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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 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." ?

1. If We Were Villains; The House of Marvellous Books by Fiona Vigo Marshall 💀📚

2. House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2) by Sarah J. Maas 🦦

3. The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu 🐅

#WeekendReads

@rachelsbrittain

Got the prettiest book mail today! 💕😊

This was a fantastic read, which kept me gripped to the end. It has love, romance, friendships and deceptions. There are seven friends and one is found dead, set in an elite conservatory, the friends are all aspiring actors. It's also set in present day when Oliver Marks is released from prison for a murder he may or may not have committed.

really enjoyed this one but the ending was a bit predictable :)

Finished this a couple weeks ago on audio. I really enjoyed this dark academia. I actually think I enjoyed it more an as an audio then if I read the physical book because of all the Shakespeare the characters speak. But the narrator in the audio did a wonderful job.

I hope to finish the tagged book today and also reading The Twyford Code and should finish it tomorrow.

#WeekendReading @Andrew65

I am currently reading these two books, only started the tagged book today. Enjoying both so far.

Book mail makes me happy

Honorable Mentions: The Last Graduate, Firekeeper‘s Daughter, Where the Crawdads Sing, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Circe, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Piranesi

I‘m really disappointed in this book. I expected more but honestly it was awful for me. Really upset about it.

A true tragedy. If the entire book wasn‘t a love letter to Shakespeare, I may not have been able to put up with the constant quotes and almost pretentious language between the fourth year students, but once I gave into the theatre world they occupy I ended up finding it endearing. I really enjoyed this pack of teenagers and their relationships and of course the drama. I can understand and give into the booktok hype here 🎭

I read If we were villains by M.L.Rio on my train ride to and back from Usedom, an island between Germany & Poland. I wanted to look at the Ostsee, so I did this day trip. The novel is great, and I totally got some The Secret History vibe (which is why I read this after all).

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,5

#darkacademia #ifwewerevillains #mlrio #mystery #novemberread

Finally read this one…what the heck was I waiting for, it was VERY good!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My terrible secret is this: I am no Shakespeare lover. 😱 I‘m always chasing that Secret History high though, so I gave this college-campus-set novel a chance. I liked the setting, but couldn‘t handle the characters speaking to each other in Shakespeare quotes. Which is on me. But I can‘t say I thought the mystery was surprising. A lot of theater major angst. Over all, so-so. But lovely cover.

A murder mystery taking place at a drama school. It was slightly predictable but I enjoyed the premise, the characters and the details and having been to drama school myself certain bits were very funny! A fun, easy read!

Read in August 2021 ...
#suvataReads #AugustStats #Bookly #BooklyApp #Bookstagram #MMDBookClub

133 of 2021. A group of theater students are in their last year of college when things begin to unravel. One of them ends up dead and the question needs to be answered as to what happened. The reveal in this book is really sad. Good book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️