@Jennifer@bookstodon.com
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

Jennifer

@[email protected]

Reader, writer, science fiction fan, caver, hiker, dog and cat herder. Gen X. I love nature and hate factory farms. Based in the southern Tennessee. She/her.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

pivic, to bookstodon
@pivic@kolektiva.social avatar

‘It’s totally unhinged’: is the book world turning against Goodreads? https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/dec/18/goodreads-review-bombing

I hate Goodreads. The site is just a continuation of Amazon as a surveillance capitalist nightmare, one that's never updated. Bugs are rife.

I prefer Bookwyrm and The StoryGraph:

https://bookwyrm.social
https://thestorygraph.com

@bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@pivic @bookstodon I hate Goodreads, I had an account in its early days and loved how I could add all the books I own to an online library, but a lot of the reviews are just mean. I deleted my account a long time ago. I've read about the recent review bomb campaigns against new authors and it's awful but not surprising. It's such a toxic culture there.

Jennifer, to bookstodon
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

Last night I finished Starling House by Alix Harrow. I had no idea what it was about when I started it, but I loved it. It's hard to describe without spoilers, but it's a complex story of families and poverty and bad luck woven into a great haunted house story. It wasn't scary, just creepy. Alix Harrow is now one of my favorite authors, she's brilliant. @bookstodon

Jennifer,
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@jillrhudy @bookstodon I've already read the Ten Thousand Doors of January and the Once and Future Witches. I think she has a couple more I'm going to get!

Jennifer,
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@kimlockhartga @jillrhudy @bookstodon ooh I didn't know she has a Substack! I'll subscribe, thanks!

riggbeck, to bookstodon French
@riggbeck@mastodon.social avatar

@bookstodon

While you're reading your Kindle, it's reading you back. And:

"For those who prefer to purchase books from brick-and-mortar stores, tracking reading on book social site Goodreads, which is owned by Amazon, will put you back into the tech giant’s purview."

The article is from 2020, so I imagine the enshittification will be even worse by now, as AI use increases.

This is just one of the reasons I only read print books and don't use sites like Goodreads.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/03/amazon-kindle-data-reading-tracking-privacy

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@riggbeck @bookstodon I ditched my Kindle a while ago mostly because I hate Amazon. Right now I use a Nook but I'm getting an Onyx Boox next year. I like ebooks because they're so convenient and easier on my eyes.

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@riggbeck @bookstodon I'm sure B&N is. The Boox is not linked to any particular vendor, it's just a tool that you can install any reader software you want, including library apps, Book funnel , etc so it will be a lot easier to read books you buy direct from authors.

stina_marie, to horror
@stina_marie@horrorhub.club avatar

I hate this song with the fiery passion of a million suns and this is the first and only thing that has made me consider it in a new and exciting way. I still despise it, but I will now supplant this reality atop it whenever I hear that cursed song.

@horror

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@stina_marie @horror hahaha this is excellent 😆

Tinido, to bookstodon German
@Tinido@chaos.social avatar

I realised that most of the books or stories I really enjoyed this year could be categorised with the hashtag , but I don't (didn't?) see myself as a cozy reader (one of my fave book is Gravity's Rainbow). So I wondered what is going on and started to read up on the definition of cozy . This blog post I found especially helpful, because of the nuanced discussion of the low/high stakes dynamics.

@bookstodon
What Is Cozy Fantasy?
https://wp.me/p6AA9k-7R5

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@Tinido @bookstodon I've also started to enjoy cozy stories. Maybe because the world is so awful right now it's nice to retreat into a story with no pandemonium. I haven't heard of Gravity's Rainbow, I'll look it up. My favorite cozy story is Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree.

sunflower, to bookstodon
@sunflower@plush.city avatar

recommend me a book! i like fantasy, paranormal romance, sci-fi, queer fiction. i need 12 recommendations from other people for a 2024 reading challenge :blobcatblep:

#reading #books #bookstodon @bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@LGsMom @sunflower @bookstodon I really like that series!

