Spinebreaker Hannah gives us her fantastic recommendations for great summer reads. Do you agree with her choices?

There is not a more wonderful a feeling, in my opinion, than lazing in the sunshine, a book shading your eyes, towards the end of a long summer’s afternoon. The prospect of such afternoons stretches infinitely into the distance in a comfortable haze of literary indulgence. In my case this lasts from the very first day of the holidays right through to the very last as I work my way through a stack of reading matter.

Finally, the holidays don’t seem so far away. I’m beginning to plan the foundations of the stack of books that will carry me through to the end of August. This planning takes place during those awkward periods at the end of an exam where you try not to look like you are ‘non-verbally communicating with another student’ (my year had it rigorously drilled into us that smiling was an offence which merited disqualification) as they collect in the papers.

I’m sure many of you intend to spend your summer in a similar way to me, so I thought I’d share with you the top 5 books I’ve read and loved in previous holidays.I hope some of you will share your own thoughts in the comments too!

1. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin -Louis de Bernière

This novel, set on the beautiful Greek island of Cephalonia, tells the story of some of the lesser known events of the Second World War, through the eyes of an extremely diverse and colourful range of characters. It is 100% better than the film, should you have seen it, though the ending remains mildly irritating and slightly implausible. There is some brilliantly humorous monologue and the author, Louis de Bernière, has a talent for developing the personality of each member of his cast and presenting his readers with a group of ordinary, flawed people living on either side of the Italian and German occupation of the Ionian islands, who stay with you long after the end of the book. It is a love story, but it is also hilariously funny, excruciatingly sad and frequently surprising. It is a truthful and wonderful book that plays the reader’s emotions with an expert touch, and it is one I come back to summer after summer.

2. Looking for Alaska – John Green

There had to be at least one John Green book on this list and ‘Looking for Alaska’ is my absolute favourite. The first time I read it, it had been recommended to me by someone who had confused it with ‘The Fault in our Stars’, and so I spent most of the time very confused, wondering when someone would be diagnosed with cancer. However, it is a brilliant book in its own right and I have to say I am still hoping that someone in my school will replicate Alaska’s prank in tribute to such an awesome novel.

3. The Lord of the Rings trilogy – J.R.R Tolkien 

This is a bit of a marmite choice. Most people tend to love or hate this series based on their tolerance for incredibly detailed battle scenes and ability to accept and embrace the concept of a three book series devoted to the destruction of a particularly malevolent piece of jewellery. I am a fan, though not of the sword bearing, convention-going ilk, but I have to admit I did once learn how to write elfish. I respect people’s right to reject LOTR as ridiculous nonsense, but I urge you to try it and the summer is the perfect time to get through the whole series in one fell swoop.

 4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

Another nerdy book, but it is brilliantly funny if slightly bizarre. Douglas Adams is a comic genius in my opinion and if you encounter anyone else who has read this book, and the others that follow it, you can spend hours recounting particular running jokes, which will sound like the weirdest things on Earth to anyone who has no idea what you are talking about. I once spent a 6 hour coach journey having a conversation which mainly revolved around a whale and a bowl of petunias. A fairly light read, but if you like it there are about five more books to keep you occupied.

 5. Shantaram – Gregory David Roberts

This book is not for the faint-hearted or easily-shocked. It’s a very gritty semi-autobiography of a man who escaped Australian prison and found himself in Mumbai, India. The author is a sort of Robin Hood character, albeit an ex-heroin addict imprisoned for armed robbery, with a strong sense of social justice. He was eventually recaptured, and Shantaram was written in prison. Several times, prison wardens destroyed his work, and he had to rewrite it completely from scratch. The book is a stark view of life in the Indian slums but is also a very touching story, all the more so because it is true (or mostly true – it is hard to believe that anyone could live a life which plays out so much like the plot of a novel) and in places very funny. It’s not exactly the typical light, pool-side summer novel, but I read it last year and by the time I had finished (it is very long),  I felt like a changed person, and slightly shell-shocked, though in a positive sense. I would recommend it to anyone who is open to a little philosophising, is looking for an exhilarating, adrenaline fuelled read and can cope with the violence.

So, there’s my list. I hope that you found it useful, or at least interesting. Now, over to you in the comments: what have you enjoyed reading in past summers and what would recommend?

Spinebreaker Kathryn White was lucky enough to be able to see and review Complicite’s adaptation of Zizou Corder’s Lionboy trilogy! See what she thought of it…

Going to see Lion Boy on behalf of Spinebreakers was great. Free popcorn and candy floss aside, the show was amazing and so much fun! I didn’t really know what to expect as I took my seat in the theatre, having not read the trilogy on which the play is based, and to be honest I wasn’t expecting it to be so good. I loved the adventurous plot: The idea of the Corporacy being a company larger than a country was very interesting and the actress who symbolised it was nothing short of terrifying.

The story follows eleven-year-old Charlie whose parents are kidnapped by the Corporacy and he is forced to rescue them, encountering along the way a group of eclectic cats and a travelling circus. Inexplicably, Charlie can talk ‘cat’ and he vows to free the lions along with rescuing his parents and taking down the Corporacy. All very exciting stuff, right?

Right from the off, it proved to be thrilling and almost magical to watch. With just a flying disk and movable lighting bars in terms of set, the actors carried the entire show; sometimes literally as they danced across the stage carrying ladders and other large props into place. With Charlie’s fast paced adventure this proved to be very effective, as they could move seamlessly between locations and without large breaks between scenes.

