Archive for October, 2009

Logo and Buttons

You have one more day to get in your votes in for the American tour! If you haven’t already voted, go do so!

We are so excited for the beginning of the Wilkie Collins Circuit next week. Thanks so much for your eagerness to celebrate the classics!

In the mean time, I created a logo for The Classics Circuit. Trisha also made up some buttons. Feel free to use them on your site if you are participating in the upcoming tours or even if you just feel like having a button!

I do ask that you download them to your own computer.

The Classic Circuit Logo

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Vote: Americans on Tour

Our January-to-February tour will be an American.

If a large number of people vote for a particular author, we may open more than one American tour. These subsequent tours would overlap. The first tour would begin the first week of January, the second would begin the second week, etc. Each tour would run Monday through Friday until all participants have been assigned a day. Therefore, the tour will probably extend into February, especially if there is more than one author joining the Circuit.

Author names link to Wikipedia if you’d like to get more detailed information about any of these authors.

The survey will be open until Saturday, 31 October 2009 8:00 a.m. CDT. The survey has been closed.

Samuel Longhorn Clemens, better known as Mark Twain (1835-1910), has been said to have written the “Great American Novel” (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), and his humorous and satiric novels, stories, and essays have always enjoyed immense popularity.

In many of her novels and short stories, Edith Wharton (1862-1937) used dramatic irony to criticize the upper-class pre-World War I society in New York City; her most well-known novels are The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth.

Willa Cather (1873-1947) is best known for her depictions of frontier life (particularly the conditions of ordinary people’s lives) on the Great Plains in novels such as O Pioneers! and My Antonia.

John Steinbeck (1902-1968) wrote novels, stories, and nonfiction collections with a very American setting; his writing won him the distinction of Nobel Laureate in 1962, and The Grapes of Wrath won the Pulitzer Prize in 1939.

The survey has been closed.

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Big Plans for Future Tours

Just one more week until the beginning of the first Classics Circuit, Wilkie Collins, and I’m getting giddy! If you are participating in that tour, make sure the schedule we’ve posted is what you are expecting. I hope we haven’t missed anyone!

If you’d like, you  may add a sentence to your post that welcomes Wilkie Collins to “The Classics Circuit” and you can link to the full Collins Circuit schedule posted on this site so your blog readers can see where he’s been and where he is going. Likewise, Gaskell participants may want to direct their readers to the full Gaskell Circuit schedule.

I’m so excited for all the interest. I hope you are enjoying your reading!

For the January-to-February Tour, we’ve settled on American authors.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) through Saturday will be a poll of four American writers from which we’ll choose the January Circuit. Please note that if we have huge interest in more than one author, we’ll do overlapping tours as we did for the Victorians. Come back tomorrow to choose one of the four that you’d love to see on tour!

Sign up for the American January-to-February tour(s) will begin in November, probably the second week.

For the February-to-March tour, we won’t have a vote: we’ll be doing a thematic tour. We’re not sure how the theme will work, as compared to the author tours, but I’m excited because it’s an awesome theme. In honor of U.S. Black History month, we’ll be doing a Harlem Renaissance tour. We’re still working on the details (and we’ll get an information post up with reading options, as we did for the other tours). Sign up will be in December.

If you’re interested in the tours, here are some basics: Tours run Monday through Fridays. We’ll start assigning days the beginning of January and we’ll assign participants Monday through Friday until all participatns are assigned. Because we “assign” a day that the author will “visit” your blog, we like to know which days you are unable to host or which days your prefer. We need to know about other “tours” you’re doing that tie up your blog, weeks you’ll be out of town, and details like “I don’t want to host on Fridays.” Let us know that information when you sign up for the tour so the day we assign might work best for the tour.

We’re always looking for your suggestions on future tours. Fill out the Suggest a Tour form so we’ll have your ideas to work with!

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On Tour With Elizabeth Gaskell (Dates!)

From Monday, November 16th to Thursday, December 24th, Elizabeth Gaskell will be going on a virtual tour of the blogosphere. Check out these participating blogs where you’ll find reviews of her novels and biographies, as well as general information posts about this classic author.

