Brush Up On Your Shakespeare

I must really like Rajani LaRocca if my first post in a long time is dedicated to her. 

Rajani gets a star for being one of the happiest authors we've had on Author Fan Face-off. She was smiling and giggling all the way through. But don't be fooled.  Her giddiness did not distract her from nearly beating Astrid, her very deserving challenger for Midsummer's Mayhem.

A Midsummer's Night Dream is my favorite Shakespeare play. I had myself convinced that Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson (maybe?) were in the film I loved but after some searching I believe the movie I'm actually remembering is a 1993 version of Much Ado about Nothing.

Which appropriately leads me to Rajani's latest book that comes out next week, Much Ado about Baseball. Who can blame Rajani for her permagrin during AFF when her book was just featured on The Today Show. Make sure you click on the link to hear how Brad Thor gushes over her book. 👇

ICYMI, my MG novel, MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL, was recommended by @BradThor on @3rdHourTODAY yesterday! @littlebeebooks
MUCH ADO releases June 15, and you can preorder a signed personalized copy from @SilUnicornActon: https://t.co/lzKUvTbJTv
Learn more: https://t.co/IuFRzjW8yC pic.twitter.com/FwOBHkG9TY

— 📚🧁🔅 Rajani LaRocca 💗⚾️🧬 (@rajanilarocca) June 4, 2021

I have reserved the book on Edelweiss and pre-ordered from Rajani's bookstore so one way or the other I will be reading it THIS MONTH. 

And speaking of Shakespeare and the Globe, check out this recent article from yesterday's New York Times about a socially distant Midsummer's Night Dream.

Yeah, so if you haven't guessed by now, I just want to be Rajani's friend and meet her for coffee. She's happy, funny and smart (yes, her day job is a doctor!). We are about the same age; both coming of age in the 1980s. You too? Be sure and read her beautiful novel in verse, Red, White and Whole which takes place during that time and brought back so many memories of middle school. The Spotify playlist is in my running rotation. I knew Rajani really didn't want to hear me say that her book is on my Newbery 22 list so bit my tongue as long as I could during our AFF filming. But, if you are one of our regular viewers, you will know that I'm pretty good at predicting winners (just ask Kelly Barnhill). In any event, add that book (and all her others) to your TBR if you haven't already. Then plug in your airpods and take a walk down memory lane. Oh and for Red, White and Whole--keep the Kleenex close. Don't say I didn't warn you.