#books

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Amazon Kindle is no longer allowing book downloads on the 26th of Feb. If you want to keep copies of your books, now is the time to store them somewhere other than Amazon. To download to a PC you need the 2.4.70904 kindle app. for PC or Mac. Beware Amazon will try to upgrade this app. the upgraded app changes the book format. To convert your books get dedrm plugin for Calibre to create a copy that can be read on other Ebooks for your personal use.

I'm a writer, which amounts to being a small business owner attempting to make a (meager) living off my writing. So once a week, I share one of my books in case it might resonate with some of you.

The Last Priestess of Malia is historical fiction: The people of Crete fight to save their culture and their values from the onslaught of foreign conquerors. I'll be honest, it's not light reading. But I think it's relevant for our times, perhaps painfully so.

Details and content warnings here: https://www.lauraperryauthor.com/the-last-priestess-of-malia

A paperback copy of The Last Priestess of Malia by Laura Perry, standing upright in the middle of the image. The book cover includes a picture of a Minoan priestess standing outdoors with a temple in the distance. Surrounding the book is text connected to the book by arrows. The text reads, "Ancient Minoans, Historical Fiction, Matriarchal Culture, Pagan Rituals, Powerful Priestesses, Culture Clash, Sorry, No Happy Ending "You've Been Warned)."

reviewed Old Soul by Susan Barker

Susan Barker: Old Soul 5 stars

The woman never goes by the same name. She never stays in the same place …

Not your usual horror fare

5 stars

Horror is not my favorite genre. I only picked up this book because I had read some good reviews. And it was great. Even without the horror thing, the book could stand as a great novel. It follows a woman who seems to leave a trail of dead former partners across decades (centuries) without aging herself. The childhood friend of one of her victims starts piecing it all together. So the book takes largely the form of a series of testimonials from people related to the victims. Mini-narratives. And they're brilliant. I could not put this book down. #books #bookstodon Highly recommended.

In February-March 1875.

Arthur Rimbaud meets Paul Verlaine in Stuttgart, Germany, after Verlaine's release from prison, and gives him the manuscript of his poems Illuminations. Rimbaud stops writing literature entirely at the age of 20.

The texts follow Rimbaud's peregrinations in 1873 from Reading where he had hoped to find steady work, to Charleville and Stuttgart in 1875.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminations_(poetry_collection)

Original publication:
https://athena.unige.ch/athena/rimbaud/rimbaud-les-illuminations.html

Rimbaud at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/33825

Henri Fantin-Latour, Un coin de table; détail: Verlaine et Rimbaud (1872) Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France. The image focuses on Paul Verlaine (left) and Arthur Rimbaud (right), two renowned French poets. Verlaine has a receding hairline, a beard, and a serious expression. He is dressed in dark formal attire, sitting upright with his hands on the table. Rimbaud, younger and with wavy, unkempt hair, rests his head on one hand while gazing at the viewer with an intense, somewhat dreamy expression. The scene is dimly lit, with a muted color palette emphasizing the contrast between the figures and the background. On the table, there is a glass of wine and a glass decanter, reinforcing the bohemian and intellectual atmosphere.

In February to March 1893.

The 22-year-old Stephen Crane pays for publication of his first book, the Bowery novella Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, under the pseudonym "Johnston Smith", in New York City. Later considered a pioneering example of American literary realism, its first trade edition (rewritten) comes out in 1896 after Crane has attained fame with The Red Badge of Courage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggie:_A_Girl_of_the_Streets

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/447

Cover of the 1896 first trade edition of Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane. The book was published by D. Appleton & Company in 1896. The cover is yellow or mustard-colored cloth, typical of many late 19th-century book bindings. The title "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets" is displayed in bold, dark-colored lettering on the front cover. The author's name, Stephen Crane, appears below the title. The design is relatively simple, without elaborate illustrations or artwork, emphasizing its status as a serious literary work.

In February 1905.

Upton Sinclair's novel The Jungle begins serialization in the American socialist newspaper Appeal to Reason.

In 1904, Sinclair spent seven weeks gathering information while working incognito in the meatpacking plants of the Union Stock Yards in Chicago for the socialist newspaper Appeal to Reason.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jungle

Original files here:
https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/appeal-to-reason/050225-appealtoreason-w482-thejungle.pdf

The Jungle at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/140

Original publication of The Jungle by Lewis Sincalir in the journal Appeal to Reason, No. 482, February 25, 1905. The newspaper’s title, Appeal to Reason, is prominently displayed at the top in a bold, decorative font. Below the title, the headline "THE JUNGLE: A STORY OF CHICAGO" by Upton Sinclair is printed, marking the serialized debut of the novel. The layout consists of dense, justified columns of text, typical of early 20th-century newspaper printing. There are illustrations accompanying the text, one depicting "The Free Wedding Feast", likely referencing the opening scenes of the novel. Another illustration in the lower right shows a dramatic scene labeled "He shall pay to the uttermost farthing", adding a visual representation of the novel’s themes. The text begins with "Chapter I", introducing the immigrant workers and their struggles in Chicago’s meatpacking industry. The top of the page contains publication details, including the date and issue number.