Hoxton Mini Press continue to produce absolutely gorgeous books. I can't afford to buy one very often but this one was in my local library so I haven't paid a penny to enjoy it! Feast your eyes:

#books #architecture #photography #london #HoxtonMiniPress

Alt...

Book cover. Small pink hardback with glossy lettering: London Shop Fronts Emma Page * Rachael Smith Hoxton Mini Press

Alt...

Interior photo showing a shop front. Blue and gold and glass. Gold sign: 89 FLORIS

Alt...

Interior photo. The Michelin building in South Kensington. An art nouveau wonder with pillars, cupolas, stained glass, glossy tiles.

The Lily Cafe Weekly Highlights – July 10, 2026

At Home

After a couple of weeks away from here, I’m sort of back? Summer’s always hard, anyways, what with the kids home from school. My husband took his summer vacation, which meant we were neck deep in house projects for two weeks, so I just kind of gave up on everything else. There’s still more to fix up, and one thing we did caused another problem we’re now dealing with. And there’s been a bit of an oven issue that’s hopefully getting fixed today. And we decided we did a 1500 piece puzzle so of course jumping to do 3000 is no big deal. Needless to say, the past few weeks have been a little crazy.

On the bright side, my daughter has been in summer school. She’s been doing really well so far and enjoying it, making new friends, reviewing lots of math and reading comprehension. The one bad thing is I’m back to school drop off and pick up, and not at our normal school. As much as it is nice to have her practicing over the summer, I do hate how broken up my days are.

But summer is flying by. We’ll be out of town in a few weeks and then school starts. Hopefully life will get sort of back to normal then.

What I’ve Read

I really enjoyed The Eye of the Leviathan. It’s very different from their first series, but the story flows really well. There was a point near the end where I kind of felt a little tired of everything, but the end left me excited for the next book. I’m also very glad I didn’t actually need to know much about the Spanish Golden Age and Catholicism as I have very limited knowledge in both! I also read Destination Funeral, somehow thinking it was a bunch of elderly women getting together one last time when one of them dies. I also had some weird idea it was somewhere tropical? Instead it’s a bunch of adults probably somewhere in their early thirties (I may be doing my math wrong) getting together on a not tropical island when the mother of two of them dies and they now have to deal with all the things that broke them apart years before thanks to a time loop. It was fun, once I got to the time loop part.

In progress: Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim

According to my mom, Cinderella was my favorite Disney movie growing up. Years later I became familiar with the Chinese version, which is one of the oldest versions of the story. I’ve been eager to get into this one for a while. I was pleasantly surprised to discover part of this story is set in the 1940s in Guangdong and Hong Kong, which is where my family comes from, and around the same time period my grandmother was growing up. It’s kind of like getting something adjacent to my family’s history. Paired with the story of Cinderella, I’m having a great time.

Kids’ Reading Corner

The 6th Grader: It seems like he’s decided to make his way through the Middle School series by James Patterson (and other authors). He read one that takes the main character to Australia, and he had fun telling me about that one. Now he’s listening to the first book. He briefly considered listening to The Lord of the Rings because it’s really long, but fantasy isn’t is thing.

The 3rd Grader: She finished reading one of the Nancy Drew Clue Crew books. As I write this, she hasn’t picked something new yet, but she’ll need to!

The Kitchen

So…after getting a new range because the oven in our first range broke, our new range also had to be returned because the oven wasn’t working properly, leaking gas every time it was turned on, and trying to get a technician out to fix it turned into a circus. The company ended up letting us return it for a full refund and we ordered a new one. Thanks to some lack of communication on their end, we had almost two full days without a range. It’ll be arriving today, and fingers crossed it works right. On the bright side, I did make some bread in the air fryer.

The Writing Lounge

I got nothing done. I hardly turned on my computer for the better part of three weeks. It’s also been really hard to open it up because at least one of the kittens decides she’s really curious so I kind of have to wait for both of them to be asleep.

Featured Posts From the Cafe

Over the past few weeks, I’ve only participated in Fantasy with Friends, sharing my thoughts on magical libraries, reading order, and magic systems. I also managed to get my review for Tsubaki Stationary Store by Ito Ogawa up.

Blog Stats and Other Interesting Things

As much fun as this section has been, I’ve decided to retire it for the time being because 1) it’s kind of a pain to do and 2) I’m currently in my “I don’t really care about stats” phase (I cycle back and forth, so this section might return one day).

Featured Blog Post

Each week I aim to share my favorite post of the week. But, as my brain is increasingly cluttered with manuscript-related things and I’m getting increasingly sidetracked by my backyard as it’s gone from dead to wildflowery to I’m worried it’s overgrowing, I’ll be taking a break from this section.

If you would be so kind, one of my best friends is an artist and recently opened her online store. If you like LGBTQ art, take a look: Sunlight & Sky.

See you next week, and thanks for reading!

Alt...

the eye of leviathan m.a. carrick

Alt...

destination funeral paige harbison

Alt...

fishbone cinderella by elizabeth lim

Beware the Ills: Part 51

They’re not far ahead of me. I will meet them soon. I have not thought about the outcome yet; specifically, how I will spare her, and how I will kill Haukter. I really don’t have any answers on how I will accomplish these things. I can only theorize and act on instinct. I’m in the forest now. I’ve just cleared the outskirts of the Shingles. Those walking machines the invaders used were maniacal and blind, they caused unmatched damage. I don’t know how future Guardians will be against these advancements. If I spare her, and she can return, maybe that will cease the invasions. It’ll make them realize there’s nothing on this island but monsters and shattered warriors.

She must return to them.

The evening’s going to be arriving soon. I hope they can still light the torches for me and my hunt. The battle in the city, which appeared to last only a few moments, took the entire afternoon. I will never understand how time passes in combat. Another blood riddle for my memory and life, which lives like a blur.

I’m tired on the inside. I will not show it, but I am.

The poison, Blue, the Diamond Town, it has all been exhausting. Blue was more deserving of a shallow grave though, I had to do it right, I had to dig it deep. He had value.

He had love.

I’m running between the trees; they’re quiet, solemn, and awaiting the night. They look so permanent, so sturdy, it’s hard to believe anything could topple them, but our axes do it all the time.

