Hello all! I hope you are busy enjoying your last months of 2011.
Although I had intended to post about the next tour in November (to be held in January), I’ve decided it’s time for a hiatus from The Classics Circuit. For those of you who follow my personal blog, you’ll know that I’m currently pregnant with my second child. Baby is due at the end of February, and in order to make life a little less stressful, I’m ready to take a break from The Classics Circuit now (as evidenced by the fact that I never got the next tour information up!).
I still really enjoy running The Classics Circuit. Assuming all goes well and I adjust to a newborn in a timely fashion, I do hope to pull together another tour by next summer or fall, but given how I’ve not yet experienced life with TWO children, we’ll have to see how things go.
I, of course, still love the classics, and I hope you decide to continue reading them on your own. If you are interested in community projects similar to The Classics Circuit, here are some that may appeal to you. You can also browse A Novel Challenge for more reading projects, challenges, and readalongs. If you are hosting a reading challenge (classic-focused or otherwise), fill out a form on that site to be included on the listings.
In the meantime, I hope you keep reading the greats of literature!
- The Beauty of Eclectisicm is hosting a 2012 Medieval Reading Challenge. She encourages you to read 4, 8 or 12 works written between 400 and 1550 B.C.E. during the year 2012. She provides reading list ideas on her site.
- Sarah Reads Too Much is hosting a 2012 Back to the Classics Challenge. She encourages you to read 9 different classic works in 9 different categories during the year 2012. There is a prize drawing for those who complete the challenge before the end of the year.
- Howling Frog Books is hosting a 2012 Greek Classics Challenge. She has four different reading levels you can sign up at, from 1 Greek classic to 11+. She encourages you to post a sign-up post on your blog and to post on your blog when you’ve finished a work for the challenge.
- Fig and Thistle is hosting a January 2012 Charles Dickens Month in honor of his 200th birthday. She encourages you to post about something related to Charles Dickens on each Tuesday in January (there are five). Those who post on Tuesdays will be entered into a drawing and mentioned on the round-up post on February 7 (Dickens’ actual birthday).
I found these challenges and projects on the A Novel Challenge blog.
Are you also hosting a classics-themed yearly or mothly project?
I know there are more out there. Let me know below, with a link to your post about the challenge, and I’ll add it to this site.
Happy reading in 2012!
#1 by Risa on December 1, 2011 - 12:50 pm
I’m going to miss the Classic Circuit. I keep checking to see if anything new is up yet. However, the comeback is going to be even sweeter for the break it’s taking, me thinks.:D
I wish you all the best with having your second little one. Such lovely news!…. God bless. 🙂
#2 by Nymeth on December 1, 2011 - 2:09 pm
We’ll miss the Classics Circuit, of course, but completely understandable. Thanks for doing what you do and best wishes for you and your family 🙂
#3 by Jillian on December 1, 2011 - 6:10 pm
Totally understandable, Rebecca! I’ll miss the Circuit, but Baby comes first. 🙂 Thanks for the links to other classics events! 🙂
#4 by JNCL on December 2, 2011 - 5:51 am
Thank you very much for helping to spread the word about the Medieval Challenge! Hope everything goes smoothly for you and the new little one, and we’ll try to hold the Classics fort, so to speak, until you’re ready for the next tour.
#5 by Karen K. on December 2, 2011 - 11:46 pm
Congratulations on the new baby!! How exciting! I’ll miss the classics circuit but of course your new arrival is more important. Thanks for letting us know about the other events.
#6 by Laura's Reviews on December 12, 2011 - 5:33 pm
Early congrats on the new baby! I know how that goes . . . I wanted to host a challenge this past year, but with my new daughter, I decided to take a year off!
I am hosting a classics challenge this upcoming year, the Victorian Challenge 2012. I’m going to focus on a different author each month, although participants can read whatever they like. Authors range from the Bronte Sisters and Charles Dickens to Mark Twain and Louisa May Alcott. Sign-up is located at: http://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2011/12/victorian-challenge-2012-sign-up.html
I look forward to news of your new baby and the return of The Classics Circuit in the future!
#7 by mel u on December 13, 2011 - 8:11 am
I will miss the classics circuit-I wish you the best of luck and I hope to participate in another of your great circuits one day!
#8 by Nishita on January 29, 2012 - 8:45 am
Congratulations on the new baby. I have a newborn right now too and have just put books on the backburner.
I do (ambitiously) have the original Canterbury Tales on audio book and am listening to it off and on. It’s pretty challenging though!
#9 by Kirby on February 8, 2012 - 7:31 pm
Good Luck with the new baby – I know that two babies can be a hand full. Will await your return.