Imaginary Reads

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Book Review- The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

Title: The Penelopiad Author: Margaret Atwood Series: Canongate Myths Published: October 2005 Length: 198 pages Source: library Other info: Atwood has written many things, such as The Blind Assassin, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Heart Goes Last. The Penelopiad was written as part of the Canongate Myths series. Summary : For Penelope, wife of Odysseus, maintaining a kingdom while her husband was off fighting the Trojan war was not a simple business. Already aggrieved that he had been lured away due to the shocking behaviour of her beautiful cousin Helen, Penelope must bring up her wayward son, face down scandalous rumours and keep over a hundred lustful, greedy and bloodthirsty suitors at bay...And then, when Odysseus finally returns and slaughters the murderous suitors, he brutally hangs Penelope's twelve beloved maids. What were his motives? And what was Penelope really up to? Review: Since her husband Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War, and then gets caught u...

Book Review- This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Title: This is Where It Ends Author: Marieke Nijkamp Series: N/A Published: 5 th January 2016 Length: 292 pages Source: The #TIWIEUKTour organised by Luna of Luna’s Little Library Summary : 10:00 a.m. The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve. 10:02 a.m. The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class. 10:03 The auditorium doors won't open. 10:05 Someone starts shooting. Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival. Review: This is the story of a school shooting, told as it happens from the perspectives of the shooter's sister Autumn, Autumn's girlfriend Sylv, Sylv's brother Tomás, and the shooter's ex-girlfriend, Claire. I wanted to read this because it's an amazing ...

Theatre Review: Secret Shakespeare by William Shakespeare and The Handlebards

So, my Edinburgh Fringe theatre reviews are ready to be posted! They’ll come as often as I can, but I have a lot of school work to do, plus I’m doing work exp erience at a law firm and ugh travelling is tiring. They’ll come though. And book reviews will resume shortly, and maybe some other things. Thanks for sticking around! Title: Secret Shakespeare (A Shakespeare play, but I can't say which one) Writer: William Shakespeare Director: James Farrell & Emma Sampson Performed by: The Handlebards Major cast: Calum Hughes Mcintosh, Callum Brodie, Tom Dixon, Paul Moss Seen at: ...somewhere pretty. Review: The Handlebards are four actors who have been cycling up from London to Edinburgh, carrying their costumes and props, and stopping every so often to perform a show. Secret Shakespeare is where the audience joins them to meet up in the city centre, get given bikes, ride out about 5 miles-ish, and then enjoy the show. I'm not allowed to tell you much a...

Book Review- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

So, it’s Pride Day, or whatever you call the day where really major cities hold their Pride celebrations, being the last weekend of June and thus commemeorating the Stonewall Riots. It’s also the day after the Supreme Court of the USA announced it’s a constiutional right for all people regardless of gender and sexuality to get married if they choose, and states can’t deny this. YAY!! In celebration, here’s a book I read for Faye’s LGBT Readathon and really enjoyed! Title: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz Series: N/A Published: February 2012 by Simon and Schuster Length: 368 pages Source: borrowed from friend Summary : Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they sha...

Theatre Review: Spring Awakening by Sater and Sheik, performed by Renegade

You know I said at the start of the year that I wanted to do more theatre, and I’d do it with Renegade.... well, I was going to, but then I got a job (which makes my compulsive book buying financially viable!!) but then it meant I couldn’t be in this. I’m glad I got to see it though! Title: Spring Awakening Writer: Stephen Sater and Duncan Sheik, based on work by Frank Wedekind Director: Alex Howarth Performed by: Renegade Theatre Company Major cast: Tom Noyes, Niven Willett, Alex Brain, Joe Oliver Eason, Mhairi Fairholm, Joe Carter, Hayley White Seen at: Duke Street Theatre Other info: I reviewed Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind , the play that this musical is based on, here. Review-contains mild spoilers for the twists Renegade put: Late 1800s Germany. Schoolboys and girls discover sexuality. It really does not go well. Among other things, Wedla Bergmann does not understand how babies are made, Moritz Stiefl is tormented by erotic dreams, and M...

Book review and giveaway- Delete by Kim Curran

Today, Faber Academy and I are kicking off the blog tour for Kim Curran's DELETE! It's had a bit of trouble getting out, due to the closure of Strange Chemistry, but it's coming and it's having a blog tour! Title: Delete Author: Kim Curran Series: Shift #3 Published: 31 March 2015 by Xist Publishing Length: 230 pages Source: Strange Chemistry ARC Other info: I reviewed Shift and Control and really enjoyed them! I’ve also had Kim over to talk about shifting in real life , and about her other book, Glaze (which I also reviewed ). Summary : The country is at war. Beset by enemies within and without. And all because of the decisions changed by one boy, Scott Tyler. In this ravaged alternative reality, Scott hardly recognises himself. He's a war hero, a leader of a unit of Shifters and maybe the only one who can prevent the country's frail defences from crumbling. But all Scott wants to do is find a way back to the...

