The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

20.5 - Bigger is Better - TrishHartUK's task: Shakespeare 400

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. I was an English Major at university, and I still to love watching Shakespeare’s plays on stage. It’s amazing how many expressions in common English usage nowadays were first coined by the Bard (just take a look at this list, if you don’t believe me!: Words and Phrases Coined by Shakespeare. So this task is to commemorate the contribution of the Bard to both English Literature and the English Language.

Read ONE book which matches one of the following options.

Required: Specify the option you used when you post.

Option 1. "Beware the ides of March" (Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene2): Julius Caesar was the first Shakespeare play I ever read, and I didn’t “get” Shakespeare until I saw it on stage. Read a book where an assassination or assassination plot is key to the story. Books can be fiction or non-fiction.
Required: If it is not obvious from the GR description, explain how the book fits the task in your post.

Option 2. "What's in a name? that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet" (Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene 2): Read a book written by an author who uses a pseudonym. You may read a book written under the author's real name, or his/her pseudonym. If the book has multiple authors, then only one needs to use a pseudonym.
Required: If the book has multiple authors, clearly state which author uses a pseudonym. If the GRs author page does not list the author's pseudonym, provide an outside link for verification when you post.

Option 3. "The play’s the thing, wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king" (Hamlet, Act II, Scene 2): Read a book where a theatre or the production of a play is central to the story.
Required: If it is not obvious from the GR description, explain how the book fits the task in your post.

Option 4. "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes" (Macbeth, Act IV, Scene 1): Witches seem to be popular characters in Urban Fantasy and Horror, as well as Cozy Mysteries. Read a book with "Urban Fantasy," "Horror," "Paranormal" or "Supernatural" as a main-page genre. The genre can be stand-alone or embedded.

Option 5. "Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'” (Henry V, Act III, Scene 1): Depending on your source, Shakespeare is reputed to have been born, or died, or possibly both, on or around 23 April, which is St George’s Day in England. The symbol of St George is a red cross on a white background, while the national flower of England is the rose. And then we also had that little thing called the War of the Roses.

Read a book with either red or white rose(s), or a red cross on a white background somewhere on the cover. For example, the International Red Cross or a Templar cross would work. However, the full Union Jack will NOT as it didn’t come into common usage until after Shakespeare died. Examples:

Required: Include the cover when you post.

Forsooth! I liketh these books.

1. Julius Caesar: While assassinations are definitely a form of murder, not all murders/serial killings are assassinations. For it to count as an assassination, it needs to be either politically or monetarily motivated [for hire]. Examples of books about assassinations (rather than simply murders):
, ;

Approved books


2. Romeo and Juliet: for an author to count as using a pseudonym, they must have published books under at least two different names.

Approved so far
Darlene Ryan also writes as Sofie Ryan and Sofie Kelly
Stephen King / Richard Bachman
Laura Kamoie / Laura Kaye
Stephanie Laurens / M.S. Laurens
Daniel Handler / Lemony Snicket

3. Hamlet
, , ,

4. Macbeth - genres noted
Urban Fantasy
,

Paranormal
,

Horror
,

5. Henry V
and
, ,

Nay. These do not passeth muster.

1. Julius Caesar
Just to clarify: while assassination is a sub-set of murder, not all murders are assassinations. An assassination, in the spirit of Option 1, is someone killing someone else for political or financial gain .

The Assassin Game - more a crime novel
The Regional Office Is Under Attack! - not clear if there's an actual assassination
The Girls - about serial killers, rather than an assassination
Throne of Glass - seems to be more about a series of murders
Burial Rites - about a murder, not an assassination

2. Romeo and Juliet.
Clarification (again - sorry folks): the author needs to have published under at least two different names for them to count as using a pseudonym. If they've only ever published under one name, even if that is not their given name, then that author can't be used for Option 2.

Dodie Smith - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Alex Kava - pen name for Sharon M Kava, but has only written under the one name
Elena Ferrante - while this isn't the author's real name, it appears to be the only name she's published under.
J.M. Peace - looks to be the same situation as Elena Ferrante

3. Hamlet
Murder Offstage
The Fairest of Them All

4. Macbeth


5. Henry V
LaRose

This thread is now open!

please note the genre urban fantasy thanks The Forgetting

Will this book work for Option 4?

It's been shelved as Fantasy > Paranormal by 7 readers

The Progeny

will this work work for option 1- The Assassin Game

nice task! since i'm currently binge listening to the In Death series (Nora roberts/JD robb)

Can I get genre noted for Leaving Time? It's listed as Fantasy > Paranormal. Thanks!

For option 5, does it have to be a single rose or is more than one OK?

Hello. Can I get Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children noted for horror? Thanks!!

For option 3 can it be an actual play, or would it need to be a play about a play?

Will either of these work for option 3?

Her Deadly Mischief
The Winter of Her Discontent

Thank you.

JennRenee wrote: "please note the genre urban fantasy thanks The Forgetting"

Noted!

Pia wrote: "Will this book work for Option 4?

It's been shelved as Fantasy > Paranormal by 7 readers

The Progeny"

That works.

JennRenee wrote: "will this work work for option 1- The Assassin Game"

From the write-up that sounds more like a crime novel than an assassination plot, which doesn't really fit with what I was looking for.

BriKie wrote: "Can I get genre noted for Leaving Time? It's listed as Fantasy > Paranormal. Thanks!"

That's fine.

Marie-Anne wrote: "For option 5, does it have to be a single rose or is more than one OK?"

More than one is fine, as long as at least some of them are red or white

etwatson wrote: "Hello. Can I get Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children noted for horror? Thanks!!"

All good.

Nicola wrote: "For option 3 can it be an actual play, or would it need to be a play about a play?"

I'll double check with the mods.

Kim wrote: "Will either of these work for option 3?

Her Deadly Mischief
The Winter of Her Discontent

Thank you."

From the description, both of those look like they would work.

Would Murder Offstage work for Option 3? (I haven't read it yet, so not sure how central the theatre is to the mystery)

Nicola wrote: "For option 3 can it be an actual play, or would it need to be a play about a play?"

Checked with the mods. Like books, it would need to have a play within a play. So subject to the usual SRC rules on length, Hamlet would work (after all, that's where the quote came from!), as would Red Velvet (about the first afro-Caribbean Othello) which takes place in a theatre, or plays about staging plays.

But a play on its own wouldn't.

Julia wrote: "Would Murder Offstage work for Option 3? (I haven't read it yet, so not sure how central the theatre is to the mystery)"

It sounds like it's more theatre society, rather than set in and around a theatre itself, so I'm provisionally going to say no, unless someone has read it and confirm how much the theatre features.

For Option 2, can the book have more than 1 author if one of the author's uses a pseudonym?

Ex: lists authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie.

Laura Kamoie also writes under the name Laura Kaye.

Does this work, or since there are 2 authors would both need to fit the criteria? Thank you in advance.

Hi, Can you please verify Micah for urban fantasy?

Thanks.

Donna wrote: "Hi, Can you please verify Micah for urban fantasy?

Thanks."

Added to the approved list.

Tara Jo wrote: "Does this work, or since there are 2 authors would both need to fit the criteria? Thank you in advance. "

I'll double check and get back to you.

Trish wrote: "Nicola wrote: "For option 3 can it be an actual play, or would it need to be a play about a play?"

Checked with the mods. Like books, it would need to have a play within a play. So subject to the ..."

The Tempest would work too! :)

I wanted to check on if The Assassin's Blade would work for Option 1.

Tara Jo wrote: "For Option 2, can the book have more than 1 author if one of the author's uses a pseudonym?"

That's fine. Just make sure that you link the name and pseudonym for the author that has one.

Tiffany wrote: "I wanted to check on if The Assassin's Blade would work for Option 1."

Looks okay from the description.

Trish wrote: "Tara Jo wrote: "For Option 2, can the book have more than 1 author if one of the author's uses a pseudonym?"

