To Be or Not To Be: A Chooseable-Path Adventure

 To Be or Not To Be: A Chooseable-Path Adventure by Ryan North, 368 pages.

This extremely funny book turns Hamlet into a choose-your-own-adventure story with three playable characters and dozens of endings. There's an astounding amount of creativity in this book, and I was often completely blindsided by the directions it was possible to take the story in. Be Hamlet's father, decide revenge is for suckers, spend your afterlife hanging out with dinosaur ghosts. Be Ophelia, go on a single's cruise to England, invent the wingsuit and fight terrorists. Be Hamlet and become a pirate captain. Be Hamlet and Ophelia going through a training montage to become ninjas. There are also helpful little skull markers if you want to follow the path of the actual play. 

In addition to the crazy plots and cool illustrated endings, I really enjoyed how conversational this book was. The author was definitely a character, which allowed for some especially fun use of the medium. I would definitely recommend flipping through this book, for Shakespeare fans especially, but honestly I think it's funny enough that most people would enjoy it. 

If We Were Villains

 If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, 354 pages.

Seven aspiring Shakespearean actors at an exclusive arts school have spent four years growing deeply entwined with each other. Through the years the roles they play onstage on offstage have blurred and grown deeply entangled. When one of their own dies, all of the bitter feelings and guilt begin to poison the survivors, as they have to convince not only the police they are guiltless, but also themselves. Oliver Marks has just finished serving a ten year sentence for his classmates murder, and he is finally ready to tell the truth to the retiring police officer who has been haunted by the case all these years. 

This book feels, in many ways, like a love letter to The Secret History by Donna Tartt. That being said, I actually liked this book better than that foundational text of the dark academia genre. Rio did a masterful job creating in the reader the feelings of the characters, transferring an atmosphere that was frequently both suffocating and frantic. I also found the tension between the characters conforming to their assigned archetypes and existing as complete people fascinating. It also feels worth mentioning that I have been thinking about the end of this book since I finished it a few weeks ago. I would heavily recommend this as a tense, character-driven drama. 

Boy

Boy by Nicole Galland, 352 pages

An apprentice at the Globe Theatre, Alexander Cooke is one of the most famous actors in London, and he's made his mark by playing, and inspiring the creation of, some of Shakespeare's most complicated female characters. However, Sander is maturing, and soon he'll no longer be able to pull off the female roles, leaving him in a bit of a quandary about his future. Perhaps he can use some of his fame to secure a patron, such as the wealthy yet out-of-favor Earl of Essex. Meanwhile, Sander's closest friend, Joan Buckler, is yearning to earn an education and make a life for herself as a scientist and scholar, but the strict gender roles of the Elizabethan era block her from lectures and opportunities to expand her knowledge. However, when Sander makes the acquaintance of Francis Bacon, he hatches a scheme that he hopes might solve both their problems.

I loved the way that Galland took a real person about whom little is known (actor Alexander Cooke), paired him with the fictional Joan, and created a nuanced examination of gender roles and life in a story that never felt dull or dry. The sprinkling of true-to-life details with the real background characters added a bit of depth to the story, making me want to learn more about them. An excellent historical fiction with tinges of Allison Epstein's A Tip for the Hangman mixed with Shakespeare in Love.

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent

 Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench and Brendan O'Hea, 400 pages

This book started as a series of interviews between theater director Brendan O'Hea and actress Judi Dench, originally intended for a theater company's archives. O'Hea soon realized this work was something a whole lot of people would want to read, and decided to turn it into a book instead. However, especially in audiobook form, this book retains the feel of an intimate conversation between old friends. Although Dench read only small portions of the audiobook, the actress they got to read her part sounded so similar I couldn't always tell when they switched.

The book covers the dozens of Shakespeare roles Judi Dench has played in her decades-spanning career, as well as collecting a whole lot of general thoughts about performing Shakespeare and working in theater. I was very impressed how the book managed to twist together biography, funny anecdotes, and very solid Shakespeare analysis into something that felt so cohesive. Judi Dench is riotously funny, and it was a pleasure to feel as if you were in her living room listening to her chat with an old friend. I would strongly recommend this to anyone with an interest in Shakespeare, performing live theater, or Judi Dench. 

