Discoveries

Poking around a bit, I’ve come across a few group reads, events, and the like I’d be interested in joining.

Virago Reading Week, hosted by Book Snob and A Few of My Favorite Books occurs January 24th-30th.  Considering Wharton (most likely Ethan Frome) and/or Elizabeth von Arnim’s The Enchanted April.  So many others (list here) I’m curious about: Christina Stead, Sylvia Townsend-Warner, Eudora Welty, Elizabeth Hardwick, Vita Sackville-West.

A Year of Feminist Classics, hosted by several bloggers here.  While I’m not sure I’m up for 18th century feminist philosophy, I’d like to try a few of these, including Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter (epistolary novel weakness) and Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.  As I read both Herland and A Room of One’s Own last year, I don’t think I’ll want to reread these so soon, but I’d definitely be interested in the discussions!

A group of bloggers known as The Wolves have compiled an intriguing reading list for the year. Included are a few authors I long to read more of (Lydia Davis, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Gabriel Josipovici), a few authors I’ve wanted to sample (Orhan Pamuk and Nathalie Sarraute), and most I’m unfamiliar with completely!  The first selection falls into the latter category: The Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska, which I’m excited to give a try!

The Cairo Trilogy Readalong, which is already underway at Caravana de Recuerdos aims to complete Mahfouz’s I read the first in the trilogy, seriously   Don’t even get me started on how much I disliked the patriarch most of the time but at the same time was completely fascinated with his psychology.  The second book, Palace of Desire, is scheduled for discussion from January 30th-31st.

The Classics Project 2011, hosted by Sasha & the Silverfish is an attempt to read through classics published by NYRB and Oxford World’s Classics.  Somewhat embarrassingly, I’ve amassed a small collection of unread NYRB Classics.  Can I blame the gorgeous covers and colorful spines?  And the promise of rediscovered classics?  And that I haven’t yet met one I didn’t love?  As one of my goals is to read more of these, I’d like to join in on this at least for the NYRB books.  I think I have a few Oxford World’s Classics around, but it’s unlikely I’ll read them (I think they’re Caesar’s account of the Gallic Wars and maybe Plutarch?).

I’m quite looking forward to all of these!