TTBA Weekly News and Mailbox Monday (late edition)

This feature was inspired by It's Monday! What are you reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey and The Sunday Salon.

Another week has passed.  Where does the time go?! Honestly, I just don't know.  As usual, I had a busy week last week.  First week of school for the boys is always hectic and then me with my trying to cram too much into my already busy life.  I'm sure I'll never learn. ;O)

First, I have to announce that I made the long list in two niche categories for Book Bloggers Appreciation Week...Best Eclectic blog and Best Historical Fiction blog! To anyone/everyone who nominated me, thank you so much! It really means a lot.  I've decided to submit my five blog post links for the Historical Fiction category since that is the primary focus of this blog now.  I hope I am able to choose my best.  Even if it goes no further than the long list, I am truly honored to have made it this far.

I launched my new horror blog last week, Castle Macabre.  If you haven't already, stop on by and visit.  I'm hoping to showcase some great horror authors over there (and some films) and I was invited by Velvet at vvb32 Reads to take part in her September Zombies 2011 event.  How cool is that?!

EVENTS

Stephen King's IT Read-a-Long is going on right now, from August through December.  It's being hosted by Serena at Savvy Verse and Wit and Anna at Diary of an Eccentric.  I'm participating in this via my horror blog, although I'm a bit behind...nothing new! If you would like more details and/or to sign up, go HERE.

My friends Kate and Ashley at Back of the Book Reviews are hosting a month long read-a-thon and Extravaganza in September! It all will run from September 1-30.  The Extravaganza is in celebration of their awesome first six months of blogging and will have daily interviews, guest posts and giveaways, and a grand prize competition and the read-a-thon is just for fun. Wow! A month long read-a-thon...I'm totally up for that. =O) For all the details and to sign-up for the read-a-thon, visit their blog HERE. Extravaganza schedule HERE.

WHAT I'M READING

This week, I'm participating in the Bout of Books Read-a-Thon, hosted by Amanda at On A Book Bender. It runs from 8/22 - 8/28

Yesterday I read ONE ENTIRE BOOK! Major accomplishment for me during a read-a-thon. It was Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie and I enjoyed it immensely. 

Today I'll be reading about 1 1/2 sections of Captivity by Deborah Noyes for TuesBookTalk.

Next will be The Summoner and The Egyptian by Layton Green.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is currently on tour.  This month's host is Staci at Life in the Thumb  (want to read a book description?  Clicking the book covers will take you to the book's page on Amazon)



WON:
Red-Robed Priestess (The Maeve Chronicles) by Elizabeth Cunningham...from Wendy at caribousmom
The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff...Tina at Tutu's Two Cents

BOOKMOOCH:
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

LIBRARY SALE:
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Against a Crimson Sky by James Conroyd Martin
The Innocent by Posie Graeme-Evans
The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins
Silence by Shusako Endo
Grace by Shelley Shepard Gray
Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris
The Gate of Angels by Penelope Fitzgerald
Living Dead Girl by Tod Goldberg
Passing Strange by Sally MacLeod
Uppity Women of Ancient Times by Vicki Leon