Twelfth Grade Night

 Twelfth Grade Night by Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm, and Jamie Green, 160 pages.

Vi started at Arden High, a magical public high school, for a fresh start and an escape from uniform skirts. But the school isn't the same without her twin brother, who was supposed to switch with her and decided to stay at the private school they had been attending. Luckily, Vi is quickly swept up in the excitement of the new school. She's swept into helping plan the twelfth grade night dance, and swept away by Orsino (aspiring poet and influencer). The only problem is that he wants her to ask Olivia to go to the dance with him, and Olivia keeps flirting with her, not to mention that all of her new friends seem to assume she's not even interested in guys.

This is a shockingly true adaptation for a high school au that also removes the most central plot element of the original play (ie, Vi is not masquerading as her twin brother). Somehow it still comes together into something that feels like Twelfth Night (which, fun fact, is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays). This comic is fun and weird, and it's super fun to see how the author's twisted some things to make the story feel completely natural in the modern day. Apparently there's another upcoming book in the series called King Cheer and I'm very excited for it.

Shakespeare for Squirrels

Shakespeare for Squirrels: A Novel by Christopher Moore  271 pp.

Pocket of Dog Snogging, the illustrious foul-mouthed Fool from Moore's previous Shakespearean antics in Fool and The Serpent of Venice returns in a lively but skewed romp through "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Pocket has landed in Greece after being set adrift by his pirate crew with his Fool's Apprentice, Drool and a monkey with a kinky penchant for hats. He lands in the middle of a mystery  because someone has killed Robin Goodfellow aka Puck. The rest of the cast from "AMND" are there as well as a full compliment of Amazons, Fairies, and Goblins. When Drool is imprisoned Pocket must use his wits to solve the murder and the source for the magic that turned Bottom into a donkey and caused Titania to fall in love with the donkey headed workman. Silly and fun. I enjoyed this one more than "Serpent" but Fool is still my favorite in the series. Creative profanity and non-explicit sex abound. No spoilers, so I won't reveal the squirrel connection.

The Winter's Tale

The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare  225 pp.

I initially started listening to the Audible full cast recording of this play but, as it is not one I am greatly familiar with, I found it hard to follow. I ended up reading along with the recording and enjoyed it greatly. It is the story of two old friends who are the kings of Bohemia and Sicily and a case of mistaken jealousy which drives them apart and destroys the marriage of one. This play is generally cataloged as a comedy because it does end happily. However, at the outset it appears to be a tragedy. The performance includes Sinead Cusack, Dame Eileen Atkins, and a brief appearance by Sir John Gielgud among others. 

How to Stop Time

How to Stop Time: a Novel / Matt Haig, 325 p.

Like Dara Horn's Eternal Life, we have another novel in which a character has been alive far longer than he'd like.  In this case Tom, who grew up in Elizabethan England, has had enough of loving and leaving people, and of the effort involved in creating new identities in obscure pockets of the globe.  Worse still is his membership in the sinister Albatross Society, whose members share his condition and who police the planet for other potential members in order to keep the group 'safe' from the predations of witch-hunters and, in the modern era, genetic scientists.  When Tom meets French teacher Camille while working at a London school in the present day, he is forced to consider whether it isn't time to share his secret. Sweet and engaging.

Romeo & Juliet

Romeo & Juliet: No Fear Shakespeare Graphic Novel by William Shakespeare & Matt Wiegle  205 pp.

This is the last book for the Great Stories Book Club I'm doing with the Lieberman Learning Center. It is the complete Shakespeare play with updated language in graphic novel format. My only complaint is the similarity in appearance between some of the characters, Benvolio & Mercutio especially, occasionally caused confusion while reading. Other than that it is a good introduction to the play and I'm looking forward to discussing it with the teens.

Macbeth

Macbeth: a novel by A.J. Hartley & David Hewson  328 pp.

