literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
The Death of Napoleon by Simon Leys
I recently found that this book was published in 1986 despite being written for publication in 1967 and the author had stated that he wanted this book to be neither historical nor autobiographical. Thus, he chose a person that could have no possible connection to himself, whether that be professional or personal. He wrote under a pseudonym and the book is often described as a fable or even a philosophical piece. It serves as the author's only novel.
By Annie Kapur2 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Her First Lie" by Lucinda Berry
You can read some of my other reviews of Lucinda Berry's books below. These aren't all of them, but they are a select few: If you've read that last one entitled Perfect Child, then you'll probably know that Her First Lie is a prequel to that book which deals with the birth mother of Janie - Becky and her life with her mother, Serena plus how she eventually birthed Janie and struggled as the child started to grow. Lucinda Berry's ability at weaving these multi-layered narratives where not everything is black and white in terms of morality is something I have to admire. Normally in thrillers, you can get a clear cut 'person X is good' and 'person Y is bad', but in her books there's so many more layers and sometimes a character doing something terrible can be acting in good faith or can make us see their point of view.
By Annie Kapur2 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "It Haunts the Mind and Other Stories" by Nick Roberts
Nick Roberts is the writer of The Exorcist's House series and to be honest, has surprised me as a horror writer. For those of you who remember my review of the first instalment of The Exorcist's House series, you will know that I described the book as something that was reminiscent of a 1970s horror movie. I'm not saying that as an insult. It's fun and engaging, it feels amateur and independent. It doesn't feel overly curated and you're just here for the ride. The same can be said for this book of short stories which feels like the NoSleep Podcast if it was being broadcast from a 1970s radio station which also gave you access to alt-rock and heavy metal. They aren't polished and that's the whole point. That's what makes them brilliant.
By Annie Kapur2 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Watching Alice" by Sue Watson
Cheap thrillers may not be everyone's cup of tea but they're great to read if you're trying to fill a gap between things. Sue Watson's Watching Alice has been recommended to me quite a few times now and so, I thought I'd give it a go. About a woman named Alice who is separating from her terrible cheating and lying husband, Jason - she is practicing something with him called 'nesting' in which each parent lives in the house for a few days at a time so that the children get both of them. But that's not all for Alice. It's clear her husband wants her out of the picture and now, there's a mint green fiat continuously passing the house and unexplained windows being left open here and there. As her mother succumbs to the early signs of dementia, Alice must piece together what is happening when she's not around her children before it starts to happen whilst she's there too. The question is: who is watching Alice?
By Annie Kapur2 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Gothictown" by Emily Carpenter
Folk horror is my favourite sub-genre and please, I understand it's not spooky season yet but I'm sick and tired of the heat! I want to bake gingerbread and drink toffee flavoured coffee whilst watching scary movies already and time simply isn't going fast enough. Be that as it may, I have to be grateful for books like Gothictown by Emily Carpenter that never fail to get us all ready for the oncoming season. This novel has all the intensity and dread of historical horror whilst having all the urban legend thrills of something more folkish and sinister. The author has done a brilliant job at giving us a superb atmosphere before we even start reading the main narrative. Of course, it's thanks to a prologue that intends to frighten the soul and does exactly that.
By Annie Kapur2 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Penguin Book of Scottish Short Stories" ed. by J.F Hendry
It was way too hot to stay in a normal house in the UK and as of writing this, it's the middle of July. Yes, I'm sorry to tell you but a lot of these are written far in advance. Anyways, I was sitting in a Starbucks, drinking an iced americano and reading this book in the air conditioning of a shopping centre. The problem was, the automatic doors kept opening and closing and so, the air conditioning was doing no good. But at least I had a cold drink. The Penguin Book of Scottish Short Stories would catch my attention because of the writing being so poetic, but then in some stories it would feel more raw and rural. It is exactly what you think about when you think about Scottish Literature. JF Hendry did some great work in putting this together.
By Annie Kapur2 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Helena" by Evelyn Waugh
Check out some of my reviews of Waugh's other novels: And of course, why it's a masterpiece - Brideshead Revisited... Helena is probably one of the only books by Evelyn Waugh I have never read and that was honestly because I couldn't find a good copy of it and atop of that it didn't sound like something I would enjoy. This book takes place at a strange point in the Waugh timeline. This is where he goes deep into the religion rabbit hole and disappears up the backside of conservatism in a way that I didn't think was possible after Brideshead Revisited (and I loved that book in ways that aren't even possible). So, as we get the story of a free-spirited and ambitious princess, we also see a lot of things that Evelyn Waugh would have probably wanted hidden about his own views on religion and politics. Just because someone's a great writer does not mean they were a great person. I can accept that Evelyn Waugh was only a great writer.
By Annie Kapur2 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Collected Stories" by Isaac Babel . Top Story - September 2026.
No, I've never read anything by Isaac Babel before and the only reason I picked this book up is because there was an offer I was looking to get on used books and needed to complete my 'buy three get one free' basket. I didn't know what to expect and basically went in completely blind about it. I was guessing it was going to be 20th century because of the cover depicting what looked like a Soviet army man and I thus thought that it would be something critical on the political system of the time. I happened to be right but let's have a look at some of the stories within. I for one, was pleasantly surprised...
By Annie Kapur2 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Retreat" by Mark Edwards
Mark Edwards is a great writer of the thriller genre. Often winding multiple stories around each other, using misdirection to trick the reader and utilising the landscape in ways that other writers do not really do as well - his books are often a great blend of atmosphere and tension. I've read a few books by this author now and for some reason, I left too much time between my first read and my second. This book deals with a man who goes to stay at a writing retreat to work on his horror novel, but he might have just walked his way into a haunted house as things start to happen to him and the other residents. Not to mention, there's a woman who owns the house who once witnessed something terrible.
By Annie Kapur2 months ago in Geeks
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Tolstoy began writing this novel in the 1860s, at a time where his country was still reeling back from the emancipation of the serfs and even more so, from the Napoleonic Wars. He was initially going to write it about the Decemberist Uprising of 1825 but moved things around a bit so that he could better explore the extremes of Russian identity. Drawing on historical research, family records, and first-hand accounts, Tolstoy sought to blend fiction with documentary realism. His aim was to present not only the political and military events but also the moral and emotional lives of those caught within them, making the work a structure involving history, philosophy, and literature.
By Annie Kapur2 months ago in Geeks
