literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Book Review: "Woes of the True Policeman" by Roberto Bolaño
Roberto Bolaño is a great author. I read 2666 some time ago and annotated my copy with all of the profound quotations I could find upon major themes. Read the first impressions I had of it about five years' ago here. Apart from 2666 though, I don't think I have had more interest in his novels until now. Woes of the True Policeman might be so much shorter than 2666 but that doesn't mean it loses any of Bolaño's wit, depth of fragmentation. (It also has some pretty cool connections to the earlier book). By the time he died at the age of 50 years' old, this author had done so much and written some fantastic books - this one included.
By Annie Kapur9 months ago in Geeks
Performative Reading?
Welcome back to the 'sleepless nights' series and today we're going to look at a discussion that has been pervasive when it comes to the younger generation: why the internet hates 'performative reading'. When we say 'the internet' we really mean the younger generations and those who are chronically online.
By Annie Kapur9 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Mephisto" by Klaus Mann
I've been back to the library and as I'm writing this review, I'm listening to the Conspiracy Theories podcast and drinking a cup of peppermint tea. I can't say I've been the mentally healthiest human being but it has been nice getting out for a bit, walking about here and there and eating some fruit. It's been a simple day and yet, I still seem to have a chesty cough for some unknown bloody reason. It is definitely still a heatwave here in England and that might be why I'm not feeling great - I really quite dislike summer. But at least I've got a good book like Mephisto by Klaus Mann to read.
By Annie Kapur9 months ago in Geeks
Miscellaneous Stories Related to Carney: Fascinating Tales You’ve Never Heard
Who is Carney? The name Carney has popped up across many chapters of history — sometimes as a surname, sometimes as a nickname, but always with a hint of mystique. Whether it’s tied to people, places, or professions, the stories associated with Carney are often rich, unpredictable, and captivating.
By Kageno Hoshino9 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "After Annie" by Anna Quindlen
It's mid-July and if you haven't noticed yet, I'm running an unofficial writing competition where you basically tell me the story behind a song which has an important meaning to you. There have been some brilliant entries so far and it's getting very difficult to even see who is going to win. I'll have to make a spreadsheet or something but I am really not sure. Anyways, After Annie is a book about familial resistance done in a way which I have never seen before. I only had a few issues with this one but I think I can put most of them aside for the sake of the heart of the book. If you've enjoyed books like The Berry Pickers then I think this should be somewhere on that TBR.
By Annie Kapur9 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Dis Mem Ber" by Joyce Carol Oates
Yes, it's another book of Joyce Carol Oates' short stories and of course, they are still weird and conceptually terrifying. Currently, we are in the first few weeks of July and I have to say, the climate in England is becoming unbearable more and more often. This is what happens when you don't recycle and you let rich people dart around in private jets. We get climate change. I think we do have to admit everywhere that it is heating up - I definitely do not like this at all. Everything is just sticky and hot and as you know, in England, we do not have air conditioning in homes 99% of the time. Anyways, on to the book...
By Annie Kapur9 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Age of Diagnosis" by Suzanne O'Sullivan
I think the only problem I've ever had with the 'Age of Diagnosis' was the fact that people are definitely starting to diagnose themselves. Those who aren't doctors or mental health professionals should not be diagnosing conditions on themselves such as depression, anxiety and/or autism. When it comes to medical professionals making those diagnoses for themselves, I am on the side of it. I understand that these diagnoses can, at times, be upsetting or cause anxiety in especially younger people. But, I think we know more about these disorders today and so, that is why doctors are diagnosing them more often. Let's have a look at what our author has to say about this...
By Annie Kapur9 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "You Invited It In" by Sarah Jules
I was quite surprised to find this on Kindle Unlimited because it looks and feels very similar to a book I read by Sara Gran called Come Closer and that, when I read it, didn't come cheap. You Invited It In is probably not your run-of-the-mill possession horror, but definitely has some familiar tropes to keep the reader involved with the text. One thing Sarah Jules gets right is that, especially with something that is based within folklore, it has to be familiar to the reader - for example: most of us know that vampires suck blood and/or kill people doing it. If you're doing a demonic possession horror and you're planning to be original about it - it is also best to formulate some back-and-forth with the reader so that they don't feel as though you're making it up as you go along. The lore is there to use.
By Annie Kapur9 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over" by Anne De Marcken
I didn't think I'd read any book that I could possibly compare to The Wall by Marlen Haushofer but this one seems like a good idea when it comes to alternate realities. This book however deals less with the landscape and more with the visceral experience of realities changing. There's something less 'utopian vs. dystopian' about this book and something a bit more 'apocalyptical'. Now, usually I'm not one for apocalypse fiction, I am a firm believer that there are only so many possibilities that we can come up with for that happening. But here, I have been proven wrong...
By Annie Kapur9 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Drinking Den" by Émile Zola
I've read countless books by Emile Zola, including the famed Therese Raquin which is basically a really messed up dark romance novel. But I think my favourite novel by this particular writer has to be The Beast Within because of the psychological terror it insinuates. I wrote about it about five years' ago in my 'reading experiences' series which has been turned slowly into 'why it's a masterpiece' and so, expect it to return soon since I loved it so much. The book The Drinking Den is written in this same psychological style even though it is not obvious straight away. Emile Zola uses descriptions, especially those concerning poverty and squalor to force the reader to confront the atmosphere and realities of those who do not have. It's more rustic and gritty than Dickens, I believe. So, let's get on with what makes this novel so great.
By Annie Kapur9 months ago in Geeks
A Way of Life, Like Any Other by Darcy O'Brien
Darcy O’Brien’s A Way of Life, Like Any Other was first published in 1977, drawing heavily on the author’s personal experiences. O’Brien was born into a Hollywood dynasty: his father, George O’Brien, was a silent film star, and his mother, Marguerite Churchill, was a leading actress in early talkies. The novel is widely regarded as a thinly veiled autobiographical account of his unconventional upbringing in the glamorous yet turbulent world of mid-20th-century Los Angeles.
By Annie Kapur9 months ago in Geeks
