weirdbookthings

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Shel Silverstein predicting ChatGPT in 1981

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bingewatching will never come close to bingereading. there is nothing like blocking out the entire Earth for ten hours to read a book in one sitting no food no water no shower no bra and emerging at the end with no idea what time it is or where you are, a dried-up prune that's sensitive to light and loud noises because you've been in your room in the dark reading by the glow of a single LED. it's like coming back after a three-month vacation in another dimension and now you have to go downstairs and make dinner. absolutely transcendental

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A selection of birds from various 17th and 18th century calligraphy copybooks which were drawn with single lines to practice (and show off) penmanship strokes.

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When you choose "I'm bald" on a poll this is what you're saying

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Started using phone time to read library ebooks instead of scrolling and it’s made me back into the crazy voracious reader I was at age 12. i’ve been averaging a book a day this week. everyone delete your social media and get your ass on libby

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undefeated.

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~ The Whittier News, December 5, 1903

Mr. M. R. Hadley is out of jail and will sell 18 pounds of sugar to any child capable of carrying it. Otherwise he will deliver in seventeen minutes. Not fifteen or twenty. Seventeen.

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Who remembers

Motherfucking Scholastic

Book

Orders

And then the magical traveling circus of scholastic would randomly show up

at the motherfucking BOOK FAIR

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Reading Times, Pennsylvania, August 7, 1930

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I read this in the voice of the kid from the 70s tootsie pop commercial

LOUIS PASTEUR: THE VALUE OF BELIEVING IN YOURSELF - traumatizing children around the globe since 1976.

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The Frogs tea party, St Nicholas illustrated magazine for young people, June 1881

Text Reads:

The Frog's Tea party

A Kind invitation sent kind Mr. Frog

To all of his neighbors who lived in

The Bog

He sent another to all the Rats

And told them he surely would have no

Cats

They all accepted; yes; every one

For they thought to themselves:

We'll have some fun,

Since our neighbor has sent

This invitation,

He surely has for the good of the nation

They arrived exactly at four:

There were dozens & dozens-

Perhaps there were more.

Mr. Frog kindly greeted each elegant

Guest

And sweetly observed they were all in their best

There were froggies in plenty &

Also a dog;

There were chickens & roosters; & even a hog;

There were swallows & sparrows & peacocks

As well

Who had plenty to laugh at

& plenty to tell

Mrs. Frog was borne in on

The arm of a guest

Who said: "Mrs. Frog; how

Superbly you're dressed!"

Mrs. Frog heard his words

With pride she did flush,

"I think I do dress well",

She owned with a blush.

The guests did come in through

The wide open door

And they ate & they ate; till

They couldnt eat more;

While kind Mr. Frog sat smilingly by

And thought, "Who's the happiest, you

Friends, or I?"

Half pastten struck from the

Great clock at last

And each froggie agreed that the

Clock was too fast;

But the clock it was right, &

The frogs they were wrong,

For the time they had stayed

Had been certainly long.

In a minute the host in

His night gown was dressed;

And taking a candle he lay

Down to rest

On his soft leafy pillow

He lais his green head;

And then feeling friendly he to himself said:

"They've had a nice time and I'm awfully glad;

(If they'd had a bad time I'd be awfully sad)

So I'll give them a party ten times in a year

To which they'll all come & have lots

Of good cheer!"

Mrs. Frog, Mr. Frog, good night.

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Some letters and cards from University, and a shopping list in these 1930s editions of Nancy drew

Slightly obsessed with old things I find in books, like this 60s/70s picture of a girl who took down a grizzly?

It was in an old copy of "Das Mädchen von Treppi" (The young girl from Treppi) 1894

Who was she? Where is she now? Why the heck was she hunting a grizzly? Is this Legal? So many questions

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my grandma has this 115 year old picture book, and apparently in 1907 they would just let you publish anything

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Why did no one tell me that Dracula was a fucking COMEDY.

The book opens up with Jonathan experiencing a paprika overload. Dracula pretends to be the coachman and drives Jonathan around in circles until he decides he's established enough of a dramatic atmosphere. By day three in the castle Jonathan has picked up that there are no servants and Dracula is secretly doing all the chores, including driving him there. The first time Jonathan tries to shave, the count barges into the room, yeets his mirror out the window, refuses to elaborate and leaves. Jonathan also notices that he is a prisoner in the castle but doesn't dare to bring it up, which... is a mood, but also hilarious. A week into his stay he sees his employer/kidnapper crawling facedown out a wall