literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Review of ‘The Court of Miracles’ (A Court of Miracles #1)
Synopsis Les Misérables meets Six of Crows in this page-turning adventure as a young thief finds herself going head to head with leaders of Paris's criminal underground in the wake of the French Revolution. In the violent urban jungle of an alternate 1828 Paris, the French Revolution has failed and the city is divided between merciless royalty and nine underworld criminal guilds, known as the Court of Miracles. Eponine (Nina) Thénardier is a talented cat burglar and member of the Thieves Guild. Nina's life is midnight robberies, avoiding her father's fists, and watching over her naïve adopted sister, Cosette (Ettie). When Ettie attracts the eye of the Tiger--the ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh--Nina is caught in a desperate race to keep the younger girl safe. Her vow takes her from the city's dark underbelly to the glittering court of Louis XVII. And it also forces Nina to make a terrible choice--protect Ettie and set off a brutal war between the guilds, or forever lose her sister to the Tiger.
By Cyn's Workshop6 years ago in Geeks
“The Makioka Sisters” by Junichiro Tanizaki
Tanizaki’s “The Makioka Sisters” is a story about four sisters who are on the brink of losing certain traditions and cultures obtained through their historical family to the changing world of Japan during the mid-20th century. A critical analysis of the varying degrees of cultural change over Japan and the wider world, the reader sees tensions grow between the sisters as all four of them seem to want different things from the world. Whilst there is a sister who prefers the lavish and feminine lifestyle of old, without worry and without an occupation or hobbies. Whereas, another sister prefers the world of the working woman and thus, turns the Makioka tradition of non-working, uneducated females upside-down. Her want to have hobbies, make a professional of herself and other things creates great tensions. But the sister that creates the most tension is the one that has not been able to get married. She may have suitors but after a newspaper-bred scandal that left her reputation amongst Makioka and other Japanese people alike, she has been unable to find a husband for herself and her family are extremely worried that, like the working woman, this will tarnish the historical name of Makioka. As far as tradition and females go, there are many characters who want to protect the culture of rich history that has many, many years and generations of members. However, with the war at hand, there are things that required to be changed in order to survive - even if this concerns being modernised within the confines of a traditional family who do not think certain things should be done by women. The symbolic nature of the sisters seems to represent the way in which war changes a population. There are obviously those who want to keep the current regime that is the old one at any cost - even if it means losing people they love. There are then the ones who care not for the modern world at all and want to keep everyone within the older regime in hope of keeping the tradition alive and thriving. Then finally we have the modern ones who care not for traditions and regimes, but choose to grow up with the world, growing together and changing to modernise. These are considered the best adapted to survive after the war. They may be considered to be best adapted but this novel also takes into account the fact that old and new are required equally in order for the world to move on from history. History is where we learn from and the modern is what we strive towards. This is exactly how the book sees things as well.
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in Geeks
20 Books of 2020 (Pt.33)
Can we talk about audiobooks for a bit? Thanks. Audiobooks are often considered "not reading" and honestly, I thought that this was true until I started to go partially blind and had to be more selective of my paperbacks, making sure the font and text size was good enough for me to see. (Not necessarily big enough, but at least printed in a font that I could see easily). I have been experimenting with audiobooks because I don't really listen to audiobooks of books I haven't read. I like listening to my favourite books via audiobook such as: "The Picture of Dorian Gray", "The Brothers Karamazov", "Anna Karenina", "War and Peace", "Jane Eyre" and "Moby-Dick".
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in Geeks
Review of ‘The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea’
Synopsis In a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic, a desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial lady find a connection on the high seas. The pirate Florian, born Flora, has always done whatever it takes to survive--including sailing under false flag on the Dove as a marauder, thief, and worse. Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, a highborn Imperial daughter, is on board as well--accompanied by her own casket. But Evelyn's one-way voyage to an arranged marriage in the Floating Islands is interrupted when the captain and crew show their true colors and enslave their wealthy passengers. Both Florian and Evelyn have lived their lives by the rules, and whims, of others. But when they fall in love, they decide to take fate into their own hands--no matter the cost. Maggie Tokuda-Hall's sweeping fantasy debut, full of stolen memories, illicit mermaid's blood, double agents, and haunting mythical creatures conjures an extraordinary cast of characters and the unforgettable story of a couple striving to stay together in the face of myriad forces wishing to control their identities and destinies.
