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nellygwyn · 4 years

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BOOK RECS

Okay, so lots of people wanted this and so, I am compiling a list of my favourite books (both fiction and non-fiction), books that I recommend you read as soon as humanly possible. In the meantime, I’ll be pinning this post to the top of my blog (once I work out how to do that lmao) so it will be accessible for old and new followers. I’m going to order this list thematically, I think, just to keep everything tidy and orderly. Of course, a lot of this list will consist of historical fiction and historical non-fiction because that’s what I read primarily and thus, that’s where my bias is, but I promise to try and spice it up just a little bit.

Favourite fiction books of all time:

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock // Imogen Hermes Gowar

Sense and Sensibility // Jane Austen

Slammerkin // Emma Donoghue

Remarkable Creatures // Tracy Chevalier

Life Mask // Emma Donoghue

His Dark Materials // Philip Pullman (this includes the follow-up series The Book of Dust)

Emma // Jane Austen

The Miniaturist // Jessie Burton

Girl, Woman, Other // Bernadine Evaristo

Jane Eyre // Charlotte Brontë

Persuasion // Jane Austen

Girl with a Pearl Earring // Tracy Chevalier

The Silent Companions // Laura Purcell

Tess of the d’Urbervilles // Thomas Hardy

Northanger Abbey // Jane Austen

The Chronicles of Narnia // C.S. Lewis

Pride and Prejudice // Jane Austen

Goodnight, Mr Tom // Michelle Magorian

The French Lieutenant’s Woman // John Fowles

The Butcher’s Hook // Janet Ellis

Mansfield Park // Jane Austen

The All Souls Trilogy // Deborah Harkness

The Railway Children // Edith Nesbit

Favourite non-fiction books of all time

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman // Robert Massie

Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King // Antonia Fraser

Madame de Pompadour // Nancy Mitford

The First Iron Lady: A Life of Caroline of Ansbach // Matthew Dennison

Black and British: A Forgotten History // David Olusoga

Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court // Lucy Worsley

Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Katherine Howard, the Fifth Wife of Henry VIII // Gareth Russell

King Charles II // Antonia Fraser

Casanova’s Women // Judith Summers

Marie Antoinette: The Journey // Antonia Fraser

Mrs. Jordan’s Profession: The Story of a Great Actress and a Future King // Claire Tomalin

Jane Austen at Home // Lucy Worsley

Mudlarking: Lost and Found on the River Thames // Lara Maiklem

The Last Royal Rebel: The Life and Death of James, Duke of Monmouth // Anna Keay

The Marlboroughs: John and Sarah Churchill // Christopher Hibbert

Nell Gwynn: A Biography // Charles Beauclerk

Jurassic Mary: Mary Anning and the Primeval Monsters // Patricia Pierce

Georgian London: Into the Streets // Lucy Inglis

The Prince Who Would Be King: The Life and Death of Henry Stuart // Sarah Fraser

Wedlock: How Georgian Britain’s Worst Husband Met His Match // Wendy Moore

Dead Famous: An Unexpected History of Celebrity from the Stone Age to the Silver Screen // Greg Jenner

Victorians Undone: Tales of the Flesh in the Age of Decorum // Kathryn Hughes

Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey // Nicola Tallis

Favourite books about the history of sex and/or sex work

The Origins of Sex: A History of First Sexual Revolution // Faramerz Dabhoiwala

Erotic Exchanges: The World of Elite Prostitution in Eighteenth-Century Paris // Nina Kushner

Peg Plunkett: Memoirs of a Whore // Julie Peakman

Courtesans // Katie Hickman

The Other Victorians: A Study of Sexuality and Pornography in mid-Nineteenth Century England

Madams, Bawds, and Brothel Keepers // Fergus Linnane

The Secret History of Georgian London: How the Wages of Sin Shaped the Capital // Dan Cruickshank

A Curious History of Sex // Kate Lister

Sex and Punishment: 4000 Years of Judging Desire // Eric Berkowitz

Queen of the Courtesans: Fanny Murray // Barbara White

Rent Boys: A History from Ancient Times to Present // Michael Hone

Celeste // Roland Perry

Sex and the Gender Revolution // Randolph Trumbach

The Pleasure’s All Mine: A History of Perverse Sex // Julie Peakman

LGBT+ fiction I love*

The Confessions of the Fox // Jordy Rosenberg

As Meat Loves Salt // Maria Mccann

Bone China // Laura Purcell

Brideshead Revisited // Evelyn Waugh

The Confessions of Frannie Langton // Sara Collins

The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle // Neil Blackmore

Orlando // Virginia Woolf

Tipping the Velvet // Sarah Waters

She Rises // Kate Worsley

The Mercies // Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Oranges are Not the Only Fruit // Jeanette Winterson

Maurice // E.M Forster

Frankisstein: A Love Story // Jeanette Winterson

If I Was Your Girl // Meredith Russo

The Well of Loneliness // Radclyffe Hall

* fyi, Life Mask and Girl, Woman, Other are also LGBT+ fiction

Classics I haven’t already mentioned (including children’s classics)

Far From the Madding Crowd // Thomas Hardy

I Capture the Castle // Dodie Smith

Vanity Fair // William Makepeace Thackeray

Wuthering Heights // Emily Brontë

The Blazing World // Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle

Murder on the Orient Express // Agatha Christie

Great Expectations // Charles Dickens

North and South // Elizabeth Gaskell

Evelina // Frances Burney

Death on the Nile // Agatha Christie

The Monk // Matthew Lewis

Frankenstein // Mary Shelley

Vilette // Charlotte Brontë

The Mayor of Casterbridge // Thomas Hardy

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall // Anne Brontë

Vile Bodies // Evelyn Waugh

Beloved // Toni Morrison

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd // Agatha Christie

The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling // Henry Fielding

A Room With a View // E.M. Forster

Silas Marner // George Eliot

Jude the Obscure // Thomas Hardy

My Man Jeeves // P.G. Wodehouse

Lady Audley’s Secret // Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Middlemarch // George Eliot

Little Women // Louisa May Alcott

Children of the New Forest // Frederick Marryat

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings // Maya Angelou

Rebecca // Daphne du Maurier

Alice in Wonderland // Lewis Carroll

The Wind in the Willows // Kenneth Grahame

Anna Karenina // Leo Tolstoy

Howard’s End // E.M. Forster

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 // Sue Townsend

Even more fiction recommendations

The Darling Strumpet // Gillian Bagwell

The Wolf Hall trilogy // Hilary Mantel

The Illumination of Ursula Flight // Anne-Marie Crowhurst

Queenie // Candace Carty-Williams

Forever Amber // Kathleen Winsor

The Corset // Laura Purcell

Love in Colour // Bolu Babalola

Artemisia // Alexandra Lapierre

Blackberry and Wild Rose // Sonia Velton

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories // Angela Carter

The Languedoc trilogy // Kate Mosse

Longbourn // Jo Baker

A Skinful of Shadows // Frances Hardinge

The Black Moth // Georgette Heyer

The Far Pavilions // M.M Kaye

The Essex Serpent // Sarah Perry

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo // Taylor Jenkins Reid

Cavalier Queen // Fiona Mountain

The Winter Palace // Eva Stachniak

Friday’s Child // Georgette Heyer

Falling Angels // Tracy Chevalier

Little // Edward Carey

Chocolat // Joanne Harris

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street // Natasha Pulley

My Sister, the Serial Killer // Oyinkan Braithwaite

The Convenient Marriage // Georgette Heyer

Katie Mulholland // Catherine Cookson

Restoration // Rose Tremain

Meat Market // Juno Dawson

Lady on the Coin // Margaret Campbell Bowes

In the Company of the Courtesan // Sarah Dunant

The Crimson Petal and the White // Michel Faber

A Place of Greater Safety // Hilary Mantel

The Little Shop of Found Things // Paula Brackston

The Improbability of Love // Hannah Rothschild

The Murder Most Unladylike series // Robin Stevens

Dark Angels // Karleen Koen

The Words in My Hand // Guinevere Glasfurd

Time’s Convert // Deborah Harkness

The Collector // John Fowles

Vivaldi’s Virgins // Barbara Quick

The Foundling // Stacey Halls

The Phantom Tree // Nicola Cornick

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle // Stuart Turton

Golden Hill // Francis Spufford

Assorted non-fiction not yet mentioned

The Dinosaur Hunters: A True Story of Scientific Rivalry and the Discovery of the Prehistoric World // Deborah Cadbury