Book Review- Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Title: Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda Author: Becky Albertalli Series: N/A Published: 7 April 2015 by Penguin Length : 320 pages Source: netgalley Summary : Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised. With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, comp...

Book Review- Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Title: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief Author: Rick Riordan Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Published: May 2005 by Miramax, May 2006 by Puffin Length: 377 pages Source: bought and library Other info: Many other series such as The Heroes of Olympus and the Kane Chronicles have stemmed off. There was a film adaptation of The Lightning Thief. Summary : Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together w...

Book Review-Adaptation by Malinda Lo

Title: Adaptation Author: Malinda Lo Series: Adaptation #1 Published: April 3 2014 by Hodder Length: 432 pages Source: publisher Other info: Malinda Lo has also written Huntress, Ash (review here ), and Inheritance. Summary: Flocks of birds are hurling themselves at aeroplanes across America. Thousands of people die. Millions are stranded. Everyone knows the world will never be the same. On Reese's long drive home, along a stretch of empty highway at night, a bird flies into their headlights. The car flips over. When they wake up in a military hospital, the doctor won't tell them what happened. For Reese, though, this is just the start. She can't remember anything from the time between her accident and the day she woke up almost a month later. She only knows one thing: she's different now. Torn between longtime crush David and new girl Amber, the real question is: who can she trust? Review : It all starts when Reese Holloway is waiting for a plane back fr...

Book Review-This Book is Gay by James Dawson

Title: This Book Is Gay Author: James Dawson Series: N/A Published: 4 September 2014 by Hot Key Books Length: 271 pages Source: publisher Other info: James Dawson has written many things. Summary : Former PSHCE teacher and acclaimed YA author James Dawson gives an uncensored look at what it's like to grow up as LGBT. Including testimonials from people 'across the spectrum', this inclusive book explores everything anyone who ever dared to wonder wants to know - from sex to politics, how to pull, stereotypes, how to come-out and more. Spike Gerrell's hilarious illustrations combined with funny and factual text make this a must-have read. Review : I don't normally review nonfiction, but this is a hugely anticipated book by a brilliant author and a topic I have an interest in. There’s so many things that make this book wonderful. First, there’s the fact that this book exists, with a bright rainbow cover and direct information and not hiding. I can o...

Theatre Review- Avenue Q

Title: Avenue Q Writer: Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx and Jeff Whitty Director: Cressida Carré Performed by: Sell A Door Major cast: Tom Steedon, Lucie-Mae Sumner, Stephen Arden, Richard Morse,Jacqueline Tate , Ellena Vincent, Jessica Parker, Seen at: Wycombe Swan Other Info: They're still touring! Try and catch them if you can. More info here . Review: Princeton has just completed a BA in English. He now doesn’t know what to do with his life. Moving into Avenue Q and meeting a range of colourful characters, puppets such as Kate, Rod, Nicky and Trekkie, and humans like Christmas Eve and Brian. Oh, and Gary Coleman. Avenue Q follow them all as they all wait for their dreams to come true. I wanted to see this because...hello, Avenue Q! It’s a brilliant coming of age show, with a few songs for which it's well known but some others that are also really good, and I was looking forwards to a night of comedy and music and adorableness. The show started with a cute little animation...

Book review- A Kiss in the Dark by Cat Clarke

Title: A Kiss In The Dark Author: Cat Clarke Series: N/A Published: 3 April 2014 by Quercus Length: 384 pages Warnings: brings up sexual assault Source: publisher Other info: Cat has written Entangled, Torn, and Undone which I read and reviewed. She also wrote Falling, a shorter story, which I read and enjoyed. Summary : When Alex meets Kate the attraction is instant. Alex is funny, good-looking, and a little shy – everything that Kate wants in a boyfriend. Alex can’t help falling for Kate, who is pretty, charming and maybe just a little naive… But one of them is hiding a secret, and as their love blossoms, it threatens to ruin not just their relationship, but their lives. Graph: This is a new feature I am trialling which I will use when my opinion of things or levels of devices like scares, tension, interest, fun, laughs (anything really) fluctuate throughout a book. Tell me what you think of it and if I should do more. Review : Alex gets to know...

Book Review- Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Title: Persepolis Author: Marjane Satrapi Series: Persepolis 1-4 Published: 2008 by Pantheon, first published in French in 2000 Length: 341 pages Source: library Summary : Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up. Edgy, searingly observant, and candid, often heartbreaking but threaded throughout with raw humor and hard-earned wisdom--Persepolis is...