By Cyn's Workshop6 years ago in Geeks
Review of 'The Obsidian Tower'
Synopsis One woman will either save an entire continent or completely destroy it in a captivating epic fantasy bursting with intrigue and ambition, questioned loyalties, and broken magic. "Guard the tower, ward the stone. Find your answers writ in bone. Keep your trust through wits or war--nothing must unseal the door." Deep within Gloamingard Castle lies a black tower. Sealed by magic, it guards a dangerous secret that has been contained for thousands of years. As Warden, Ryxander knows the warning passed down through generations: nothing must unreal the Door. But one impetuous decision will leave her with blood on her hands--and unleash a threat that could doom the world to fall to darkness.
By Cyn's Workshop6 years ago in Geeks
20 Books of 2020 (Pt.32)
Well, we're underway into the 600s now and I can honestly say that it has been a great ride, but we're not stopping here! In this article introduction, I want to talk shortly about reading books and reading kindle books/ebooks etc. and the way in which we see differences between them.
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in Geeks
"Kafka was the Rage" by Anatole Broyard
The first time I ever read “Kafka was the Rage” by Anatole Broyard, I was sitting on a coach on my way to a university trip for five days of intense work. I was in the second year of my undergraduate degree and had just about turned twenty years’ old. My first experience of reading it was brilliant and I read the whole thing in one sitting, much to the confusion of my lecturer since I was the only one not talking on the coach ride. It ended up with me talking to my lecturer about how good the book was - and it was awesome. “Kafka was the Rage” really influenced my world view of how the planet worked after the second world war. It made me believe less in the fact that everything went back to normal and believe more in the fact that there were actually a great number of problems after the war, especially concerning these displaced soldiers pretty much left to their own devices. It is one of those stories that simply touches you with its realism.
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in Geeks
"Tess of the D’Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy
It has been just about ten years since I first read Thomas Hardy’s magnum opus “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” and I read it mostly because it was everywhere. I remember it being in bookstores with these amazing clothbound covers on the copies and I managed to save come money in order to get myself one. This was how I discovered the book. I was simply in a bookstore looking at the clothbound edition of “Anna Karenina” when near it was Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” and simply realising I hadn’t read it and it looked interesting, I bought it. (Since I also already had a copy of “Anna Karenina” - nobody was letting me buy another one). My first reading experience of “Tess” was pretty disturbing because I found myself really upset for a few days afterwards because of the way I believe Tess was treated unjustly. The book managed to change my opinion of what could happen to people who were the protagonists of their own novels, and I thought that sort of stuff only happened in Shakespeare’s plays. How wrong I was.
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in Geeks
Review of ‘Admission’
Synopsis From the New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things comes an of-the-moment novel that peeks inside the private lives of the hypercompetitive and the hyperprivileged and takes on the college admissions bribery scandal that rocked the country. It's good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer. She's headed off to the college of her dreams. She's going to prom with the boy she's had a crush on since middle school. Her best friend always has her back, and her mom, a B-list Hollywood celebrity, may finally be on her way to the B+ list. It's good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer--at least, it was, until the FBI came knocking on her front door, guns at the ready, and her future went up in smoke. Now her mother is under arrest in a massive college admissions bribery scandal. Chloe, too, might be facing charges, and even time behind bars. The public is furious, the press is rabid, and the US attorney is out for blood. As she loses everything she's long taken for granted, Chloe must reckon not only with the truth of what happened, but also with the examination of her own guilt. Why did her parents think the only way for her to succeed was to cheat for her? What did she know, and when did she know it? And perhaps most importantly, what does it mean to be complicit?
By Cyn's Workshop6 years ago in Geeks
If Beale Street Could Talk: a review. Third Place in Lifelong Learning Challenge.
The murder of George Floyd was a modern-day lynching. As such, the United States has been forced (again...) to confront racism – the skeleton in America’s closet that never actually died, especially for Black and Brown people.
By Pallavi Juneja6 years ago in Geeks
World Refugee Day: Ten Books on Refugee and Immigrant Voices
Every year on the 20th of June, World Refugee Day is celebrated internationally as it is a day where we respect and honour the most vulnerable members of our society who constantly risk their lives in hope that they can find safety.
By Annie Kapur6 years ago in Geeks
Review of ‘A Curse So Dark and Lonely’ (Cursebreakers #1)
Synopsis Fall in love, break the curse. It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope. Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world. Break the curse, save the kingdom. A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.
By Cyn's Workshop6 years ago in Geeks