Jennifer,
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@gravious @sunflower @bookstodon I loved this book sooooo much! Gideon is one of the best characters ever

poloniousmonk, to actuallyautistic
@poloniousmonk@mastodon.social avatar

@surveillancepod @actuallyautistic @bookstodon

Does anyone think that this tech + surveillance capitalism is terrifying?

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/may/01/ai-makes-non-invasive-mind-reading-possible-by-turning-thoughts-into-text

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@poloniousmonk @surveillancepod @actuallyautistic @bookstodon it's sorta creepy, but it will be amazing for people with neurological diseases who have lost the ability to speak. A friend of mine has ALS and she would love this if it could be perfected.

tabbyjones, to bookstodon
@tabbyjones@mastodonapp.uk avatar

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stuart Turton has another winner on his hands! Turton did such a fantastic job of blending both mystery and sci-fi in this exciting new suspenseful mystery that will have you engrossed from beginning to end.

Like his others, it's a book I can't stop thinking about, and after you read it, you won't either.

You will have to wait a while for this book because it comes out in May 2024 but trust me, it's worth the wait!

https://cupofteawiththatbookplease.com/2023/12/04/last-murder-at-the-end-of-the-world/

@bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@tabbyjones @bookstodon that sounds great, I'm going to add this to my list! FYI I can't read your post on my phone, the font is too small and very light. I'll read it later on my laptop.

pivic, to bookstodon
@pivic@kolektiva.social avatar

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/03/books/review/critics-favorite-books-2023.html

Sarah Bakewell, yes!

'Sarah Bakewell’s “Humanly Possible” gives you the sense that when it comes to humans, anything is possible — for good or for ill, which is part of what gives this book its undeniable charm. Bakewell, who has also written books about existentialism and Montaigne, is so generous and resolutely open-minded. That she is able to corral seven centuries of humanist thought into a brisk and readable narrative is a real achievement, even if this new book is more diffuse than her previous work. She is honest about the limitations of humanists, who can sometimes prize thinking above action — constantly seeing both sides of a question, even when one side is promoting a cruel fanaticism.

But “Humanly Possible” is full of funny stories, too. We are limited creatures, despite our pretensions to the contrary. Bakewell discusses “On Good Manners for Boys,” in which Erasmus addressed such pressing issues as how to pass gas in polite company. The most fruitful strains of humanism recognize what we share with nonhuman animals. After Bertrand Russell was in a seaplane accident, a journalist asked what his brush with death had made him think about — mysticism, maybe? No, Russell said. “I thought the water was cold.”'

@bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@pivic @bookstodon this looks interesting, adding to my list!

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@pivic @bookstodon I've never heard of her, will definitely check her out!

NickEast, to bookbubble
@NickEast@geekdom.social avatar

I'd make a great hobbit, what fictional characters do you identify with? 😁

@reading @bookstodon @bookbubble @books @humour



Jennifer,
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@BackFromTheDud @korreckj328 @NickEast @reading @bookstodon @bookbubble @books @humour hahahaha!! I wish I could say I identify with elegant , magical elves but I'm probably a hobbit. Mushrooms are one of my favorite foods.

appassionato, to bookstodon
@appassionato@mastodon.social avatar

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life

An inspiring true story, perfect for fans of Hidden Figures, about an American woman who pioneered codebreaking in WWI and WWII but was only recently recognized for her extraordinary contributions.

@bookstodon




Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@appassionato @bookstodon ooooh I want to read this!!

jda, to random
@jda@social.sdf.org avatar

Morning Mastodonians!

This should be the last day of "isolation" due to the COVID. According to the CDC guidelines, if I don't have a fever after 5 days, I'm good to go. And I don't think I've had a fever yet, just a stuffy nose, some achyness, and general tiredness. Feeling about 90% today. I had to, of course, skip hockey but I am already looking forward to getting back on the ice on Friday. To be honest, my balky knee is probably very happy to miss a session.

