Twelve Days And Twelve Books Of Christmas - Day 11

Last two days of Twelve Days And Twelve Books Of Christmas and today I'm recommending a non-fiction!

Day 11 - November Book - For The Love Of Shakespeare by Beth Miller

A treasure-trove of wit, imagination and emotion, his plays and poems continue to surprise, inspire, console and delight us. Whether you're a life-long lover of the Bard or a curious newcomer to his world, this companion will lift the curtain on the unforgettable characters and stories of Britain's greatest dramatist.

My Thoughts

I absolutely loved this companion book. The way it is written and the format used is brilliant. I was planning on reading it a bit at a time as it is perfectly planned in such a way that you can drop in and out whenever you want or look through and find something specific, but I enjoyed it so much I read it from cover to cover. 

I've been very naughty and my review isn't up yet, but it certainly will be between Christmas and New Year so you can look forward to that very soon. There will be some spoilers of my review in here but there is a lot more in my full review :) 

Companion books can end up being very dry as they are usually full of facts and dates but this is definitely not the case with For The Love Of Shakespeare. The way Beth writes is like she's talking to you and it feels like a really enjoyable conversation or discussion about Shakespeare rather than reading an essay. There is humour and personal experiences mixed in with the facts and it really makes it so much more readable. 

There are some really interesting interviews with people involved in the Shakespeare world throughout and it was good to read about how differently each person came to love the bard. 

I would 100% recommend this to fans of Shakespeare and to people who even have a passing interest in him. The best non fiction I have read in a long time. 

Are you a fan of Shakespeare? What is your favourite play? Only one day left of Twelve Days And Twelve Books Of Christmas and only one day left before Christmas, are you all ready?

About The Author

This has been taken from Beth's website which you can visit and enjoy in full here - 

http://www.bethmiller.co.uk/

I have been told that I write like a tall blonde, so that's how I'd like you to picture me.

I've published two novels and two non-fiction books, about The Archers and Shakespeare (that's two separate books, not one weird mash-up). (More info here).

Before writing books, I did a lot of different jobs. I worked in schools, shops, offices, hospitals, students' unions, basements, from home, in my car, and up a tree. OK, not up a tree. I've been a sexual health trainer, a journalist, a psychology lecturer, a PhD student, a lousy alcohol counsellor, and an inept audio-typist. I sold pens, bread, and condoms. Not in the same shop. I taught parents how to tell if their teenagers are taking drugs (clue: they act like teenagers), and taught teenagers how to put on condoms (clue: there won't really be a cucumber). I taught rabbis how to tell if their teenagers are druggedly putting condoms on cucumbers.

Throughout this, I always wrote, and always drank a lot of tea. I'm now pretty much unbeatable at drinking tea.