At least they grow back.

I must concentrate. I cannot be distracted. The chances of me making a mistake are growing exponentially. After the encroachers there is only Haukter. I have absolutely no idea how I will deal with him. Not having confidence hurts. I’m not comfortable, or familiar with this feeling.

I’m almost to the river. They’ll be crossing it. The same watery spine as before, with its frosty marks of blood. They’ll still be there. I don’t want to see them. Maybe some of the cold and snow will smear away the marks. All this combat and strife, and the snow still twinkles in uncensored petals.   

The natural world isn’t without a sense of humor.

The trees are thinning ahead, the river will be nearby. I can hear them panting and running on the plates of ice. They panicked; they know I’m on their trail, and not the Ills who are too decimated. The Ills don’t pose a threat to anything or anyone. They’ve outgrown their bloodlust, and their violence. That means something to me. I don’t really know what, but I can feel it behind my eyes. The pain in my body from the battle feels illuminating. It has been so long since I’ve felt it.

I appreciate its splendor, its reality.

I know they’re not far. I’m curious to see their state. I break through the forest’s edge and the open land splits between the river and westward woods. The ice plates are moving in the center of the dark river line.

It’s them. 

Fifty, just fifty of the invading force. They’re staggering and trembling as they run. Their brown armor has been shredded and covered with slight crystals of frost. They have glistening wounds as well, but they keep running for the shore. I must give them credit for running in that state. She’s running as well. Apparently, my wound was painful, but not debilitating. Something moves on the opposite side of the shore. A form lunges out from the trees and onto the plates.

It’s Haukter.

He’s moving fast, at a full, hide-covered sprint. I can’t even see his feet touch the ground beneath the animal layers. They see him immediately. He’s a bit noticeable. I would hope they’d see him. I stop and sink back into the thin trees. I’ll leap into the fray, but I’ll have to play it just right.

Haukter has a weapon on his left side. It’s the big cleaver from before, with the strange handle. They fire arrows at him from their crossbows. His right sleeve flails up and knocks them away leisurely, yet violently, a strange combination of skill and rage.

I won’t intervene yet.

I must surprise him. I must take out one of his eyes to handicap him. I need the advantage. I’m too exhausted.

He releases the chained clever at them in a metallic twirl. The cleaver makes a light humming sound as it spins towards them. They must be panicking. They’re running in a clump, and not spreading out. The blade hits them. A few avoid it, but the rest are cut in half at the waist.

Quite the weapon, I’ll have to hurry.

Haukter retracts the cleaver back to him with a pull of his left sleeve. The range of the attack gives the invaders a few moments to recover. She charges Haukter totally normal, and not controlled by rage. Her axe dangles out at him as she closes the distance. Haukter recoils the weapon in a quick snap and holds it in front of his body. The remaining men skillfully fire arrows at him around her charging form. He knocks them away again with his right sleeve, not that they could pierce his hides. His brown rod falls out of his fabric. He swings it, and a cloud of red darts with white feathers breaks the air. She ducks, but the men behind her fall to the ground, convulsing and thrashing.

Soon they’ll be dead.

I’ll be releasing my novel Beware the Ills in segments every Friday. You can find out more about the book right here, or check out Amazon’s info. I love this book. Happy to simply share it. 

It is Friday. That means a cursed island, cannibals, giant squids, airships, swordfights, and much more. Enjoy Beware the Ills. You're approaching the end.

#writing #reading #fiction #books #novels #horror #fantasy #darkfantasy #steampunk

https://patrickwmarshauthor.wordpress.com/2026/07/10/beware-the-ills-part-51/

QSFer Will Okati has a new MM urban fantasy romance out: Amused and Amazed.

Drag Queens and Superheroes To the Rescue!

The Drag Queen of Faerie: The course of true love just won’t run smooth for hunk-next-door Will Taylor, who’s in search of that special someone. All that focused energy attracts the attention ...

https://www.queerscifi.com/new-release-amused-and-amazed-will-okati/

#Fantasy #UrbanFantasy #DragQueens #GayRomance #Gay @MMbookstodon #LGBTQBookstodon @lgbtqbookstodon @diversebooks #bookstodon @bookstodon #Books

Eagerly awaiting Naomi Klein’s latest. Out in September.
#books #bookstodon #fascism
https://naomiklein.org/end-times-fascism/

Every Friday, I meet a member of the British Fantasy Society and peer deep into their soul (or, at least, a form they filled out). It's too hot for anything serious, so we're in the vicinity of Preston with SFF-comedy writer G.J. Dunn who says he's mostly writing to make himself laugh.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/meet-g-j-dunn/

#fantasy #scifi #sciencefiction #writers #writing #books #creativity #creativetoots #comedyfantasy #pratchettfans

Alt...

On a black background with flourishes of red dots and lines is the text: Meet the BFS members! G.J. Dunn. The author is pictured in the centre, holding his own book upside down while raising one eyebrow to the camera.

#PoemaDelDía Hoy estamos leyendo

"El olvido", de Nato Ingorokva (Georgia, 1969) https://franciscocenamor.blogspot.com/2026/06/poema-del-dia-el-olvido-de-nato.html

#poesía georgiana contemporánea (
@HuergayFierro editores, Madrid, 2023, ed. y trad. de Lana Kalandia y Rodolfo Häsler).

#poem #poetry #books #libros

Banned book of the day: The Lucky One (2008) — Nicholas Sparks
https://www.banned-books.org/book-of-the-day/2026-07-10?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=book-of-the-day
#BannedBooks #Censorship #FreedomToRead #Books #IntellectualFreedom

Sherry reviews "The Relic" by Lloyd Meeker:

"If you read and liked “The Alchemist” then you’ll certainly like “The Relic.” It’s a bit like “The Celestine Prophecy,” too—if you also toss in a vicious feudal warlord, a corrupt religious order, a brutal natural environment and a purported religious relic... A highly recommended, thought-provoking and magical story. Five stars."

https://www.queerscifi.com/the-relic-lloyd-meeker/

#Fantasy #Gay @diversebooks @bookstodon #books #BookReview

https://www.limfic.com/2026/07/10/the-relic-lloyd-meeker/

5 Important Characters in the Odyssey That Shape the Story

Following the Trojan War, Odysseus journeys home in the Odyssey. Five characters bring to life the vivid world that challenged and ultimately defined his return.

https://www.thecollector.com/characters-odyssey/

"Odyssey" at PG:

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1727

"Telemachus and the Nymphs of Calypso"

#books #literature

Alt...