That's fine. Just make sure that you link the name and pseudonym for the author that ha..."

Thank you for confirming!

Could I get approval for Option #2 - author's pseudonym

I would like to use Stephen King / Richard Bachman

Thanks

Shawn wrote: "Could I get approval for Option #2 - author's pseudonym

I would like to use Stephen King / Richard Bachman

Thanks"

That looks well documented :-) Approved.

Does The Regional Office Is Under Attack! work for option 1? From the book description:
In a world beset by amassing forces of darkness, one organization—the Regional Office—and its coterie of super-powered female assassins protects the globe from annihilation.

E wrote: "Does The Regional Office Is Under Attack! work for option 1? From the book description:
In a world beset by amassing forces of darkness, one organization—the Regional Office—and its..."

It sounds like an interesting book, but it isn't clear from the description if there's an actual assassination plot in it. Yes, they're "assassins", but it sounds more like they're fighting each other. So for now, this is a no, unless you can confirm there's an assassination plot in the story.

Would Alex Kava work for option 2? Born Sharon M Kava but seems she uses it as a pen name rather than a pseudonym. Am I being too pedantic? Thanks!

Charlston wrote: "Would Alex Kava work for option 2? Born Sharon M Kava but seems she uses it as a pen name rather than a pseudonym. Am I being too pedantic? Thanks!"

If everything she's written has been published as Alex Kava, then I wouldn't say that counts as a pseudonym. But I'll double-check with the mods.

Trish wrote: "Charlston wrote: "Would Alex Kava work for option 2? Born Sharon M Kava but seems she uses it as a pen name rather than a pseudonym. Am I being too pedantic? Thanks!"

If everything she's written has been published as Alex Kava, then I wouldn't say that counts as a pseudonym. But I'll double-check... "

Right, I've double checked with the mods, who agree that for a name to count as a pseudonym, then the author needs to have published under at least two names.

Hello, I'm looking for confirmation that this cover fits the requirement for a red/white rose. Red and white Tudor rose? Nice link to Shakespeare, I think, but I just want to check!
Heartstone

Will this author work for option 2?
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Please confirm Stephanie Laurens / M.S. Laurens for option #2.
Thanks

For option 3, is the actual production of a play necessary, or can it be about actors who are playing parts in life? I have in mind The Fairest of Them All, a Regency romance, in which the main character's guardian is (gasp) an actress.
If this doesn't work, I can find something else.

I'm wondering whether The Girls works for Option 1? It is based on the Manson Family and includes description of some murders.

Mhairi wrote: "Hello, I'm looking for confirmation that this cover fits the requirement for a red/white rose. Red and white Tudor rose? Nice link to Shakespeare, I think, but I just want to check!
[book:Heartston..."

I'm happy to accept that

Blueberry wrote: "Will this author work for option 2?
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..."

The book mentioned in the GR description as written as C.L. Anthony (Autumn Crocus) is showing up in Goodreads under Dodie Smith, and I can't find any other reference to it. So unless you can point me at some other confirmation, this one's a no.

Lauren wrote: "Please confirm Stephanie Laurens / M.S. Laurens for option #2.
Thanks"

That works.

Donna Jo wrote: "For option 3, is the actual production of a play necessary, or can it be about actors who are playing parts in life? I have in mind The Fairest of Them All, a Regency romance, in wh..."

The book needs to be include either an actual production of a play, or be set in and around a theatre. Actors playing parts in real life doesn't really fit with either. Also, I'm not seeing any reference to either the theatre or actors/actresses in the GR description. So I'm going to say no to this one.

Lagullande wrote: "I'm wondering whether The Girls works for Option 1? It is based on the Manson Family and includes description of some murders."

While assassinations are definitely a form of murder, not all murders/serial killings are assassinations. As I see it, for it to count as an assassination, it needs to be either politically or monetarily motivated, which I don't believe was the case with the Manson murders. So I'm going to say no to this one.