November Tour Stops

November 16, 2009 – Ooh…Books Review: Cranford

November 17, 2009 – Reading, Writing, Working, Playing General: about Gaskell

November 18, 2009 – Semicolon Review: North and South

November 19, 2009 – My Friend Amy Review: Short story or stories

November 20, 2009 – Becky’s Book Reviews Review: Mary Barton (or another choice)

November 23, 2009 – Lost Between the Letters Review: Wives and Daughters

November 24, 2009 – things mean a lot Review: Tales of Mystery and the Macabre

November 25, 2009 – Book-O-Rama Review: The Life of Charlotte Bronte

November 26, 2009 – Kay’s Bookshelf Review: Mary Barton (or another choice)

November 27, 2009 – One Librarian’s Book Reviews Review: North and South

November 30, 2009 – Reviews by Lola Review: Sylvia’s Lovers

December Tour Stops

December 1, 2009 – Moored at Sea Review: Letters of Elizabeth Gaskell

December 2, 2009 – Joyfully Retired Review: Cranford

December 3, 2009 – Linus’s Blanket Review: Gaskell biography

December 4, 2009 – Laura’s Reviews Review: Short Stories, Christmas Storms and Sunshine

December 7, 2009 – Books and Chocolate Review: short stories My Lady Ludlow and Dr. Harrison

December 8, 2009 – Melanie’s Musings Review: Wives and Daughters

December 9, 2009 – The Bluestocking Society Review: North and South

December 10, 2009 – So Many Books Review: Lois the Witch

December 11, 2009 – Eclectic/Eccentric Review: Cranford

December 14, 2009 – Rebecca Reads Review: Mary Barton

December 15, 2009 – Staircase Wit Review: Cranford

December 16, 2009 – A Reader’s Respite Review: A Dark Night’s Work

December 17, 2009 – A Striped Armchair Review: Ruth

December 18, 2009 – Notes From the North Review: Cranford

December 21, 2009 – Shelf Love Review: North and South

December 22, 2009 – Medieval Bookworm Review: to be determined

December 23, 2009 – A Book Lover Review: Cranford

December 24, 2009 – Michelle’s Masterful Musings Review: North and South

Hope you can join us on the tour!



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On Tour With Wilkie Collins (Dates!)

From Monday, November 2nd to Friday, December 11, Wilkie Collins will be going on a virtual tour of the blogosphere. Check out these participating blogs where you’ll find reviews of his novels and biographies, as well as general information posts about this classic author:

November Tour Stops

November 2, 2009 – Sophisticated Dorkiness General: Wilkie Collins & Serial Novels Today

November 3, 2009 – A Striped Armchair Review: The Law and the Lady

November 4, 2009 – Kay’s Bookshelf Review: The Moonstone

November 5, 2009 – Moored at Sea Review: No Name

November 6, 2009 – In the Spring It Is the Dawn Review: The Frozen Deep

November 9, 2009  – Time Enough At Last Review: A Rogue’s Life

November 10, 2009 – The Zen Leaf Review: The Haunted Hotel

November 11, 2009 – Book Gazing Review: Woman in White

November 12, 2009 – Ooh…Books Review: The Moonstone

November 13, 2009 – Shelf Love Review: Armadale

November 16, 2009 – Fleur Fisher Reads Review: The Frozen Deep

November 17, 2009 – eclectic / eccentric Review:  Moonstone

November 18, 2009 – Life is a Patchwork Quilt Review: Poor Miss Finch & Hide and Seek

November 19, 2009 – Rebecca Reads Review: A Biography

November 20, 2009 – Just Add Books Review: The Woman in White

November 23, 2009 – Fizzy Thoughts Review: The Woman in White

November 24, 2009 – Daily Words and Acts Review: No Name

November 25, 2009 – Bibliolatry  Review: Armadale

November 27, 2009 – Reviews by Lola’s Blog Review: The Woman in White

November 30, 2009 – Michelle’s Masterful Musings Review: The Moonstone

December Tour Stops

December 1, 2009 – book-a-rama Review: Basil or The Evil Genius

December 2, 2009 – Pages Turned Review: No Name

December 3, 2009 – Books and Chocolate Review: Evil Genius or A House to Let

December 4, 2009 – Becky’s Book Reviews Review: Man and Wife

December 7, 2009 – Linus’s Blanket General: An Overview of Wilkie Collins

December 8, 2008 – It’s All About Books Review: Hide and Seek

December 9, 2009 – Books of Mee Review: The Woman in White

Hope you can join us on the tour!

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Victorian Mini-Challenges

Does following Wilkie Collins and Elizabeth Gaskell on tour not seem like enough? Do you want to feel more involved in reading Victorian authors? Are you sad that Trollope or Eliot didn’t win the survey so you’d have some motivation to read their

works? Do you need a challenge? Becky can help.