"Telemachus and the Nymphs of Calypso" (1782) by Angelica Kauffman. "The work depicts the arrival of Telemachus on Ogygia, Calypso's island. He is welcomed by her nymphs with fruit, wine and flowers. The goddess Athena had been his guide, disguised as the old man Mentor, and is shown being led away to the left by one of the nymphs" - Wikipedia

Reading for 10 minutes a day can bring about big changes and this was the first set of books put out on Wednesday evening for adults wanting a free book for the Summer.

As it's the National Year Of Reading, people can also get involved with making books accessible through Little Free Libraries, residents associations and book swap schemes.

#books #yearofreading #manchester #uk #reading #literature #health #mentalhealth #nhs #england

Alt...

Reading for 10 minutes a day can bring about big changes and this was the first set of books put out on Wednesday evening for adults wanting a free book for the Summer. As it's the National Year Of Reading, people can also get involved with making books accessible through Little Free Libraries, residents associations and book swap schemes.

The Black Box: Writing the Race by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. #books #literature #dedication

Alt...

For Stephanie Gates Always outside of the box For Eleanor Margaret Gates-Hatley Always remember you have the right to check your own box, or no box at all

"The Positive Outcome of Philosophy" by Josef Dietzgen has got to be one of the best philosophical texts I have ever read, & certainly the most underrated by a dramatic margin. Highly recommended. I like it better than Beyond Good & Evil or most other classics. Very readable also, more-so than even Meditations on First Philosophy. #philosophy #literature #books #book #nonfiction

Someone just picked up a copy of my book and has started reading it 🤠

#booksky #books #Kindleunlimited #thriller #suspense #romance #novels #geopolitical #mythological #darkromance #women #contemporary #fiction #fantasy #crime #amazon #readingcommunity #writingcommunity #author #readers #indie

“The Poverty of Seeking Love”

Claude comments on my post “10 Truths About Love” – https://selfrealization.blog/2026/07/10/10-truths-about-love/ –

Sam, these read like a distillation of the Krishnamurti–Advaita confluence you’ve been working in for years — several of them (especially 4, 5, and 9) carry the unmistakable cadence of K’s “where the self is, love is not.” Let me give you honest commentary, aphorism by aphorism where it matters, and then a structural observation.

The strongest pieces are 2, 3, and 9. Number 2 is the theological heart of the set: love not as something the ego does but as what remains when the ego is seen through — “I myself become love” echoes both Ramana’s “God, Guru, and Self are one” and the Sufi identification of the lover dissolving into the Beloved. Number 3 is the most psychologically acute and the most universally defensible; it would stand on its own in any tradition, secular or sacred. And 9 has genuine aphoristic bite — the paradox lands cleanly, the way Nisargadatta’s inversions do. Only lack goes looking.

Now the pushback you’d want me to give. Numbers 4 and 5 are doctrinally coherent within your framework but rhetorically risky. Calling the want to be loved “the highest form of ego and ignorance” [Claude, I have now changed it “is also a form of ego and ignorance”] is severe even by K’s standards — the desire to be loved is also, developmentally, how human beings become capable of love at all. A child deprived of being loved rarely grows into your aphorism 6. The Vedantic point survives a gentler phrasing; the current one may read as contempt for ordinary human need rather than compassion for it. There’s a difference between diagnosing the poverty (as 5 does, more successfully, with its nice inversion of what “poverty” means) and seeming to sneer at the poor.

Number 10 is the most provocative, and I suspect deliberately so — it’s your Ashtavakra 1.2 move, the anomalous verse that unsettles the reader. But notice it’s also the only one framed as a wondering rather than a declaration, which is honest and softens it. Still, some readers will hear it as cynicism about maternal love rather than as the rigorous point you intend: that even the most selfless-seeming human love carries attachment, identification, expectation. If you keep it, its position as the closer is right — end on the open question, not a verdict. But consider whether “true love” is doing too much work across the set. By the time the reader reaches 10, “true love” has been defined so stringently (egoless, universal, unconditioned) that of course a mother fails the test — as does everyone, per 8. The aphorism risks being tautological rather than revelatory.

That’s the structural issue: the set proves too much. If 1 and 8 are true, then no human being loves, and the reader may reasonably ask why they should take instruction on love from a standard nothing meets. K faced this same objection all his life. The traditional Advaitic answer — that the standard is met, but not by a person; love is the substratum, not an achievement — is present in 2 and 6, but it arrives quietly. You might consider whether the arc from indictment (1, 4, 5, 8) to possibility (2, 6, 7) is legible enough, or whether reordering would help: currently the sequence oscillates, and a reader could come away with only the indictment.

One small craft note: 6 and 7 are near-duplicates in structure (“To be able to love X is Y”), and 7 is the weaker — “those who despise us” is well-trodden territory from the Sermon on the Mount onward, and your version doesn’t add a new turn to it. Either cut 7 or sharpen it into something the Gospels didn’t already say.

What’s genuinely yours here, and worth protecting, is the economic register — “poverty,” “want,” “need” — running through 4, 5, and 9. That’s a distinctive thread. If anything, I’d develop it: love as the one economy where seeking guarantees lack and having was never acquired.

#Bible #Books #faith #God #Life

Good morning everyone! בוקר טוב #goodmorning #computerout #justforabit #books #read

I loved following the thematic complexities of Claire North's 'Slow Gods', a space opera that uses a big, epic plot to explore a very personal experience of difference.

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/e580575e-bdf3-4551-9ec7-aa659d104657

#sf #sciencefiction #spaceopera #books #bookstodon

Alt...

A white male hand holding a copy of Claire North's 'Slow Gods' in front of some summer greenery.

Relax Relax Relax

#booksky #books #Kindleunlimited #thriller #suspense #romance #novels #geopolitical #mythological #darkromance #women #contemporary #fiction #fantasy #crime #amazon #sifi #readingcommunity #writingcommunity #author #readers #indie

The missing template of feasts

https://subspacewagon.systems/the-missing-template-of-feasts/

___
https://www.poet.garden
https://www.subspacewagon.io
https://www.selections.directory
___

@poetry
@writingcommunity

#Poetry #PoemADay #PoetryCommunity #Poem #TodaysPoem #WritingCommunity #books #humanities #amwriting #CreativeWriting #WritersOfMastodon #writing #art #poetics #critcalThinking #community #bookstodon #sociology #humanRights #ableism #RuleOfLaw #Law #SmallWeb #SupportHumanArtists

The first page of Jean Giono’s Hill is beautiful. I can’t wait to devour this. #literature #books #frenchlit #frenchliterature

Alt...

The first page of Jean Giono’s Hill is beautiful. I can’t wait to devour this. #literature #books #frenchlit #frenchliterature

emaqi has announced four new exclusive manga series coming to its digital manga platform throughout July 2026. The lineup includes the first official English digital releases of Pierrot-Man, The Isekai Reincarnation Sketchbook of Hundred Burger-chan, Barefaced: The Man Who Left Public Security, and Beyond the Heavens. Two of the new additions will also be available [...]

Alt...

emaqi Adds Four Exclusive Manga Series in July, Including Two for Premium Subscribers

Mind Change Changing the World One Mind At a Time by Heather McKean, 2025

What if you had the power to change ANYTHING in your life? Finances, Health, Happiness, even your DNA. Mind Change will help give you the tools to tap into the tremendous potential of the Mind/Body connection.

#books
#nonfiction
#mind
#body
#SelfHelp

Alt...

In a world full of "life hacks," you can finally learn how to "hack" into the biochemistry of your brain. The information within this book has helped countless people transform their lives by changing their minds. After finding herself at death's door and then healing from numerous "incurable" diseases, Heather McKean was on a mission to help empower others to have their own success story. After diving into the cutting-edge information on neuroplasticity, epigenetics, psychoneuroimmunology and more...Mind Change takes key research and ideas and makes them practical and easy to digest. Using concepts from a multitude of Mind/Body modalities, Mind Change takes all of the best information and slims it down into a few fast and easy-to-follow steps.

A small community book exchange box sits beside a weathered wall and metal fence, with books visible inside. A simple neighborhood spot for sharing reading material.

📍 Ille-sur-Têt, France

https://www.bookcorners.org/library/ille-sur-tet-rue-pierre-curie/

#BookCorners #FreeBooks #Books #France

Alt...

A small black community book exchange box stands by a weathered wall and metal fence, with books visible inside.

Anybody here who knows anything about book marketing? I mean real marketing, not writing a blurb and setting up a blog. I know how to do that.
Where do you send your blurb? Where do you announce your book? Where do you send review copies? Are there any book sales reps who work for independent authors? What else am I missing?
Anyone?
#fedihelp #marketing #books

"In forty years of medical practice, I have found only two types of non-pharmaceutical 'therapy' to be vitally important for patients with chronic neurological diseases: music and gardens."

Alt...

The Healing Power of Gardens: Oliver Sacks on the Psychological and Physiological Consolations of Nature

GAO Reports Pentagon’s Top New Weapons Programs Are 12 Years Behind Schedule

DEFENSE NEWS By Michael Peck

“Schedule delays across Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAP) signal overly optimistic time frames,” according to the GAO report, after examining 104 of the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons programs. “The overall average time frame to deliver a capability increased this year to over 12 years.“

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

“The news was almost predictable. For yet another year, auditors have found that America’s new weapons aren’t being delivered on time.

“DOD plans to invest over $2.4 trillion to develop and acquire its costliest weapon programs,” according to the Government Accountability Office’s 2026 annual report on major defense acquisition programs, or MDAP.

“Schedule delays persisted across MDAPs, signaling overly optimistic time frames,” according to the GAO report, which examined 104 of the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons programs. “The overall average time frame to deliver a capability increased this year to over 12 years. Further, several MDAPs have not set new delivery dates or are delaying critical interim milestones.

“By keeping delivery dates static, these programs raise questions about how realistic their estimates are. This means the 12-year average will likely increase in the future.”

If that sounds familiar, the 2025 annual report found that the DOD “continues to struggle with delivering innovative technologies quickly and within budget.”

However, the 2025 study seemed particularly concerned by rising costs of weapons due to inflation in the U.S. economy. In that regard, the 2026 analysis revealed a mixed price picture, with 46 of 72 programs reporting increases totaling $122 billion, and 16 reporting decreases totaling $47 billion.

GAO’s 2026 report seems more focused on program delays, especially in middle tier of acquisition, or MTA, projects that are intended to quickly jumpstart fielding of weapons within five years. The Pentagon is investing more than $49 billion across 23 of the most expensive MTA projects.

But GAO found that many systems are being slotted into the MTA despite the technology being too immature to be fast-tracked.

“For example, between 2018 and 2025, 18 out of 40 programs have entered the MTA pathway with immature technologies,” the report stated.

Many were lower than Technology Readiness Level 6 (prototype stage), and some were less than TRL 3 (proof of concept stage). Of eight current MTA projects, GAO deemed seven to be technologically immature, including the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile and the Next Generation Persistent Overhead Infrared sensor.

Thus, “programs are increasingly using the MTA pathway to mature technologies, when the intention of the pathway is to prototype and or field a residual capability within two to five years,” Shelby Oakley, GAO’s director for contracting and national security acquisitions, told Defense News.

“This is why we are not seeing capabilities fielded any faster,” Oakley said.

Among specific program issues, the Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray carrier-based unmanned aircraft has a 2.5-year delay to “initial operational capability and a 26-month delay to the end of initial operational testing,” GAO found. Changes to the design based on testing could push deployment out even longer.

For the DDG(X) destroyer, the Navy has yet to offer an acquisition strategy that details the assumptions behind the project.