The Beauty and the Terror: An Alternative History to the Italian Renaissance // Catherine Fletcher

All the King's Women: Love, Sex, and Politics in the life of Charles II // Derek Jackson

Mozart’s Women // Jane Glover

Scandalous Liaisons: Charles II and His Court // R.E. Pritchard

Matilda: Queen, Empress, Warrior // Catherine Hanley

Black Tudors // Miranda Kaufman

To Catch a King: Charles II's Great Escape // Charles Spencer

1666: Plague, War and Hellfire // Rebecca Rideal

Henrietta Maria: Charles I's Indomitable Queen // Alison Plowden

Catherine of Braganza: Charles II's Restoration Queen // Sarah-Beth Watkins

Four Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Romanov Grand Duchesses // Helen Rappaport

Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah Lennox, 1740-1832 // Stella Tillyard

The Fortunes of Francis Barber: The True Story of the Jamaican Slave who Became Samuel Johnson’s Heir // Michael Bundock

Black London: Life Before Emancipation // Gretchen Gerzina

In These Times: Living in Britain Through Napoleon’s Wars, 1793-1815

The King’s Mistress: Scandal, Intrigue and the True Story of the Woman who Stole the Heart of George I // Claudia Gold

Perdita: The Life of Mary Robinson // Paula Byrne

The Gentleman’s Daughter: Women’s Lives in Georgian England // Amanda Vickery

Terms and Conditions: Life in Girls’ Boarding School, 1939-1979 // Ysenda Maxtone Graham

Fanny Burney: A Biography // Claire Harman

Aphra Behn: A Secret Life // Janet Todd

The Imperial Harem: Women and the Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire // Leslie Peirce

The Fall of the House of Byron // Emily Brand

The Favourite: Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough // Ophelia Field

Night-Walking: A Nocturnal History of London // Matthew Beaumont, Will Self

Jane Austen: A Life // Claire Tomalin

Beloved Emma: The Life of Emma, Lady Hamilton // Flora Fraser

Sentimental Murder: Love and Madness in the 18th Century // John Brewer

Henrietta Howard: King’s Mistress, Queen’s Servant // Tracy Borman

City of Beasts: How Animals Shaped Georgian London // Tom Almeroth-Williams

Queen Anne: The Politics of Passion // Anne Somerset

Charlotte Brontë: A Life // Claire Harman

Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe // Anthony Summers

Queer City: Gay London from the Romans to the Present Day // Peter Ackroyd

Elizabeth I and Her Circle // Susan Doran

African Europeans: An Untold History // Olivette Otele

Young Romantics: The Shelleys, Byron, and Other Tangled Lives // Daisy Hay

How to Create the Perfect Wife // Wendy Moore

The Sphinx: The Life of Gladys Deacon, Duchess of Marlborough // Hugo Vickers

The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn // Eric Ives

Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy // Barbara Ehrenreich

A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie // Kathryn Harkup

Mistresses: Sex and Scandal at the Court of Charles II // Linda Porter

Female Husbands: A Trans History // Jen Manion

Ladies in Waiting: From the Tudors to the Present Day // Anne Somerset

Ghostland: In Search of a Haunted Country // Edward Parnell

A Cheesemonger’s History of the British Isles // Ned Palmer

The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister’s Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine // Lindsey Fitzharris

Medieval Woman: Village Life in the Middle Ages // Ann Baer

The Husband Hunters: Social Climbing in London and New York // Anne de Courcy

The Voices of Nîmes: Women, Sex, and Marriage in Reformation Languedoc // Suzannah Lipscomb

The Daughters of the Winter Queen // Nancy Goldstone

Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency // Bea Koch

Bess of Hardwick // Mary S. Lovell

The Royal Art of Poison // Eleanor Herman

The Strangest Family: The Private Lives of George III, Queen Charlotte, and the Hanoverians // Janice Hadlow

Palaces of Pleasure: From Music Halls to the Seaside to Football; How the Victorians Invented Mass Entertainment // Lee Jackson

Favourite books about current social/political issues (?? for lack of a better term)

Feminism, Interrupted: Disrupting Power // Lola Olufemi

Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Worker Rights // Molly Smith, Juno Mac

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race // Reni Eddo-Lodge

Trans Britain: Our Journey from the Shadows // Christine Burns

Me, Not You: The Trouble with Mainstream Feminism // Alison Phipps

Trans Like Me: A Journey For All Of Us // C.N Lester

Brit(Ish): On Race, Identity, and Belonging // Afua Hirsch

The Brutish Museums: The Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence, and Cultural Restitution // Dan Hicks

Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls: A Handbook for Unapologetic Living // Jes M. Baker

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women White Feminists Forgot // Mikki Kendall

Denial: Holocaust History on Trial // Deborah Lipstadt

Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape // Jessica Valenti, Jaclyn Friedman

Don’t Touch My Hair // Emma Dabiri

Sister Outsider // Audre Lorde

Unicorn: The Memoir of a Muslim Drag Queen // Amrou Al-Kadhi

Trans Power // Juno Roche

Breathe: A Letter to My Sons // Imani Perry

The Windrush Betrayal: Exposing the Hostile Environment // Amelia Gentleman

Happy Fat: Taking Up Space in a World That Wants to Shrink You // Sofie Hagen

Diaries, memoirs & letters

The Diary of a Young Girl // Anne Frank

Renia’s Diary: A Young Girl’s Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust // Renia Spiegel

Writing Home // Alan Bennett

The Diary of Samuel Pepys // Samuel Pepys

Histoire de Ma Vie // Giacomo Casanova

Toast: The Story of a Boy’s Hunger // Nigel Slater

London Journal, 1762-1763 // James Boswell

The Diary of a Bookseller // Shaun Blythell

Jane Austen’s Letters // edited by Deidre la Faye

H is for Hawk // Helen Mcdonald

The Salt Path // Raynor Winn

The Glitter and the Gold // Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough

Journals and Letters // Fanny Burney

Educated // Tara Westover

Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading // Lucy Mangan

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? // Jeanette Winterson

A Dutiful Boy // Mohsin Zaidi

Secrets and Lies: The Trials of Christine Keeler // Christine Keeler

800 Years of Women’s Letters // edited by Olga Kenyon

Istanbul // Orhan Pamuk

Henry and June // Anaïs Nin

Historical romance (this is a short list because I’m still fairly new to this genre)

