I took my 9 year old to her first musical today at the Kennedy Center. We saw &Juliet, she loved it. It‘s the story of what happened if Juliet survived (with Shakespeare‘s wife, Anne, rewriting the story). It was a great show, highly recommend. After we met a lot of the cast. They were kind enough to take photos & sign her poster. They were all so nice. It was a great introduction to the theater for her.
pickI read the author‘s note first and it made this story set in deadliest urban disaster in US history at the time (1811) even more disturbing. That a slave has no obituary in local papers to document one‘s time on earth is not shocking but incredibly sad. That a white man would prefer a wife dead to disabled and could make that happen - ugh! That a slave is compelled to run into danger to save whites from death is heroism beyond measure.
Day 4 of #12Booksof2024
@Andrew65
pickQuietly touching.
A mother tells her daughters about dating a famous movie star (before he became a star.)
Usually, this kind of slow-paced, deliberately heartwarming, nostalgic type of storytelling is not for me. I steer away from the saccharine.
Ann Patchett creates a wonderful sense of place, her characters are believable, and her writing is lovely.
By the end, I did have an emotional response and it wasn't the one I was expecting.
pickThis was SO much fun, and it made me want to read or re-read and watch all the plays discussed. One disappointment: I intentionally checked out the audiobook, because I wanted to hear this in Judi Dench‘s voice. I didn‘t realize her part of the conversations was narrated by someone else (my fault—it‘s clearly marked on the cover!). That said, once I got into it, I didn‘t notice so much that it wasn‘t her, and the conversations were a delight. ⤵️
I‘m posting one book a day from my massive collection. No description, no reason for why I want to read it (some I‘ve had so long I don‘t even remember why!). Feel free to join in!
#ABookADay2024
so-soThis is probably the most famous book about a Jew and recently it became rather controversial, so I had to pick it for my #Hanukkahchallenge.
Honestly, I don‘t even understand why it is considered a comedy: all the characters are unsympathetic and immoral, Shylock included. And this is a very antisemitic text: though Shylock is not a good person and not a good Jew, he‘s treated abominably, humiliated and robbed of possessions and faith #imthatjew
I only had one 5 🌟 read for January, and that was Patrick Stewart's excellent memoir. Although I did discover some disappointing things about his personal life, a bit of a womanizer and a cheater, I still admire his talent and his ability to overcome such a hard upbringing.
#12Booksof2024 @Andrew65
Thank you very much @Cupcake12 for my #jolabokaflod treats! Merry Christmas and thanks so much for organising @MaleficentBookDragon
