No Cover Art!

15. 
Title: [The Redwood Pack: Volume 3]
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 11, 2014
Rating: ***

16.
Title: [The Redwood Pack: Volume 4]
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 13, 2014
Rating: ***1/2

17.
Title: [Othello]
Author: William Shakespeare
Genre: Drama
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: February 13, 2014
Rating: ****1/2

I will always read the part of Iago in the voice of Kenneth Branaugh, which makes the play that much more enjoyable. 

74. 
Title: [Gregor the Overlander]
Author: Suzanne Collins
Pages:
Genre: Children's Fantasy
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Purchased by rec of a colleague
Date Completed: October 20, 2013
Rating: ***

A colleague revealed himself to be a big fan of Suzanne Collins' work, and, interested in more than The Hunger Games, I asked him for a recommendation.  I could barely finish my sentence before he exclaimed, "Gregor the Overlander!"

Like The Hunger Games, I found that Collins is not actually doing anything new with this book: an eleven-year-old boy and his two-year-old sister fall down a hole in their laundry room, and find themselves in an underground world, where they must go on a quest to save their father who disappeared two years before.  Most elements of the story are familiar, from the quest to the hole to the talking spiders. However, unlike my reading of The Hunger Games, I did not find Collins' spin in Gregor the Overlander to be compelling; there just isn't much that feels new or fresh or even sympathetic. 

One reason I may find the story unappealing is that is seems to be written for a much younger audience; while I enjoy YA for what it is, I find myself more interested in "teenage" YA than elementary-level YA (except for those gems of nostalgia). 

That said, I'll likely give the next in the series a try, if only to give it a full shot.  However, I cannot say that I share my colleague's enthusiasm just yet. 

75. 
Title: [Titus Andronicus]
Author: William Shakespeare
Pages:
Genre: Drama
Medium: Paperback Folger edition
Acquisition: work text
Date Completed: October 21, 2013
Rating: *****

I am a little pleased that Titus has (accidentally) ended up as my 75th text of the year.

31.
Title: Return of the Rose
Author: Theresa Ragan
Pages: 310 pages
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Ebook
Acquisition: Free Download, recommended by RichardDerus
Date Completed: March 31, 2012
Rating: ****

Ragan had me at "kirtle."

Time travel is one literary device which I have always disliked; no matter the amount of research that an author may dedicate to the composition of such a novel, the characters created are nearly always so grossly ignorant that their bumbling ways prove to be a greater frustration than source of entertainment. Return of the Rose, a story that relies on the idea of traveling through time (albeit through magic as opposed to pseudo-science) is not perfect, and does indeed dip into the ludicrous at particular moments (bikinis?!).

Despite her introduction of far-too-liberal fourteenth-century characters, Ragan's own research does come through; as opposed to limiting herself to such vague and useless descriptions as "old fashioned," she does in fact make an attempt to reconstruct a fourteenth-century environment, and her "bumbling" protagonist does make attempts to adapt, even if some of her actions seem careless.

The odds were stacked against this book, and still I found it to be very good fun. And if I, one who does not seek out the genre, enjoyed this book, then I am sure others will love it.


32.
Title: Othello
Author: Shakespeare
Pages: 100 pages
Genre: Drama
Medium: Anthology - Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, & Writing
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: March 31, 2012
Rating:

88.
Author: Samuel Beckett
Title: [Waiting for Godot]
publication: Paperback
Pages:
Genre: Drama
Acquisition:
Date: November 19, 2011
Rating: *****

89.
Author: Shakespeare
Title: [Othello]
publication: Anthology
Pages:
Genre: Drama
Acquisition:
Date: November 20, 2011
Rating: *****

Yup, again

90.
Author: Sophocles
Title: [Wicked Plants]
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Novelty
Acquisition:
Date: November 20, 2011
Rating: **

I picked up Wicked Plants for the novelty read it really is, and I've been slowly reading it in the middle of the night when I'm up with Doc. I found it to be a bit careless and unprofessional. The Kindle edition, at least, is rife with typographical errors (anyone else know of Rorneo and Juliet? No?), and the writing itself just didn't appeal to me. A horticultural manual would have been far more entertaining than half-narratives strung together with terrible graphics and sheltered under Latin names.

85.
Author: Keri Arthur
Title: [Darkness Unbound]
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Supernatural
Acquisition:
Date: November 1, 2011
Rating: ****

I've had a love/hate relationship with Keri Arthur's Riley Jensen series, although I've enjoyed the later books more than the previous, which probably explains why I was tempted to pick up the spin-off series, Dark Angels. In the first, Darkness Unbound, the reader is introduced to a grown Risa - the daughter of a cloned clairvoyant werewolf first introduced in the Riley Jensen series. Risa is an odd character for this style of book, as her primary characteristics include her wealth and her lack of connection to the major races in Arthur's world. The plot itself was a bit chaotic at times; it's obvious that Arthur is leaving several threads she can pick up as the series develops. Not bad for the first in a series, but not overly compelling, either.

86.
Author: Shakespeare
Title: [Othello]
publication: Anthology
Pages:
Genre: Drama
Acquisition:
Date: November 1, 2011
Rating: *****

87.
Author: Sophocles
Title: [Oedipus Rex]
publication: Anthology
Pages:
Genre: Drama
Acquisition:
Date: November 1, 2011
Rating: *****

Yes, again - my ESL course is reading it later than my other courses. Othello will make another appearance on my reading list when I read it again in a couple weeks.

84.
Author: William Shakespeare
Title: Othello
Publication: Paperback
Pages:
Genre: Drama
Acquisition: Work text
Date Completed: October 28, 2010
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

The second of my paired yearly readings. A perfectly sinister and despicable villain, lies, manipulation, and a protagonist that is redefined on every page. I love this play.