The Bridgerton series // Julia Quinn

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover // Sarah Mclean

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake // Sarah Mclean

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics // Olivia Waite

That Could Be Enough // Alyssa Cole

Unveiled // Courtney Milan

The Craft of Love // EE Ottoman

The Maiden Lane series // Elizabeth Hoyt

An Extraordinary Union // Alyssa Cole

Slightly Dangerous // Mary Balogh

Dangerous Alliance: An Austentacious Romance // Jennieke Cohen

A Fashionable Indulgence // KJ Charles

#the only categories not on here are plays and poetry #just bc this post would be even longer!#you can ask me for my favourite playwrights/poets separately tho

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sunflower-brittany · 2 years

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In case anyone's wondering whats on my book wishlist these days (any first books missing from series i already own):

[ ] Lore (Alexandra Bracken)

[ ✅️] To Kill A Kingdom (Alexandra Christo)

[ ✅️] A House of Salt and Sorrows (Erin A. Craig)

[ ] This Poison Heart (Kalynn Bayron)

Immortals Series (Alyson Noel):

[ ] Dark Flame

[ ] Night Star

[ ] Everlasting

Beautiful Darkness Series (Kami Garacia):

[ ✅️] Beautiful Darkness

[ ] Dangerous Creatures

[ ] Dangerous Deception

[ ] All The Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)

[ ] Wilder Girls (Rory Power)

A Court of Thorns and Roses (Sarah J Maas)

[ ✅️ ] A Court of Thorns and Roses

[ ] A Court of Mist and Fury

[ ] A Court of Wings and Ruins

[ ] A Court of Frost and Starlight

[ ✅️] A Court of Silver Flames

[ ✅️] The Queens Resistance (Rebecca Ross)

The Handmaids Tale Series (Margaret Atwood):

[ ✅️] The Handmaids Tale

[✅️ ] The Testaments

Red Queen Series (Victoria Aveyard):

[ ] Red Queen

[ ] Glass Sword

[ ] Kings Cage

[ ] War Storm

From Blood and Ash Series (Jennifer L Armentrout):

[ ] A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

[ ] The Crown of Gilded Bones

[ ] The War of Two Queens

Fallen Series (Lauren Kate):

[ ] Fallen

[ ] Torment

[ ] Passion

[ ] Rapture

[ ] Unforgiven

[ ] Fallen in Love

The After Collection (Anna Todd):

[ ] After

[ ] After We Collided

[ ] After We Fell

[ ] After Ever After

[ ] Before

Ash Princess Series (Laura Sebastian):

[ ] Ash Princess

[ ] Ember Queen

[ ] Lady Smoke

Shiver Series (Maggie Stiefvater):

[ ] Shiver

[ ] Linger

[ ] Forever

[ ] Sinner

Fable Series (Adrienne Young):

[ ✅️] Fable

[ ✅️] Namesake

Throne Of Glass Series (Sarah J Maas):

[ ] Assassins Blade

[ ✅️ ] Throne of Glass

[ ] Crown of Midnight

[ ] Heir of Fire

[ ] Queen of Shadows

[ ] Empire of Storms

[ ] Tower of Dawn

[ ] Kingdom of Ash

Dark Secrets Series (Elizabeth Chandler):

[ ] Dark Secrets 1

[ ] Dark Secrets 2

Ready Player One Series (Ernest Cline):

[ ] Ready Player One

[ ] Ready Player Two

Crescent City Series (Sarah J Maas)

[ ] House of Earth and Blood

[ ] House of Sky and Breath

A Touch of Darkness Series (Scarlett St Clair):

[✅️ ] A Touch of Darkness

[ ] Where The Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens)

[ ] Shadow and Vines (C.D Britt)

[ ] Lovely War (Julie Berry)

[ ] The Henna Artist (Alka Joshi)

[ ] The Nature of Witches (Rachel Griffin)

Supernatural Series (Various Authors):

[ ] Rite of Passage

[ ] One Year Gone

[ ] Witch's Canyon

[ ] Nevermore

[ ] War of Sons

[ ] Bone Key

[ ] Night Terror

[ ] The Usual Sacrifices

[ ] Coyotes Kiss

A Curse so Dark and Lonely Series (Brigid Kemmerer):

[ ] A Curse so Dark and Lonely

[ ] A Heart so Fierce and Broken

[ ] A Vow so Bold amd Deadly

These Violent Delights Series (Chloe Gong):

[ ✅️ ] These Violent Delights

[ ] Our Violent Ends

Disney Twisted Tales Series (Various Authors):

[ ] Part of Your World

[ ] Unbirthday

[ ] Straight on Till Morning

[ ] Go the Distance

[ ] Mirror Mirror

Shadow and Bone Series (Leigh Bardugo):

[ ] Siege and Storm

[ ] Ruin and Rising

A Discovery of Witches Series (Deborah Harkness):

[ ✅️ ] A Discovery of Witches

[✅️ ] Shadow of Night

[ ✅️] The Book of Life

[ ] Time's Convert

Alice in Zombieland Series (Gena Showalter)

[ ] Alice in Zombieland

[ ] Through the Zombie Glass

[ ] A Mad Zombie Party

[ ] The Queen of Zombie Hearts

And I Darken Series (Kiersten White):

[ ] And I Darken

[ ] Now I Rise

[ ] Bright We Burn

Crave Series (Tracy Wolff):

[✅️ ] Crave

[ ✅️ ] Crush

[ ] Covet

[ ] Court

The War of Lost Hearts Series (Carissa Broadbent):

[ ] Daughter of No Worlds

[ ] Children of Fallen Gods

[ ] Mother of Death and Dawn

[ ] The Cursed Crown (May Sage Alexi Blake)

The Cruel Prince Series (Holly Black):

[ ✅️] The Cruel Prince

[ ] The Lost Sisters

[ ] The Wicked King

[ ] The Queen of Nothing

[ ] How The King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories

The Selection Series (Kiera Cass)

[ ] The Selection

[ ] The Elite

[ ] The One

[ ] The Heir

[ ] The Crown

[✅️ ] We Were Liars (E. Lockhart)

The Witcher Series:

[ ] Sword of Destiny

[ ] Blood Elves

[ ] Time of Contempt

[ ] Baptism of Fire

[ ] The Tower of the Shallow

[ ] The Lady of the Lake

[ ] Seasons of Storms

Stephen King Novels:

[ ] The Institute

[ ] Different Seasons

[ ] Sorcery of Thorns (Margaret Rogerson)

Shadow and Frost Series (Coco Ma):

[ ] Shadow and Frost

[ ] God Storm

Three Dark Crowns Series (Kendare Blake):

[ ] Three Dark Crowns

[ ] One Dark Throne

[ ] The Oracle Queen

[ ] Two Dark Reigns

[ ] Five Dark Fates

[ ] The Secret Keeper of Jaipur (Alka Joshi)

The Poppy War Series (R.F. Kuang):

[ ] The Poppy War

[ ] The Dragon Republic

[ ] The Burning God

[ ] Once Upon a Broken Heart (Stephanie Garber)

Caraval Series (Stephanie Garber):

[ ] Legendary

[ ] Finale

Serpent and Dove Series (Shelby Mahurin):

[ ] Blood and Honey

[ ] Gods and Monsters

Legendborn Series (Tracy Deonn)

[ ] Legendborn

[ ] Bloodmarked

Souls Series (Harley Laroux):

[ ] Her Soul to Take

[ ] Her Soul for Revenge

A Dark and Hollow Star Series (Ashley Shuttleworth):

[ ] A Dark and Hollow Star

[ ] A Cruel and Fated Light

[ ] Den of Vipers (K.A. Knight)

