literature

Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.

Back In Action: Matt & Emily’s CIA Jobs Explained
In Netflix's Back in Action, Emily (Cameron Diaz) and Matt (Jamie Foxx) were spies at one point, but it's a little more difficult to describe the specifics of their CIA work. Emily and Matt were attempting to conceal their past as spies from their kids, Alice (played by McKenna Roberts) and Leo (played by Ryan Jackson), at the beginning of Cameron Diaz's return film. However, by the end of Back in Action, their kids had not only learned about their CIA work but had also become actively involved in their espionage efforts and had met several of the Back in Action cast members.
By WHB KHN2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Careless People" by Sarah Churchwell
Full Title = Careless People: Murder, Mayhem, and the Invention of The Great Gatsby by Sarah Churchwell Now, I am not someone who enjoyed The Great Gatsby when I first read it at sixteen years' old. I thought it was melodramatic and boring and the writing was overly styled. I was a bit insulted considering my favourite short story was (and still is to this day) The Diamond as Big as the Ritz - which is by F. Scott Fitzgerald - I could not believe someone with that much talent could write something so empty as Gatsby. However, after reading the book a couple of times I have come to see it in a new light. No, I still don't think that I could ever enjoy the book - but I respect the work that went into it. This book by Sarah Churchwell opened my eyes even more to the work that went into composing The Great Gatsby and though I still don't like the book - it has given us food for thought.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
The camaraderie of hyper-capitalism vs anti-capitalism in Squid Season 2
Many people have been anxiously awaiting the second season of Squid Game, the most-watched show on Netflix. To win prizes in the first season, players had to compete in several lethal kid-friendly games. The upcoming season, which is also expected to break yet another Netflix record, delves deeper into the limitations and economic background of the surrealistic games. Green light, red light. When the song starts, move forward; when it ends, freeze. It's a fairly easy game. Or is it that moving after the music has stopped carries a death sentence? It was clear from the first season that Squid Game allegorizes the horrors of capitalism through kid-friendly games. Three years later, the second season of arguably the most significant television program of our time advances its adamantly anti-capitalist theme. It accomplishes this by exposing the illusion of "choice" in a system threatening to starve the great majority. In this article, I dive deeper into the dystopian nuances of capitalism and the illusion of choice that stir up scenarios very similar to reality.
By Hridya Sharma2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Man With the Compound Eyes" by Wu Ming-Li
The Vintage Earth Books have been on my mind for a while, especially after reading Haushofer's The Wall. So I decided to seek out some more and found this strange and fantastical classic entitled: The Man With the Compound Eyes. There was something about the blurb that drew me in. A mixture between an Asian Folklorish atmosphere and a fantasy novel complete with extended metaphors for how humans are quietly destroying the planet, this book offers a great story with writing that reads more like a folk story or fable. I think though, it's biggest strenght was the converging of two very different stories in on themselves to create one.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Top 10 British Library "Tales of the Weird" Anthologies
I said I would do this and to be honest, I've been putting it off because of the fact it is so hard to rate these books. First of all, I have noticed the decrease in their quality over the past couple of months and yet, the older ones are so good I had no idea which one would come first. I spent a while thinking about it, cutting them down in my mind and rating them on a system of: which one did I love reading the most? So, if you have an issue with the list please know it is only personal opinion and does not represent an objective reality in any way.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Balanced Brain" by Camilla Nord
Do you see what I mean when I say I go on reading binges of certain types of books? There was one on horror anthologies, there was one on urban horror, there was one on 18th century French Enlightenment Politics, there was one on disasters on the sea and finally, there's this one on mental health nonfiction. I hope we can all understand that I enjoy doing these deep dives but as of yet, I am not sure why. From this book by Camilla Nord, I have managed to learn more about the brain than I ever did at school. Biology was the only science I ever enjoyed when at school and let's just put it this way - there's a difference between doing it as a teenager and honing your focus in your biology hobby as an adult.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
The Simpsons’ Shocking Response to LA Wildfire Ignites Viral Buzz
The Simpsons, the iconic animated family that has entertained audiences for decades, is no stranger to timely satire and cultural commentary. Yet, their latest reaction to the devastating Pacific Palisades wildfire has left fans and critics alike in shock, sparking heated discussions and going viral across social media platforms.
By mureed hussain2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Chasing the Scream" by Johann Hari
I think I was put off from reading Johann Hari because of the plagiarism thing that apparently happened (though I don't trust the news because everyone's talking rubbish anyway) but I think that because of the fact his book was used for the basis of a movie I enjoyed in the past, I wanted to read this for ages. I've had it for a long time and only recently given it a chance, though I regret not reading it earlier. I did really enjoy it and it took a great hold on me as it went through the life and death of my favourite female singer ever: Billie Holiday.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939, is one of John Steinbeck's most acclaimed novels. Steinbeck, deeply influenced by the socio-economic hardships of the Great Depression, undertook a gruelling research journey across the United States, particularly California, to understand the plight of migrant workers.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "This Book Will Change Your Mind About Mental Health" by Nathan Filer
Yes, I am still on a binge-read of mental health nonfiction, mostly those published by Penguin Books and mostly ones that I can read on my Kindle because they are quite bulky when they're good. Or, if they're not bulky, they are not the books you want to be caught reading in public as they look (though they are not) like self-help books to the untrained and unread eye. On my Amazon Recommendations, this book kept cropping up entitled: This Book Will Change Your Mind About Mental Health and I wondered if it would. And perhaps it did, though it wasn't in the way that I was expecting...
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
The End of The Tour (2015). Top Story - January 2025.
I have a confession to make: I was yesterday years old when I discovered David Foster Wallace and his significance as a contemporary American writer. I'll turn 55 in a couple of weeks. I know, it's embarrassing. My only excuse is that I lived half of my life in the Soviet and post-Soviet cultures.
By Lana V Lynx2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Surrounded by Vampires" by Thomas Erikson
I know what you're thinking: she had such bad things to say about the data problems in the other books of this series, why the hell is she still reading them? Well, that's the problem - they may have data problems but my gosh, are they addictive to read. I do not think I have yet read them all, but here are some of the other reviews I have written about them:
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks