Tag: drama

Introduce New Readers to the World of Literature With These Young Adult Picks!

Each week, Bookstr will be offering a look at some of the best novels in a particular genre for your continued reading list. Today, we’ll be recommending five recent young adult books for your reading pleasure. Young adult novels are generally written with a twelve to eighteen age bracket in mind but over half of the audience for YA novels are adults (as Bookstr readers can attest!) Young adult novels are often just as sophisticated as their adult contemporaries, often exploring themes self exploration, coming-of-age, relationships, trauma and love. Below, are some of our favorite recently published YA must-reads!

 

5. THe Haunted by Danielle Vega

 

A young girl lit by psychadelic neon stands in a dark void

Image via Amazon

The Haunted is a spooky new novel filled to the brim with ghosts. A teenage girl named Hendricks moves to the small town of Drearfield. Hendricks wants to a start a new life, trying to forget her dark and traumatic past, but things don’t work out as planned. She learns from her new friends about the notorious Steele House, a dark house, said to be haunted. And then, Hendricks ends up moving into Steele House with her parents. Here, she finds herself dealing with, whispers in the night, doors that lock on their own, and frightening apparitions that torment her with her own memories. Hendricks now has to grapple with the hauntings and take down the ghosts, if they don’t get her first!

 

4. Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera

 

A young African-American girls stands amidst a group of sunflower seeds with a parrot flying off her shoulder

Image via Amazon

Dealing In Dreams is a dystopian thriller following a young woman called Nalah, leader of a gang of girls who roam the fierce streets of Mega City. Nalah, however, wants more out life than violent showdowns with the other gangs that prowl the streets at night. She wants a life in the esteemed Mega Towers, where only the elite get to go. To prove herself, Nalah must journey beyond the bounds of the city in search of a mysterious gang. As she journeys, she encounters peril, both outward and within, and begins to lose sight of everything she cares about as she grows closer to her goal.

 

3. Let me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson

 

A group of street kings sit around a graffiti strewn wall listening to hip hop

Image Via Amazon

On the streets of Brooklyn in 1998, hot on the heels of the murder of Biggie Smalls, another musically talented kid, Steph is murdered. But his friends, Quadir and Jarrell plan to make sure his music lives on. Promoting his music under the name the Architect, Steph becomes huge. As everyone listens to the Architect, a hot new music exec wants the Architect’s mixtape for himself. And as they become more famous, they must confront Steph’s past and figure out what happened to him, revealing secrets they kept from each other along the way as well.

 

2. King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

 

The gold plated sigil of a eagle

Image via Amazon

The dashing young king, Nikolai Lantsov, head of the once great Grisha Army, is leader of a country threatened by a bloody civil war. Nikolai must forge new alliances and stop an army gathering at his country’s borders. But inwardly, Nikolai is facing his own struggle. Dark magic rots him from within and slowly but surely, he’s struggling to beat the darkness that threatens to overtake him. Nikolai must journey across his country to conquer the darkness, even as the rising tide of the country’s war threatens to engulf all.

 

1. The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan 

 

A Muslim girl stands on a green backdrop

Image via Amazon

The Love & Lies Of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan tells the story of seventeen-year-old Rukhsana Ali who is secretly a lesbian. Unable to come out to her conversative Muslim parents, she can’t wait to go to college and escape her family. But her parents catch her kissing another girl and drag her off to Bangladesh for an extended vacation. In isolation, Rukhsana is met with her worst nightmare as she faces religious intolerance, bigotry, and homophobia. But she finds allies in this world and may even find strength within to forge her own future. This heartfelt novel showcases an aching portrait of isolation in your own culture and shows that love is love, no matter where it comes from.

 

 

Featured Image Via Amazon

The Internet Reacts to J.K. Rowling’s Grindledore Tweet

The dust has settled from J.K. Rowling’s latest Twitter revelation where the renowned author of the Harry Potter universe told us Dumbledore and Grindlewad were in an ‘intense’ sexual relationship. Rowling has become renowned for casually dropping details about her beloved fantasy series that shake up our view of the world with details we weren’t necessarily keen to know. Luckily, as we attempt to process her latest bit of information and wait with nervous trepidation for the next one, the internet had some hilarious responses to Rowling’s latest bit of unwanted Potter trivia. Here are some of the best ones from the Twitterverse.

Like Ben Rosen, who showed us that Rowling was getting a little too real.

Or The Bottom Text, V, who summed up most of the fanbase’s reaction.

