IMM 03/07/11 and New Music
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. You can find more information about it here.
Last weekend I spent some time wandering around downtown with Niranjana who blogs at Brown Paper. She’s always fun to hang out with and we had some great discussions. I also dragged her along to The World’s Biggest Bookstore as I was looking for a particular book that I found out they carried. While there I realized it was buy 3 get 1 free sooo… well of course how could I not take home a few extra off my wishlist?? It just wouldn’t be fiscally responsible not to.
I ended up picking up:
- Long Drums and Cannons: Nigerian Dramatists and Novelists, 1952 – 1966 by Margaret Laurence
- The Revolution Starts at Home: Confronting Intimate Violence Within Activist Communities edited by Ching-In Chen, Jai Dulani, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
- As the Crow Flies by Veronique Tadjo - An author from Ivory Coast who I’d been hearing about more and more.
- My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales edited by Kate Berhneimer
Also… I got home late Friday night and the postal strike in Canada is finally over! (Due to horrid federal government back to work legislation which makes it less exciting unfortunately.) This means that the last of the books from my crazy buying binge arrived. This order was through Better World Books from their Bargain Bin during their sale a few weeks ago – I love their bargain bin and when it goes on sale… it doesn’t get much better than that! I love extra cheap books, and when the money is going to charity, and the shipping is free, yep, I love this store!
Lysistrata by Aristophanes – because it was mentioned in Kody Keplinger’s Shut Out and I was interested in reading it.- Living, Loving and Lying Awake at Night by Aindiwe Magona – a collection of short stories by a South African author.
- A Question of Power by Bessie Head – another novel by this Setswana author after enjoying Maru in my pre-blogging days.
- Home and Exile by Chinua Achebe – because who can say no to more Achebe?
- Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade by Assia Djebar – another book by one of my favorite authors, Djebar is Algerian.
- The Abandoned Baobab: The Autobiography of a Senegalese Woman by Ken Bugul – the title gives this one away
It is also translated from French. - The Hidden Face of Eve: Women in the Arab World by Nawal El Saadawi – I was hoping to read this last month with the Year of Feminist Classics project but I guess I will just extend my reading of Saadawi!
- A Daughter of Isis by Nawal El Saadawi – really excited to read this autobiography after reading a few of her novels last month.
I also want to mention a project being put on at Africa is a Country that I am really loving. Besides the always insightful and interesting news articles and literary information, they often have music breaks where I find a great new tune. To celebrate the independence days of each African country, however, they’ve begun listing music lists for each country. I can’t say how much I’ve been enjoying these tunes. If you are looking for a new listen, check out some of these lists:
- South Africa on June 16th
- Mozambique on June 25th
- Madagascar on June 26th
- Djibouti on June 27th
- Seychelles on June 29th
- Democratic Republic of Congo on June 30th
- Burundi, Rwanda and Somalia on July 1st
I always find your IMMs so wonderful. I definitely would not say “no” to more Achebe!
Who could booksNyarn
Thank you!
Haha, “It just wouldn’t be fiscally responsible not to”, I’ll have to remember that! And it really makes sense, especialy with the amazing books you got
Good to hear the strike is over!
Exactly! It’s a perfect excuse for sales Bina
what a great IMM. A Question of Power looks interesting.
Thank you Mostly Reading YA!
I also bought My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me a few weeks ago, and am really looking forward to getting the chance to read it. I have heard excellent things about it. Lots of great things in that mailbox, and from the looks of it, it was really stuffed!
Oh how exciting zibilee! Want to read it together?
I succumbed to the sale as well. Though with less socially responsible books. I bought the Game of Thrones series. hahahahah
Ooohhhh great choice Rhiannon!!!
Hi. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I’m absolutely loving your blog. It’s so good to find other people who are interested in gender and sexuality. I’m hoping to get more books on those subjects on my blog in the future, so I’ll definitely be coming back for recommendations.
I’ve heard so many good things about The Revolution Starts at Home. It’s such an important topic, and one that can be both under-addressed and difficult to confront. I hope you will write a review!
Thank you Emily O – I love yours as well
It seems like there aren’t enough of us around sometimes doesn’t i t! I’ll be watching what you pick up too.
Thanks for the link to Africa Is A Country, it looks great. I shall start following it.
Great Sarah, I hope you enjoy!
some great books ,I like the music list ideas will look at them ,seen few african groups over the years but would like top know more ,all the best stu
Thanks Stu!
Like Sarah, thanks for providing me with the Africa is a Country link.
You are very welcome Geosi. So much great music there. And news and etc as well
Those are wonderful acquisitions, Amy! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the Aristophanes book and the Nawal El Saadawi books. I will listen to the music and write back to you. Why isn’t Ethiopia there on the list?
Happy Reading!
Thanks Vishy, I look forward to both of those. And no Ethiopian list yet but they did post about Samuel Yirga and Ethiopian jazz. I am in love with this guy now – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTRmpJ_EpJE
I want to wave your booklist at those who claim book bloggers are a monolith of YA/PNR readers sucking at the teat of the PR machine. You deserve a medal (or at least a Book Depository giftcard
)
And I had much fun too–no dragging involved! Let’s do this again soon!
You are too nice Niranjana! And your reading is just as diverse so we’ll have to split the gift card
I do like to point out a number of blogs like our own though when people say that. If that is all that they see it is clearly because they aren’t interested in looking, I think. And I agree – definitely up for doing it again soon!
Some true gems of African women’s writing. Tadjo and Magona… Good looking list as always.
Thank you Kinna!