@picard@mas.to
@picard@mas.to avatar

picard

@[email protected]

Gaming (on linux), science, history, learning Ukrainian

Header image: Red Viburnum by #LyubovPanchenko. I wrote a bit about her here (including a description for this piece): https://mas.to/@picard/109762715944064107

Avatar: Bucha Spring by #LyubovPanchenko. Read more (including a description) here: https://mas.to/@picard/109920251214826351

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

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@darklukee @BombOmOm You could check out @ragnarbjartur over here on Mastodon, he posts daily updates of this stuff. Some fantastic visualisation work in his data dashboard, tracking daily russian losses, rolling averages, etc for multiple categories. He's doing incredible work, well worth following if you're interested in visualisation of these figures.

iamgaarden, to bookstodon
@iamgaarden@mastodon.world avatar

Hello #bookstodon and @bookstodon
Forgive me for spamming you, but maybe you can help me? I'm trying to learn to use mastodon better, so I have a few questions about your habits.
Do you use both tag and group? Or just the one? What do you use it for? Examples:
To talk with others about books.
To find an online community I fit into.
To learn of new books I didn't know existed.
To broadcast my blog posts/reviews about books.
Other?

Does it work for you?
If you've read so far: Have a nice day☀️

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@iamgaarden @Funktious @bookstodon Mastodon now allows one to configure lists to 'hide these posts from home'. It may be possible to combine this with the bookstodon group by adding the group to a list, hiding the posts of that list from home, interact with the group only when you browse the list?

I am unsure this will work, will try to test but if anybody can confirm that'd be great.

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@jcct @iamgaarden @Funktious @bookstodon Thanks. I think I heard somebody say something similar for busy accounts.

Wasn't sure if the fact it's a group might cause some quirks, but it seems to have worked as intended for me: with the group in a list, and the list set to hide from home, I do indeed only see the group posts in that list.

ramblingreaders, to bookstodon
@ramblingreaders@toot.community avatar

Do you know there's a alternative to Amazon-owned ? is a social network for tracking your reading, writing reviews, and discovering what to read next. You can follow and interact with users on different instances and on . You can import from a Goodreads CSV export. You can create private shelves and curated lists. Join us at https://ramblingreaders.org or choose one of the other instances available @bookstodon

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@ramblingreaders @bookstodon I love Bookwyrm! It's a great alternative to Goodreads. I haven't used it much, because I haven't read much the last few months, but really looking forward to writing more reviews and seeing what others are reading that I might be interested in.

It's really nice how you can follow Bookwyrm accounts from elsewhere in the fediverse.

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@ramblingreaders @bookstodon Also, you reminded me to post my current read and I had to add it as a new book manually (only the US edition on there, and the UK edition has a much better cover). So thanks for that 😀

picard, to bookstodon
@picard@mas.to avatar

@bookstodon

Around 33 hours left on the Embroidered Worlds Kickstarter - a collection of Ukrainian science fiction.

Recently hit the third stretch goal (custom bookplates for backers, designed by a Ukrainian artist). Great going!

Let's see if we can push it a little higher 😊

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atthisarts/embroidered-worlds

DebsBookReviews, to bookstodon
@DebsBookReviews@mastodon.world avatar

What have you enjoyed recently? Not your own work authors, you have Marketing Monday for that 🙄

@bookstodon

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@DebsBookReviews @bookstodon I loved - like really, really loved - Aestus (Books 1 and 2) by S.Z. Attwell when I read it earlier in the year. Easily amongst the best I've ever read. Still find myself thinking about it months after finishing it.

picard, to bookstodon
@picard@mas.to avatar

This Kickstarter for a Ukrainian science fiction anthology looks great.

They already secured a grant form the Ukrainian Book Institute for many stories from Ukrainian authors (and translations into English), and have just passed the funding goal for printing (plus the first stretch goal).

Backing starts from as little as $1 for the ebook (or $20 plus international postage for a print copy).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atthisarts/embroidered-worlds

@bookstodon

#Ukraine #Bookstodon #ScienceFiction #SciFi #Books

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@bookstodon The usual caveats apply to risk on Kickstarter projects of course - no guarantees that any project will succeed. However, this one is from an established indie publisher with a track record of delivering on multiple Kickstarters, so it seems reasonably solid.

Personally, I'd love to see it hit the $30k stretch goal to get some illustrations, that sounds very cool.

The publishers are on Mastodon too, which is always great to see: @atthisarts

jarulf, to bookstodon
@jarulf@mstdn.social avatar

@bookstodon
I use #Linux as the main OS on my computers, but also use Windows 10 on one.
For the sole reason to download the #ebooks I buy.
I play the occasional Windows-only game as well, but those I can do without.
I can't do without ebooks.
I really, really wish there was an open standard for getting any ebook, with or without #drm, onto any device without having to rely on a single piece of software from one company.
#EU, do something!
#DailyRant #PetPeeve #ADE #AdobeDigitalEditions

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@ericsfraga @jarulf @bookstodon do you have a link to a guide you used?

i'd really like to look at moving away from using Amazon for everything, and want the option to strip adobe drm from books bought elsewhere for use on kindle. (with a longer-term aim of moving to a different device, potentially)

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@ericsfraga @jarulf @bookstodon thank you, appreciate you replying. that is very helpful, thanks.

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@ericsfraga @jarulf @bookstodon Thank you!