I admit I haven't read the original Shakespeare Macbeth since high school so I can't comment on all the differences between this book and the play. The most prominent one is the author's decision to give Lady Macbeth the first name of Skena (Scottish meaning: from Skene). Because of the novel format many things are given more detail than in the play. The relationship between Macbeth and his Lady, and her torment over the death of her infant and subsequent barrenness are elaborated upon. As a stand alone novel it works. It isn't necessary to be familiar with the play to find this version entertaining if a bit specific in the blood and gore department. However, many of the familiar quotes you expect from the play are missing e.g. no "Double double toil and trouble...". It's not a replacement for the play but a nice addendum. The Scottish actor Alan Cumming did an nice job of narration on the audiobook.

Hag-seed

Hag-seed: the tempest retold / Margaret Atwood, 314 pgs.

Felix is pushed out of his job as the creative lead of a theater company and ends up on a twelve year sabbatical that gives him just enough time to plan his revenge.  His self exile in a rough cabin inhabited by the ghost of his young daughter who died at three and his own thoughts is sometimes stultifying.  He takes a job teaching literacy theater in a prison and the road to revenge is paved.  I will freely admit the story was new to me after having no problem forgetting the entirety of my college Shakespeare class.  This retelling is interesting and made me a want to read the original.  I listened to the audio version and thoroughly enjoyed R. H. Thomson's narration of events.

Tempest-Tost

Tempest-Tost by Richardson Davies  288 pp.

This is the first book in the "Salterton Trilogy" and I have no plans to read the following two. There is nothing wrong with this novel per se, but it doesn't seem to go anywhere. In spite being set in Canada, it is a very British manor & village style story. The Salterton local theater group is planning to stage "The Tempest" and invade a local estate to the dismay of the owner and his gardener. The rest of the story involves the various characters and the ups and downs of their various attempts at pairing up. In spite of a miscellany of problems with the production and the lives of its actors, the show must go on. There are humorous moments in the book but, for me, there's not enough meat there to recommend it.

The Bookman's Tale

The Bookman's Tale: A Novel of Obsession by Charles C. Lovett  352 pp.

Peter Byerly is a young bookseller, grieving the death of his beloved wife, Amanda, the granddaughter of a woman who endowed a great book collection at a small private college. Byerly leaves their North Carolina home for the cottage they renovated in England. While in a small bookshop he finds a small watercolor portrait in a book that looks amazingly like Amanda but was painted in the 1800s. He begins a search for information about the mysterious artist "BB" and soon finds himself sucked into mystery, intrigue, and danger surrounding the "Pandosto" manuscript which Shakespeare may have actually used in writing his plays. The action covers multiple time periods from Shakespearean times, to the 19th Century, to Peter and Amanda's college romance in the 1980s to present day. The author, an antiquarian bookseller/collector and playwright, provides a meticulously detailed story that can be a bit confusing a times but I never found it boring. However the ending seemed just a little too precious.

Maggie Smith: A Biography

Maggie Smith: A Biography by Michael Coveney   353 pp.

Multiple award winning actress, Maggie Smith, has had a varied and extremely successful career on stage and both the big and small screens. Lately she as had a popular resurgence as Violet Crowley in "Downton Abbey," Muriel in "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," and the intrepid Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies. Ms. Smith is an extremely private person so most of this book consists of a litany of her performances and reviews of those performances with only her major personal life events included. There are also anecdotes about her stealing scenes and butting heads with performers like Richard Burton and Lawrence Olivier, who really disliked her. Coveney wrote the original version of this biography several years ago. This edition is an update of that volume. I think the best part of the whole book is the epilogue where the author describes a meeting he had with Dame Maggie. I have been a fan of Maggie Smith for years and found this book disappointing.

Station Eleven

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, 333 pages.

I re-read this one for book group this year.
Mandel's award-winning novel joins Colson Whitehead's Zone One in the new-ish category of beautiful and moving post-apocalyptic adventures.
The book opens at a production of King Lear, on the very night the world changes, and then picks up the story Post-A, following a troupe of actors and musicians as they make their way through a dangerous, grim and crazy world. Finely wrought characters, interesting setting, and a good grasp of the story. Well worth the read.

