literature
Geek literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase geeks.
Stop Bashing YA
Don’t get me wrong, I love people. But there are a lot of things that people do that bother me. I’m sure you can relate. Instead of using this point to argue about politics or something that affects everyone, I’m going to use it to discuss something that shouldn’t be anyone’s business except yourself: your choice of books.
By Penelope Padilla8 years ago in Geeks
Why You Should Read Rick Riordan's Books Now!
Author Rick Riordan has written numerous best-sellers that hold a place in many reader's hearts. If you haven't picked up any of his books, here's a list of why you should give them a shot. So, let's pretend those movies didn't exist and go into the beauty that are the Percy Jackson books and the series that make up the "Riordanverse." No matter your age, these are the types of books which could find a place in your heart too.
By Shrika Guda8 years ago in Geeks
In Defense of Libraries
Lately I have seen a lot of articles on the fall of libraries, how they are about to go extinct if we don’t save them. We see libraries getting closed down, art programs getting cut, essentially we are seeing the art of knowledge and self expression die off. In addition to personal reasons for needing libraries around, they are also a beautiful place for free knowledge, for those who cannot afford to buy books. For those who can not afford a computer for access to internet, it is a place for people who can not afford basic forms of knowledge to go and indulge in the information that libraries have to offer. Libraries are the backbone of our society; a place for knowledge and art, a place for people to retreat to when they need a safe haven for their ideas. I am one who has great belief that libraries are an essential part of our society as a whole. When the world gets to loud, and the thoughts inside my head get to busy, I can always take comfort in one single place. Thousands of single places, really. Any and all libraries. Nothing gives me the sense of serene comfort like being around hundreds and hundreds of books. Thousands of worlds and ideas surrounding me and all of a sudden I don't have to be in reality anymore. I can curl up with a classic or turn to something new I have yet to discover and find my heart in something new. The simple act of opening a book and losing yourself in its words seems like such a small action but it can open your mind and your heart and take you to new places. You can discover things you never knew before, about the world and about yourself. Another person's words can inspire you to create, speak out, and even live differently. Another person's ideas can ignite your own, causing a beautiful creative revolution. I know that no matter what life brings, I can always find a library with a big comfy chair, and curl up with a book; a book whose words dance through my mind with spectacular color and musical celebration. I can lose and find myself in the heart of a story either new to me, or completely comfortable and predictable. As a writer I can often see where a story is going to go within its first few pages, but that has never dulled the journey and authors words take me on. Many stories may take a similar path but an author's individual words, and the heart and perspective that they put into a plot line everyone has read before is what makes art unique. It is what makes our hearts and minds full, and it is what keeps us coming back to art. We don’t continue to read books to read the same story over and over again, we continue to read to discover something we didn’t notice before. We come back to books because of the way the stories are told. We keep being told that libraries are dying, being wiped out by digital books and the fall of literacy, but the truth is as long as people seek knowledge, truth, and creativity, there will be libraries. There will be places people can go to retreat into stories, a place where people can find their voice and themselves. Libraries will remain a place to find safety in knowledge, strength in truth, and relief in creativity. I will continue to find comfort among books and find myself in stories. So when the world gets to loud, and the thoughts in my head get too busy, I will always retreat into a story.
By Alexandrea Callaghan8 years ago in Geeks
What Is Left After Death
Could there possibly be a reward on earth after death? In The Death of Ivan Ilych, the author, Leo Tolstoy, introduces the book with Ivan being dead after three days of agony from a simple injury. The story proceeds into his adolescence and his life in law school. He marries and starts a family, having a daughter and son. Within a year of their marriage, his wife becomes demanding and irritable following the hardest years of his life. His salary is not enough to support them and he is forgotten by everyone. Ivan later finds work in Petersburg, purchases a house, and moves his family there. He began decorating the house by hanging curtains and bruises his side. He ignores the injury until it begins to disturb him. Ivan Ilych becomes ill-natured and quarrelous, thus the relationship between wife and husband grows worse. He realizes that everyone is lying to him saying he is only ill when truly he is dying. Instead of fearing death as he once did, he accepts its reality. Three days before his death, in the midst of his screaming, his son walks in his room and comforts him. This made Ivan see that a good legacy is the only reward in death. Leo Tolstoy’s perspective on life, animated characters, and valuable life lessons make The Death of Ivan Ilych a wonderful literary work.
By Happy&Blessed8 years ago in Geeks
Six Books I Love
I recently got tagged in a Facebook challenge to post the covers of six books I loved without any commentary. I love challenges like that; they remind me of all the wonderful books I've read over the years. Narrowing it down to six was tricky! But here are the six I chose and the reasons why.
By Harriet Christabel8 years ago in Geeks
'Night'
Throughout history, it is noticed that when fear strikes in different shapes and sizes, humans refuse to acknowledge it. We possess a great amount of stubbornness that can either hurt or even save people, as human beings, we would rather live in a world where there is no fear and everything is okay and will be okay. In the book Night, Elie Wiesel demonstrates a few examples throughout the terrifying journey he is forced into. Before his little community was loaded onto a train to be shipped to a camp, they were warned about the dangers that they were to be in by Moishe the Beadle. When they had become prisoners at Auschwitz, a handful wanted to revolt but were persuaded to not be foolish. And finally, with the horrors they witnessed, there remained a light of hope within them that they will be saved and everything will be okay.
By Selena Huerta8 years ago in Geeks
'Reflection: A Twisted Tale'
I'm an avid reader, often looking for books that are a little different and sometimes out of my comfort zone. The last book I finished is called Reflection: A Twisted Tale by Elizabeth Lim. This is the latest in a series of Twisted Tale novels released by Disney all about some of our favorite Disney films but with a new spin. What made this one so interesting is that unlike As Old as Time, this particular book made a drastic twist in the tale of Mulan.
By Erika Farrah8 years ago in Geeks
Illiterature: Uncultured Readers or Merely Born in a New Era?
Do you ever open a book of classic literature, something renowned in the literary canon, and feel your jaw slowly sag...your eyes start pacing...and your mind begin spinning in circles as though you are suddenly reading a different language? Okay, maybe not that extreme, but it's confusing, right: the way older literature is written? Nowadays, you can read The Hunger Games,Harry Potter, or Divergent and follow every word!
By PathlessJourney8 years ago in Geeks
A Thousand Lives
I can remember sitting in my small kindergarten class and learning my letters with a boy named Noah as my desk mate. I can also remember moving to Brazil and my mother became my teacher. There were many little stories I learned to read from. One talked about figs and one was an analogy for the phrase “the grass is always greener on the other side.” My first major reading project was when a couple visited us from America. She gave me a challenge: read all the Boxcar Children books that I owned before she left. I failed miserably. Being only 8-years-old, reading wasn’t yet my strong suit. But then something amazing happened.
By Lorde Jacobson8 years ago in Geeks
5 Summer Must-Reads
Summer is rearing its head and, with that, many of us will be enjoying a relaxing week or two abroad, or simply lounging around in our gardens and making the most of the weather while we can. If you're like me, then you'll enjoy reading a book or two while soaking up the sunshine. Here's a list of my five essential summer must-reads!
By Leanne Bates8 years ago in Geeks
'THUG'
After reading multitudes of novels, I never enjoyed contemporary or romance as it is continuously repetitive. When my book club chose The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas as the book of the month, I was disappointed. It did not seem interesting to me in the slightest.
By Emily Jewell8 years ago in Geeks