Becky is hosting not one, not two, not three, but FOUR challenges at Mini Challenges Hosted by Becky for the 19th century authors for whom The Classics Circuit considered organizing blog tours — Wilkie Collins, Elizabeth Gaskell, Anthony Trollope, and George Eliot. Sure, you can read these authors on your own, but wouldn’t it be more fun to do it with a group? Becky’s mini-challenges are great. You can read two books, read a book and watch a movie, or even watch two movies. (But really, isn’t the book usually better?)

The Wilkie Collins Mini-Challenge began October 1, 2009 and ends December 1, 2010. You won’t believe the number of books you can choose to read and review. Then you can post a link to your review and read everyone else’s reviews, too. I bet you’ll end up adding to your to-be-read pile.

The Elizabeth Gaskell Mini-Challenge started January 1, 2009, but don’t worry. You have until June 1, 2010 to complete it. Gaskell has something for everyone–novels, short-story collections, and even a biography of Charlotte Bronte.

The Anthony Trollope Mini-Challenge has even more options–novels, short stories, travel, essays, biography. He even wrote series. It’s a good thing the challenge doesn’t end until August 31, 2010.

George Eliot may be the least prolific of the three authors with only seven novels to her name, but in a mini-challenge, quantity isn’t so important. Sign up for the George Eliot Mini-Challenge; you’ll find at least two books that pique your interest.

Warning: Reading challenges can be highly addictive.

If you are hosting a read-along or mini-challenge that revolves around classics (especially those that are by dead authors), let us know on the Notify Us of a Classic Event Page. We may highlight it on this site.

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Wilkie Collins Tour: Dates Assigned

If you signed up for the Wilkie Collins Classic Circuit, we’ve sent you an email with your assigned dates. It has come from me (Rebecca Reads) or from Bella (A Bibliophile’s Bookshelf). If you haven’t received it, check your spam folder. If you still haven’t received it, send me a note at rebecca [at] rebeccareid [dot] com. Once we know that the schedule will work for the participants, we’ll post it up here so everyone can follow the tour come November.

The Wilkie Collins tour has a total of 29 stops, beginning November 2 and going until December 11! While there is some overlap on books that will be reivewed, overall, it looks like a great, varied tour. I’m really excited for it.

Tomorrow evening, I’ll post the sign up for the overlapping Elizabeth Gaskell tour. I think that one will be great as well!

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A Community Effort

I am so excited to see your excitement for the upcoming tours. Thank you for your eagerness, and I’m looking forward to the future!

Tours

I wanted to give you a quick note to remind you that the sign up for the Wilkie Collins tour will close Saturday morning (8 a.m. CST).

Next week, we’ll have a sign up for the Elizabeth Gaskell tour, which will overlap with Wilkie Collins.

I am so excited for all those who’ve signed up and I’m sure both are going to be fun tours around the the blogosphere!

We would like to plan to have another tour beginning the second week of January, but we need your help in deciding what authors would you love to see promoted via tour.

Go to the Suggest a Tour page and submit your authors and ideas. While right now we’re going to stay with authors, we may branch out in the future to subject tours. Please give us your insights and favorites so we have options to work with. I was thinking we select  a American author, but I’m up for suggestions!

Voting

In the middle of November, I plan on putting up a survey to vote for the January tour. Is that a good time to plan your reading for a January tour? Again, I’m open to suggestions.

A Community Effort

The most exciting thing about The Classics Circuit thus far is realizing how the community is joining together. Each of you will write a post for your blog. Our job it just to bring it all together, and I’m so excited how it’s all working out.

I’m realizing that this is going to be a lot of work to bring together a tour, and already I’m incredibly grateful to those who have helped out so far.

That great info about Wilkie Collins was compiled by Trisha (Eclectic/Eccentric), and Bella (A Bibliophile’s Bookshelf) is helping me organize the Collins tour. Elizabeth Gaskell book info (to be posted next week) was compiled by Eva (A Striped Armchair) and the Teresa (Shelf Love) is helping compile information about the life of Gaskell. Other bloggers are giving input behind the scenes as well, including Becky (Becky’s Book Reviews), Christine (booktumbling), and Cara (Ooh…Books). I’ve also gotten a few emails from some others who want to join in helping. I’ll be sure to get in touch with you too!

So the bottom line is that The Classics Circuit is turning in to a community effort. While I may post the surveys and the author info onto the website, there are a half a dozen other people who are helping out behind the scenes through emails, input, research, write-ups, and organization. I do truly appreciate all your help!

If you also want to help behind the scenes, send me an email at rebecca [at] rebeccareid [dot] com with “Classics Circuit Committee” in the subject line.

One more note: If you only want to subscribe to certain posts on The Classics Circuit, you can subscribe to each feed individually:

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