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@jda @bookstodon I read that years ago, it really is horrifying what they did. I never thought that ideology would be popular again.

fictionable, to bookstodon
@fictionable@lor.sh avatar

… we've checked and it's definitely In fact, for those who celebrate, it's

So let's do it again: tell us three you've enjoyed recently and we'll see if we can come up with something else you might like.

Who knows? You might even be able to find it in a

@bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@toxy @fictionable @bookstodon I like a lot of the books others have mentioned so haven't posted my own, it's fun looking through recommendations! I have a recommendation about WWII/Nazi history, In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson. He's one of my favorite nonfiction authors, he has a way of making history read like fiction. The book is about the American ambassador in Germany after Hitler came to power but before the war.

appassionato, to bookstodon
@appassionato@mastodon.social avatar

The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism

A groundbreaking history demonstrating that America's economic supremacy was built on the backs of enslaved people.

@bookstodon




Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@appassionato @bookstodon I read this book last year, it's excellent and pretty infuriating.

appassionato, to bookstodon
@appassionato@mastodon.social avatar

The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds, a radical investigation into the bird way of being, and the recent scientific research that it dramatically shifting our understanding of birds — how they live and how they think.

@bookstodon


Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@appassionato @bookstodon this looks so interesting, thanks for sharing!

sheiladebonis, to bookstodon
@sheiladebonis@mastodon.world avatar

Where's a good online marketplace to sell that is ? Their Seller Central has become a little too complicated and I have a lot of former rentals my brother used in college which my mom had to purchase because he missed the return deadline. If it helps any, they are , , , , and some (editions published within the last decade). Also may sell some to local stores. @bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@sheiladebonis @bookstodon I buy used books sometimes on eBay. I've never sold anything there so don't know how that part works.

olliethewobbly, to bookstodon
@olliethewobbly@kolektiva.social avatar

@bookstodon out of curiousity, what are people's thoughts on the modern retelling of greek myths (the songs of penelope series by claire north, pat barker's series about the trojan women, herc by phoenicia robertson and clytemnestra by costanza casati). also circe and the song of achillies by madeline miller.

i like them as i know that these stories are being retold and continuing to be a part of the world and literature, especially as a classics enthusiast (five+ years of latin and a lifelong love of greek mythology). but i was wondering what other people thouhgt

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@olliethewobbly @bookstodon I love them! I had to read a bunch of that stuff in school and the translations were painful. The more recent versions in modern language are so much easier to read and so engrossing. My favorites are Circe by Madeline Miller and a Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec.

Likewise, to bookstodon
@Likewise@beige.party avatar

In case anyone is wondering if there is any engagement on here— this is the list of every book recommended after I asked if you’d share one book you enjoyed this year. You can scroll underneath the post to see these, but I think seeing them all together shows the true awesomeness of the people on here.

Thanks for being pretty darn great ❤️
@bookstodon

A continuation of the handwritten list of all the books recommended.

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@Likewise @bookstodon I also notice that a lot of these are excellent sci-fi and fantasy, which is great! 😄 I really love the book community here!

appassionato, to bookstodon
@appassionato@mastodon.social avatar

Proving Ground

For fans of Code Girls and Hidden Figures, PROVING GROUND is the untold, WWII-era story of the six American women who programmed the world's first modern computer.

@bookstodon




Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@appassionato @bookstodon oooh this sounds great!

Likewise, to bookstodon
@Likewise@beige.party avatar

Tell me a good book you’ve read this year that you’d recommend.

I’ll start: Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom
@bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@Likewise @bookstodon the Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow

Jennifer, to random
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

Murderbot!!! Book 7 of the Murderbot Diaries has arrived. I'm so excited. This is one of my all-time favorite scifi series. Stop talking to me so I can consume my media 😆😆

jillrhudy, to bookstodon
@jillrhudy@mastodon.social avatar

Happy to System Collapse by @marthawells 🥳 here is my blog and review from June! https://jillsreads.com/murderbot/
@bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@jillrhudy @marthawells @bookstodon I'M SO EXCITED!!! I love this series!

toxy, to bookstodon
@toxy@mastodon.acc.sunet.se avatar

@bookstodon Had heard so many allusions to and in this group so just started the first book this morning. It’s fabulous and I love it!

