literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Book Review: "Consuming Passions" by Philippa Pullar
I don't know why I picked this book up, perhaps because it was cheap. But I can honestly say that between this and the book The Feast in which there are multiple poems and writings on food, I have learnt more about food culture from two books than I have learnt at any other time in my life. I was first thinking about splitting this review into 'parts' because the book itself has a lot of information in it. But I don't want to spoil it for you and I think you're all sick of me doing that for now. Fun fact: I'm not going to stop. Consuming Passions starts with the Roman appetite and has some of the best writing about food and eating I have ever read. Some of it is rather beautiful.
By Annie Kapurabout 19 hours ago in Geeks
The Island of Dr Moreau by HG Wells
Background and Context: You guys probably already know that 'The Island of Dr Moreau' is my favourite HG Wells novel and it has one of the most twisted storylines in Victorian Fiction. It takes the 'mad scientist' trope and turns it into something that blends it with a classic villain from the movies with a cult leader, drunk off his own sense of power. It's a really short book and really easy to read so please, if you haven't read it yet I would recommend getting stuck into it when you have some time. You definitely will not regret it. I've written multiple things about this book in my previous articles, praising it for its incredible themes and its fantastic blend of Sci-Fi and horror. Something that really characterises the era it was written in.
By Annie Kapura day ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Palace"by Gareth Russell (Pt. 5)
This review covers chapter 18 to the end of the book *** Chapter 18 covers the reign of Queen Anne, the final queen of the Stuart household and mostly seems to look at the idea that she could barely marry, she had lots of miscarriages and in the end the only child she had lived to eleven years' old and so, she had no heir. There were many questions of Queen Anne's marriage, from her husband participating in homosexual affairs to the ideas put forward in the film The Favourite in which it is Queen Anne who is homosexual and promiscuous. Whatever it was, I definitely feel sorry for Queen Anne - everything must have hurt by the end of her reign, too many pregnancies and miscarriages meant her health was declining quickly towards the end. It's quite sad.
By Annie Kapura day ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Palace"by Gareth Russell (Pt. 4)
This review covers chapter 13 to chapter 17 *** Chapter 13 is the Queen's Bedchamber and covers the sicknesses of King James' wife - Anne. She is consumed by something after the birth of her last child, bleeding and pain is everywhere. But the doctor's don't actually know what it is: is it gout? is it malnutrition? is it something to do with her female reproductive organs? Who knows. Some diagnosed it as dropsy. But it is said that she still came about in public until she could no longer do so - still doing her public duty through intense amounts of pain and fever. Still decked out in jewels more expensive than entire cities in her country.
By Annie Kapur3 days ago in Geeks
The Worst Friends in Pop Culture
Friendship is one of the most celebrated themes in storytelling. From animated sitcoms to epic fantasy sagas, audiences are constantly reminded that loyalty, trust, and emotional support are the glue that holds relationships together. The best fictional friendships inspire us because they show characters standing by each other through chaos, heartbreak, and adventure.
By Jenna Deedy3 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Palace"by Gareth Russell (Pt. 3)
This review covers chapter 7 to chapter 12 *** We're carrying on with our review of The Palace by Gareth Russell and I cannot lie, I am devouring this book so thoroughly I might just go back and read the whole thing again. Chapters are named after rooms, whispers are carrying gossip from chamber to chamber, ladies in waiting are also ladies of intrigue, there's so much to digest. I love Gareth Russell's writing as well, it makes for such interesting reading as I feel like I could shut my eyes and watch Edward VI participating in jousts and games in a place like Hampton Court, made for entertainment.
By Annie Kapur4 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Palace"by Gareth Russell (Pt. 2)
This review covers chapter 4 through to the end of chapter 6 *** We've covered people such as Elizabeth of York, Thomas Woolsley, Martin Luther and even Anne Boleyn but now it is time to move on from these figures. It is proven that Gareth Russell has done such an incredible amount of research here and the book itself is a fantastic achievement of nonfiction literature regardless of your personal feelings towards the royal family. Gareth Russell's writing and insight makes the book even more intriguing to read as he offers us arguments to consider, thoughts to ponder on and stories of whispering gossip that lurk inside the walls of this great palace.
By Annie Kapur5 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Palace"by Gareth Russell (Pt. 1)
This review covers the introduction to chapter 3 You know how much I love books about royal history. No, that doesn't particularly mean I enjoy the monarchy the way it is at the moment. I do however, enjoy how the monarchs were once, even as recent as Queen Elizabeth II, were involved in the political landscape of their country. So, it only makes sense to read a book about one of the most important places in the whole of England - Hampton Court. The Palace covers the 500 years from its building to the modern day, including all the great and worrying things that happened there over this time. It was intriguing.
By Annie Kapur6 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Hitler Years" by Frank McDonough (Pt. 2)
This review covers (Triumph) chapters 3 through to the end of 5 *** And so we continue with our review of The Hitler Years (Triumph) and thus it includes the creation of the 'family unit' ideology that is so prevalent in the language of the right wing American doublespeak today. The rolling back of women's roles to those that are confided to the home was a big deal because it meant that more women now had to have more children in order to fill the workforce later on. This comes towards the end of the second chapter and then, in the third chapter, we move into the creation of the Volkswagon and how Hitler was definitely trying to sell the idea that the Nazi Party was one for the average (rather) 'nuclear' family.
By Annie Kapur8 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Whispers in Your Mind" by Sandy Gillman
Ladies and gentlemen, Sandy Gillman has written a collection of horror stories for all of us to enjoy. I'm not going to lie to you: I went feral. These are entirely my kind of thing: uncanny, dark and kind of twisted. You can definitely see where the story is heading but you're still hopeful that something will change. Written with wonderful sparse detail and in some cases, even tracking two stories from differing perspectives on the same set of events, Sandy Gillman has really broke into the horror story world with a huge bang. I absolutely love this anthology and you can see all the work that has gone into making it detail-perfect.
By Annie Kapur8 days ago in Geeks