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@jarulf @ericsfraga @bookstodon What do you use? Any e-ink recommendations that are maybe a bit more open than kindle?

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@flockofnazguls @jarulf @ericsfraga @bookstodon @BadgerBadgerBadger @ronsboy67 @arensb

thanks everyone for the replies re: readers. good to hear kobo is reasonably open to tinkering. that stuff is important to me these days (maybe obviously, given this thread started with talk about linux 😄)

koreader being unavailable on kindle was one of the things that first pormpted me to start thinking about other options that would allow more choice. so thanks for all the suggestions!

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@jarulf @demerara @ericsfraga @bookstodon yeah this looks very useful, thank you! appreciate your help and input.

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@ronsboy67 @flockofnazguls @jarulf @ericsfraga @bookstodon @BadgerBadgerBadger @arensb thanks a lot for the detailed advice 😊

bogiperson, to shortstory
@bogiperson@wandering.shop avatar

!!! Sign up to be notified when the Kickstarter for this super cool Ukrainian SFF anthology launches! Many stories, both translated from Ukrainian and written originally in English.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atthisarts/embroidered-worlds

@bookstodon @shortstory @shortsff

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@bogiperson @bookstodon @shortstory @shortsff Thank you for the notice.

AdamStuartSmith, to bookstodon
@AdamStuartSmith@sauropods.win avatar

It's publication day for The Tyrannosaur's Feathers!

I've written an article about the book and why I dedicated it to my late friend Wang Qi: https://plesiosauria.com/the-tyrannosaurs-feathers-book-out-now/

The book is widely available online, including on Amazon US now https://www.amazon.com/dp/1915235596/ and it can be ordered from your local bookshop.

#TheTyrannosaursFeathers #books #bookstodon #Trex #dinosaurs @bookstodon

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@AdamStuartSmith @bookstodon Oh that sounds really interesting! Congratulations.

spsfc, to bookstodon
@spsfc@wandering.shop avatar

Applications are open to become a judge for the third , a contest to choose the best self-published science fiction novel. @bookstodon

Use this link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScg8beCIvldSggvuH61Y98LaFgSX1UT1oTtCgNhXFJfAN2SNw/viewform

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@spsfc @bookstodon Very excited to see what kind of stuff comes up in the contest this time!

Private
picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@garethsouthwell @bookstodon Others mentioned following and using hashtags (Mastodon has no text search, so hashtags the only way to find posts in Mastodon).

But also: don't be afraid to boost your own posts, especially if you're promoting your work. One trade-off of having no algorithm is posts are much more transient, very easy to miss - boosting your own stuff brings it back into timelines. People often boost for different times of day / timezones or on a weekend or whatever - within reason!

picard, to bookstodon
@picard@mas.to avatar

The results of the SPSFC final are out - congratulations to all!

I don't know how many of the authors are on Mastodon, but I felt it was important to promote the results.

If any read this: well done! Getting to the final is a huge achievement and really shows the quality of your work.

Though reviews in a contest may by nature seem clinical, remember: your books always evoke a strong emotional response of joy in your readers too 😊

@bookstodon

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@bookstodon I've only read Aestus myself (I loved it so much I wrote my own very spoilery review: https://fediverse.blog/~/TheBeastAtTanagra/Book%20review:%20Aestus,%20by%20S.%20Z.%20Attwell - I've got spoiler-free reviews on my Bookwyrm too if anyone hasn't read but is curious, link in my profile) so I have no comments on the others - please add yours if you've read any of the finalists!

I feel it's really important to promote this kind of stuff in the fediverse.

https://thespsfc.org

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@bookstodon The SPSFC has an account here now too!

@spsfc

bibliolater, to bookstodon
@bibliolater@qoto.org avatar

When you need to understand and retain important #information that you have #read, do you use an #electronic #book or a traditional paper #book for the purpose?

#Books #Ebook #Ebooks #Bookstodon #Reading #AmReading #Question @bookstodon

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@bibliolater @jarulf @bookstodon That is interesting I wonder why the difference between physical and ebook for retention. I only buy physical books for recipes, reading a physical book with my shoulder pain is too much usually. But now wondering if eg history or science books I should consider trying physical sometimes?

(I generally don't do audio-anything - I get too easily distracted - I really need video for any audio type stuff so audiobooks are not really for me usually)

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@bibliolater @jarulf @bookstodon Thanks - will have a read, sounds like a good article!

I remember seeing Norman Davies (historian / writer) talk about the difference in quality between writing with pen and paper and using a laptop - the physicality of it.

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@riggbeck @bibliolater @jarulf @bookstodon thanks, appreciate your thoughts on this. Not been able to read the article today but valued your input.

picard,
@picard@mas.to avatar

@jarulf @bibliolater @bookstodon I do have a book stand which I suppose might help with physical books, but still less comfortable than propping up an ereader. Interesting about the relative ease of hardbacks though, thanks.

picard, to bookstodon
@picard@mas.to avatar

Felt like writing some of my thoughts about Aestus, by S. Z. Attwell. This is basically all spoilers - I have spoiler-free reviews on my Bookwyrm.

As Aestus Book 1 is a finalist in the SPSFC competition this weekend, I felt it was a good time to write something more detailed about why I love these books.

https://fediverse.blog/~/TheBeastAtTanagra/Book%20review:%20Aestus,%20by%20S.%20Z.%20Attwell

@bookstodon @bookreviews

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