[ ] Spellbook of the Lost and Found (Moira Doyle)

[ ] The Accident Season (Moira Doyle)

[ ] All The Bad Apples (Moira Doyle

[ ] Long Live the Pumpkin Queen (Tim Burton)

Six of Crows Series (Leigh Bardugo):

[ ] Crooked Kingdom

Legacy of the Nine Realms Series (Amelia Hutchins):

[ ] Flames of Chaos

[ ] Ashes of Chaos

[ ] Ruins of Chaos

[ ] Crown of Chaos

Shatter Me Series (Tahereh Mafi)

[ ] Shatter Me

[ ] Destroy Me [(1.5) - Unite Me]

[ ] Unravel Me

[ ] Fracture Me [(2.5) - Unite Me]

[ ] Ignite Me

[ ] Restore Me

[ ] Shadow Me [(4.5) - Find Me]

[ ] Defy Me

[ ] Reveal Me [(5.5) - Find Me]

[ ] Imagine Me

[ ] Believe Me

An Ember in the Ashes Series (Sabaa Tahir):

[ ] A Torch Against the Night

[ ] A Reaper at the Gates

[ ] A Sky Beyond the Storm

[ ] The Shadows Between Us (Tricia Levenseller)

A Ruin of Roses Series (K.F Breene)

[ ✅️] A Ruin of Roses

[✅️ ] A Throne of Ruin

[ ] A Kingdom of Ruin

[ ] A Queen of Ruin

Flame in the Mist Series (Renée Ahdieh):

[ ] Flame in the Mist

[ ] Smoke in the Sun

Sherrilyn Kenyon Books:

[ ] Styxx

[ ] Stygian

[ ] The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea (Katherine Quinn)

Shadows and Crowns Series (S.M Gaither):

[ ] The Song of the Marked

Gild Series (Raven Kennedy):

[ ] Gild

[ ] A Kingdom od Iron and Wine (Candace Osmond)

[ ] The Savage and the Swan (Ella Fields)

#bookaholic #booklr #i will update this as i find more books #i will check off books i have read #books & libraries #bookworld #book blog #books #bookaddict #book lover #book wishlist #book worm #book and literature #book blurb #book challenge #book fandom #book genres #fantasy novel

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longsightmyth · 4 years

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Hey Myth, do you have any good book recs? More adult with magic OR Sci-Fi (and ladies being awesome), I've been on a dry spell later and cannot for the life of me find nice, interesting book to read

I generally recommend Sabriel by Garth Nix (though idk if that’s more adult or YA? It’s not INAPPROPRIATE for YA I don’t think)

Much love for The Keltiad in all it’s magic in space glory and ladies being awesome but those are sadly out of print

Tamora Pierce in general

(this was the point I had to head to my goodreads shelves bc I have a lot of physical books but a lot of them are on the to-read shelf)

If you don’t mind some outdated stuff The Dragonriders of Pern are sci-fi with genetically engineered dragons and ladies doing stuff (ONLY the Anne books, DO NOT read the Todd books)(I am deadly serious about this y’all)

The Remnant Chronicles were in my opinion really good, but some people really didn’t like the first one. I found myself mildly disappointed in the third one, but only mildly.

The Lynburn Legacy by Sarah Rees Brennan is a series I legit reread every year and cry and laugh a lot so take that as you will

Cold Magic by Kate Elliot is the first in the Spiritwalker trilogy and VERY good

Ancillary Justice by Anne Leckie is legitimately one of the best books I have ever read, and its sequels are pretty darn good too

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin is one of my favorites even if I like it a lot better than its sequels

An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors by Curtis Craddock is a SCIENCE PRINCESS WITH SUPER POWERS with the same kind of feel as the three musketeers but much less Questionable Bullshit

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton is slow, but beautifully so once you realize what you’re getting

Grave Mercy and its sequel Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers (do yourself a favor and don’t read the third one, you will only be disappointed and probably grossed out)

Oh, The Saga of Willow North by Melissa McShane (and her other Crown of Tremontaine novels) is pretty good! Self published and sometimes noticeably, but generally really good and ladies doing shit all over the place

Roses in Amber by CE Murphy is a very creepy Beauty and the Beast retelling but it is as good as it is creepy, imho. I also like The Queen’s Bastard by her, though I haven’t read the sequel

Decoy Princess and its sequel Princess at Sea! Enjoyable explorations of what power is and who has it and how loyalty ties into everything, with bonus badass ladies of multiple stripes

There are more, but those are what I’ve got in twenty minutes. Enjoy!

#myth reads #sorta #myth recommends #myth answers

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blackkudos · 6 years

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Audra McDonald

Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared on the stage in both musicals and dramas such as Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun and Porgy and Bess. With her full lyric soprano voice, she maintains an active concert and recording career performing song cycles and operas as well as in concerts throughout the U.S. She has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win all four acting categories. She starred as Dr. Naomi Bennett on the ABC television drama Private Practice.

Early life and education

McDonald was born in West Berlin, Germany, the daughter of American parents, Anna Kathryn, a university administrator, and Stanley McDonald, Jr., a high school principal. At the time of her birth, her father was stationed with the U.S. Army. McDonald was raised in Fresno, California, the elder of two daughters. McDonald graduated from the Roosevelt School of the Arts program within Theodore Roosevelt High School in Fresno. She got her start in acting with Dan Pessano and Good Company Players, beginning in their junior company. "I knew I wanted to be involved in theater when I had my first chance to perform with the Good Company Players Junior Company." "The people who have had the most impact on my life: Good Company director Dan Pessano and my mother." She studied classical voice as an undergraduate under Ellen Faull at the Juilliard School, graduating in 1993.

Career

Theatre

McDonald was a three-time Tony Award winner by age 28 for her performances in Carousel, Master Class, and Ragtime, placing her alongside Shirley Booth, Gwen Verdon and Zero Mostel by accomplishing this feat within five years. She was nominated for another Tony Award for her performance in Marie Christine before she won her fourth in 2004 for her role in A Raisin in the Sun, placing her in the company of then four-time winning actress Angela Lansbury. She reprised her Raisin role for a 2008 television adaptation, earning her a second Emmy Award nomination. On June 10, 2012, McDonald scored her fifth Tony Award win for her portrayal of Bess in Broadway's The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, thus tying Angela Lansbury and Julie Harris. Her 2014 performance as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill earned McDonald her sixth Tony award and made her the first person to win all four acting categories.

McDonald appeared as Lizzie in the Roundabout Theatre Company's 2007 revival of 110 in the Shade, directed by Lonny Price at Studio 54, for which she shared the Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Musical with Donna Murphy. On April 29, 2007, while she was in previews for the show, her father was killed when an experimental aircraft he was flying crashed north of Sacramento, California.

McDonald is known for defying racial typecasting in her various Tony Award-winning and -nominated roles. Her performances as Carrie Pipperidge in Nicholas Hytner's 1996 revival of Carousel and Lizzie Curry in Lonny Price's 2007 revival of 110 in the Shade made her the first black woman to portray those (traditionally white) roles in a major Broadway production. Of her groundbreaking work in encouraging diversity in musical theatre casting, she said in an interview for The New York Times, "I refuse to be stereotyped. If I think I am right for a role I will go for it in whatever way I can. I refuse to say no to myself. I can't control what a producer will do or say but I can at least put myself out there." In a 'Talk of the Nation' interview on NPR, Asian-American actor Thom Sesma said McDonald's performance in Carousel "transcended any kind of type at all", proving her to be "more actress than African-American."