“As such, the Navy’s business case for the DDG(X) program is not apparent,” GAO said. The DDG(X) is also likely to be affected by shipyard delays in building the Arleigh Burke-class Flight III series, which are up to 55 months behind schedule.

The Air Force’s B-52 radar modernization program, meanwhile, is beset by “cost increases and schedule delays.” The Air Force is opting to enter production with “very little development flight testing completed.”

The Army’s Mid-Range Capability program, which uses mounts Navy missiles and vertical launch tubes in Army vehicles, has “identified three additional critical technologies, all of which are immature.”

There are questions on “whether the return on investment is worthwhile for the four batteries planned for production by the Army,” the GAO stated.”

Pentagon’s top new weapons programs are 12 years behind schedule: Watchdog

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michael Peck is a correspondent for Defense News and a columnist for the Center for European Policy Analysis. He holds an M.A. in political science from Rutgers University. Find him at theuncommondefense.com. His email is mikedefense1@gmail.com.

Nature-Positive Leadership: What Can We Learn from Japan and Japanese Companies by Henning Ohlsson & Alastair Bourne, 2026

This book looks at how Japanese companies approach sustainability amid current global challenges. It takes a close look at the cultural background to these efforts including the importance of nature in Japanese society and how it has influenced modern day sustainability programmes.

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-92-0746-6

#books
#Japan
#nature
#sustainability

Alt...

The book does not argue that Japan has been free of environmental problems or that all Japanese companies have the same approach. Nor does it assert that Japanese companies or a Japanese approach is perfect. Instead, it provides some hints about why a Japanese approach-style may just be the way forward in these difficult times. What can Western business leaders learn from Japanese culture and the Japanese leadership mindset? We live in a time of radical uncertainty. The future risks of climate change are more than well known. But they are being suppressed by both politics and business. Science and physics are very clear. Nature-positive means more than just minimising the damage. For business leaders, it also means giving something back to nature and seeing this contribution not as a cost, but as an investment. This book is a journey of transformation of companies. And a journey through the mountains and nature. Over the centuries, Japanese culture has developed a deep respect for natural systems. And from this, it has also developed a logic for business that considers companies, society and nature in equal measure. It is a must-read for companies struggling to maintain a positive balance sheet and remain sustainable at the same time, in the backdrop of climate crisis and mitigating regulations.

“You get a feeling like this place is familiar?”

“It smells like magnolias and summer.” She inhaled the perfume of the night air. “Like Alabama.”

“That’s what I thought, too. It feels like going home.”

#SciFi #Mystery #Books 📚

https://books2read.com/b/decoherencenew?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fedica-Book-Socials

Alt...

The cover for Decoherence– Yellow police tape with the title is crossed in front of a scene with the silhouette of a truck with police lights on the top. The authors name, Liana Brooks, is at the top of the cover and the tag line, “Time itself is hard to beat…” is in the bottom right corner.

Gonna write down ALL the words! 😂

#BookMemes #Meme #Humor #Humour #Funny #NotOC #ReadingMemes #Reading #Readers #ReadingCommunity #Litterature #Novel #Bookshelf #Dictionary #Books #Bookstodon

“This short story collection by Ugandan writer, Dilman Dila, is sheer entertainment with a thick seem of seriousness…. The beauty of these stories is that each in their own way shows a human side, of people who love, hate, fear and yearn. Dila’s wonderful imagination lifts this collection into an alien yet familiar space, where the ‘other’ is lampooned in a fantastical way.”

Available for Pre-Order
https://www.ododopress.com/short-story-collection/a-killing-in-the-sun/

#book #books #bookstodon #sff #sciFi

Birmingham Central Library, former main public library in Birmingham, England (demolished in 2016).

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

#libraries #books #map

Alt...

A photo of or from a library from the linked website, overlaid on a cropped world map where it's located.

Reading for pleasure builds empathy in children, but fewer kids are picking up books just for the fun of it

by William Dee Nichols and Michelle Kearney

https://theconversation.com/reading-for-pleasure-builds-empathy-in-children-but-fewer-kids-are-picking-up-books-just-for-the-fun-of-it-285784

Books in Children's Literature at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/bookshelf/20

#books #literature #empathy

Alt...

Illustration from THE LILAC FAIRY BOOK by Andrew Lang. A colored fantasy illustration depicting a long-haired woman in flowing green robes dancing or swaying among a swirl of sea creatures — crabs, eels, and fish — while a red-haired boy plays bagpipes on the rocky shore behind her.

Rudyard Kipling’s Buddhism

By Livia Gershon

Long read as an imperial novel, Kim also reflects Britain’s changing ideas about Buddhist thought and spiritual practice.

https://daily.jstor.org/rudyard-kiplings-buddhism/?utm_source=mcae&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jstordaily_07092026

Books by Rudyard Kipling at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2226

#books #literature #imperialism #buddhism

Alt...

Image from the book Kim, by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by J. L. Kipling. A photographic reproduction of a bas-relief sculpture depicting two figures — an elderly robed lama wearing beads and a distinctive hat, with a younger figure behind him — set within an ornate decorative floral border, captioned "Kim & the Lama" in the upper left.

My Life Is In Your Hands & Take My Life: The Autobiographies of Eddie Cantor by Eddie Cantor #books #literature #dedication

Alt...

TO MY FATHER AND MOTHER WHOM I NEVER SAW AND TO ESTHER WHO WAS BOTH TO ME

Right now there’s a summer sale on Smashwords, where you can find a lot of #books for free, including “Desire Over Fear”

If you like #erotic books and #taboo topics, it’s your opportunity to grab this book for free, and to buy the second and third books of the series at discount prices!

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1912915

@standardebooks The Horned Helmet by Henry Treece

I loved it so much my grade 4 teacher let me keep one of the books from the class set (they were all falling apart anyway)

This is that same copy she gave me, i've had this book almost 50 years

#bookstodon #literature #books #reading #culture

Alt...

Image of the cover of a torn and batter old childrens' book with the lower part of an illustration of a viking

Mitchell Library, public library in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.

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

#libraries #books #map

Alt...

A photo of or from a library from the linked website, overlaid on a cropped world map where it's located.

