A Couple of Announcements

My sons sometimes play games on a website called TotalJerkface. Well, I'm applying that acronym to myself today because...Book Bloggers International featured me on their site on July 11th and I. forgot. all. about. it. See...total jerkface me! So, I figure I'll announce it now because, although I don't deserve the exposure after my...shall we say, mishap...their site certainly does deserve to be recognized. So, if you forgive me my faux pas, stop by and check out my interview and certainly be sure to browse their site while you're there. Maybe when you're featured, you won't forget. Doh!

In other news...

Check out the Thrift Books Pinterest Contest! The page to find out how to enter is HERE (or click the image above). The Thrift Books contest pin is HERE. The contest runs until July 30, 2013 and is open to U.S. residents only.

Grand Prize is one (1) $50 gift card to Thriftbooks.com. Two (2) $25 gift cards to Thriftbooks.com will be awarded to two (2) runners-up. Winners selected based on their answers to "What’s your favorite book and why?" Prizes are only redeemable on Thriftbooks.com.

Here's the link to my board with my top ten, if you want to take a look at how it's done: http://pinterest.com/truebookaddict/my-thrift-books-top-10/

If you enter, good luck! And stop back by and share the link to your top ten. =O)

Memories of Summer Reading

Be sure to stop by over at Wordsmithonia today.  I'm guesting over there and I tell all about some summer reading habits I had as an adolescent.  Hope to see you there!

Save the Date! High Summer Read-a-Thon

Announcing the dates for the High Summer Read-a-Thon.  The big week will be July 16 - 22.  Save the date! More details and sign-up coming soon.  I hope you will join me!

Notice: Book Nooks

I apologize for not posting for Book Nooks this weekend.  I'm going out of town tomorrow...oooh, it's after midnight...today and it has been a hectic weekend of packing, etc., plus Bloggiesta.  What was I thinking?  I hope all you lovely Book Nook regulars will forgive me.

TTBA Weekly News and Mailbox Monday

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

Today was the first day of my read-a-thon, A Winter's Respite, and it got off to a great start with all of the enthusiastic participants.  It's so fun when people get excited! I had a bit of a slow start getting everything posted, as I was working on reading a book for a book tour for today so I was late posting giveaways, mini-challenges, the prize page, etc.  I hope everyone forgives me.  Hey, I did finish a book though! You can read my review of Lifting the Wheel of Karma and enter the three copy giveaway HERE.  You can still get in on the read-a-thon.  It lasts through Sunday.  Go HERE for details and to sign-in.

NEWS

I recently announced a new reading challenge which I am co-hosting with Kate from Read 2 Review.  The Stephen King Challenge is a perpetual reading challenge and will start on February 1, 2012.  To encourage regular reading of the books (because, let's face it, we all tend to procrastinate when there is no eminent deadline), there will be periodic mini-challenges with prizes and we will have occasional read-a-longs.  Of course, I will be participating, as well as Kate, but we will be excluded from winning any prizes, of course.  For more information about the challenge and to sign up (I hope you will), please visit the dedicated blog.

EVENTS

If you haven't already, please take a moment to stop over at Castle Macabre and vote on the name for my Spring read-a-thon.  I've decided to make the Fall and Spring read-a-thons scary themed and the Winter and Summer with regular themes hosted here.  I want to pick a good name because it is probably what I'll use year after year.  The poll is at the top of the left sidebar.  Please go cast your vote at Castle Macabre.  I really appreciate it!

TuesBookTalk Read-a-Longs on Twitter (@tuesbooktalk  #tuesbooktalk) and on Goodreads is reading The Color Purple by Alice Walker in honor of Black History Month in February.  Our discussion will actually start on Tuesday, January 31 because we are going to take Tuesday, February 14 off for Valentine's Day.  Chats on Twitter are at 10:30pm EST/9:30pm CST.  You do not have to join us on Twitter.  Feel free to share your thoughts in the Goodreads group if you can't make the chat on Twitter.  Get the full reading schedule HERE.  

What I'm reading

You can check out what I'm reading this week for the read-a-thon in the sticky post at the top of the post section.  I will probably be adding to the list, as this week is relatively uneventful. =O)

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is currently on tour. This month's host is Alyce from At Home with Books (want to read a book description? Clicking the book covers will take you to the book's page on Amazon)



WON:
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa...from Good Choice Reading

Stay by Allie Larkin...from Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book
Lori also sent me some swag, some yummy hot cocoa and buttery Kettle Corn microwave popcorn!

BOOKMOOCH:
The Lambs of London by Peter Ackroyd

HISTORY BOOK CLUB (a back order from my earlier order):
Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell

LIBRARY SALE:
Mistress Shakespeare by Karen Harper
I Should Be Extremely Happy in Your Company: A Novel of Lewis and Clark by Brian Hall
The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander
Wealtheow: Her Telling of Beowulf by Ashley Crownover
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen
The Daughter of Siena by Marina Fiorato

American Psycho (Uncut Killer Collector's Edition) got this DVD for $1.50!

