My Week in Books: January 9-15

My Week in Books

Welcome to my weekly Saturday feature here at Erin Reads, where I highlight new books that have entered my life, what I’ve been reading, and what’s happened on Erin Reads over the past week.

New Acquisitions

Only a few books to share this week: three from Half Price Books and one from the library for my book group.

From Half Price Books:

From the library:

Read This Week

Early this week I zipped through The Absent Traveler by Randall DeVallance, then got stuck on two slower books. I picked up Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi for the World Party Reading Challenge and Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen for my classics project. I’m enjoying both (yay for finally making progress with a Jane Austen novel!), but they’re definitely not quick reads. I have another classic, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge by Ranier Maria Rilke (translated by Stephen Mitchell, hooray!), awaiting me, so I might have to sneak in something lighter in between.

On audio, I put Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld on hold to listen to Gilgamesh. As soon as I’d finished the epic, I bounced right back to Leviathan, which I finished quickly. I started its sequel, Behemoth, right away and have been gobbling (or the aural equivalent of it) my way through it! Now if only I didn’t have to wait until later this year for the third book…

Erin Reads Recap

  • I started the week with a Sunday Salon post in which I asked readers to fill out a quick survey. A huge thank you to everyone who did! I’ll be posting my findings tomorrow and Monday.
  • On Monday I talked about The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, which I listened to on audio.
  • Next up was a War and Peace check-in in which I shared some of my favorite Tolstoy character descriptions.
  • Wednesday’s Classics Reclamation Project post looked at the audiobook version of Gilgamesh, translated by Stephen Mitchell.
  • Thursday I shared my thoughts on A Cup of Friendship, a new novel from Deborah Rodriguez being released later this month.
  • Finally, yesterday, I announced my birthday contest — go enter!

Your Turn!

How was your reading week? Do tell!

Join the Conversation

25 Comments

  1. My daughter has a copy of Sherman Alexie’s book ! In french the title is “Le premier qui pleure a perdu” (approximate translation : The first to cry has lost). I’ll borrow it from her in the next few days !
    Alberto Mangel’s “A history of reading” is still on my TBR list.
    And I just finished Jane Austen’s Emma, which I actually loved more than I expected, and “Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares” !
    Have a great reading week !

    1. I hope you enjoy the Alexie! I really liked it. Have you read anything by Manguel? A History of Reading will be my first. I also just finished my first Jane Austen (Northanger Abbey), so I hope I’ll read Emma soon!

  2. Half Price Books is one of the things I miss most about living in the US! I have such fond memories of coming out of the store with a tottering pile of books held tight to my chest, all for a VERY reasonable price.

    1. This is the first time I’ve lived near a Half Price Books, and I never want to move anywhere without it again! Though my bookshelves and wallet would probably enjoy a break. I hope you at least have some good used book stores where you are!

  3. I am happily working my way through Deborah Harkness’ tome, A Discovery of Witches. It is such savory reading that I am enjoying it so much.

    I liked Lolita in Tehran, and I find that it was one to be read slowly. I love seeing Azar Nafisi speak in person. She is so smart and very inspiring. I hope you continue to enjoy the book.

    1. A Discovery of Witches sounds imposing. I’m glad you’re enjoying it! I bet Nafisi would be wonderful to see in person. I am still enjoying the book, though it’s still taking me a while to get through. Not always a bad thing.

    1. Oh, the Westerfeld books are good! Especially the audio. I wish the last one were out. I don’t want to wait!

  4. Looks like you had an awesome reading week. 🙂 I read Northanger Abbey a couple of years ago, but I think most of the humor sailed past my head since I wasn’t familiar with The Monk or Anne Radcliffe at the time. I guess it’s time for a reread. I can’t wait to hear what you think.

    Btw, I’ve heard so many great things about Leviathan. Must get copy now.

    1. I’d really like to read NA again after reading The Monk or Anne Radcliffe. I have a vague sense of each, but I hear there’s another level to NA if you’re more familiar with Gothic novels. I really liked Leviathan and Behemoth, and the audios are fantastic!

  5. Reading Lolita in Tehran is one of the books of my TBR list. I’ve wanted to read it for a while, but the copy at my library has been tagged ‘presumed lost’ so it’s going to be a while. (When I lived in Texas I would pick up a copy at Half-Price Books, but alas no Half-Price in Montana or Massachusetts.) How sad that it’s a slow read.

    Northanger Abbey is also the only Austen book I have yet to read so can’t really comment on that one. I do have it on my iPad, though, so maybe I’ll get to it soon.

    1. Eek, ‘presumed lost’ is never good. Reading Lolita in Tehran is a slow read, but not necessarily in a bad way — there’s just a lot to process, so I can’t pick it up and read 100 pages at a time. I hope you enjoy Northanger Abbey!

    1. I am enjoying it! There’s just so much information that I have to read slowly so I can absorb as much as possible. Definitely one to revisit later on, I think!

    1. I’ve never read Manguel, but I, too, love books about books. I’ll look forward to your thoughts on the one you have!

    1. I’ve had it forever and have only just now gotten to it! So far, so good, especially if the book’s premise appeals to you.

  6. A really good friend just sent me The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, and I am so excited about it! Bookworms sounds interesting too. I will be eager to hear what you think about them! I hope you have a great reading week!

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