McDonald appeared in a revised version of Porgy and Bess, at the American Repertory Theatre (in Cambridge, Massachusetts) from August through September 2011, and recreated the role on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, which opened on January 12, 2012 and closed on September 23, 2012. For this role, McDonald won her fifth Tony Award and her first in a Leading Actress category. This American Repertory Theater production was "re-imagined by Suzan-Lori Parks and Diedre Murray as a musical for contemporary audiences."

She appeared at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, Massachusetts, in Eugene O'Neill's play A Moon for the Misbegotten in August 2015, co-starring with her husband Will Swenson.

In 2016, McDonald starred on Broadway as the vaudeville performer Lottie Gee in a new musical titled Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed about the making of the 1921 musical Shuffle Along. McDonald left the show on July 24, 2016 to begin maternity leave. Shuffle Along closed on July 24, 2016.

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill

McDonald played Billie Holiday on Broadway in the play Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill in a limited engagement that ended on August 10, 2014. After previews that began on March 25, 2014, the play opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre on April 13, 2014. Of the play, McDonald said in an interview:

It's about a woman trying to get through a concert performance, which I know something about, and she's doing it at a time when her liver was pickled and she was still doing heroin regularly...I might have been a little judgmental about Billie Holiday early on in my life, but what I’ve come to admire most about her – and what is fascinating in this show – is that there is never any self-pity. She's almost laughing at how horrible her life has been. I don’t think she sees herself as a victim. And she feels an incredible connection to her music – she can’t sing a song if she doesn’t have some emotional connection to it, which I really understand.

McDonald won the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for this role, making her the first person to earn six Tony Award wins for acting (not counting honorary awards) and the first person to win a Tony Award in all four acting categories. In her acceptance speech, "she thanked her parents for encouraging her to pursue her interests as a child." She also thanked the "strong and brave and courageous" African-American women who came before her, saying in part, "I am standing on Lena Horne's shoulders. I am standing on Maya Angelou's shoulders. I am standing on Diahann Carroll and Ruby Dee, and most of all, Billie Holiday. You deserved so much more than you were given when you were on this planet. This is for you, Billie." This performance was filmed at Cafe Brasil in New Orleans and broadcast on HBO on March 12, 2016. McDonald received a 2016 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role in the broadcast.

McDonald had planned to make her West End debut as Holiday in Lady Day in June through September 2016, but after becoming pregnant she postponed these plans. She will perform in Lady Day in June 2017 through September 9, 2017 at the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End.

Recordings and concerts

McDonald has maintained ties to her classical training and repertoire. She frequently performs in concert throughout the U.S. and has performed with musical organizations such as the New York Philharmonic and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Carnegie Hall commissioned the song cycle The Seven Deadly Sins: A Song Cycle for McDonald, and she performed it at Carnegie's Zankel Hall on June 2, 2004. She sang two solo one-act operas at the Houston Grand Opera in March 2006: Francis Poulenc's La voix humaine and the world premiere of Michael John LaChiusa's Send (who are you? I love you). On February 10, 2007, McDonald starred with Patti LuPone in the Los Angeles Opera production of Kurt Weill's opera Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny directed by John Doyle. The recording of this production of Mahagonny won two Grammy Awards, for Best Opera Recording and Best Classical Album in February 2009.

In September 2008, American composer Michael John LaChiusa was quoted in Opera News Online, as working on an adaptation of Bizet's Carmen with McDonald in mind.

McDonald has recorded five solo albums for Nonesuch Records. Her first, the 1998 Way Back to Paradise, featured songs written by a new generation of musical theatre composers who had achieved varying degrees of prominence in the 1990s, particularly LaChiusa, Adam Guettel and Jason Robert Brown.

Her next album, How Glory Goes (2000), combined both old and new works, and included composers Harold Arlen, Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Kern. Her third album, Happy Songs (2002), was big band music from the 1920s through the 1940s. Her fourth album, Build a Bridge (2006), features songs from jazz and pop.

In May 2013, Audra McDonald released her first solo album in seven years, Go Back Home, with a title track from the Kander & Ebb musical The Scottsboro Boys. To coincide with the album's release, McDonald performed a concert at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City that aired on the PBS series Live from Lincoln Center titled Audra McDonald In Concert: Go Back Home.

At the 2010 BCS National Championship Game on January 7, McDonald sang America the Beautiful for the sold-out stadium fans to celebrate the final game of the college football season.

In May 2000, Audra McDonald appeared as "The Beggar Woman" in Lonny Price's concert version of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, performed at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, New York, with the New York Philharmonic with George Hearn and Patti LuPone. She reprised the role in some performances of the March 2014 Lincoln Center concert production, again directed by Price, this time opposite Bryn Terfel and Emma Thompson. She performed three concerts, titled "Audra McDonald Sings Broadway", in the Sydney Opera House in November 2015, which also included "The Facebook Song" by Kate Miller-Heidke.

Television and film

McDonald has also made many television appearances, both musical and dramatic. In 2001, she received her first Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for the HBO film Wit, starring Emma Thompson and directed by Mike Nichols. She also has appeared on Homicide: Life on the Street (1999), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2000), Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (1999), the short-lived Mister Sterling (2003), The Bedford Diaries (2006), and Kidnapped (2006–2007), and in the 1999 television remake of Annie as Daddy Warbucks' secretary & soon-to-be wife, Miss Farrell. She sang with the New York Philharmonic in the annual New Year's Eve gala concert on December 31, 2006, featuring music from the movies; it was televised on Live from Lincoln Center by PBS. In 2013, she appeared in the HBO documentary Six by Sondheim.

McDonald appeared as Naomi Bennett in Private Practice, a spinoff of Grey's Anatomy. She replaced Merrin Dungey, who played the role in the series pilot. McDonald left Private Practice at the end of season four, but returned for the series finale at the end of season six to bring closure to Naomi's storyline.

In films, McDonald has appeared in Beauty and the Beast (2017), Ricki and the Flash (2015), Best Thief in the World (2004), It Runs in the Family (2003), Cradle Will Rock (1999), The Object of My Affection (1998), and Seven Servants by Daryush Shokof which was her film acting debut in (1996).

McDonald played Mother Abbess in the 2013 NBC live television production of The Sound of Music Live!.

Since 2012, McDonald has served as host for the PBS series Live From Lincoln Center, for which she shared an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program with the show's producers.

Personal life

McDonald married bassist Peter Donovan in September 2000. They have one daughter, Zoe Madeline Donovan, named after McDonald's close friend and Master Class co-star Zoe Caldwell. McDonald and Donovan divorced in 2009. She married Will Swenson on October 6, 2012. On October 19, 2016, they became parents to a girl, Sally James McDonald-Swenson.

McDonald attended Joan Rivers' funeral in New York on September 7, 2014, where she sang "Smile".

