Welcome to Litsy!

I have worked in professional theatre my whole adult life, and as soon as it became clear that this was A Secret History with Shakespeare quoting drama teens, I could not spend more time there. It is too much like work.

[Image: restored antique parasol by my graduate student Jillian Gregory]

My first thought for masks for #autumnplease was the masquerade masks in if we were villains. This is a gorgeous illustration from the anniversary illustrated edition 🥰

#scarathlon #skeletoncrew

#PhotoChallenge #Scarathlon @FlynnDewey #TeamWhoYouGonnaCall

Day 2: Skull/Bones

Only one book came to mind. It's not on my #Scarathlon TBR but it's definitely on my radar ☠️

⭐️⭐️⭐️

A comparison to “The Secret History” will get me every time! This had the moody dark academia vibes that I love and I enjoyed the beginning, but it fizzled out after the second act. I had trouble believing in the characters and their motivations - they felt one-dimensional. I‘m also not really a fan of Shakespeare and found the large amount of Shakespearean quotes tiring.

Thanks for the tag @dabbe
1. I return to school on Aug 28. Students start after Labour Day
2. Tagged book, The Secret History, The Chatham School Affair, Reconstructing Amelia, Claire Marvel, The Girls Are all So Nice Here
#Two4Tuesday
@TheSpineView
Tagging @andrew61 @Texreader @iread2much @ShelleyBooksie

cr: if we were villains by m.l. rio

i just picked up this edition from b&n and im in LOVE with the cover

im also reading this with my book club over on the fable app if anyone wants to join us!!

My friend created a personalized book stamp for me for my birthday 🥳😍📖. Isn‘t it gorgeous!

#stamp #bookaccessorize

3.5/5 A beautifully written and compelling story, and a masterful twist on Shakespeare. This book is one of a kind. The tone of this book is very dark, filled with jealousy, obsession, and sacrifice. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes psychological thrillers or murder mysteries, it truly is a page turner.

This book is a juggernaut hurtling to the end. Well written, and moving quickly through a series of events that, as our narrator states in prologue, seemed inevitable. I have the feeling that I would have understood subplots better if I really paid attention to Shakespeare but I didn't and the events themselves sped along. Criticism I have seen is anti queer and male gaze neither of which I saw as bothersome. See comments below

@Andrew65 #20in4 finished up with this beauty. I actually read @2 hrs without my timer on as I was so eager to get back to it after dinner tonight I totally forgot! Reviews forthcoming.

In theory, this was very Shakespearean and tragic, the cross over between the plays the characters act out and how they connect to their real life was well done. However. I‘m struggling to review this bc I loved the ending twist, left me staring at the wall.
But. This played into some gross queer stereotypes that were awful and a characters‘ sexuality should not be a plot twist. All female characters written via the male gaze was tough to read.

Am I obsessed with dark academia? Yes.

#darkacademia #shakespeare #NA #teachersoflitsy

This was very reminiscent of The Secret History but I enjoyed this one all the more for its links to Shakespeare and how the plays‘ themes were so interwoven in these college students‘ own experiences. And that ending!!!

These beautiful endpapers of the 5th anniversary special edition though. ??

"For someone who loved words as much as I did, it was amazing how often they failed me."

I'm generally not one for special editions, but I had to make an exception for one of my favorite books of all time. ? and it's gorgeous. ? gold foil, illustrations, signed by the author?! I love this 5th anniversary edition so much. ?

"Make art, make mistakes, and have no regrets."

(And then there's the Zweig I got secondhand. It just felt right to give it a new home. To my surprise, I'm slowly building up a collection of his books.)

another near bail! This was rec‘ed as a comparable read to Secret History, which I liked the story and the vibe, but… I dno, this didn‘t quite deliver it, imo? English is not my first language so I did not extensively study Shakespeare growing up- I think this book woulda felt way more interesting if I did. Some of it was prob wasted on me. The final twist was…Altho unpredictable, kinda meh. I dno. In theory should be a 🤘🏽for me, but it wasn‘t.

Barnes & Noble has a special edition of this delightful book! 😱 Do I already own the regular edition? Yes! Did I get this one anyway? Also yes! 😂

Dark and mysterious, felt like an ode to The Secret History written by a Shakespearean scholar. Heartbreaking as only a group of university friends who love, hate, revere, and envy each other can be. And the Bard‘s words and atmosphere are woven through it all effortlessly and made it all quite wonderful. #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

So good after reading Secret History, was worried about there becoming a dark academia formula, but while there's big parallels this was incredible itself. Painful, but managing to make me feel more than Tartt's novel, ESPECIALLY in that final Act.

Very 50/50 for me. I did enjoy the mystery and the cultish vibes this book gave off.

I didn't love it because I had no connection to any of the characters and it was very limited setting wise. I was expecting a much cooler ending so it definitely fell flat for me at the very end.

3 stars / 5

This Shakespeare focused A Secret History read alike is starting off strong!

Thespians, Shakespeare, youth, and serious drama. I enjoyed every moment.