Book Review-Shadowplay by Laura Lam

Title: Shadowplay Author: Laura Lam Series: Pantomime #2 Published: 7 January 2014 by Strange Chemistry Length: 400 pages Source: netgalley Other info: I really liked Pantomime Summary : The circus lies behind Micah Grey in dust and ashes. He and the white clown, Drystan, take refuge with the once-great magician, Jasper Maske. When Maske agrees to teach them his trade, his embittered rival challenges them to a duel which could decide all of their fates. People also hunt both Micah and the person he was before the circus—the runaway daughter of a noble family. And Micah discovers there is magic and power in the world, far beyond the card tricks and illusions he's perfecting... Review probably includes spoilers for book 1, Pantomime. Review : Following the events at the circus, Micah and Drystan are on the run, wanted for murder. They end up at the Kymri Theatre, and learn magic tricks under Jaspar Maske, a magician who lost his licence to perfo...

Book Review-The Oathbreaker's Shadow by Amy McCulloch

Title: The Oathbreaker's Shadow Author: Amy McCulloch Series: The Knots Sequence #1 Published: 6 June 2013 by Random House Length: 413 pages Source: Publisher Summary: Fifteen-year-old Raim lives in a world where you tie a knot for every promise that you make. Break that promise and you are scarred for life, and cast out into the desert. Raim has worn a simple knot around his wrist for as long as he can remember. No one knows where it came from, and which promise of his it symbolises, but he barely thinks about it at all—not since becoming the most promising young fighter ever to train for the elite Yun guard. But on the most important day of his life, when he binds his life to his best friend (and future king) Khareh, the string bursts into flames and sears a dark mark into his skin. Scarred now as an oath-breaker, Raim has two options: run, or be killed. Review : In Dahran, promises are big things. When you make one, you make a knot, and the prom...

Theatre Review- Macbeth (in Pitch Black) by Shakespeare

I said I was going to branch out... It's time for tea-tre; thank you Georgia for the name :) I hope you don't mind the fact I'm doing something new with the blog. I'll be showcasing awesome things, so maybe you'll like it. Title: Macbeth (in Pitch Black) Writer: William Shakespeare Performed by: London Contemporary Theatre Major cast: Noel Andrew Harron, Louise Bereford, Samuel Clifford, James Burgess, Andrew Chase, Director: Kevin Williams Seen at: Windsor Firestation Other Info: toured in November. Shakespeare has written many things. Review: I really like Shakespeare (as you might be able to tell from my fangirling over the internet), so when I saw this advertised at the Firestation, one of my favourite places, I was intrigued because they say they’re doing it in the dark. Then I got told one of my major pieces of coursework would be on Macbeth, and I knew I had to see it. When we got there, the lights were down low in the foyer of the theatre as well, becaus...

Book Review- Skulk by Rosie Best

Title: Skulk Author: Rosie Best Series: Shapeshifters of London #1 Published: 1 October 2013 by Strange Chemistry Length: 387 pages Source: netgalley Summary : When Meg witnesses the dying moments of a shapeshifting fox and is given a beautiful and powerful stone, her life changes forever. She is plunged into the dark world of the Skulk, a group of shapeshifting foxes. As she learns about the other groups of shapeshifters that lurk around London – the Rabble, the Horde, the Cluster and the Conspiracy – she becomes aware of a deadly threat against all the shapeshifters. They must put aside all their enmity and hostility and fight together to defeat it. Review : Meg is coming back from graffiting a wall at her school when she sees a man die. Man fox. Fox man. He curried a stone and mumbled about the fog. Then died. Later, Meg leaves a party...and then turns into a fox. Found by another fox, who wants her to run from the fog, just run, she is thrown into a world ...

Book Review-Rebellion by Lou Morgan

Title: Rebellion Author: Lou Morgan Series: Blood and Feathers #2 Published: July 2013 by Solaris Length: 364 pages Warnings: gore Source: publisher Other info: Book 1 is called Blood and Feathers Summary : Driven out of hell and with nothing to lose, the Fallen wage open warfare against the angels on the streets. And they're winning. As the balance tips towards the darkness, Alice - barely recovered from her own ordeal in hell and struggling to start over - once again finds herself in the eye of the storm. But with the chaos spreading and the Archangel Michael determined to destroy Lucifer whatever the cost, is the price simply too high? And what sacrifices will Alice and the angels have to make in order to pay it? The Fallen will rise. Trust will be betrayed. And all hell breaks loose... Review : After the end of Blood and Feathers, Alice knows the angels will want her again, but for now, she just wants to be able to get back to a normal life. s...