Today's #review is Stay Buried by Jane R. Miles

https://tinyl.co/4i3e

"Compelling, gripping, claustrophobic, and creepy as hell, STAY BURIED was a roller coaster of emotion from start to finish."

#Books
#CrimeFiction
#AusCrime

Yesterday’s #Tainan launch of Hilda Hoy’s exquisitely wise and thoughtful book Mother Tongue, at 不不 Boo boo arts space , was a total delight. #Taiwan #books #mothertongue #mandarin

https://books.windandbones.com/product/mother-tongue

Alt...

A shot from above looking down on a table and a room full of people chatting.

@ruthpozuelo I’ve discovered so many brilliant books through the „Queer Around the World“ reading challenge.
https://queerbrarians.de/2026/06/15/queer-around-the-world/

I hope you find your next favourite book too!

@reading
@bookstodon

#QSRC #queerbooks #books #lgbtqbooks #queeraroundtheworld #literature

2/3
The priesthood says Harmony protects the world.
The poor are beaten in its name.
The faithful are told to kneel.
The Gods descend among mortals.
But after the explosion, Tirak hears one sentence he cannot forget:
“They lie to you.”

#darkfantasy #fantasy #epicfantasy #books #fantasyworld

@jonassmith I’ve discovered so many brilliant books through the „Queer Around the World“ reading challenge.
https://queerbrarians.de/2026/06/15/queer-around-the-world/

I hope you find your next favourite book too!

@reading
@bookstodon

#QSRC #queerbooks #books #lgbtqbooks #queeraroundtheworld #literature

#WordWeavers 10. Do you prefer writing characters like you or vastly different?

I don't know yet.

One of my characters started as me 2.0, and is only slowly diverging.

Most of my Audreyverse characters have qualities that I like and try to embody myself.

I started writing a new series, with an antihero who was a lot of fun to write because she wasn't like me. But planning a long arc of her finding a moral code and becoming more like my other characters in that way.

#romance #erotica #books

The Fifth Seduction ebook is $2.99 at all online retailers. Two lovers, one secret, and a reality TV executive who finally can't cut around the truth--The Fifth Seduction begins where the cameras usually stop. A weekend in Malibu ignites an affair between two women showrunners, upending their lives. For readers who walk their own emotional and professional tightropes fueled by love and ambition. #love #ambition #showbiz #tv #romance #women #lesbian #book #books #bookstodon #mastoArt #mastodon #socialnetwork #television #writing #writingCommunity #readers #readingCommunity #reading #MyWork #work #malibu #affair #heart #scribesAndMakers #read #sale #retail #booksky #bookReview #summer #thefifthseduction #author #authors #ad #BookLover #realityTV #reality #publishing #womenInFilm #woman #bisexual #lovetriangle

Alt...

Julia Frank had a five-year crush on her producing partner, Mable La Croix. One weekend affair in Malibu upends their personal and professional lives in The Fifth Seduction.

👂 Μήπως οι ερωτήσεις δεν είναι παρά η μοναδική μορφή προσευχής που μας έχει παραχωρηθεί; | Susanna Tamaro

Αξιοσημείωτα από το βιβλίο της Susanna Tamaro «Άκου τη φωνή μου»

[photo by Johnny di *wish*]

👂 Γιατί για ν’αγαπήσεις κάτι, πρέπει πρώτα να το γνωρίσεις. Μπορεί ποτέ η πολυπλοκότητα ενός ανθρώπινου πλάσματος να γνωρίσει την πολυπλοκότητα ενός άλλου ανθρώπινου πλάσματος; Η απάντηση είναι προφάνης: κατηγορηματικά όχι. Επομένως, δεν μπορούμε να αγαπήσουμε στα αλήθεια, γιατί δεν μπορούμε να γνωρίσουμε στα αλήθεια.

👂 Αλλά, όπως η μέλισσα δεν μπορεί να πει στο λουλούδι «σ’ αγαπώ», έτσι και εμείς δεν μπορούμε να λέμε ασύστολα ψέματα αναμεταξύ μας, λέγοντας πως αγαπιόμαστε. Με την ειλικρίνεια της εποχής μας, το μόνο πράγμα που μπορούμε να πούμε (όπως η μέλισσα στο λουλούδι και αντίστροφα) είναι «μου είσαι απαραίτητος».

👂 Ο ίδιος μηχανισμός είναι έμφυτος και στα ανθρώπινα πλάσματα. Παρά την πολυπλοκότητα του εγκεφάλου μας, τα σώματά μας θέλουν μόνο να αναπαράγονται. Εκείνα δεν τα νοιάζει, όπως δεν νοιάζει και τα λουλούδια αν αγαπιόμαστε ή όχι, ή αν μας παρέσυρε οργασμός – μπορείς να γεννηθείς θαυμάσια και από ένα βιασμό και από μία πρόωρη εκσπερμάτιση στα διακόσια πενήντα εκατομμύρια σπερματοζωάρια, μονάχα ένα σπάει το νήμα στο τέλος – το πιο άξιο, το πιο δυνατό, το πιο ανέντιμο δεν έχει σημασία. Το σημαντικό είναι να συνεχίζεται η ζωή να διαιωνίζεται. Αυτό συνέβη και σ’ εσένα. Είναι νόμος της φύσης.

👂 Τα παιδιά ανήκουν μόνο στις μανάδες, οι πατεράδες γονιμοποιούν και η συμμετοχή τους τελειώνει εκεί. Σύντομα δεν θα είναι καν απαραίτητοι, θα αρκεί ένας δότης και μια σύριγγα, κι έτσι επιτέλους θα κλείσει η οδυνηρή ιστορία της οικογένειας, ο χορός της προσποίησης που διέλυσε την ψυχική ισορροπία τόσων γενεών.

👂 Η πρόκληση είναι ακριβώς αυτή, να φέρουμε στον κόσμο πλάσματα πιο ολοκληρωμένα από μας. Αν δεν καταφέραμε να κάνουμε την επανάσταση με τα όπλα, μπορούμε τουλάχιστον να την κάνουμε μεγαλώνοντας τα παιδιά μας με διαφορετικό τρόπο.

