Welcome to the new regular post for Mondays! Honestly, I'd be surprised if no one's done this before, but I'll be posting a book recommendation for each song of the featured musical for each week! For longer musicals, I may just pick a few of my favorites to do, but we'll see. As you can probably tell from the title, this week's musical is Six. It's one of my favorites at the moment and if you haven't heard of it yet, you're in for a treat!
For context: Six is a musical starring the former wives of Henry the VIII. It is formatted as a concert with the opening and closing numbers sung by all the Queens, with individual songs about each of their stories making up the bulk of the show. It's great, and available on Spotify if anyone wants to check it out, which I'd highly recommend!
Track 1: Ex-Wives
"Listen up let me tell you a story/ A story that you think you've heard before/ We know you know our names and our fame and our faces/ Know all about the glories and the disgraces"
I was actually really struggling to think of a book to match with this song, until I remembered this one! Though I was looking for a book that focused on a group of strong women, I think Evelyn's story and the retrospective style of this novel fit the song perfectly!
Track 2: No Way
"I've put up with your sh-- like every single day/ But now it's time to shh, and listen when I say/ You must think that I'm crazy/ You wanna replace me, baby there's/ N-n-n-n-n-n-no way"
Okay, bear with me on this one. For those of you who know the song, you know this is a strange choice. But something about the way Spensa fights for her right to fly reminds me of Catherine of Aragon refusing to let Henry toss her aside.
Track 3: Don't Lose Your Head
"Sorry not sorry 'bout what I said/ I'm just trying to have some fun/ Don't worry, don't worry/ Don't lose your head/ I didn't mean to hurt anyone"
Did I chose this book entirely because of how it features a guillotine? Yes. Do I regret that? Not a bit. If you like French Revolution re-tellings and/or futuristic re-imaginings this is the book for you. Also, this is one of my favorite songs in the whole show, so please listen to it!
Track 4: Heart of Stone
"You can build me up, you can tear me down/ You can try but I'm unbreakable/ You can do your best, but I'll stand the test/ You'll find that I'm unshakeable,"
This song reminds me so much of Alosa's relationship with her father. Even though we don't see him at all until the very end of this novel, it is clear that she loves him, despite his being an abusive, murderous man. It's almost amazing how closely it mirrors Jane Seymour's experience. Jane knows that Henry only loves her because she gave him a son, but she loves him anyways.
Track 5: Haus of Holbein
"Welcome to the house/ To the Haus of Holbein"
I can't say much about the plot of this book since it is a sequel, but I can say that it does involve a trip through Europe, though you probably guessed that. This is just a fun short song about adjusting to new surroundings and I think it fits the novel well. Also, I'm doing my level best to squeeze this series into every post I make because I desperately need someone else to read it! I just love these gals so much!
Track 6: Get Down
"Sittin' here all alone/ On a throne/ In a palace that I happen to own"
I wanted to choose a book with a strong female queen for this song, and I remembered how much I loved this one when I read it a few years ago. I feel like I heard about this series a lot when it debuted but not much anymore, so here's your annual reminder that it's really good!
Track 7: All You Wanna Do
"All you wanna do/ All you wanna do baby/ I think we can agree I'm a ten amongst these threes"
Honestly, I just choose this book because it matches the vibe of the song perfectly, even if the lyrics don't necessarily fit. I can totally imagine Val singing this song, with a killer gown on, standing on a cliff while a storm rages. Just take my word for it.
Track 8: I Don't Need Your Love
"You know I love you, boy/ In every single way/ Though I love you, boy/ I'll miss you every day"
I thought this book was very appropriate for a song about coming to terms with the death of a loved one. Though Mila's journey to acceptance may be a bit rockier than Catherine Parr's, I think she could have been the one singing this by the end of the novel. Also, I wanted at least one spooky read on this list, as we are quickly approaching one of my favorite times of year. Stay tuned for some very fun Halloween-themed posts in October!
Track 9: Six
"We're one of a kind/ No category/ Too many years/ Lost in history/ We're free to take/ Our crowning glory/ For five more minutes"
This is my favorite song in the whole musical (I may have done it for karaoke a few weeks ago, but we'll pretend that didn't happen)! Anyways, I thought it was fitting to choose one of my favorite recent reads and I think Not Your Sidekick fits pretty well. It's about people, who may have some pretty extreme differences, coming together and fighting for one another (and maybe falling in love in the process), which is really the essence of this whole musical.
Those are all my choices! What do you guys think? Would you have picked anything differently? Any musicals you'd like me to do in the future?