literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
First published in 1930, this book was originally a serial in a magazine called Black Mask. Written by Dashiell Hammett, it's now considered one of the greatest books of the modern detective genre - particularly when it comes to the sub-genre: hardboiled crime. It introduces us to the disillusioned Sam Spade, a cynical private detective who becomes an archetype overall, for the detectives we tend to meet in this genre. It proved to be a grand influence on the books that came after it.
By Annie Kapur8 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Humboldt's Gift" by Saul Bellow
Saul Bellow is an interesting writer because he really is growing on me. I've often said that I'm not a huge fan of his novel The Adventures of Augie March mainly because it goes on for much longer than it needs to. However, novels like Ravelstein, Herzog and The Dangling Man are among some great works of Bellow's and I'm still reading around. Humboldt's Gift is my latest one and if I've said one thing it's that Saul Bellow writes better when he makes an attempt at conciseness. Though, this book is a longer one...
By Annie Kapur8 days ago in Geeks
The Night I Stopped Waiting for Wings
I was fifteen the first time I saw the wings. It was 2009. My best friend and I huddled in her basement, sharing a bag of chips, eyes glued to the TV as women in glitter and lace walked like they owned the air itself. They were radiant, powerful, untouchable. One wore wings so wide they brushed the stage lights; another smiled like she held the secret to happiness itself.
By KAMRAN AHMAD8 days ago in Geeks
The Boy in the Rain
I didn’t go for the game. I went for my nephew. He’s twelve, wears a faded jersey two sizes too big, and talks about football like it’s scripture. “It’s not just running and tackling, Uncle,” he’d said, eyes wide. “It’s about heart. About who shows up when no one’s watching.”
By KAMRAN AHMAD9 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Nightmare at 20'000 Feet: The Horror Stories" by Richard Matheson
Richard Matheson is perhaps one of the best horror writers that has been in modern times. I find he very rarely gets mentioned and yet, he is one of the people at the centre of contemporary thriller and shows like The Twilight Zone. I think many of us who read him later in our lives probably remember his Nightmare at 20'000 Feet being parodied by The Simpsons when Bart sees a creature on the side of the school bus. Currently, I am sitting here drinking a cup of Costa Coffee and wondering how to tell you about some of my favourite stories within this killer anthology - introduced of course, by Stephen King. Horror really is the rock and roll of the literary world - as he states.
By Annie Kapur9 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Sorrow and Bliss" by Meg Mason
So I'm trying to read books that are funny as well as everything else I'm reading. I've read a couple by Sally Rooney including Beautiful World, Where Are You? and Conversations with Friends. I've read Dolly Alderton's Ghosts and the lesser Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan. There are probably more but I can't remember them all off the top of my head right now. Sorrow and Bliss is a book that I have heard about quite a bit even before I started reading what is normally dubbed 'women's writing'. There were some issues with this book but I think on the whole, this probably isn't the best one I've read of the bunch and yet it is definitely not the very worst of it.
By Annie Kapur10 days ago in Geeks
Why Marvel Studios Should Embrace Canon MCU Novels
For over fifteen years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been the gold standard for shared cinematic storytelling. What began as a risky experiment with Iron Man (2008) grew into a sprawling, interconnected franchise that redefined what blockbuster filmmaking could be. But as the MCU continues to grow–across films, Disney+ series, specials, and now the multiverse–it faces a challenge that can’t be solved with bigger budgets or more content alone:
By Jenna Deedy11 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "Exciting Times" by Naoise Dolan
I have been buying some uplifting books such as Sally Rooney comedies and of course, the brilliant Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey. As you probably know, I've also been baking, making candles and just doing things to pep myself up a bit - yeah, I'm not doing too well even though it's close to Christmas. My mind is always against me. I thought that this was going to be one of those books - I got it for free on a 'buy three get one free' deal on a used bookshop website and so, I wasn't too concerned if it turned out not so great. But I really didn't expect it to be this bad.
By Annie Kapur11 days ago in Geeks
The Best Books of 2025
It's that time of year again where I go through my favourite reads of the year. Again, I do not have a GoodReads account mainly because I find 99% of people on there to be completely insufferable. Most of my book writing is stuff you will find around here. My New Years' Resolution in reading was to read more books by authors I perhaps had never heard of and so, let's have a look at whether I achieved my goal. Here we go, here are the best books I read in 2025. They will appear as when they were read in the year, not how good they are.
By Annie Kapur12 days ago in Geeks
The Literary Entirety of 2025
You might think it is odd but I started this list on the first day of 2025 and it includes absolutely everything I have read this year in order of when I read it. Last year, I published the Literary Entirety of 2024 and I hope some of you enjoyed it. There is also a "Best Books" series for this year to accompany this list if you're only looking for the stuff I enjoyed most. But here, you'll find everything - even the stuff I haven't reviewed (yes, some books I just read and don't review either because I didn't like them very much or I simply didn't get around to writing a review for it).
By Annie Kapur12 days ago in Geeks
Book Review: "It's Probably Nothing" by Naga Munchetty
Ah yes, reading books on your phone when it's raining outside, it's dark in your room and it's probably 4am or something. I chose this book to read mainly because I had been meaning to read it for a while and it was just sitting around on my TBR. If you're American, there's a strong chance you've never heard of Naga Munchetty but in the UK she's a well-known newswoman/television personality who mostly presents the BBC Breakfast Show in the morning. I have always found her to be quite wholesome and if she wrote a book then I would find it worthy of reading. So here we are...
By Annie Kapur12 days ago in Geeks
Everyone Is a Suspect. AI-Generated.
I’ve always been drawn to stories where the danger isn’t lurking in the shadows—but sitting right next to you. Small towns. Isolated groups. Smiling faces with secrets tucked just beneath the surface. Give me a setting where no one can leave, and I’m already locked in.
By Travis Johnson13 days ago in Geeks