Or a few of these Tweeters, who accurately showed how Rowling announces these things without prompting.

But perhaps the best was this Tweeter, who compiled a list of Rowling’s musings and showed all the strange revelations from over the years.

What were some of your favorite memes and responses to J.K. Rowling’s latest revelation? And what are your opinions of her continued ‘interesting’ trivia pieces about her universe? Are you ready for what her next terrifying piece of information might be? We’re certainly not!

Featured Image Via Variety 

J.K Rowling

J.K Rowling Shares Her FAVORITE Fan Theory!

The Harry Potter series has been quiet for the most part besides the Fantastic Beast franchise rolling out steadily. The story of the boy with the cursed mark and his adventures in Hogwarts had come to end. It’s been 17 years since the conclusion of the last book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

 

 

HP Series

Image Via WhatCulture

 

However, the love of the series hasn’t grown cold, but hotter and greater in number. Fans have been standing on their toes with wands in hand as the fandom is once again lit aflame with an answer from the author herself to the age-old question:

 

 

 

 

If you’re unfamiliar with the theory, it is based on a children story within the Harry Potter world, that follows three brothers and their acquaintance, Death. The story goes as follows: Three brothers are traveling when they come to a treacherous river. It’s here where they would either drown or be carried to their death if they were to swim over so they conjure up a bridge and cross the water. Enraged, Death meets them halfway, feeling cheated its victims.

 

 

 

DeathlyHallows_Death

Image Via Harry Potter Wiki

 

 

So, to ‘congratulate’ them, he gifts them each a gift of their choosing. The first brother wanted a wand that was more powerful than any other wand. The second brother asked for a stone that would ressurect the dead. The last brother requested something to help him hide from death which was an invisibly cloak.

 

 

Deathly Hallows

Image Via Harry Potter Fan Zone

 

 

Death was certain to get the lives he was due. The first brother killed in a duel, the second brother killed himself after he ressurected his lover and found their love did not live beyond death, and the last remained hidden until he was old and gray. When he was close to death, the last brother met up with Death and ‘greeted Death like an old friend’.

 

 

The theory is that Voldemort, Severus Snape, and Harry Potter represent the brothers. Voldemort wanted to obtain the elder wand, his obession with the object led to his death in combat.

 

 

 

HP_Brothers

                 Image Via Los Replicantes

 

Severus Snape represents the second brother whose love for Lily Potter led to his self sacrifice althroughout the movie until his death by Nagini at the end. And lastly, Harry Potter represents the last brother who was gifted the invisibility cloak and he does die during the last book.

 

The center of the theory is the representation of Death through the character Dumbledore. The cunning, old, deceased head master is the one that meets Harry Potter once he dies. He greets him as an old friend, welcoming him and guiding him during the afterlife.

 

 

Image Via GIPHY

 

 

In life, he was the one who had orchestrated in gifting the cloak to Harry as well as planning his death somewhat. He is Death. A very fitting piece into this puzzle of the Harry Potter series. J.K seems to agree.

 

 

Check out this clip for an animated look into the re-telling of the Deathly Hallows!

 

 

 

 

 

Featured Image Via Mashable

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Garry Hynes’ ‘Waiting for Godot’ Will Play at Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival

Let’s go!

We can’t

Why not?

We’re waiting for Godot.

Ah, yes.

 

This is the repetitive dialogue between Vladimir and Estragon in Irish playwright Sameul Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. The story revolves around two men standing by a tree waiting for a character named Godot (the pronunciation is God-oh). While waiting, the duo talks about many absurd issues, arguing and reconciling, and figuring out games to fill in the time. The absence of this unknown being creates an agitated atmosphere.

 

Since the script was published in 1952, Waiting for Godot has been put on stage ceaselessly. Now, the Garry Hynes-directed production of Waiting for Godot from Ireland’s distinguished Druid Theatre will play Off-Broadway from October 16th to November 18th, in Lincoln Center’s 2018 White Light Festival. 

 

 

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Image via An Grianan Theatre

 

 

Garry Hynes co-founded the Druid Theatre Company in Dublin in 1975. She’s worked as the Artistic Director from 1975 to 1991, and from 1995 to present. Her brilliant list of awards includes the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for The Beauty Queen of Leenane (1998), the Joe A. Callaway Award for Outstanding Directing for The Cripple of Inishman (2009). She received The Irish Times/ESB Irish Theatre Awards for Best Director for DruidShakespeare, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, and Waiting for Godot, as well as a Special Tribute Award for her contribution to Irish Theatre (2005).

