I built this tool a year ago but I feel like Mastodon folks would like it
The "Weird Old Book Finder"
Type in a search query, and it'll find one randomly-chosen public-domain book that matches the query -- and present it for immediate reading: https://weird-old-book-finder.glitch.me
Why only one book? To prevent the paradox of choice! Just *start readin'*
Can't promise every book will be weird, but most are
A longer essay on how/why I developed it: https://debugger.medium.com/a-search-engine-that-finds-you-weird-old-books-3a74fbb5f3d4
This was a search for "mastodon"
@clive I love this. I am a collector of weird old books.
@DebErupts Super! I have a bunch in hard copy too ... they are just delightful. The illustrations are typically *off* the *hook* amazing
@clive @DebErupts I love super random illustrations in old books. One of the most startling I remember finding was an early-20th century medical textbook from Vienna that inexplicably decided to include an image of a dead patient arising from the grave