Annie Kapur
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I am:
🙋🏽♀️ Annie
📚 Avid Reader
📝 Reviewer and Commentator
🎓 Post-Grad Millennial (M.A)
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I have:
📖 280K+ reads on Vocal
🫶🏼 Love for reading & research
🦋/X @AnnieWithBooks
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🏡 UK
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Book Review: "The Illusion of Choice" by Richard Shotton
Now, I've already read this guy's other book entitled The Choice Factory and it was pretty good - though I do have to say the books are rather short. I've been seeking out books on why we are the way we are, with focuses on mental health, lifestyles, consumerism, marketing and the human brain. So far in the wider scheme of things, I have read...well, I'm not going to bother counting but you know how it goes for me; when there is a deep-dive to be had I can go on forever. So, let's take a look at The Illusion of Choice and what exactly it is trying to teach us about marketing strategies and behavioural science.
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Orchard on Fire" by Shena Mackay
I have never read or even heard of this author before and if you know my writing and my reading then you will know that I try to do this around once a week (whether it gets acknowledged outwardly or not is an entirely different question). Shena Mackay has proven to be a writer to be reckoned with, her dark wit and her depiction of secret dynamics are often contained within the heart of the writing. Against the backgdrop of the 1950s, she seeks to tinge our worldview with a reality of the era rather than one that is known on social media as 'the good old days' (which were, in fact, not very good at all). Let's take a look at the aptly titled book The Orchard on Fire.
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Geeks
The Museum of Curiosities
Now, as you know I've been living in Nottingham since September/Late-August and I have so far really disliked it here. Here's a quick breakdown: things are very stressful and I have barely had any time to myself. I hate my job and my life has practically fallen apart. It's only February and so I wonder what else is in store for me during this horrible year. I thought therefore, I would use my mental health sick days cheering myself up by going to the Museum of Curiosities - a museum dedicated to everything horror and stuff that basically feels like a carnival style ghost train or haunted house. Now, if you love YouTubers like Dylan-Is-Chillin (also known as: Chills) then you're going to love something like this.
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Lost Connections" by Johann Hari
Oh please, I have heard about Johann Hari and his sketchy research, I know about his strange secondary sources and his weird bibliographies that often contain pop-science books more than scientific research but I do have to say that this book was very interesting to read even though I don't take it too seriously. First of all, before we go into the review I'd like to thank May Contain Lies by Alex Edmans and whoever wrote How to Lie With Statistics for their contributions to my warped perspective upon everything that is nonfiction I read nowadays. Now, on with the review in which I liked the book, though I do have to check out its data problem. Here we go again...
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Geeks
My Reading Songs
It's true that a lot of people feel like they can't focus when there's music on and they're trying to read. However, I feel like I focus much better when there is a light hum of songs I have heard a thousand times over in the background, especially if I am reading out and about such as: in a coffee shop or on public transport. With this, I am also able to noise cancel out the sounds of the world including the more annoying noises such as: people talking loudly on the phone, inconsiderate people who don't wear headphones when playing videos or music and finally, the person in the café sitting near me who sips their drink too loud.
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Paris was Yesterday: 1925-1939" by Janet Flanner
This is one of the books where I sat there reading the provided sample online and when I got to the end, I quickly went to look it up on Amazon so I could carry on reading it. Unfortunately, it was a little out of my current price range and so, I started to scroll around until I found the "used" button. For only about £1 or so, I could get the book on free delivery as well. Doing the little cartoon Grinch grin to myself, I hit the buy button but told myself I would still have to wait for a while before I actually received the book. Upon receiving it though, I went right back to the beginning, starting all over. And reader, I breathed it in...
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Geeks
The Paraphrasing of Personal Development
Self-help books are usually defined as a genre of literature that provides advice, strategies, and techniques to help individuals improve aspects of their personal lives. These books typically focus on topics like mental health, personal growth, productivity, relationships, career development, and overall well-being. According to trends in literature, personal development books (a subset of the self-help genre) have seen a resurgence, making up a large portion of books being bought in the 2010s onwards (Nielsen Book, 2023).
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Psyche
Book Review: "Stolen Focus" by Johann Hari
“We live in a culture that is constantly amping us up with stress and stimulation.” - "Stolen Focus" by Johann Hari Yes I'm reading more by this controversial journalist. I believe that perhaps Johann Hari is trying to make a point and I am aware that he often cherry-picks facts thank you very much Alex Edmans. However, I think we should also be aware that he probably makes some good points even though they are a little bit obvious from time to time. The enjoyability of reading a Johann Hari book is basically that if you have more than half a brain to think about these things - you can basically say to yourself, "yes, I was right all along!" But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's take a good look at what he's really talking about here. From the ultra-processed food revolution that plagued the childhoods of millennials like myself to the sinister intentions of 'surveillance capitalism' that is now making its way into our homes, maybe "Don't Be Evil" is not really the tagline big-tech companies want to be taking since they have become a huge slice of the problem.
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Geeks
The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark
Note: This is not an opinion article, it is analysis. If you would like to read my review then click here. This book was written by the acclaimed Scottish author Muriel Spark and published in 1970. The novella marked a distinctive entry in Spark's impressive literary career, notable for its departure from traditional narrative styles and its exploration of darker themes. The author, known for her sharp wit and keen psychological insights, delved into the psychological thriller genre with this work, creating a story that is both compelling and disturbing.
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Choice Factory" by Richard Shotton
Well, yes I'm back to reading about the amount of choice we have in the modern world and how advertisers are harnessing our attention. I've read many books about material consumerism and how marketing is exploiting our biases to create narratives around items they are trying to sell to us through advertising products linked to lifestyles. Consumerism has always been an interest to me because I like to think 'hey, they could never fool me' and then I buy candles with weird names like 'A Calm and Quiet Place' or 'Old Library'. It's a weird and wonderful world out there and after listening to Rory Sutherland's Hacking the Unconscious and reading his book entitled Alchemy some time ago - I'm ready to explore further.
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Thunderstruck" by Erik Larson
Erik Larson novels are great and I have read my fair share of them. These include recent reads like Dead Wake and then less recent reads like The Devil in the White City. I think his books are excellent works of the nonfiction novel. They are philosophically compelling and often give us an insight into a particular case that we have not had the liberty of being introduced to before in true crime or in documentary format. So let's take a look at this book entitled Thunderstruck which covers in some ways, the Dr Crippen case...
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Geeks
Book Review: "The Career of David Noble" by Frances Parkinson Keyes
You will get tired of reading about me being out of money and so, I have to binge read my old orange Penguins which I had acquired from a previous rummage in my mother's house. But honestly, I do not care if you are tired of reading about it - it is a reality. Yes, I could go to the library but unfortunately, I cannot be bothered. I have one day to properly chill out in the week and I don't want to spend it walking around in the freezing cold in a city where my phone can get picked out of my pocket and my stuff can get stolen without a second thought. So, I've been reading The Career of David Noble by Frances Parkinson Keyes - a book that focuses on a man who is part and parcel of a complex political landscape fighting morality and ambition head on and at the same time. Welcome to a novel about the American Dream.
By Annie Kapur12 months ago in Geeks