 

 

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Garry Hynes | Image via giaf.ie

 

 

One concern about adapting a classic literary work is that how to surprise the audience? In an interview, Director Hynes said:

 

You never know how a production is going to be responded to and you certainly never know in a play like this…One of difficulties in actually rehearsing the play was as you were setting it up, you were looking at this iconic images coming to life. One the one hand, I’ve seen this all before, in a hundred other productions or photographs, and yet at the same time you’re trying to own it and make this something that comes out of your own heart. So, to have audiences respond in such a way saying, ‘Wow! I love that’ rather than saying ‘Oh, I’ve seen Waiting for Godot.’ That’s been great.

 

 

 

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Image via Broadwayworld

 

The crew is amazing:

 

Starring Garrett Lombard, Aaron Monaghan, Rory Nolan, and Marty Rea, with Nathan Reid and Jaden Pace

Francis O’Connor, set and costume design

James F. Ingalls, lighting design

Greg Clarke, sound design

Nick Winston, movement director

Produced by Druid

 

 

 

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Image via stagebrace.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

The frame-like setting attracts me a lot. I’m ready to buy the ticket, review Beckett’s words, and waiting for Garry Hynes’ Waiting for Godot in Lincoln Center! Would you wanna come with me:)?

 

 

 

Featured Image Via Playbill

william shakespeare

5 Dramas That Readers Who Dislike Dramas Will Love

I used to avoid reading works of drama because I didn’t think they were “my thing.” As a long-time reader of fiction, the format of traditional drama was a bit intimidating and not aesthetically pleasing to me. It wasn’t until I got to college and was forced to take a Shakespeare course, and other english courses that introduced plays, that I finally came to appreciate the genre.

 

While the format is indeed different than other genres, that very format has so many benefits in of itself that audiences can appreciate.  The messages, emotions, and stories behind the written words can echo much louder and clearer and when you discover a play you love, you wonder how you could have possibly missed out on the chance to be touched by it for so long. Maybe you’re also a reader who has hesitated to read plays, or hasn’t come across a drama naturally, but hopefully these 5 dramas will be enticing enough to give it a try.

 

 

 

1. Angels in America | Tony Kushner

 

 

 

book

Image Via Amazon

 

 

Angels in America depicts an emotionally riveting tale of the AIDS crisis in 1980’s America. It conveys the complexity, fear, and rejection AIDS affected communities faced during the time and while it largely focuses on the history and experiences of the LGBT community, the story can speak to and impact a larger audience.

 

 

 

2. A Streecar Named Desire | Tennessee Williams

 

 

 

book

Image Via Amazon

 

 

This is a legendary play exploring sexuality, mental illness, and familial relations. A Streetcar Named Desire has delivered not only one of the most iconic American plays in history, but an equally acclaimed film adaptation, directed by Elia Kazan, that has earned a reputation as being an American classic. 

 

 

 

3. Titus Andronicus | Shakespeare

 

 

 

book

Image Via Penguin Random House

 

 

Titus Andronicus may not be the most well-known or studied Shakespeare work, but it’s certainly, in my opinion, one of the most worth reading. Though it’s advertised as a tragedy (and certainly has some dramatic and emotional scenes), this shocking story about a Roman soldier, whose family becomes involved in bad blood, has some bizarre and ridiculous moments that makes it wildly entertaining and certainly a page-turner. 

 

 

 

4. The Laramie Project | Moisés Kaufman

 

 

 

book

Image Via Amazon

 

The Laramie Project explores the tragic death of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man who was brutally murdered in his small town of Laramie, Wyoming. Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project visited Laramie after Shepards death and conducted over 200 interviews with his neighbors, friends, family, and foes, cultivating in a powerful discussion of prejudice, rejection, and the worth of LGBT lives. The second half of the play sees the group returning 10 years later, observing the long-term affects of Shepherd’s tragic death and the lessons learned by the small town folk since.

 

 

 

5. The Normal Heart | Larry Kramer

 

book

Image Via Amazon

 

 

The onset of the AIDS epidemic is written about extensively, yet The Normal Heart nevertheless portrays it in such a unique and humanizing experience that it packs just as big of an emotional punch as any similar story that came before it. With moving dialogue,heart-felt messages, and an honest and emotional criticism of the social forces that failed to intervene in the AIDS crisis, The Normal Heart is an absolute must-read!

 

 

 

Featured Image Shows Mural of William Shakespeare Painted by James Cochran