Dear Friends,
I should not have hosted the Japanese Literature Challenge 18.
I have been horrific at visiting, and commenting, on blogs for a long time.
I thought that Japanese literature would give me the boost I needed to rekindle my fire for blogging. For reviewing. For commenting.
But, I am finding that I feel completely overwhelmed in my life with the obligations to which I am committed. So much so, that I have even declined participation in the Shadow Panel for the International Booker Prize 2025, for the first time in ten years.
My comfort is that by now many of you have become quite familiar with Japanese literature; in fact, I hope, with translated literature in general. And, there is this site with reviews of so many great books for you to peruse.
I hope you understand my position, and I hope to return with greater competence than I have shown this Winter.
(You may see a series of posts I’ve written for Reading Austen 25 which will appear on the Classics Club this March. I read Pride and Prejudice earlier this year to fulfill my commitment to Brona as a host. Perhaps you will like what various hosts have prepared in reading Jane Austen throughout this year.)
Please accept my apologies for this decline,
Meredith
This is Silvia typing. It’s understood. Take care of all that you need to take care first. I am grateful for your challenge reminder and encouragement to read Japanese literature, even if you have not been super active. We’re always here, looking forward to hearing from you when possible. Take care!
ReplyDeleteIt's fine - life comes first. You've pointed us in a good direction with translated books. I am reading more of them. Hope things go well for you.
ReplyDeleteYes, do what you gotta do!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about it, and we appreciate all that you've done for the reading community. (Sharlene @ RealLifeReading)
ReplyDeleteI remember that you mentioned that your husband was not well. I'm sorry you are facing difficult times, but please don't fret about your blog or the Japenese Lit Challenge. Take care of yourself and your family. That's the most important thing these days. Sending you love and warm hugs, Meredith. xoxo
ReplyDeleteI agree with all that has been said here. Meredith, thinking of you and your family and praying that all will be well. We care about you very much...
ReplyDeleteYou are hosting the challenge, and that's the most important here: without your hub, we would be all over the place. With you, we know where to go to find more Japanese titles, to see what others are reading, and to challenge ourselves. With zillions of links and a life to live besides the blog (!), it makes total sense that you would not have time to visit and interact with us all.
ReplyDeleteTake care of yourself and your family, and enjoy your reading!
Although it’s lovely when the host of a challenge has enough time to visit and comment, I take part in challenges for my own selfish reasons of having a specific goal for my reading and finding other bloggers who are posting about the same sort of books. For me, the fact that you have set up a post where we can post our links is more than enough. Thank you for doing that and I hope you will continue to do so in the future. Just providing a meeting place is enough.
ReplyDeleteDear Meredith, I'm so sorry to hear that life is overwhelming you at the moment. Of course, you should not worry about your blog or any challenges - your life, your family and your own needs come first.
ReplyDeleteI have done what you have tried to do during difficult life moments, push through and keep going with the usual stuff. Sometimes it works and is the distraction you need and other times it becomes yet another thing you feel you have to do. It sounds like you have made a very sensible decision to step back, regroup and focus on what is really important to you.
We will always be here whenever you feel like engaging again.
Take care,
Bron xo
Hi Meredith, I think you created something wonderful all those years ago with the Japanese Literature Challenge, and I'm glad you've kept it going. Even if you're not keeping up with commenting and posting yourself, you've put something in motion that has a momentum of its own now. So don't worry about it—take all the time you need to take care of yourself and your husband and everything else that's going on, and only come back when you feel you want to. As other commenters have said, we appreciate you and will be here whenever you want to come back :)
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