McDonald lives in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

Discography

Solo recordings

Way Back to Paradise (Nonesuch, 1998)

How Glory Goes (2000)

Happy Songs (2005)

Build a Bridge (2006)

Go Back Home (2013)

Featured recordings

Dawn Upshaw Sings Rodgers & Hart – duet on "Why Can't I?" (1996)

Leonard Bernstein's New York – duet with Mandy Patinkin on "A Little Bit in Love" and "Tonight" (1996)

George and Ira Gershwin: Standards and Gems – sings "How Long Has This Been Going On?" (1998)

George Gershwin: The 100th Birthday Celebration – sings Porgy and Bess selections (1998)

Myths and Hymns – sings "Pegasus" (1999)

My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies – sings "The Webber Love Trio" (1999)

Broadway In Love – sings "You Were Meant For Me" from The Object of My Affection (2000)

Broadway Cares: Home for the Holidays – sings "White Christmas" (2001)

Bright Eyed Joy: The Songs Of Ricky Ian Gordon – sings "Daybreak in Alabama" (2001)

Zeitgeist – sings "Think Twice" (2005)

The Wonder of Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (2004)

Barbara Cook at the Met – sings "When Did I Fall In Love?" and "Blue Skies" (2006)

Jule Styne in Hollywood – sings "10,432 Sheep" (2006)

Sondheim: The Birthday Concert – sings Too Many Mornings and The Glamorous Life (2010)

Stages – duet on "If I Loved You", 2014

Cast recordings

Carousel (1994 Broadway Revival Cast Recording) (1994)

Ragtime (Original Cast Recording) (1998)

I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky by John Adams (Studio Cast Recording) (1998)

Wonderful Town (Berlin Cast Recording) (1999)

Marie Christine (Original Cast Recording) (1999)

Sweeney Todd Live at the New York Philharmonic (2000)

Dreamgirls in Concert (2001 Concert Cast Recording) (released February 2002)

Wonderful Town (Studio Recording) (2005)

110 in the Shade (2007 Broadway Revival Cast Recording) (2007)

Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Concert Cast Recording) (2007)

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Allegro (First Complete Recording) (2009)

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (New Broadway Cast Recording) (2012)

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (2014)

Video recordings

Audra McDonald – Live at the Donmar London, VHS (1999)

My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies("The Webber Love Trio"), DVD & CD (1999)

Bernstein – Wonderful Town with Kim Criswell, Thomas Hampson, Wayne Marshall, Simon Rattle, and Berlin Philharmonic, DVD (2005)

The Wonder of Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, DVD (2005)

Weill – Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, DVD (2007)

Sondheim! The Birthday Concert, Blu-ray DVD (2010)

Audio books

Alice Walker, By The Light of My Father's Smile (1998)

Connie Briscoe, A Long Way From Home (1999)

Rita Dove, Second-Hand Man (2003)

Wikipedia

#Audra McDonald #07-03

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doktordyper · 7 years

Conversation

Prog musicians rated on how scary they are:

Keith Emerson: Pretty scary. Probably owns like 30 knives. However, he’s a tiny human being, so how much damage could he really do. Actually a quiet softie, anyway. 7/10

Greg Lake: Really tall, bode man. Super handsome. Head is a perfect sphere. Really sweet, but he could fuck you up. 5/10

Carl Palmer: At first, you think, this man is a cupcake. He is pure. I would let him watch my children and he’d probably cook me breakfast. Soft. Favourite colours are pink, light blue, and green. But, alas, he has a black belt in karate, and is super sporty. He could fuck you up. 8.5/10

Jon Anderson: Literally not scary at all. Only knows love and peace. Hands are soft they are not for fighting. 0/10

Chris Squire: Wouldn’t hurt a fly, but could he? I don’t know my guy have you seen his yaoi hands? Looks intimidating for the tall stagnant factor, but is a gentle giant, literally. 6/10

Bill Bruford: Fueled by coffee and anger. Could kill a man. Probably has. Don’t make him angry. Run. 9/10

Rick Wakeman: Looks potentially dangerous, but is pretty fucking chill. Only maybe vocally scary, but he loves people too much to cause too much harm. He’s just really tall and that makes anyone look like a threat. 7/10

Steve Howe: This one is up to interpretation. Steve is very small and very vegan. He literally does yoga every fucking day and never gets sick, but he’s almost very quiet. That usually means very biting but silent anger. That alone is pretty fucking scary. 6(?)/10

Alan White: What the fuck! He doesn’t even fit here. What the fuck. Is a drummer though. Has good arms. Only for cuddling though. -10/10

Tony Kaye: Has anyone ever seen him smile? Does he know how to? I don’t know what’s going on in his mind, but can we really trust it? Risky. 7/10

Peter Banks: Who fucking knows. Is he even real. ??/10

Geoff Downes: Spends every waking moment looking like he’s ready to fuck. Doesn’t do anything else. 1/10

Trevor Rabin: Literally a goofball with zero chill. Tall as heck. 5.5/10

Trevor Horn: This is a man who is pure. He is soft. I hope he’s having a great day. 0/10

Mike Rutherford: Was labeled a “bad boy” but we all know that’s a lie. Is the human embodiment of a golden retriever. He only looks scary because he’s a tall bassist/guitarist but don’t let that fool you. He only knows chill. 1/10

Tony Banks: Is really grumpy and most of the time that’s true.Probably really good at insults but not physical fighting. Just kinda always has a stick up his ass but not much else. But he will totally roast you and make you cry. 6/10

Peter Gabriel: Probably one of the quietest, domestic beings to ever exist. Yet he’s very staunch about human rights and almost went bankrupt for it. Looks fear in the eye. Don’t underestimate his soft exterior and chubby cheeks. He’s not a physical fighter but he could still probably fuck you up somehow. 6/10

Phil Collins: He’s like two inches tall. Every album he ever put out has his face on it, though, and that’s a man of confidence. He could fuck you up. 5/10

Steve Hackett: I’m very wary of Steve Hackett. He’s quiet, but y’know you gotta watch out for the quiet ones. He may or may not be thinking some deadly thoughts. He’s the guy you see every day at work, but he never talks to anyone, and everyone forgets he’s there, but he’s actually the one who’s been exchanging the ground coffee for dirt. Not trustworthy. 8/10

Brian Eno: Who fucking knows what’s going on with him. Is he thinking about dandelions or murder? Who knows. 7/10

Robert Fripp: Scary as all fuck. Told Bill Bruford’s kids he’d drink their blood. Who the fuck does that? Then again you could probably fight him off pretty easily. But you wouldn’t, because you’d shit your pants before you get near. He just looks really terrifying. 10/10

John Wetton: This is a beefy man. He always looks ready to fight, but hides it under a layer of casual charm. A deadly force. Do not reckon with him. 8/10

David Cross: He’s just a soft pile of fluffy hair and spiffy suits. Just let him play his violin. He means no harm. 2/10

Todd Rundgren: Todd is a hit and miss. 1960’s Todd looks like you could snap him in half. I mean, any Todd looks like that, but 70’s Todd and on looks like he could totally fight back. He may not look it, but he has muscle, and have you seen his hands? Bear paws. 7/10

Kasim Sulton: Looks like a fucking baby, but is from New York, so that’s some degree of toughness there. He’s probably only really fought anyone in self defense. He’s too sweet to actively want to hurt someone. 3/10

Steve Winwood: Has probably never even yelled in his life. He’s too small; one punch would render him useless. Also he doesn’t have an appendix anymore so he’s like down to 98% Steve Winwood. Just wants to play music, leave him alone. 0/10

Kate Bush: This woman is not afraid to stand on the burning bones of her enemies. She would probably fucking deck you if you catcalled her. Outwardly, she’s a beautiful princess, but inwardly, don’t mess with Kate. Don’t mess with Mom. 10/10

#progsquad #thanks to krista for helping me with this one #prog

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musichall · 5 years

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Annie Cast Announcement!

BUY TICKETS

The Music Hall and the Ogunquit Playhouse are thrilled to announce the cast of Annie! And we have some familiar faces this year, with Sally Struthers (White Christmas), Gail Bennett (Mary Poppins), and Jeffry Denman (White Christmas) returning to our stage.