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The Serpent of Venice

The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore  336 pp.

Once again Moore has assaulted Shakespeare, this time in a mash-up of Merchant of Venice and Othello with a little bit of Poe thrown in. Pocket, the fool from Fool returns as an ambassador to Venice and mourning his beloved and deceased Cordelia, daughter of King Lear. He is befriended by the Doge but manages to get on the bad side of everyone else and ends up imprisoned. When near death he is rescued by what he believes to be a mermaid but is, in fact, the title character, which proceeds to protect him through a number of scrapes. The plot is convoluted and includes Shylock, Jessica, Portia, Othello, Desdemona, and Iago among others. What makes this fun is the bawdy humor and outrageous insults. There are jokes about everyone speaking with English accents even though they are Venetian and characters arguing with the chorus. Listening to the audiobook version added to my enjoyment of this book. Hearing Iago with a thick Scottish accent made me laugh every time I heard it. It's probably best if you read Fool before tackling this book. However, if you are a Shakespeare purist, you should avoid this one.

The Bookman's Tale

The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett 352 pgs.

Peter and Amanda meet in college and make a cute couple.  Peter is a bookish guy who ends up working at the library in the special collections.  He hones his skills to recognize important works and also picks up some restoration skills.  This is only part of the story...the best part is the mystery revolving around a certain book that may prove that Shakespeare didn't really write his works.  As you may already know, there is some controversy on this topic.  The story bounces around from modern day, Peter's college days, Shakespeare's day and follows some book collectors through time.  The Shakespeare related stuff is great but the book slows down whenever we are stuck with Peter and Amanda.  Maybe I'm just crabby but this "romance" is too predictable and unnecessary.

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Contested Will / James Shapiro

Contested Will: who wrote Shakespeare? by James Shapiro. 339 p.

Yes, I read this because of that stupid new movie Anonymous, which claims "Shakespeare" was Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford, illegitimate son (and incestuous lover) of Elizabeth. Turns out that the movie makers didn't invent that theory; it's the "Prince Tudor II" version of the Oxfordian thesis.

Shapiro (who believes that Shakespeare was, well, Shakespeare) is less concerned with discussing all of the candidates and more interested in discussing the cultural circumstances that lead people to insist that Shakespeare must have been someone other than an actor named Will. He does discuss Bacon and Oxford as candidates along the way, as well as famous supporters of the theories. But the cultural discussions and expectations of authorship are the core of the book, which I really enjoyed.

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Hark! A Vagrant / Kate Beaton

Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton. 166 p.

This absolutely gorgeous book collects some of my favorite examples of Kate Beaton's webcomic (it's at harkavagrant.com).
Many of the comics are based on historical figures, but my absolute favorites are the literature-based ones, especially the MacBeth sequence. Beaton's ability to capture facial expressions is just great.

The book itself has great production values without being overly expensive. The comics aren't all squished together, and they're reproduced at a size that's easy to read. Some of my friends are definitely getting this for Christmas this year.

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Here's one of her best-known comics. If you enjoy this, go check out her website right now.

The Great Night / Chris Adrian 292 p.

It isn't often that I read a novel in which I genuinely can't understand what's happening much of the time, but this one was a definite challenge. Inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream, Adrian tells the stories of Molly, Henry, and Will, all of whom wander into a San Francisco park on the night of the solstice and get stuck there once Puck is let loose. Impossible (for me) to summarize, I will say that the striking feature of this story is that it's saturated with grief. All of the characters are deeply mourning something or someone, and, in spite of the incessant and graphic rutting taking place everywhere, they never seem to overcome this. Some passages are breathtakingly lovely, but as a novel this didn't work for me.

An interesting aside is that Chris Adrian is a pediatric oncologist as well as a novelist; this could certainly explain the grief. In spite of everything I've just written, I'd be willing to try another by him. Definite potential.