Well, after a week (and a half, but who’s counting?) away from blogging, I’ve come to the conclusion that time off can be a good thing. I had a wonderful visit with family, even though very little reading and no blogging occurred. I started to see just how much time reading and blogging can take up. I love doing both, of course. But as summer term begins and the pace of life picks up, I’m going to need a little of that time for other things. There’s no way I’ll get to everything on my reading plate. Something’s gotta give!
After a bit of thought, I’ve decided to put my Classics Reclamation Project on the back burner for May. I’ll go back to it in June; I really enjoy the project, so I have no plans to abandon it completely. Actually, I do have a couple of classics already on the schedule anyway: I need to catch up on War and Peace, plus I’m doing Animal Farm this month for Reading Buddies. So May won’t be completely classics-free!
What’s cool, though, is that classics are finding their way into my everyday reading. When the time comes to pick up a new book, I don’t find myself making a beeline for my contemporary fiction shelves anymore. I’d say classics have gained an equal footing with the other fiction I read, which makes me very happy. It seems my classics project has helped me take some big steps toward ditching my long-standing mental prejudice against classics!
Great idea! Blog breaks and breaks from projects are good.
I think it’s always good to take a blogging break. Coming back refreshed does more for my writing/reading than anything else. It’s really cool that you have started viewing classics as more everyday reads. After bein inundated with them in college, I didn’t read any for a long time, but have recently started to again.
I don’t read as many classics as I want to and should, and tried to make an effort to read one a month this year. Well that plan got derailed in the hectic month of March, and I am hoping to pick it back up before April is out. I am glad to hear that you are reading so many more classic works though. It’s inspiring to me.
I think it’s awesome that classics have become equal to you, I’m trying to work towards that myself. Putting your project on the back burner sounds fine considering how many classics you’ve read since you started! And especially in light of your changed view.
I’m doing my best to forget the summer, there are things to look forward to but also a lot of anxiety.
Nothing like taking a break to make you realize just much you need them! I felt the same way and plan on taking more frequent breaks as well.
And good for you for getting classics back into your reading life. I literally have to force myself to read them.
Welcome back! It’s fabulous to take some time off, isn’t it! I want to read more classics this year, but I’ve been swamped with all things work, so I’m “reading” vicariously through you! 🙂
There’s nothing wrong with taking a break! And welcome back!
I’m definitely feeling the love for the classics right now. I’ve discovered librivox.org, so the classics are walking with me to and from work in audio format.
I think my turning to the classics again is partly a need from respite from contemporary fiction. There are far too many urban fantasy novels coming my way, and I’m beginning to feel jaded!
I find I really enjoy classics on audio as well. Isn’t it nice to walk to work with literature bouncing around in your ears? 😀