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 new acquisitions to report this week, for once!
From the Half Price Books clearance section:
- When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins: I’d like to read more nonfiction in 2011, and I’ve heard this book is interesting and well written.
- The Three Theban Plays (Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at Colonus) by Sophocles (translated by Robert Fagles): I read Oedipus the King in high school and just finished Seamus Heaney’s version of Antigone, so I thought this would be a nice collection to have.
Others:
- The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly: After reading Revolution last year, I’ve been curious to read others by Donnelly. I won this book from Jessica at The Bluestocking Society (thanks, Jessica!).
- The Absent Traveler: A Novella & Other Stories by Randall DeVallance: I received this one for review from Atticus Books, and it looks quite interesting. I haven’t typically been a big fan of short stories, but I’m warming up to them and am looking forward to trying this collection.
Read This Week
This week has been one of finishing up books I started at the end of 2010. I completed The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri for my book group’s January meeting and A Cup of Friendship by Deborah Rodriguez, which comes out later this month. I also finished my first book on my Sony Reader, Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I started War and Peace by Tolstoy as part of Jillian’s year-long readalong. (I think I’ll just not mention this one here from now on, since I’ll be reading it every week of 2011!) Oh! And I zipped through The Burial at Thebes, Seamus Heaney’s version of Sophocles’ Antigone.
On audio, I wrapped up Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll and The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I started Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld for fun and Gilgamesh, translated by Stephen Mitchell, for my Classics Reclamation Project.
Erin Reads Recap
- I started the week with a Sunday Salon post in which I looked at my reading stats for 2010. It’s the first year I tracked anything in earnest, so I had fun looking at how the year shaped up.
- On Monday I talked about Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby (audiobook) and my different reactions to Hornby’s fiction vs. nonfiction.
- Next up were my thoughts on Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, which I read earlier in 2010 but never discussed on Erin Reads.
- Wednesday’s Classics Reclamation Project post looked at Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, which I listened to.
- Thursday I shared my reaction to The Burial at Thebes, Seamus Heaney’s lovely version of Sophocles’ Antigone.
- Finally, yesterday, I sent you over to Eat the Books, where I participated in The Bookeater 10.
Your Turn!
How was your reading week? Do tell!
Wonderful acquisitions, Erin! ‘The Three Theban Plays’ is wonderful! I remember when my English professor in college talked about Sophocles in the class and described how his plays were structured in such a way that the events of the play happened in one day and how they used to be enacted in Ancient Greece in one day, it blew my mind. It was like the Greeks had anticipated ’24’ so many millenia back 🙂 I have read ‘Oedipus’ and loved it. I haven’t read the others. Hope you enjoy reading Sophocles’ plays.]
‘When Everything Changed’ by Gail Collins looks like a wonderful book. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it. Are you taking part in the ‘Year of Reading Feminist Classics’ hosted by Nymeth and others? (If you are interested, you can find more information on it here – http://feministclassics.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/hello-world/)
Hope you are having a wonderful time reading ‘War and Peace’. I tried reading it last year and finished one part. I am hoping to read the other parts this year. I love the fact that there are 365 chapters in the book and one can read a chapter a day 🙂 I am tempted to join this read-along myself 🙂
Enjoy reading your new acquisitions!
Very interesting about Sophocles’ plays being structured to occur in one day — that’s wonderful to know, thanks for sharing! I’ll keep it in mind when I get to the three plays. So true…the original 24!
As for the Year of Reading Feminist Classics, I’ve heard about it but haven’t committed to the full year. I’m hoping to read a few of the books with them, though, as they have some great ones on the list! Are you planning to participate?
So far–admittedly only a few chapters in–I’m liking War and Peace. I’m glad I chose the translation I did (Briggs) and am looking forward to spending a year with the characters. That would be fun if you joined the readalong as well! You have a head start on the rest of us–you can slack off for the first weeks 🙂
I am hoping to read some of the feminist classics and probably not all of them. ‘A Doll’s House’ is one of my alltime favourites and so I will probably read that one. I also have a book called ‘Introducing Feminism : A Graphic Guide’ by Cathia Jenainati and Judy Groves. It looks like a fascinating introduction to feminism. I am hoping to read that first, before trying to read the other books. If you get a chance, do try this book. It is in graphic novel style and is a fast read and is reasonably comprehensive.
Glad to know that you are liking the Briggs translation of ‘War and Peace’. That is the one I have too (the cover is so beautiful, isn’t it). Yes, I have a head start 🙂 But I am planning to start from a beginning again. Hoping to join the read-along soon 🙂
I’ve never read A Doll’s House, though I have it in a collection. I’ve only read Hedda Gabbler by Ibsen, which I loved, so I’m hoping to read A Doll’s House as well! The Graphic Guide you have sounds really interesting. I’ve been meaning to read more graphic “novels,” so maybe I’ll check that out. Thanks for the recommendation!
It’ll be fun to have you on board with the readalong, if you do end up joining!
I’m so looking forward to hearing about those books you’ve read but not reviewed yet, especially Leviathan, the Deborah Rodriquez and Jhumpa Lahiri books, and Gilgamesh!
You’re in luck…they’re all scheduled for the next two weeks! 😀
i just bought The Winter Rose, but now I have to what to get The Tea Rose since that starts the trilogy. I just started reading Revolution for my book club and it is so good.
I didn’t realize it was a trilogy! I’ll have to get The Tea Rose as well. Enjoy Revolution!
Can’t wait to hear what you thought of Lahiri’s books. I saw at Eat the Books that you worked at The Book House. I’ve spent time in Albany over the years (went to college at the Pharmacy school) and have been in the store. Wonder if our paths have crossed…
I really enjoyed The Interpreter of Maladies! I should have my thoughts up next week, at the latest. I did work at the Book House, full time (or almost full time here and there) for the past three years. I bet we did cross paths — how fun!
I very rarely read short stories, but ‘The Interpreter of Maladies’ was the exception that proved the rule. I had to limit myself to one story a day so that I didn’t glut on them and fail to enjoy the real beauty of the writing.
I agree — I thought they were lovely. I, too, read a story a day and found that was a really nice pace.
The Winter Rose has been on my shelf for far too long. I’m planning on taking it back to school with me as an incentive to finally read it. I really enjoyed her other book The Tea Rose so I’m not quite sure why it’s taking me so long to read it.
When Everything Changed sounds interesting just from the subtitle alone. I read Collin’s other book about women in America entitled America’s Women, which covers from colonial America to about the period where When Everything Changed picks us. Can’t say I loved it though because I felt like there was a distinct lack of attention on minority women outside of African-Americans. I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on this particular book to see if I should pick it up.
I just found out The Winter Rose comes after The Tea Rose…oops! I guess I’ll have to read The Tea Rose first! Glad to hear it’s good.
The subtitle is what caught me for When Everything Changed. I didn’t realize there was a book about women in earlier periods. Interesting to hear your criticism — I’ll have to pay attention to that in When Everything Changed and report back.
I’ve got When Everything Changed on my reading list—I hope it’s good! (And I know Leviathan is good times. Enjoy the audiobook!)
I hope it’s good, too! I’m rather enthralled by Leviathan…Behemoth is already on order from the library!
I have been seeing Jennifer Donnelly books all over the web in the past few weeks, and have to admit that my curiosity to try her is getting the better of me! I have Revolution and The Tea Rose and am looking forward to getting a lest one of them started soon. I am also impressed with some of the other books that you have brought home this week, and I hope you enjoy them all!
Revolution was my first, and though I had a couple of complaints, overall I thought it was a really good book. I’m curious to see how her adult fiction is! I hope you enjoy whichever of hers you end up starting with!