Starring as the lead character Annie is Josie Todd who is making her Ogunquit Playhouse debut. She recently performed in Because of Winn Dixie at Goodspeed Musicals and Annie at Casa Mañana. Her many theatre roles include Beauty and the Beast as Chip, The Music Man as Gracie Shinn, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever as Maxine, and Freaky Friday, Jr. as Monica.

Joining the cast as Oliver Warbucks is Robert Newman who is perhaps best known for his 28-year run as Joshua Lewis on the longest running program in broadcasting history, Guiding Light. The role garnered him two Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He has recently guest starred on House of Cards, Chicago Fire, Homeland, Criminal Minds, NCIS, and Law and Order: SVU. His film credits include Amazing Spider-Man 2, Dracano, and the short film Deadline, which earned him the Best Actor award at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 2015. Off-Broadway credits include Perfect Crime, She’s of a Certain Age, Sessions: The Musical, and Quiet on the Set. Mr. Newman’s most recent regional credits include Sweeney Todd, Big the Musical, Annie, Kiss Me Kate, Hairspray, Noises Off, The Civil War, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Lion In Winter, Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame, the world premiere of Naked Influence, Stephen Sondheim’s Putting It Together, Other Desert Cities, Man of La Mancha, Gypsy, Love Letters, Fiddler on the Roof, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Deathtrap, Peter Pan, Shenandoah, Curtains, Nine, A Little Night Music, The Full Monty, and Sylvia (which he also directed).

Sally Struthers returns to the seacoast to reprise her role as Miss Hannigan. Ms. Struthers is a two-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner for her performance in the groundbreaking TV series All in the Family. She starred in the Fox television series 9 to 5 and her own CBS series Gloria. She also recurred on the CBS comedy Still Standing and the CW network’s highly acclaimed Gilmore Girls. She joined the Gilmore cast for Netflix’s four movie limited revival, which premiered in the fall of 2016. She recently guest starred in the acclaimed IFC comedy series Maron. Sally’s television movies include: A Gun in the House, And Your Name is Jonah, The Great Houdinis, Hey, I’m Alive, In the Best Interest of the Children, Deadly Silence, My Husband is Missing, and Intimate Strangers. Sally co-starred in two legendary motion pictures in the 70s: Five Easy Pieces with Jack Nicholson and The Getaway with Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw. Sally’s first two Broadway forays were in Wally’s Café with Rita Moreno and Jimmy Coco and Neil Simon’s female version of The Odd Couple with Brenda Vaccaro. For three years she starred as Miss Mamie Lynch on Broadway and on tour in the Tommy Tune production of Grease. In the 20th Anniversary National Tour of Annie, Sally played the coveted role of Miss Hannigan. Sally was named Best Actress by the Los Angeles Artistic Director Theatre Awards for her role as Louise Seger in the musical, Always, Patsy Cline, a true story based on the relationship between Seger and Cline. She won the Ovation Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Agnes Gooch in the Los Angeles production of Mame, and won a second Ovation Award for Cinderella. She also won a plaque for “Best Actress” in her 7th Grade Class Play. Additional starring theatre roles include regional productions of Hello, Dolly!, Anything Goes, The Fifth of July, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, The Full Monty, Fiddler on the Roof, Chicago, All Shook Up, Drowsy Chaperone, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, 9 To 5, Legally Blonde, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Witches of Eastwick, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Grumpy Old Men the Musical, and 42nd Street.

Ogunquit Playhouse is thrilled to welcome Gail Bennett back to the stage in the role of Grace Farrell. Ms. Bennett has performed in the Ogunquit productions of My Fair Lady as Eliza Doolittle opposite Jefferson Mays, The Sound of Music as Maria opposite Rex Smith, and as the title role in Mary Poppins on both the Ogunquit and The Music Hall stages. She recently performed in the Broadway production of Anastasia, as well as the Broadway First National Tour of Mary Poppins (and six regional productions in the title role). Her many credits include The Producers (Las Vegas, Hollywood Bowl), A Gentleman’s Guide… (Sibella), Kiss Me, Kate (Kate/Lilli), The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet with Sally Struthers), The Music Man (Marian opposite Davis Gaines), Hello, Dolly! (Irene), Sunset Boulevard (Betty), White Christmas (Betty), NINE (Claudia), Annie, Get Your Gun (Annie), Cats (Jellylorum), Starlight Express (Dinah), and A Christmas Carol (Belle with Christopher Lloyd).

Joining the cast as Rooster is Jeffry Denman who has performed, directed, and choreographed at Ogunquit Playhouse. He returns to the seacoast after directing/choreographing the highly acclaimed Ogunquit Playhouse 2018 production of An American in Paris, for which he won an IRNE award as Best Choreographer. He last performed in the 2015 Ogunquit Playhouse production of White Christmas at The Music Hall as Phil Davis. In 2011 he was Director/Choreographer for The Music Man and in 2013 he was the Choreographer for West Side Story, both of which received the Moss Hart Award. In addition, Mr. Denman was the Director/Choreographer for 2012’s Damn Yankees, and portrayed Bobby Child in 2007’s Crazy for You, as well as Sir Robin in 2010’s Spamalot. As an actor he has performed on Broadway in Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (Astaire nom, Phil Davis- Original Broadway Cast), Cats (Munkustrap), The Producers, How To Succeed…, and Dream. His Off-Broadway credits include Kid Victory (Drama Desk/Outer Critics nominations, Michael, Vineyard), YANK! (Drama Desk/Lucille Lortel nominations, Artie, York Theatre), Passion (Lt Barri, CSC), and Cagney (Bob Hope, Westside Theatre). He has also performed in many regional productions throughout the U.S. including Fun Home (Bruce Bechdel, Center Stage), Kid Victory (Helen Hayes nom, Michael, Signature), and Healing Wars (Narrator, La Jolla Playhouse).

Cast as Lily St. Regis is Broadway veteran Angie Schworer. Ms. Schworer has graced the Ogunquit Playhouse stage in several productions including Crazy for You as Irene, Chicago as Roxie, and most recently in Mamma Mia as Tanya. On Broadway she has appeared in The Prom (Angie), Something Rotten, The Producers (Ulla), Big Fish, Catch Me if You Can, Young Frankenstein, Annie Get Your Gun, Chicago, Sunset Boulevard, Crazy For You, and The Will Rogers Follies. At the Met Opera she performed in The Merry Widow as Jou Jou. Her many regional theatre credits include Disaster the Musical (Jackie), Always a Bridesmaid (Monette), Sweet Charity (Nikki ), Damn Yankees (Lola), The Full Monty (Vicki), Minsky’s (Ginger), The Will Rogers Follies (Z’s Fav). On television she has appeared on Rosie O’ Donnell Show, Dana Carvey Show, Law and Order C.I., Queer Eye, As the World Turns, The Kennedy Center Honors and Smash.

Rescue dog, Macy, will be playing Sandy. Macy was adopted by guardian and trainer Bill Berloni from Rocky Spot Rescue of Oklahoma City, OK in December of 2009 at the age of 18 months after seeing her on Petfinder.com. Sandy’s first production of Annie was in the summer of 2010 and since she has starred in dozens of productions nationwide. On Thanksgiving Day 2011, she was seen on NBC during The National Dog Show, sharing spots with John O’Hurley.

