Writer of the Broadway musical Hadestown, Anaïs Mitchell, describes the process of writing the lyrics to a sung-through musical. The book has the lyrics of each song, as well as that song’s particular past and journey to its current version. Mitchell tells the story of the making of this musical, as well as the storytelling through this book.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid is an adult contemporary fiction novel centered around the Riva siblings who live in Malibu in 1983. The Rivas may be celebrities among the public, but they each have their own struggles hidden beneath the surface. When Nina, the oldest of the Riva siblings, throws her signature party, each of their issues are gradually unraveled throughout the night. Through flashbacks of the past and snippets of the present, tensions are gradually built and relationships are put to the test.
American Royals is a realistic fiction young adult novel that follows the royal family of America, the Washingtons. The book mostly centers around the oldest daughter, Beatrice, who is preparing to become America’s first queen. The younger sister, Samantha, is always in the shadow of Beatrice and is trying to stand out. While her twin brother, Jeff, is trying to figure out what to do with his life.
Othello, also known as “The Moor” is a great general married to Desdemona, the prettiest girl in Venice. When a potential war threatens Cyprus, Othello is shipped off to battle with Desdemona following him. Othello’s third in command, Lago, despises him for his position and power and does everything he can to manipulate and ruin Othello’s life.
The Secret History is a captivating novel that blends elements of psychological thriller, school drama, and Greek tragedy. The novel begins with Richard Papen, a working-class student from California, who transfers to Hampden College in Vermont. There, he becomes fascinated by an exclusive group of five Classics students led by their professor, Julian Morrow. Richard manages to join this tight-knit circle, which includes the twins Charles and Camilla, the smart Francis, the reserved Henry, and the angry Bunny.
The Outsiders is about a boy named Ponyboy Curtis. There are the Socs which are the wealthy kids and the Greasers who are Ponyboy, his brothers, and their friends. One-night Ponyboys friend kills a Soc to save Ponyboy from being drowned. They run off to hide in a church, until that church catches on fire. They save some kids that were trapped in the fire. Johnny gets seriously injured and dies. Darry, one of Poyboy’s brothers, dies the same night. Ponyboy reflects on his life and his losses.
Callie is a girl who loves theatre. A middle school play called ‘Moon over Mississippi’ was created. Callie wants to be in it, but she can't sing. She decides to work backstage to still be a part of the production. How can Callie be a help to the backstage when she knows nothing about stage props, and will her lack of knowledge prevent the show from going on? This book was hard to put down. The part that I love is that it's a graphic novel and you're able to see the pictures in real time. Callie’s story about friendships, relationships, and learning experiences is an experience for me.
Everyone wants to be Daisy Jones. She has it all — talent, beauty, charisma. Meanwhile, Billy Dunne’s band, The Six, are so close to fame — they just need something extraordinary to push them across the threshold. That something extraordinary, a producer realizes, is Daisy Jones. Nobody knows what it is, but when they’re all together, they make magic. Their first album, Aurora, rocks the country, propelling them to the top of the music scene. But behind the curtain, nothing is as it seems.
Four teen friends, Celeste, Steph, Gina, and Eva, are all members of a famous band, Moonlight Overthrow. All was good until Celeste and Eva underwent a messy breakup, causing the band members to break away. All band members had formed their own path until a storm brings the four members together, for one last show.
June’s daily life revolves around her best friend, Jess. But when June gets sent away to Virginia because of underage drinking, it seems to be the start of a series of bad events for her. While living with her grandmother, she goes through growth, discovery, and learning to be independent.