The characters vocally carried the story along too, by mixing narration in with their ordinary speech. I wasn’t too keen on this technique as the jumps between the two didn’t feel very natural but I could see how this would help a younger child (which the show is more primarily aimed at) understand what was going on.

My favourite character, by far, was Sergei, the Russian-named cat from Wigan. He was really funny and the anthropomorphising of all the cats and lions was done especially well. It meant that they were able to be proper characters with whom Charlie was able to converse without it being something cheesy like a man in a suit. I liked as well that even though they were being played by people they kept some of their cat-like qualities, like Sergei who stunk of fish!

The whole show was magnificent in the Complicite theatre company’s excellent trademark style of mixing acrobatics and physical theatre into the acting. This made the show beautiful to watch; particularly the circus scene which was my personal favourite. The circus skills of the brilliant actors, especially Lisa Kerr, was highly enviable, even moreso when they danced or jumped into small bouts of song.

Lighting and music were what really set the tone of each scene, changing as they journeyed further south. The ever present drummer was a great addition, although I felt that the show let itself down in the climax. The cacophonous drumming in addition to the abstract strobe lighting seemed to somehow save the day and banish the baddies without too much explanation given.

Nonetheless, this was a hugely enjoyable show both for lovers of adventure or those more intrigued by politics gone wrong. I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars: a wonderful show but a little unclear on the details in places.

Look out for it at a theatre near you! Lion Boy tours throughout the summer to Liverpool, Oxford, Warwick, Yorkshire, Cardiff, and London. Check out the details at complicite.org.

Kathryn White

If you like the sound of it you still have the chance to win two tickets to see it at a venue near you! Click here to enter now!

One thing’s clear, Spinebreakers editor Chloe James is crazy about poetry. Here she explains just why that is…

To me, reading, writing, and listening to poetry is everything I look forward to (well, maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but it’s certainly vital to my wellbeing).

Poetry is changing, and London is a brilliant place to witness this change. People are writing, and performing, at an extraordinarily high-standard, and I believe that the attitude towards poetry amongst the young is changing.

No longer is poetry simply a sonnet to be highlighted in class; it is something that people live.

I have metsome incredible people through poetry; from spoken word artists such as Kate Tempest, Musa Okwonga, Polarbear, Indigo Williams, and Zia Ahmed, to name but a few, to those who simply love to listen, and read intelligently.

Poetry discusses the aspects of humanity that are most important; it does so in a way that is deft, and often beautiful in its brutality and honesty. Poets such as E. E. Cummings and T. S. Eliot consistently exploded the conventions imposed on them. This is what great poets do; they change the pace of humanity.

Bold claim? Read Shakespeare. Read Milton. Read Carol Ann-Duffy and Seamus Heaney and Thomas Hardy and Simon Armitage. All of these poets have destroyed conventions.

Poetry is something that you can mould to suit you. When I am writing, my emotions are intrinsic, but they will only be true if the form and structure of the poem is sufficient. There is so much room for individuality!

When I hear people my age groan at reading poetry, I groan at their naivety. Poetry is something that both unites and divides us; it makes beauty out of destruction, and shifts society.

What you know of love, and life, and yourself, can be found in poetry. And, if it’s not exactly right, give writing your own a try; you may be able to redefine something important.

Spinebreaker Emily questions whether or not it is ever worth reading a book more than once. Does re-reading a book enhance your experience, or does it only serve to limit it…? 

I often hear people bragging about how they have read the Harry Potter series 7 times. I frequently find myself sat mumbling my opinion under my breath…

What a waste of time! Firstly, though an avid reader, I have never got past The Chamber of Secrets. When there is a world of reading at your fingertips, why would you fall back on past pages?

My all time favourite book is The Hunger Games. I have great memories of reading it and it is undoubtedly the most thought provoking novel I have ever read.

But I would never read it again. Otherwise I might enter a tunnel and come out the other side thinking, why did I ever like this book?

I first experienced this with my favourite childhood book called Jinx by Meg Cabot, the book that started me on my ‘Road of Reading’. I recently attempted to read it again but began thinking, what a load of trash. I immediately put the book down and vowed never again to read books twice.

There is so much to discover in a bookshop, in a library or through Spinebreakers. As the old saying goes, “Don’t look behind you, look ahead”. For all these reasons, I have not and will not read a book twice and I believe I am more knowledgeable because of it.

What do you think? Do you agree? Have you read a book twice and not regretted it?

Spinebreaker Ciara gives us some great recommendations on what videos we should all be watching right now. What better way to take your mind off inbetween exam revision and relieve that stress!

1. Exams are here, and if you’re looking for a magnificent way to avoid them, I suggest baking.

It’s related to chemistry (sort of!) so those of you who are studying will be getting practical experience really…! Here’s a how-to video to make Totoro Macaroons, from the Studio Ghibli masterpiece My Neighbour Totoro.

2. Extreme Sheep Led Display – that is all there is to say.

3. As I’m sure everyone knows, music is a brilliant way to de-stress and there is nothing more lighthearted than some a capella. Pentatonix are a Texan a capella band, who for good reason won NBC’s The Sing Off.

 In this video, they create a fantastic medley of the most popular songs from the eleventh century onwards.