Top Stories
Stories in BookClub that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
William Shakespeare's Coriolanus
Written around 1608, Coriolanus was possibly William Shakespeare’s last tragedy. He wrote four such plays set in Ancient Rome, and coincidentally his first tragedy, Titus Andronicus, is also one of these. However, while Titus is not very accurate historically, for Coriolanus (as well as Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra) Shakespeare made extensive use of Plutarch’s Lives of the Most Noble Grecians and Romans which had been translated into English by Thomas North in 1579. Coriolanus does not appear to have seen print in Shakespeare’s lifetime, and the earliest text is from the posthumously-published First Folio of 1623.
By Doc Sherwood2 years ago in BookClub
Book Review: Clytemnestra’s Bind by Susan C Wilson
The House of Atreus is spiralling into self-destruction—a woman must find a way to break the family curse. Queen Clytemnestra's world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself. Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to Agamemnon. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten, once more, to destroy the family Clytemnestra loves. From one of Greek mythology's most reviled characters—a woman who challenged the absolute power of men—comes this fiery tale of power, family rivalry and a mother's burning love. Placing motherhood at the heart of the story, Clytemnestra’s voice is heard in a new way. It also explores society's obligation to conform to stereotypical gender expectations and shows the explosive powerplay between men and women in a patriarchal society.
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in BookClub
Knowing the Enemy: The Last Tribes of Britannia by Lea Moran
I love stories about ancient Britain and Lea Moran does an excellent job of creating a tale set in those times, which draws on the uncertainty between tribes and the fight for dominance as well as the fear of invasion from outsiders.
By Rachel Deeming2 years ago in BookClub
PURPLE HIBISCUS
I had always wanted to read Chimamanda’s books. To be honest, it’s because everyone was reading “Americanah” and because of FOMO I wanted to join the bandwagon. I then realized that she had more books and they were all super hyped. After watching her TED talk “We should all be feminists” I thought she was amazing. When I got “Purple Hibiscus” I understood the hype because the book was captivating.
By Catherine Nyomenda2 years ago in BookClub
Pencil Lines and Plotlines
This year, I dove into a few graphic novels - I wanted to mix things up since I have been reading an average of over 60 books a year. I thought it would be nice to expand my literary horizons and slip back to a genre that I was comfortable with from the beginning.
By Xine Segalas2 years ago in BookClub
Vocal Book Club: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Sadie, Sam and Marx are the central characters of Gabrielle Zevin’s remarkable 10th novel, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Sam and Sadie meet when they are 11 years old, in the games room of a Los Angeles hospital. Sam — fervently playing Super Mario Bros — is chronically ill; Sadie’s older sister is dying of cancer. Eventually Sam and Sadie will become game designers of the highest order, their friend Marx a kind of abiding spirit who keeps them together and lifts them to greater heights — even as tragedy strikes.
By Erica Wagner2 years ago in BookClub
Rachel Reviews: The It-Doesn't-Matter Suit and Other Stories by Sylvia Plath
I had no idea that Sylvia Plath wrote children's stories and I'm not sure why this surprised me so much. I purchased this book on a whim in a charity shop, out of curiosity but also because I have not really read much of Plath's work. I'm not sure why that is really. I think that my perception of Plath is of someone battling with depression and so my view of what her work may contain or the subjects that her compositions may be about has been tainted somewhat. I'm not saying that that has put me off but likewise, that assumption may not have drawn me in. I have rectified this by ordering "The Bell Jar" and will report back on my impressions in due course.
By Rachel Deeming2 years ago in BookClub
How to Read the Novels of Charles Dickens
As many of you might recall, I have embarked on a journey to read all of the works of Dickens. Partly, I took this challenge on because he is my mother's favourite author. My mum is the person who got me into reading and remains my best reading buddy.
By Sam H Arnold2 years ago in BookClub
Touching Style
Yesterday, I did something laughably mundane. I got a haircut. During the worst of the pandemic, this was by no means as trivial a matter as it ordinarily had been. A catalogue of almost invisibly routine phenomena was lit up with fresh strangeness by that crisis. Other humans were feverishly wiping down their groceries with bleach or replacing their masks between sips of iced coffee. It was a time of fear, confusion and anxiety.
By D. J. Reddall2 years ago in BookClub
Rachel Reviews: To review or not to review?
It's been a strange week for this writer for many reasons, most of them requiring me to draw on emotional reserves that, for the most part, remain slumbering deep in my inner recesses, never needed in the charmed life I lead.
By Rachel Deeming2 years ago in BookClub
Review of 'Threads That Bind’
Debut author Kika Hatzopoulou has woven a mesmerizing story in Threads That Bind, a fantasy-mystery hybrid inspired by Greek mythology set in a world where the children of the gods inherit their powers. With no shortage of romance or complex family dynamics, this fast-paced tale exploring fate versus free will is sure to draw readers in from the start.
By Cyn's Workshop2 years ago in BookClub
The Woman In Me
I preordered this book the moment it was available. The Woman In Me is a great book that is full of raw and honest accounts. Over the years I have started to appreciate Britney even more. Britney needed this book to heal. Even if the book may be ghost-written, I felt her voice is present. This is the book that so many wanted to read after she had been silenced for so long. As a child and teenager, I had no idea how vilified Britney was. A childhood star that had been used and abused in every single way. The people who should have taken care of her exploited her.
By Chloe Gilholy2 years ago in BookClub