50.
Author: Charles and Mary Lamb
Title: Tales from Shakespeare
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 346 pages
Genre: Nonfiction
Acquisition: Off the shelf
Date Completed: June 22, 2010
Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Children are not inherently stupid; nor are they incapable of processing complex emotional situations. However, the Lambs' Tales from Shakespeare is just one of the publications that has convinced adults everywhere that their poor little darling really aren't very bright, and they must be sheltered from dangerous ideas at all cost!

The cost, in this case, is a Canon King, and confidence in children's intellectual capabilities. I said this before, but I'll say it again: The Lambs present the shell of the plots, but the characters and details are horribly mangled. The language and story construction are clumsy, and I'm amazed I ever made it through the book as a young reader. I have very strong ideas about children and reading material, so I realize I will be in the minority in my opinions. But so they stand.

Neither of us enjoyed the latest bedtime story.

28.
Author: William Shakespeare
Title: The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice
Publication: Anthology Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama and Writing
Pages: 100 pages
Genre: Drama
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: April 8, 2010
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Othello is one of my favorite plays by Shakespeare. Like many of his plays, the foundation itself is not original (Shakespeare is inspired by an Italian novella published decades before his 1604 play), and the mastery itself comes down to the language and portrayal of the characters. Shakespeare's characters are stock characters - the faithful wife, the jealous husband, the villain - and yet instead of being flat and emotionally vacant they are both endearing and repulsive (usually both at once). One characteristic of the play that I find compelling is how Iago - our stock villain - forces the audience to become conspirators in his plot. The audience is the only other "character" who knows exactly what is going on - Iago's motivations and actions - and yet the audience is completely powerless to prevent the tragedy from unfolding.

I also enjoy the veiled threat that is the conclusion: everyone with the power to fully implicate Iago dies ... except for the audience.

As You Like It at Sidney Harman Hall

Last night my partner and I attended a performance of William Shakespeare's As You Like It by the Shakespeare Theatre Company at Sidney Harman Hall.
Thanks to some confusion over the location of Sidney Harman Hall and parking difficulties (which I'll admit were my fault) we did not make the curtain, but were seated by the end of the first scene.*

Directed by Tony Award-winner Maria Aitken, The Shakespeare Theatre's current production takes a look at Shakespeare's romantic rump in its original role as entertainment. Presented in imitation of classic American historical films, Aitken takes the audience through an evolving trip that emphasizes both the nature of performance itself, and the universality of Shakespeare's play (which was itself borrowed from other sources, like much of his work). On a stage framed with film canisters and lit from the sides by large "cameras", the actors move through scenes beginning with a stark and Puritanical setting, and travel through pilgrims landing in North America, Valley Forge, the Civil War, the roaring 20s, and end with a number worthy of Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe, tripping through many recognizable and entertaining film styles in between. Complete with camera crews, a director, and on-stage set and costume designers, As You Like It is a theatrical spectacle of the most entertaining sort.

All major roles are well-cast, and Floyd King as Touchstone, Anjali Bhimani as Phebe and Aubrey Deeker as Silvius are especially delightful. There is wonderful chemistry between Francesca Faridany (Rosalind) and Miriam Silverman (Celia), and Andrew Long as Jaques is sure to please. However, I maintain that the best role belonged to that of the costume designer Martin Pakledinaz - with so many costume changes and so much to choose from Pakledinaz makes full use of the creative potential, and really makes each scene with a keen eye and attention to detail.

The run has been extended until December 22, and I highly recommend attending a performance before you miss your chance!

*** Photos by Scott Suchman, and borrowed from shakespearetheatre.org

*If you're ever late to a performance by the Shakespeare Theatre company, don't fret! They mark the time between scenes so they can seat late-comers without disturbing the audience members who actually plan better. As an added bonus we had purchased end-row seats, so we got in with limited fuss. Whew!

135. Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. 104 pages. 12.5.09.

When the usurping Duke exiles his niece Rosalind (daughter of the overthrown Duke), she and the present Duke's daughter Celia steal away to the forest of Arden to prevent their separation. Rosalind, newly infatuated with a young wrestling champion named Orlando, disguises herself as Celia's brother, and the two set up household not far from where Rosalind's father holds his Robin Hood-like court in the wilderness. Full of the accidents, cross-dressing, wit and hurried couplings that define so many of Shakespeare's comedies, As You Like It is a delightful play to read.

In 2007 my mother in law gave me a set of Shakespeare that was published in 1901. The original set is actually missing As You Like It, and somewhere along the way someone substituted a Yale publication of the play from 1965. This edition claims to make an effort to get back to the "original" format of the play, and therefore excludes almost all stage directions. This is the first time I've read the play since grad school, and I could still hear some of the lectures echoing in my head. I was personally stuck by the reliance on duality to define identity, not unlike what Becket will do centuries later in his works Waiting for Godot and End Game. It was very interesting to take another look at the play, and I enjoyed reading it on several levels.

32. Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Fantasy Lover. 352 pages. 4.4.09.

This novel is about what you'd expect, given the title, but it is also surprisingly endearing. Romance novel meets a host of psychological complexes with a few Greek gods mixed in for good measure, Fantasy Lover proves very entertaining for occult/mythology enthusiasts looking for a more traditional romance novel.

The Kindle version is in desperate need of a good grammatical editor!

33. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. 99 pages. 4.5.09.

Shakespeare's Othello is a captivating examination of jealousy, human inconsistency, gender relations, marriage, and so much more. Critical of nearly all of his characters - and leaving very few completely blameless - Shakespeare's depiction of human nature is far darker than the actions of his play. Othello will provide audiences with a twisted pleasure that is sure to leave a long-lasting impression. A masterpiece.