading: August 4th, doors at 5:30 pm, talk at 6:00 pm, in person at Internet Archive, 300 Funston Ave, SF. Text describes a book talk with Simone O. Elias in conversation with author Sonia Mansfield, discussing "Porcelain Rage: A Manifesto for the Gen Z Woman" and why Elias chose to release it as an open-access book through the Internet Archive rather than a traditional publisher. The Internet Archive lectern icon appears at the bottom, with a pink-toned stack of books in the corner.

Book 28 was The Midnight Train by Matt Haig (narrated by James Norton).

Wilbur Budd, this is your life … on a train 🚂

At the age of 81, Wilbur dies of a heart attack. Then he goes on an adventure.

#bookstodon

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The Midnight Train by Matt Haig (narrated by James Norton).

Book 27 was Valor's Choice by Tanya Huff 🇨🇦

Sending a combat team on a diplomatic mission? Sure! What could go wrong? 🪖🎖️
Humans plus pheromonal aliens plus hungry aliens 👽

#bookstodon #queerbooks

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Valor's Choice by Tanya Huff 🇨🇦

Book 26 was Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden (narrated by Cherise Boothe and Adenrele Ojo).

Remember that episode of Doctor Who with the space whales? 🐳 🚀
Like that but with added class struggles and power dynamics 💪🏾
And a little dash of queer love 🏳️‍🌈

#bookstodon #queerbooks

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Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden (narrated by Cherise Boothe and Adenrele Ojo). My listening supports The Portal Bookshop Libro.fm

Just finished "the years of rice and salt" de Kim Stanley Robinson.

Same style as mars trilogy. Just individual mundane stories making the (his)tory

Pleasant read. Keep asking myself "OK where does they want to bring me ?" the answer being "nowhere" (or I missed something)

Will pbly reread in the future.

Now @pluralistic 's reverse centaur guide to life after AI

#bookstodon

One of my other hobbies is collecting old travel books. By "old", I mean 100+ years. Most are from the "Peeps At Many Lands" range, published between 1904 and 1934.

I started it on a whim. Now it feels like an act of rebellion.

#BooksSaveLives #Shelfie #Bookstodon

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Collection of old travel books, on a pine shelf with a dark varnish. To the right is a pair of fluffy highland cow doorstops, slowly being squeezed out by the collection.

There's a lot of wisdom and truth to be found in Sir Terry Pratchett's writing, and I think that this quote is so indicative of that, and so effective at getting the point across in the simplicity of what Granny Weatherwax is saying.

It's also characteristic of how, even at his wittiest and most caustic, and even when he was writing his most grumpy and no-nonsense characters, he never succumbed to cynicism and misanthropy. There are a lot of things making the Discworld books special, and the amount of heart that can be found in those stories and characters is probably at the top part of that list. #GNUTerryPratchett

#TerryPratchett #Discworld #books #Bookstodon #quote

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“And that’s what your holy men discuss, is it?” “Not usually. There is a very interesting debate raging at the moment about the nature of sin, for example.” “And what do they think? Against it, are they?” “It’s not as simple as that. It’s not a black and white issue. There are so many shades of gray.” “Nope.” “Pardon?” “There’s no grays, only white that’s got grubby. I’m surprised you don’t know that. And sin, young man, is when you treat people as things. Including yourself. That’s what sin is.” “It’s a lot more complicated than that—” “No. It ain’t. When people say things are a lot more complicated than that, they means they’re getting worried that they won’t like the truth. People as things, that’s where it starts.”  ― Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum

Book 25 was Larger than Love by Jole Cannon (narrated by Dean Williams).

Purity culture needs to die 🔪🔪🔪
Traumatised best friends in love 💕
Consent is sexy 🔥
Shame-free first time ❤️‍🩹

The world needs more stories of people finding love after purity culture.

#bookstodon #queerbooks

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Larger than Love by Jole Cannon (narrated by Dean Williams).

I am currently rather enjoying my first read-through of the Discworld series by Sir Terry Pratchett. As of today, I am a stone's throw away from finishing Interesting Times and starting Maskerade (probably later tonight).

The quote below was the first quote that I deemed worthy of retaining for posterity, upon my first reading of The Colour of Magic.

----------------------------------

"His was the air of one who is unjustly put upon, who is dreaded and feared, yet who is the only friend of the poor and the best doctor for the mortally wounded....

Death, although exceptionally busy at all times, decided that He now had a hobby."

From: "The Colour of Magic" by Sir Terry Pratchett (1983)

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#discworld #colourofmagic #terrypratchett #sirterrypratchett #bookquotes #quotes #literaryquotes #reading #books #bookstodon #GNUTerryPratchett #death #rincewind #wizards

Book 24 was Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities by Nick Walker (narrated by Janet Metzger).

Favourite quote:
“Neuroqueer is active subversion of both neuronormativity and heteronormativity. Neuroqueer is intentional noncompliance with the demands of normative performance.”

#bookstodon

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Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities by Nick Walker (narrated by Janet Metzger).

I missed one and it’s messed the numbering up. The AI Con by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna (narrated by Jade Wheeler).

A linguist and a sociologist review the hype around AI. Billionaires justify surveillance capitalism and they devalue art all insisting we have no alternative. It sounds depressing and demoralising but what they show is that it’s not inevitable.

#bookstodon

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The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want by Emily M. Bender & Alex Hanna (narrated by Jade Wheeler).

Book 22 was Hate To Haunt You by Alli Temple (narrated by Emily Lawrence).

Dead life coach x millennia-old reaper 💀
What happens when a golden retriever (human) meets a golden retriever (dog) 💙
The dog dies … but he’s completely fine 🐶

#bookstodon #queerbooks

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Hate To Haunt You by Alli Temple (narrated by Emily Lawrence).

Book 21 was Glitterland by Alexis Hall (narrated by Nicholas Boulton).

Literary snob x club kid 📚🎈
Spicy cat x golden doodle 🐈‍⬛🐶
Everybody’s damaged ❤️‍🩹
Darian is a precious gem 💎

On sale at #LibroFM: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781666653717

#bookstodon #queerbooks

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Book 21 was Glitterland by Alexis Hall (narrated by Nicholas Boulton). I My listening supports The Portal Bookshop Libro.fm

Yay! I've arrived as a writer! I'm visible.
I've had my first scammer trying to sell me marketing services for Last Days Forever. 😆
#bookstodon

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The cover for Last Days Forever by Vanessa Knipe. An angel flies over a Texas Oilfield with nodding donkeys to pump the oil.

Review: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

> Think about it is this way – imagine a dry play-by-play narration of your actions in a video game with bad jokes interrupting the flow just to try and spice said narration up. And then, imagine that got turned into a book. That’s what Dungeon Crawler Carl is.

https://nullrouted.space/2026/07/25/review-dungeon-crawler-carl/

If you enjoyed reading this review, please boost this post and perhaps consider supporting my work with a few dollars.

https://subscribe.packetcat.ca

#books #bookstodon

Book 20 was Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (narrated by David Cui Cui with a full cast).

Everyone’s favourite SecUnit is back 🤖
Humans need rescuing. Again 🆘
Re-found family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Get it in #KoboPlus: https://www.kobo.com/en/audiobook/exit-strategy-dramatized-adaptation

#bookstodon #queerbooks

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Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (narrated by David Cui Cui with a full cast).