literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Book Review: "The Fate of Mary Rose" by Caroline Blackwood
I had never heard of this book before Virago Books made it the centre of one of their tweets when the book was released - or should I say, rediscovered...I could not wait to read this number as the tagline they used was a persuasive connection to the fans of Shirley Jackson. And if there is any modern psychological writer I am a fan of, it's Shirley Jackson. I have recently been teaching The Lottery to children who really do not appreciate the depth and irony of the ending but be that as it may, I was even more excited to get back to a recent re-read of Hangsaman. So, I was even more shocked when this book by Caroline Blackwood was put out there because it is so greatly in that style that I could've sword it was a Shirley Jackson all the same! Let's take a look into the book...
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
I don't know why I have never read this book, it's on practically every single list of the greatest books ever written and so, I have no idea why it got skipped over. Here we are though - after finding people talking about it on Reddit some time ago, I recently remembered it existed. I had a Saturday and so, I curled up and began to read it. It was absolutely fascinating if I'm going to say it now - a heartbreaking and often really, really sad. I was absolutely captivated from start to finish and honestly, if you haven't read it then you need to. Put whatever you are doing down, get yourself a copy and read this book.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Surrounded by Narcissists" by Thomas Erikson
As you can tell, I'm making my way through the whole series. So far, I have read Surrounded by Idiots and Surrounded by Liars. This one is called Surrounded by Narcissists and even though there is still the same sort of data problem going on, this book might be the best one in the series because of its ability to be the most articulate. Unlike lying and idiocy, narcisissm is actually a mental affliction and so it is difficult to get it wrong if you're using the definition of the word. So, let's have a look at this book - another in the series...
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. Top Story - December 2024.
"Waiting for Godot," a seminal work by Samuel Beckett, was first published in French in 1952 as "En attendant Godot." This groundbreaking play, which Beckett wrote between October 1948 and January 1949, marks a significant shift in modern theatre. Initially, Beckett struggled to find a publisher willing to take on the unconventional piece, but it eventually found a home with Les Éditions de Minuit, a Parisian publisher known for embracing avant-garde literature.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Out of My Mind (2024) Shouts Hope, Representation, and Voice
We all have a voice, let them hear you. Based on the book by Sharon M. Draper, Out of My Mind is a 2024 film about Melody Brooks, a nonverbal, wheelchair-bound sixth grader with cerebral palsy. With the help of a devoted teacher and assistive technology, Melody moves up a step in school. She erases others' doubts, showing what she is truly capable of.
By Marielle Sabbag2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "You're Not Listening" by Kate Murphy
Full Title = You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters by Kate Murphy I chose to read this after seeing it on the list of Penguin Nonfiction I was browsing through one day (yes, I like to scroll through the Penguin Nonfiction books). After a while of the scrolling and going back and forth saying to myself 'no, I don't want to read this one...' I ended up reading it. To be honest, it was rather here and there - neither amazing nor awful. It was one of those middle of the road books where the problem again, as we have seen with some of our more recent nonfiction...is data.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Exam Nation" by Sammy Wright
A lot of people have told me that this is one of the primary books on 21st century post-COVID secondary education to read and so, I had a go at reading it. I'm not going to lie to you - it is rather a mixed bag. Some of it is pretty well researched and other parts are anecdotal bulls*** that doesn't apply to anywhere else except for his small context. There are also oddities in the arguments he makes.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Surrounded by Liars" by Thomas Erikson
You guys probably remember when I read Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson some time ago when I was staying in Manchester for a bit. You also probably remember how I said it had a huge data problem in which it didn't really have very much research going on at all. Unfortunately, this trend has spilt over into Surrounded by Liars but that does not mean it's no fun to read. The book is still quite a lot of fun if you're not going to take it too seriously and so, that being said, I'm going to move away from the obvious data problem because I've already looked at that. Instead, let's just focus on what the book has to say about liars and lying.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Celebrate the Holidays with NeverlandNEXT Chapter's 'A Christmas Carol'
“You will be haunted by three spirits this Christmas Eve.” NeverlandNext Chapter is excited to perform Charles Dickens’s classic novel A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge doesn’t believe in the spirit of Christmas and disapproves of the festive delights. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by three ghosts who show him events from his past, present, and future.
By Marielle Sabbag2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Making Evil: The Science Behind Humanity's Dark Side" by Julia Shaw
Have you ever wanted to read a book but wanted to also wait until you were financially comfortable before going on another bookish shopping spree? Yeah, me neither. I got this book only recently, after paying a ton of bills and so - I was lucky it wasn't too expensive. Making Evil is a book that I was initially quite excited about, however after I began to read it I found a few holes here and there, and some things that I wanted to be defined most definitely were not. Be that as it may, it was an enjoyable book on the whole. So let's have a look at what this book has to offer...
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Table for Two" by Amor Towles
This review was written on the 5th of November 2024. As of today, I'm not very well. I'm sick and nauseous and I've already had to take a day off work which means I'm also anxious about all the work I've done that may have been undone by someone else. I haven't got better yet so I don't know how long this will go on for. Welcome to the era of the winter bugs in which many people are taking days off work because there's horrid stuff going around. A day ago I finished Amor Towles' book of short stories Table for Two. I have read the previous books by this author and have enjoyed them enough to be confident in these stories as well. Let's take a look at them...
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Court Number One" by Thomas Grant
Full Title = "Court Number One: The Old Bailey Trials that Defined Modern Britain" by Thomas Grant I don't know what made me buy this book but it was simply a 'recommended read' after I'd finished 'A Taste for Poison'. I thought that this was going to be one of those true crime books where sensational details of gruesome tabloid-esque horrors were puched together in wicked and weird ways that were quite disrespectful to the victims, in order to make something resembling a book. However, I was wrong. This book is an exploration about how we got here in the British Justice System. From looking at proof to individual judges to the abolition of the death penalty. This book is insanely interesting.
By Annie Kapur2 years ago in Geeks