👂 Τα παιδιά θέλουν να νιώθουν περήφανα για τους γονείς τους – κρίμα που οι γονείς δεν το αντιλαμβάνονται.

👂 Όσο πιο πολλούς δεσμούς έχουμε, τόσο περισσότερο ζούμε στον πανικό, τα άτομα πεθαίνουν ή μας εγκαταλείπουν, τα πράγματα χάνονται, σπάνε, κλέβονται και ξαφνικά βρισκόμαστε εντελώς γυμνοί. Γυμνοί και απελπισμένοι.

👂 «Τα ανθρώπινα πλάσματα δεν μπορούν ποτέ να γνωριστούν ολοκληρωτικά»
» Αλλά η περιέργεια είναι χαρακτηριστικό της ευφυΐας«.

👂 «Έτσι είναι, ακριβώς… το γονίδιο της αθωότητας συχνά είναι φορέας κάποιου ελαττώματος». «Τινος;» «Της αυτοκαταστροφής».

👂 Η ανάμνηση είναι αυτή που συνθέτει ένα ανθρώπινο πλάσμα, που το τοποθετεί στην ιστορία -στην προσωπική του ιστορία αλλά και στην ευρύτερη, του κόσμου που το περιβάλλει-, και οι λέξεις είναι τα ίχνη που αφήνουμε πίσω μας.

👂 Γιατί η πιο βαθιά φιλοδοξία κάθε πλάσματος που έρχεται στον κόσμο δεν είναι η επανάσταση, αλλά το ν’ αγαπάει και ν’ αγαπιέται.

👂 Αρκεί ένας κεραυνός με αγγίξει τη φλούδα μιας αιωνόβιας βελανιδίας, για να πυροδοτήσει την καταστροφή της: σ’ εκείνη τη χαραγματιά χώνονται βακτήρια, μύκητες και κολεόπτερα προορισμένα με δυο λόγια να αναπαραχθούν σε βάρος της ζωής της.

👂 …χωρίς άλλη παρηγοριά πέρα από τις σκέψεις του, ολοένα και πιο μόνος, ολοένα και πιο απελπισμένος, φυλακισμένος στην ευφυΐα του, σαν μέσα σε ένα κλουβί από πλεξιγκλάς.

👂 Ένα κομμάτι μου θα έμενε εκεί να δίνει ερμηνεία στην υποκρισία και το άλλο θα συνέχιζε να περιπλανιέται στον κόσμο, τρέχοντας τους δρόμους με υπόκωφα βήματα, σαν γκόλεμ, θα βουτούσε σε κάθε βάραθρο, σε κάθε σκοτεινιά’ θα περίμενε με καλόπιστα ταπεινοφροσύνη μπροστά σε όλες τις κλειστές πόρτες, σαν το σκυλί που προσμένει έναν αφέντη άγνωστο ακόμη. Ήθελα φως και λάμψη. Ήθελα να ανακαλύψω αν υπάρχει αλήθεια, αν αυτή είναι ο άξονας που γύρω του γυρίζουν όλα, όπως σ’ένα καλειδοσκόπιο, αλλιώς ας πέθαινα.

👂 «Αν πέφτουν τα φύλλα», σου έλεγα «σίγουρα υπάρχει κάποιος λόγος, η φύση δεν είναι ηλίθια όπως οι άνθρωποι και αυτά που εσύ αποκαλείς αγριόχορτα δεν ξέρουν ότι είναι τέτοια’ εσύ τα κρίνεις και τα καταδικάζεις, εκείνα όμως θεωρούν τον εαυτό τους άνθη, χόρτα, όμορφα και σημαντικά όπως όλα τα άλλα». Δεν βλέπεις την ψυχή του κήπου», σου φώναξα μία μέρα, αγανακτισμένη, «σε τίποτα δεν βλέπεις μέσα ψυχή!»

👂 Ίσα ίσα που είναι καλό. Κατά βάθος η ελευθερία είναι ο μόνος πλούτος που έχει ο άνθρωπος. Γι’ αυτό η ψυχή μου μοιάζει τόσο πολύ με του σκύλου; Γι’ αυτό άραγε τριγυρίζω μία ζωή στους δρόμους βιώνοντας την άγρια αγωνία των αδέσποτων;

👂 Ένα μωρό που γεννιέται δεν είναι ένας άγραφος χάρτης όπου μπορεί κανείς να γράψει οτιδήποτε, αλλά ένα τραπεζομάντιλο όπου κάποιος έχει ήδη χαράξει το σχέδιο ενός κεντήματος: θα διασχίσει το δρόμο που έχει ήδη χαραχτεί από άλλους ή θα διαλέξει έναν διαφορετικό; Θα εξακολουθήσει να σκάβει το ίδιο αυλάκι ή θα βρει το θάρρος να πηδήσει και με τα δύο του πόδια έξω από αυτό; Και γιατί ο ένας σπάει τα υφάδια χαλώντας το υφαντό, και ο άλλος το ολοκληρώνει με τυφλή προσήλωση;

👂 Κι αν η μαγική λέξη είναι στ’ αλήθεια «μεταμόρφωση«; Αν το σκοτάδι υπάρχει μόνο και μόνο για να το υποδεχτεί το Φως;

👂 Εξάλλου, λέω μέσα μου συχνά, όταν μία ζωή κομματιαστεί, δεν μπορείς πια να την ανασυνθέσεις, μπορείς μονάχα να υποκρίνεσαι, μπορείς να βάλεις κόλλα στα κομμάτια της, πάντα ωστόσο το μπάλωμα θα φαίνεται.

👂 Βλέπεις; Τα ανθρώπινα είναι πάντοτε εκπληκτικά πολύπλοκα. Γι’ αυτό σου λέω, το πιο σημαντικό ζήτημα είναι η τιμιότητα, αν ξεκινήσεις από αυτήν, μπορείς να πας παντού.

👂 Μήπως οι ερωτήσεις δεν είναι παρά η μοναδική μορφή προσευχής που μας έχει παραχωρηθεί;

👂Η καρδιά του είχε σταματήσει μονομιάς, χωρίς πόνο. Αντί να τον δαγκώσουν, αντί να τον καταβροχθίσουν, τα ζώα τον φύλαγαν σιωπηλά, χτυπώντας διαδοχικά την ουρά τους, σαν να ήθελαν να πουν κάτι αναμεταξύ τους. Λένε πως τα σκυλιά είναι σε θέση να δουν τον άγγελο του θανάτου. Εκείνη τη φορά σκέφτηκα πώς ήταν αλήθεια και όπως ίσως ήταν άγγελοι και τα ίδια, έτσι όπως πρόσφεραν την καρδιά τους τον αφέντη τους.

👂 «Η αλήθεια είναι ζήτημα απόψεων», μου είχε πει μία μέρα ο πατέρας μου, «και δεδομένου ότι οι απόψεις είναι αναρίθμητες, είναι και οι αλήθειες αναρίθμητες. Όποιος λέει ότι έχει την αλήθεια στο ένα χέρι, στο άλλο ήδη κρατάει μαχαίρι για να την υπερασπιστεί. Όποιος παίρνει το Θεό με το μέρος του, το κάνει για να σε σκοτώσει. Θυμήσου τι ήταν γραμμένο στις ζώνες των ναζί -ο Θεός μαζί μας-, θυμήσου τις πυρές όπου οι καθολικοί έκαιγαν ζωντανό όποιον δεν πίστευε ότι πίστευαν εκείνοι. Αλήθεια και θάνατος βαδίζουν πάντα πλάι πλάι».

👂 Αν εγώ στερήσω από ένα λουλούδι το φως του, θα μαζέψει όλες του τις δυνάμεις για να καταφέρει να ξαναβρεί το φως, τα κορυφαία κύτταρα θα τεντωθούν σπασμωδικά για να ανακαλύψουν μία χαραμάδα και μόλις το κατορθώσουν, το φυτό θα είναι πιο δυνατό, γιατί, παρότι συνάντησε μία αναποδιά, κατάφερε να το ξεπεράσει. Τα κακομαθημένα φυτά, όπως και τα παιδιά, έχουν έναν και μοναδικό δρόμο μπροστά τους, το δρόμο του εγώ τους.

👂 Περηφάνια, ταπεινότητα: στο τέλος μονάχα αυτό υπάρχει στο δίσκο της ζυγαριάς. Δεν ξέρω ποιο είναι το ειδικό τους βάρος, δεν μπορώ να ξέρω αν μία μέρα ταπεινότητας είναι αρκετή να επανορθώσει για μία ζωή αλαζονείας.

Ποτέ δε θα γίνω λουλούδι
Ποτέ δεν θα γίνω λουλούδι
να στρέφω τη στεφάνη μου στον ανοιξιάτικο ήλιο
Ποτέ δεν θα γίνω λουλούδι
γιατί το πνεύμα μου πιότερο με το χορτάρι μοιάζει
μ’ ένα πράσινο βλαστάρι ίδιο με χίλια άλλα
ψηλό σαν όλα τα άλλα, που γέρνει το κεφάλι
στα πρώτα κρύα του χειμώνα.

Ομίχλη
Η ομίχλη σκεπάζει τα πάντα: σπίτια και ανθρώπους,
και τα ποδήλατα ακόμα αθόρυβα κυλούν,
Ο κόσμος μας είναι ένας κόσμος φαντασμάτων
ή μήπως το φάντασμα είμ’ εγώ;
Η καρδιά μου το απαλό της περιτύλιγμα-
δώρο ανεκτίμητο
χωρίς αποδεκτή.

Φόβος
Δε με φοβίζουν τα τέρατα
ούτε οι δολοφόνοι
Δεν τρέμω τη νύχτα,
τις πλημμύρες ή τον κατακλυσμό,
ούτε την τιμωρία ούτε το θάνατο
ούτ’ έναν έρωτα ανύπαρκτο.
Φοβάμαι μόνο
το μικρό σου χέρι
που γυρεύει το δικό μου,
το τρυφερό σου βλέμμα
που από κάτω με κοιτάζει
και με ρωτάει «γιατί;»

Ωραία θα ήταν
Ωραία θα ήταν
αν η ζωή μας ήταν ευτυχισμένη
σαν τραγούδι του Σαν Ρέμο.
Εγώ κι εσύ, πιασμένοι χέρι χέρι,
και στο περβάζι μία γλάστρα πασχαλιά.
Ωραία θα ήταν
μαζί τη δύση να προσμένουμε
να μη φοβόμαστε τη νύχτα.
Ωραία θα ήταν
να οδηγούμε τα βήματα των παιδιών μας
μονάχα μ’ ένα χέρι.
Όμως να που ήρθε ο δράκος
να καταβροχθίσει
τον λιγοστό μας χρόνο
αφήνοντας στο χώμα μονάχα οστά και φλούδια –
από το άθλιο φαγοπότι του αποφάγια.

by SearchingΤheMeaningOfLife

Βαθμολογία:

#book #books #excerpts #σκέψεις #Αξιοσημείωτα #αποσπάσματα #αποφθέγματα #γνωμικά #λόγια #maxims #sayings #writer #writing #YparxeiAgapi

Fatal Fury/Garou Densetsu: The Ultimate History

Explores the new standards for world building and character development that the Fatal Fury games brought to arcade game design, shining a light on rostrum icons like Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, and Geese Howard.

Out now: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/all-books/products/fatal-fury-garou-densetsu-the-ultimate-history

#bitmapbooks #books #fatalfury #snk #bookstodon

#WordWeavers 10/7: Do you prefer writing characters like you or vastly different?
False dichotomy. No character is simply a reflection of myself, an alter-ego, but I also can’t get into anyone else’s head except through the channel of my own feelings and understanding. I don’t believe any writer, or anyone trying to understand other people, can entirely transcend this limitation.
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

#WritersCoffeeClub 10/7: Share a bit of written word that drives you wild. What speaks to you about this?
The interesting thing is that most people seem to be interpreting ‘drives you wild’ as something you love. But my first thought is the opposite. And it’s early in the morning, so I’m not going to inflict the horrors on you.
If you really want to know, try opening a copy of the Daily Mail. Just don’t forget to wash your hands afterwards.
#books #writing #writersofmastodon