Important Announcements

A Winter's Respite Read-a-Thon is less than two days away! It starts at 12 midnight on Monday.  Have you signed up?  I have received a ton of prize donations and I have a few authors and bloggers hosting mini-challenges and giveaways so it's looking like it's going to be a fun time.  Like I ever had any doubt! If you'd like to sign up or read more about the read-a-thon, go HERE.  Or you can wait until it starts on Monday and sign in at the starting line.  All participants must sign in at the starting line to be eligible for the giveaways.   Remember, you can join us at any time during the week of the read-a-thon.  Just be sure to sign in when you're ready to start.  Again, the sign-in post will go live on Monday at midnight.  Hope you will join me!

I recently announced a new reading challenge which I am co-hosting with Kate from Read 2 Review.  The Stephen King Challenge is a perpetual reading challenge and will start on February 1, 2012.  To encourage regular reading of the books (because, let's face it, we all tend to procrastinate when there is no eminent deadline), there will be periodic mini-challenges with prizes and we will have occasional read-a-longs.  Of course, I will be participating, as well as Kate, but we will be excluded from winning any prizes, of course.  For more information about the challenge and to sign up (I hope you will), please visit the dedicated blog.

Yes, I signed up for one more reading challenge! Amber at The Musings of ALMYBNENR is hosting the 2012 Tudor Reading Challenge.  Of course, I couldn't resist this one, for my love for the Tudors knows no bounds.  LOL! Plus, it will fit in nicely with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.  Certainly looking forward to it! Of course, my progress on the challenge will be tracked at my challenge blog.

Check out my guest post...

Stop over at Between the Covers today, where I share some recommendations on Friday's Five Books.  A big thank you to Heather for hosting me!

A COUPLE QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS

I know I said I would try to save these kinds of announcements for my TTBA Weekly News posts on Mondays, but these items warrant an extra post.

GIVEAWAY UPDATE

I'm going to extend the giveaway of the books, The Commander and the Den Asaan Rautu and Tales from Frewyn by Michelle Franklin.  Michelle is generously giving away 10 eBook copies of each book to 10 lucky winners.  These are an original fantasy novel, and tales, with terrific artwork.  Michelle has also shared one of the stories with us over at the giveaway post.  Since I had low entries, I'm going to extend this giveaway until Sunday, July 24 at 11:59pm CST.  If you haven't entered, you can check out the story and enter HERE.

TUESBOOKTALK READ ALONGS: JULY 2011 BOOK SELECTION


TuesBookTalk Read Alongs on Twitter (@tuesbooktalk  #tuesbooktalk) and on Goodreads chose mystery/thriller for July's genre.  Our discussion starts Tuesday, July 12 on Twitter at 10:30pm ET/9:30pm CST.  You do not have to join us on Twitter.  Feel free to share your thoughts in the Goodreads group if you can't make the chat on Twitter.  Get the full reading schedule HERE.  This month we are reading:

A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

Intense Debate has gone the way of the dinosaurs, at least on this blog anyway.  Although I liked the ability to respond to comments from my email, I didn't like always having to attempt login three or four times before I could post a comment AND the periodic disappearance of the Intense Debate comment section and subsequent reappearance of blogger comments.  If this keeps happening, you might as well just stick with the blogger comment system, at least in my opinion.   I apologize for any confusion.

We are having a giveaway at the Historical Fiction Connection for Sins of the House of Borgia by Sarah Bower.  The giveaway ends on February 13 and is USA only.  Go HERE for details and entry.  Good luck!

Exciting news on the TuesBookTalk front! Our next read will be The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner! I have been wanting to read this book...like forever.  Our first discussion starts next Tuesday, February 15, at 10:30pm ET/9:30pm CT on Twitter (#tuesbooktalk).  The discussion schedule and weekly discussion threads can be found at our TuesBookTalk Goodreads group HERE.  I hope you will consider joining us!

Announcements

First of all, I wanted to take a moment to recognize that I passed 150 followers on Friday! Thank you so much to all of my followers.  I really appreciate that you read what I write and leave such great comments!

Now, on to the next bit of news.  For those of you who know Bella of A Bibliophile's Bookshelf, you probably have heard that she is going to give up her blog and will no longer be blogging.  What you may not have known (or maybe you did) was that Bella was hosting the 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge.  When I found out she was leaving, I asked her if she would like me to take over the challenge and she was very glad for me to do it.  So, without further ado, I am now the official host of the 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge!  I have created a dedicated blog for the challenge here.  If you already signed up on Bella's blog, you will need to sign up again there (could not transfer the original Mr. Linky).  And if you haven't signed up and would like to, please join us...the more the merrier! Also, please be sure to follow the blog as there will be a challenge meme and I'm thinking about hosting a giveaway this summer.

I sure will miss blogging with Bella, as I'm sure we all will.  But I'm so glad that I was able to carry on this excellent challenge she created.  Thanks Bella!