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@toxy @bookstodon I love that series so much, glad you do too! I really identify with Murderbot. Stop talking to me so I can consume my media 😆 Another novel in the series comes out this week, I'm so excited!

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@toxy @bookstodon oh and FYI there's a Murderbot bot account here, it's great!
https://botsin.space/@murderbotbot

emilyhegarty, to bookstodon
@emilyhegarty@genealysis.social avatar

Currently listening to Book 4 of Joy Ellis’s DI Nikki Galena mystery series. This one’s called Hunted on the Fens. I’ve already listened to all 10 of the Jackman series, and I think I like Galena even better because she’s not quite so perfect of a person. Perfectly distracting British police procedurals. @bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@emilyhegarty @bookstodon that sounds good, I'm adding it to my list!

frankejames, to bookstodon
@frankejames@mastodon.online avatar

Do you judge a book by its cover? I'm thinking of changing the cover of our already-published book!!! 😮
Tell me which cover you would click on: the new one in sunny yellow or the existing cover in sandy beige?
The yellow reflects @TeresaHeartchild's love of life -- and the urgency of getting her freed. It should attract the eye for Amazon clicks.
But the beige may be some book-lover's sophisticated fave. 🤔 What do you think? @bookstodon @bookgaga

Franke James' book cover in sandy beige for "Freeing Teresa: A True Story about Fighting Ableism." The book is sitting on a striped, multi-hued couch.

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@frankejames @TeresaHeartchild @bookstodon @bookgaga the yellow cover catches my eye a lot more. It's also easier to read the additional text on that one, the light text on the tan cover is sort of hard to read. It's a nice design!

Likewise, to bookstodon
@Likewise@beige.party avatar

If someone, who isn’t an avid reader says, “This is one of the best books I’ve ever read…” (assuming they aren’t talking about something they read when they were 5)

Do you think:

Wow, this must be a phenomenal book, I must find it immediately.

OR

This is probably trash or close to it & if I see it, steer clear. @bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@Likewise @bookstodon I'd think its probably a good book, but maybe not a great book 😁

NickEast, to bookbubble
@NickEast@geekdom.social avatar

I mean obscene might be overstating it a bit, perhaps rude would work better... 🤔😂

@reading @bookstodon @bookbubble @books @humour



Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@NickEast @reading @bookstodon @bookbubble @books @humour LOL 😆

gimulnautti, to bookstodon
@gimulnautti@mastodon.green avatar

Finished Iain M Banks’ ”Surface Detail” the second time this week. Did not disappoint on 2nd read, not at all.

Although it’s occasionally horror-like storytelling yields a content warning for gruesome detail, the topic of religiosity and eternal punishment in hell deserves a bit of attention to it.

On second time, the connection to 2nd book of ’Culture’ series became much more enjoyable. The hint of a complete re-framing of the story of Zakalwe was out of this world!

@bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@gimulnautti @bookstodon I really need to try some of his books. Several are on my TBR list but I've never read him before.

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@gimulnautti @bookstodon thanks! I'll try that.

Princejvstin, to bookstodon
@Princejvstin@wandering.shop avatar

Somehow I missed that @maryrobinette translated an Icelandic novel! And it is coming out next year!



@bookstodon

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-250-32204-3

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@Princejvstin @maryrobinette @bookstodon that sounds great!

1dalm, to bookstodon
@1dalm@deacon.social avatar

Need a good new character driven mystery book recommendation for a road trip.

@bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@1dalm @bookstodon I could use some mystery recommendations too. A favorite that's pretty old is the Leaphorn series by Tony Hillerman about Navajo police solving mysteries. I also enjoyed the Maisie Dobbs series, but the first book was my least favorite 😝 A fun cozy mystery series is Lady Hardcastle by TE Kinsey.

lunalein, to bookstodon
@lunalein@federatedfandom.net avatar

Book folks, what’s your most anticipated fall read?

There’s so much that’s either freshly out or coming soon that I’m excited for, I don’t know how I’m gonna keep up! I already hit the Lauren Groff and Zadie Smith, and now I’m starting on Penance by Eliza Clark, which is intense right out of the gate…

@bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@lunalein @bookstodon the next book in the Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells, think it comes out in November. I'm bad about keeping up with upcoming releases so have no idea what is coming out soon.

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@wendypalmer @lunalein @bookstodon ooh I like Connie Willis books!

Likewise, to bookstodon
@Likewise@beige.party avatar

Hi😊 I just moved here from another server, so I thought I’d introduce myself: My name is Lisa.
My 1st love is books, a close 2nd is drawing/painting. I walk a lot & place a high value on daily exercise. I work in the field of ophthalmology, but have a background in teaching & aviation. I am married, w/ 2 teenaged boys. Originally I’m from SoCal, but have lived in TN for many yrs & love it. I am definitely a country mouse (vs. city mouse).The older I get, the more I enjoy cold weather, which has led to an obsession w/ sweaters & sweatshirt. There is also a corkscrew in my purse for red wine emergencies.#books #life #photography #introduction @bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@TheLastofHisName @Likewise @bookstodon I'm also in Tennessee, down near the Alabama state line. I used to love living here until someone built a Tyson factory farm on my street. But I do still enjoy all the outdoor recreation around here.

duanetoops, to bookstodon
@duanetoops@mstdn.party avatar

The first book was beyond enjoyable! Excited to start the second!

@bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@duanetoops @bookstodon that's one of my favorite series!! I really relate to Murderbot. Stop talking to me so I can consume my media 😆 A new book is coming out in November!

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@duanetoops @Narayoni @bookstodon Murderbot refers to itself as it. No gender because it's not a sexbot! I've read these stories more times than is probably healthy 😆😆 My favorite thing about Murderbot is its total apathy about everything except Sanctuary Moon and preventing others from harming its humans

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@duanetoops @Narayoni @bookstodon ART is such a great character! And love what its name stands for 😆😆

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@Narayoni @duanetoops @bookstodon I think the second book is my favorite in the series!

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@duanetoops @jgoodleaf @Narayoni @bookstodon oh I need to tell y'all about a bot here:
@murderbotbot Murderbot on Mastodon!!!

cloudguy, to random
@cloudguy@mastodon.terabyte-computing.com avatar

This pretty much explains the Fediverse

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@cloudguy love it! My goal in life now is to not be monetized 😆

hlseward, to edutooters
@hlseward@mstdn.social avatar

For the first (ish) time, I'm missing the birdsite - because I've just finished the most incredible book, and in the past I could have tweeted the author to tell him how much I appreciated it. And I can't now. But I can still shout about it here. Every teacher in every type of context should read "I Heard What You Said" by Jeffrey Boakye - about being a black teacher in the UK. It's astounding. @edutooters

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@hlseward @edutooters to reach the bookish community here, use the tag and also tag @bookstodon that shares book posts to its followers. That sounds like a book a lot of people here would enjoy reading!

owlislost, to bookstodon
@owlislost@nerdculture.de avatar

Hellooo and happy Friday! What are you ? I'm mostly in textbook-land these days but I am listening to Daisy Jones & the Six, which is great as an audiobook. I'm weighing either starting Stradal's The Lager Queen of Minnesota or The Horse by Geraldine Brooks. https://geraldinebrooks.com/horse/ @bookstodon

Jennifer,
@Jennifer@bookstodon.com avatar

@owlislost @bookstodon I'm reading two fiction books right now, Ancillary Sword, sci-fi by Ann Leckie, and Moon Called, urban fantasy by Patricia Briggs. I'm enjoying both of them.

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