teatimelit

Let’s Talk: Theatreathon TBR

Hello friends and happy Friday! I’m so excited for Theatreathon (find out more here!) to start, and I figured I’d share my tentative TBR with everyone here! We’ll see if I end up following it, but for now, this is what I’ve got planned! 

Challenge Prompt: Best Musical – A classic or a retelling of a classic —

Caitlyn and I are planning on buddy reading both, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow this month. Cait and I are both huge fans of Little Women — she’s the Jo to my Amy — and I’m honestly so excited to buddy reread Little Women, and then the remix, especially after I read Virginia Kantra’s Meg & Jo and Beth & Amy this month. 

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Challenge Prompt: Best Revival of a Musical – A reread of a favourite — 

I’m not entirely sure what I’ll be rereading for this prompt in particular, but given that I almost always end up rereading a favorite each month, I’m not too concerned! I’m currently thinking about rereading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, since I’ve yet to annotate my copy, but we’ll see where the month takes me. 

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Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical – A book with your favourite male character

My dear friend Kayla, (@readingkayla on Instagram), who I’ve known since my theatre days, and I are currently in the middle of buddy re-reading Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea. It’s her first time reading it, and my third or fourth time rereading it. I just absolutely adore the magic, the worldbuilding, and of course, Zachary and Dorian.

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Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical – A strong female character

I decided to be smart about this one, and double up with one of our two September reads for teatimereads — For this prompt, I’ll be reading This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron, which I absolutely loved reading the ARC of. I haven’t reread it since, and I’m so excited to go back and pick up on all the missed foreshadowing! 

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Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical – A book with more than one POV

I picked up Love from A To Z by S.K. Ali on audiobook last year, and absolutely loved it, so on my last trip to Third Place Books, I knew I had to pick up a copy! I usually struggle with audiobooks, but I loved this one, and I cannot wait to reread this story. 

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Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical – A book by two or more authors

I’m currently undecided on this one as well! I’ve been asking around for suggestions, but I also requested an eARC on Netgalley that I really hope I’ll get — and would fit under this prompt. If not, I might finally read Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton, or maybe pick up another anthology?

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Best Book of a Musical – A popular book you haven’t read 

This one goes out to my dear friend Mansi, @astraquill on Instagram, who read We Hunt the Flame last month, and has been going on about it! I’ve had We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal on my TBR for about two years now, and on my physical TBR since the beginning of this year, so I’m hoping to finally get around to it!

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Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for Theatre – A book with beautiful prose

I am so excited to reread Sasha Peyton Smith’s The Witch Haven, which I read at the beginning of the month, and adored! I loved the way Smith writes, and the immersive, captivating worldbuilding, and cannot wait to be transported back to 1911 New York City. I’m also buddy reading this one with Caitlyn!

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Best Scenic Design of a Musical – A book that takes place in a country outside of your own

I haven’t talked about it as much here, but I also host Literasian Book Club (join here!), with my friend Bella, who is over at rainstormreads! This month, we’re reading She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker Chan, which I’m so excited for. I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve heard incredibly promising things! 

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Best Costume Design of a Musical – A book with a gorgeous cover 

There are so many gorgeous covers to pick from, but in the spirit of getting through some ARCs, I’ve decided to go with Beasts of Prey by Ayana Grey! The cover is absolutely stunning, and even though I’m not a fan of snakes, I cannot stop thinking about how gorgeous it is! 

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Best Lighting Design of a Musical – Read a dark/scary book

In the same realm of getting through ARCs, I’ve decided to read my ARC of Rachel Kapelke-Dale’s The Ballerinas for this prompt! It’s pitched as Dare Me meets Black Swan and Luckiest Girl Alive, and as a huge fan of ballet, I’ve got the highest of hopes for this thriller!  

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Best Direction of a Musical – A character-driven book

Another prompt where I’m doubling up with a book club pick — Crystal Maldonado’s Fat Chance, Charlie Vega is our first teatimereads pick for September. I actually read this one earlier this year, shortly after it was released, and loved it! I’m so glad that I’ve got a reason to reread it, and cannot wait to discuss it with everyone in teatimereads!

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Best Choreography – A book about performing arts

I’m still torn on this one, but I think I’ll either be rereading If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, since I finally own a physical copy (thank you, Scribd, for allowing me to read it multiple times), or Marisa Kanter’s As If On Cue! As If On Cue comes out on September 21st, and is a love letter to theatre, which sounds perfect for this prompt! 

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Best Orchestrations – A book written in verse

When We Make It by Elisabet Velasquez is an ARC that I’ve had sitting in my inbox for far too long, despite being so excited for it! In all honesty, I’ve been saving it since we came up with the prompts for theatreathon months ago.

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Sound Design of a Musical – Read an audiobook

Luckily, I was talked out of picking the 65-hour Les Miserables audiobook for this prompt! I do struggle with audiobooks though, so it’s usually easier for me if I listen to one while doing something else, or if I’m already familiar with the source material. I’m currently thinking about listening to Little Women on audiobook, since there’s a couple versions up on Scribd, but I’m still undecided! 

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Tony Honours for Excellence in Theatre — Free space

Since this one’s a free space, I’ll probably pick this one last — It’ll really just depend on what I end up reading next month! 

Isabelle Stevenson Award — A book over 450 pages

Growing up, I loved the story of Chang’e, and so the minute I heard about Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tang, I immediately added it to the top of my 2022 anticipated releases list. I’m so excited to get into this ARC, but I might try to time it with Mid-Autumn Festival! 

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  • Daughter of the Moon Goddess: Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop | IndieBound

    • Special Tony Award (lifetime): A non-fiction book centered around a subject you’re passionate about

    In the realm of theatreathon, I think I’ll either be picking Caseen Gaines’ Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way, or one of the many other theatre non-fiction books that have been sitting on my shelves for the last ten years!

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    Best Newcomer: A 2021 debut

    This is truly the month of buddy reads for Caitlyn and I! We’ve been talking about buddy reading Rachel Griffin’s The Nature of Witches for a while, and we’ve finally made plans to do it. It looks like the perfect end-of-Summer-start-of-fall book! 

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    Best Author: Written by your favorite author 

    While I’ve already devoured Allison Saft’s A Far Wilder Magic, I do need to reread it at some point so I can better formulate my thoughts for a review! I’m thinking about reading it again for the readathon, but this might change!

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    Best Special Theatrical Event: A book with an Adaptation 

    I picked up The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee a couple years ago while I was at the airport, and admittedly remember very little about it. I remember picking it up because it was set in Hong Kong, which is where I’m from, and I know The Expatriates, which is currently filming in Hong Kong, has been in the Hong Kong news a lot lately for some controversy, so I’m definitely interested in rereading it this month! 

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    I hope you’ll join us during theatreathon! I’m so excited to be hosting sprints, and other fun things on our Twitter, and cannot wait to see what everyone else is reading! 

    Comments

    1. I am behind on my reading goal for the year, so I think I will take part to give me that proper kick I need to do more reading!