#Scarathlon2022 #TeamMonsterMash

#ScarathlonDailyPrompt #22 skeleton

5 points
Post- 1 point
Total= 6 points

@Staycurious

Another library book from September finished. Doesn‘t fit the team theme but 253 word search words. Total 2536
#Scarathlon2022 #TeamMontsterMash

1. 🎭💀👮‍♂️ (I just started it so that‘s all I got!)
2. I‘m hoping for a sequel to Lessons in Chemistry, maybe the story of the daughter, all grown up.
3. 5⭐️ The Fortnight in September

#WondrousWednesday

This is indeed a different kinda of suspense read. One must appreciate the bard though as the author uses a lot of “Shakespeare” type lines. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 read for me. I liked the characters and the storyline was such that I stuck with it to see how it would end.

I had the sudden urge to reread If We Were Villains and I‘m so glad I indulged. The Halloween performance of Macbeth just hits right every single time.

Crime and surrounding mystery test friendships of close knit college students at an elite arts conservatory. The novel is a bit dark academia, a bit ‘The Secret History‘ and a bit Shakespearean — with many quotes. I enjoyed this book but didn‘t love it nearly as much as the aforementioned novel that Donna Tartt published in 1992.

#AlphabetGame #letterI @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

This one was pretty clever, dark and twisted, with Shakespeare references. It reminds me of The Secret History. Didn‘t love it, but found it very interesting and nicely constructed. Recommended if you like dark academia novels, Shakespeare, and slow burn stories.

Interesting story of a group of seven young thespians who are inseparable until one of them ends up dead. For me this was somewhat hard to read due to much of the dialogue being lines from Shakespeare plays. On the one hand—cool format and makes sense that the kids would intersperse Shakespeare into their vocabulary. On the other hand—Shakespeare is not easy to read and digest quickly. I liked the story but didn‘t love it

35/22 whilst the kiddos splashed about I finished this. This is a softer pick for me then I imagined it would be on beginning. I can certainly say as someone who trained at one conservatoire and then taught at another that the pretensions and friendships rang true. But it just felt a bit too long and I don‘t understand the origin of Richards personality change which frustrated me. #booked2022 #darkacademia

One eye on my book, one eye on my rockpooling kids! This book is keeping me interested but I have a feeling I will end up frustrated at the end! We will see.

A book that ticks something off all four of my reading challenges! Yes please!

#booked2022 #darkacademianovel #192025 #2017 #atozchallenge #I #roadtripUSA2022 #illinois

I started this one last night and it‘s drawn me straight in. It‘s just what I needed right now!

July‘s physical TBR, plus not shown (on my Kindle) is My Sister The Serial Killer, which I‘m reading for #booked2022 as well the top three books in the pile. The bottom two I‘m reading because I have way too many black and white books on my rainbow bookshelf and I‘m trying to rebalance it! 📚

It‘s too hot to do anything, so I‘ve parked myself in front of my glorious electric AC and I‘m finishing this. It‘s really good.

I love a good book dedication. This one says: “For the many weird and wonderful thespians whom I have had the good fortune to call my friends. (I promise this is not about you.)” 🎭. This has been on my TBR list for a while. I even have the audio version of it on my audible.com account. I ordered a physical copy of it as well a few days ago from Amazon, instead of from my local bookstore, and my husband is making me feel so guilty!

Love love loved this book! Don‘t need a vast Shakespearean knowledge, like none at all, to enjoy this book. It‘s like I want to keep this book under wraps because it‘s still such a well kept secret. What do you all think?

I liked it. A lot. I‘m a dark academia fan and have made it a point to read books in this genre. Somehow just got around to this one and I‘m glad I did. The story centers on 7 theater students at a fine arts college who exclusively study and perform Shakespeare. Of course there‘s a murder and mysteries. Definitely has Secret History vibes. I liked it better, but I don‘t love SH despite my love of dark academia. Loved the end twist.

An interesting book in some ways — the Shakespearean conceit shaped the book in format but also in form, as its tragedy played out with an awful sort of inevitability. The characters were pretentious and careless and self-absorbed, but probably no more than any college seniors at the height of their field. My problem was that the story was engaging enough while reading, but didn‘t draw me back to the book when I wasn‘t. Clever, but not smart?

Beautiful writing but just a tad too much Shakespeare for me. Also not enough mystery, I found the whole plot just a little bit too predictable. Still, interesting concept and kept me engaged throughout.

A pick from my Christmas pile! Looking forward to digging in…

I reread this book in April and it continues to be one of my all-time favorite books! The writing, the characters, the put of control shenanigans they het up to...and the SHAKESPEARE! If you like dark academia I encourage you to pick this one up. 5/5 stars

Happy World Book Day!!! 🥳📚📖

This novel is about a group of insular theater students set within an insular college that studies only Shakespeare. The camaraderie feels genuine, but with a sinister undercurrent. What could possibly go wrong? I was swept up in their love of everything Shakespeare, who they quote liberally, but naturally. It never feels contrived. Many parts of this novel just broke my heart, but All's Well That Ends Well. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.5⭐️

"You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough."

This book rendered me speechless at the end. I just love this so much. ? I don't even know what to say about it that won't spoil anything in the story. If you like dark academia, Shakespeare, The Song of Achilles (oddly, this book reminded me of it), and morally grey characters, consider reading this (if you haven't already).

⭐: 5

"Actors are by nature volatile -- alchemic creatures composed of incendiary elements, emotion and ego and envy. Heat them up, stir them together, and sometimes you get gold. Sometimes disaster."

When I say that the writing in this book is so darn beautiful. ? Also, I haven't really read outdoors in a long time. ?

"Make art, make mistakes, and have no regrets." ?