Bill Berloni is the top recognized trainer for theatrical animals in the U.S. He received a Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre in 2011, honoring his 30 years of rescuing shelter dogs and humanely training them for a career in the entertainment industry. He is also the recipient of 2014 Outer Critics Circle Special Achievement Award and the 2017 Drama League Award for Unique Contribution to the Theater. Bill Berloni’s animals have appeared in hundreds of Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theatre productions, tours, movies and television shows all starting with Annie in 1977.

Helming the production of Annie is Director/Choreographer James A. Rocco, an award-winning director whose work has been seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway, throughout the United States, London, Paris and Tokyo. He has directed over 200 productions including the World Premieres of Yankee Doodle Dandy, Galaxy Express 999, The Lillian Carter Story, A Country Christmas Carol, and Streakin’! Others include: 33 Variations, Grey Gardens, Sweeney Todd, White Christmas, Jesus Christ Superstar, In The Heights, As Bees in Honey Drown, Guys & Dolls, She Loves Me, Singin’ in the Rain, and more. In NY, he staged The Wizard of Oz at MSG followed by its 3-year National Tour with Eartha Kitt and Mickey Rooney. From 2005-2017, Rocco was Producing Artistic Director at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, MN. A recipient of numerous Ct. Critics Circle and Broadway World Awards, in 2019, The Broadway League and The Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds recognized his 35 years of contributions to theater at Broadway Salutes. Associate Director/Choreographer is Lisa B. Given.

Music Director for Annie is Andrew Bourgoin. Mr. Bourgoin has worked on the Broadway musical Aladdin, and provided Music Direction for the National Tours of Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical and MadLibs Live!. He has also provided Music Direction at numerous regional theatres including Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Hennepin Theatre Trust, Theater Latté Da, and Argyle Theatre. Mr. Bourgoin has played keyboard on the tours of Sound of Music, Something Rotten!, Matilda, and The Little Mermaid.

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yasguerrier · 7 years

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Ten Interesting British Novels

1) Little Bee by Chris Cleave

A violent incident on a Nigerian beach has tragic echoes in posh London. British couple Andrew O Rourke and his wife, Sarah, are on vacation when they come across two sisters, Little Bee and Nkiruka, on the run from the killers who have massacred everyone else in their village in the pay, it turns out, of an oil company seeking the land. Soon the killers arrive and propose a not-quite-credible deal: they will trade the girls if Andrew and Sarah each cut off a finger. Andrew can’t do it, but Sarah does, and the killers drag the girls away. (New York Times).

2) The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

Tony Webster has lived an average life with an unremarkable career, a quiet divorce, and a calm middle age. Now in his mid-60′s, his retirement is thrown into confusion when he’s bequeathed a journal that belonged to his brilliant school-friend, Adrian, who committed suicide 40 years earlier at age 22. Though he thought he understood the events of his youth, he’s forced to radically revise what he thought he knew about Adrian, his bitter parting with his mysterious first lover Veronica, and reflect on how he let life pass him by safely and predictably. (Publishers Weekly).

3) Atonement by Ian McEwan

Young Briony Tallis, a hyperimaginative 13- year-old who sees her older sister, Cecilia, mysteriously involved with their neighbor, Robbie Turner, a fellow Cambridge student subsidized by the Tallis family, points a finger at Robbie when her testimony alone, Robbie is jailed. The second part of the book, moves forward five years to focus on Robbie, now freed and part of the British army that was cornered and eventually evacuated by a fleet of small boats at Dunkirk during the early days of WWII. This is an astonishingly imagined fresco that bares the full anguish of what Britain in later years came to see as a kind of victory. In the third part, Briony becomes a nurse amid wonderfully observed scenes of London as the nation mobilizes. (Publishers Weekly).

4) Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

Louisa Clark leads a routine existence: at 26, she is dully content with her job at the cafe in her small English town and with Patrick, her boyfriend of six years. But when the cafe closes, a job caring for a recently paralyzed man offers Lou better pay and, despite her lack of experience, she’s hired. Will Traynor suffered a spinal cord injury when hit by a motorcycle and his raw frustration with quadriplegia makes the job almost unbearable for Lou. Will is quick witted, and sardonic, a powerhouse of a man in his former life. While the two engage in occasional banter, Lou at first stays on only for the sake of her family, who desperately needs the money. (New York Times).

5) The Girl Next Door by Ruth Rendell

A gruesome discovery jolts a group of friends and acquaintances who grew up outside London during WWII. Two people’s hands severed and interred inside a cookie tin are unearthed at a former construction site where they once hid and schemed. At the center of the now aged clique is the “girl next door,” Daphne Jones, ever envied and admired. John Winwood, a man whose wife went missing with her lover during the turmoil of the blitzkrieg, is a malevolent presence, past and present, in the story. (USA Today).

6) In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Nora and Clare were once inseparable, but something drove them apart. Nora and her sarcastic school chum, Nina da Souza, another invitee, decide to make the trip to the remote cottage known as the Glass House, the site of the hen party weekend. Flashbacks show Nora in the hospital, where she’s recovering from an accident that she can’t quite recall and wonders whose blood is on her hands. From the catty conversations at the party, secrets from Nora and Clare’s past emerge, particularly relating to Nora’s former love, James Cooper. (Publishers Weekly).

7) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Henry VIII’s challenge to the church’s power with his desire to divorce his queen and marry Anne Boleyn set off a tidal wave of religious, political and societal turmoil that reverberated throughout 16th-century Europe. Mantel boldly attempts to capture the sweeping internecine machinations of the times from the perspective of Thomas Cromwell, the lowborn man who became historically ambiguous, and Mantel admirably fills in the blanks, portraying Cromwell as an oft-beaten son who fled his father’s home, fought for the French, studied law and was fluent in French, Latin, and Italian. (Publishers Weekly).

8) Life after Life by Kate Atkinson

This time the baby lives. That baby is Ursula Todd, and as she grows up, she dies and lives repeatedly. Watching Atkinson bring Ursula into the world yet again initially feels like a not terribly interesting trick: we know authors have the power of life and death. But as Ursula and the century age, and war and epidemic and war come again, the fact of death, of darkness, as Atkinson class it, falling on cities and people now Ursula, now someone else, now Ursula again turns out to be central. At this heart this is a war story; half the book is given over to Ursula’s activities during WWII, and in its focus on the women and civilians usually overlooked or downplayed, it gives the Blitz its full measure of terror. (Publishers Weekly).

9) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Childhood memories are sometimes covered and obscured beneath the things that come later... but they are never lost for good and the most grim of those memories, no matter how faint, can haunt one forever, as they do the anonymous narrator of Gaiman’s subtle and splendid modern myth. The protagonist, an artist, returns to his childhood home in the English countryside to recover his memory of events that nearly destroyed him and his family when he was seven. The suicide of a stranger opened the way for a deadly spirit who disguised herself as a housekeeper, won over the boy’s sister and mother, seduced his father, and threatened the boy if he told anyone the truth. (New York Times).

10) The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

With two brothers killed in WWI and a debt-ridden father who followed them to the grave soon afterward, 27 year-old spinster Frances Wray knows that she and her mother must take in lodgers to maintain their large house in a genteel section of London. In the postwar social landscape of England in 1922, the rise of a new middle class and the dwindling of the old servant class are disrupted longtime patterns of life. The disruptions occasioned by the advent of their tenants, the lower-class couple Leonard and Lilian Barber, are minor at first. But as Frances observes the tensions in the Barbers’ marriage and develops sexual attractions for the beautiful Lily, who soon reciprocates her love, a fraught and dangerous situation develops. (USA Today).

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