Spring 2018 #Bloggiesta - Plans and #ccspin announcement

Another Bloggiesta - I'll do my best!

1. First on the list...finally announcing my Classics Club spin. They picked #3 and on my list of 20 books, #3 was Rabbit, Run by John Updike. This works out good because I can make this my March selection for my Read Your (Book) Shelf reading challenge. THIS TASK IS DONE!
2. My main focus for this Bloggiesta is going to be to update my reading challenge tabs in my blog menu. --I need to add a tab for one of the main perpetual challenges (#13WLRP) I host so I can keep track of my progress. --I need to update my Perpetual challenges tab with the rest of my perpetual challenge participation. --I need to add my yearly challenges (the ones I host) to my 2018 reading challenges tab, and update my progress with all 2018 reading challenges.
3. If I have time, I will update my Books Read tab.
4. Bonus tasks, if there is time.

Wish me luck!

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Fall #Bloggiesta - Plans

I have a lot of things to accomplish and I hope I can get to them all.

-First on the list is to finish cleaning up the mess Photobucket created (reference: this post...if you don't know what I'm talking about). I have to go through five sites. Not sure if I will do the individual posts. It will take too long. If I do decide to do that, I'll only go back a year. My feelings toward Photobucket...please note below. lol

-Draw the winners for my two blogiversary giveaways (here and for Castle Macabre).

-Work on creating the Halloween page for my year round Christmas blog, Christmas Spirit and get together a post for Rudolph Day on September 25.

-Start prepping posts for Banned Books Week next week (Sept. 24-30).

-Finish my Patreon page and add buttons to my three main blogs.

-Can't think of anything else right now, but will add if I do...and if I have time.

This may end up being my motto for this event, but that's okay.

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2017 Spring #Bloggiesta

As always, I'm in. Not sure how much I'll get done, or even if I plan on doing a whole lot. I was sick with some respiratory problems that (thought) I had finally kicked last weekend, but it came back Thursday with a vengeance. I've decided to go to urgent care later today if I don't feel much improved in the morning. I DO NOT want antibiotics, as I'm allergic to everything so let's hope it's not pneumonia or some other infection. The boys are on Spring Break this week and we're going to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky on Thursday. I need to feel better!

Anyway, I digress. Here's my list. I will add to it, if I see fit.

• make button for Spring into Horror Readathon
• draft and publish sign-up post for Spring into Horror
• .....
• ....
• ....

I'll try to visit some blogs as well. 😀

Happy Bloggiesta!

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2017 Winter Mini #Bloggiesta - Mini Plans

Bloggiesta time again! I'm keeping my list pretty short.

• Write up my post with reading challenge sign-ups.  Partially finished
• Create pages on my blog for keeping track of my reading challenges (moving challenges from my challenge blog to my main blog for streamlining purposes).
• Write up the starting line post for my A Winter's Respite Readathon which starts Monday.
• Write a review (or two or three).
• Cleaned up sidebar 

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A Reading Life (45) - #TopTenTuesday #RIPXI #Bloggiesta

Scroll down for Bloggiesta wrap-up.

Seems I'm in a blogging rut of a sort. I post reviews and Cat Thursday, but nothing much else. Trying to get back into the swing of things. I have Banned Books Week at the end of the month so want to be in a better frame for (almost) daily posts that week.

I decided to participate in Top Ten Tuesday this week. It has been a while. I actually like making lists so not sure why I don't do this every week. Here are my top ten favorite literary fiction novels (these may also fall into other categories):

In no particular order...

1. The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger - I loved, loved, loved this book. Even after seven years, it still stays with me. It was actually one of my first reviews on this blog (HERE).

2. The Keep, Jennifer Egan - This book blew me away. It was utterly what I was not expecting and that made it all the better. If you haven't read this...well, you really should.

3. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold - This was another of my first reviews on this blog (HERE). I liked this because of it being a cautionary tale, but also the story was incredibly poignant.

4. The Color Purple, Alice Walker - Not much explanation needed here. The movie is actually one of my favorites. I read the book years later and loved it even more. Brilliant story. (Review here)

5. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro - Ishiguro is a brilliant writer. He knows how to get to the meat of what makes people tick, and it's not always pretty, or ideal. He is one of my favorite authors which is why he makes the list twice...

6. Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro - This is a book not to read if you don't want to sob uncontrollably. Also, don't go watch the end of the film after reading the book. More uncontrolled sobbing. The movie was good. The book is better. The book makes you think...really think...which is my favorite kind of book. (Review here)

7. The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd - A wonderful book, based in fact, about the strength of the human spirit and bonds that can't be broken.

8. The Mountain Story, Lori Lansens - I actually just finished reading this a couple of weeks ago and haven't even had time to review it yet. It is not just about being stranded on a mountain, but about people...what they do to each other and how they love each other in spite of it all.

9. The Gift, Cecelia Ahern - I know Ahern is categorized as a "chick lit" author, but this book is not chick lit. It was a great book to read at Christmas because it has a message, but would be good to read any time of year. Another "will have you sobbing" book.

10. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak - I think everyone has read this so it will be apparent why it's on the list. A book about human bonds, love, tragedy, and how books can bring people together. (Review Here)

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XI

11th year! So glad to have Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings back hosting again. I'm a bit late with this sign-up, but I have a ton of spooky reading going on this Sept-Oct. Yay!

My levels of participation:

Read four books, of any length, from the very broad categories earlier defined as perilous. They could all be by the same author, a series of books, a random mix of classic and contemporary or whatever you like.

Here's what I have on my plate:

• The Night Parade, Ronald Malfi (currently reading)
• The History Major, Michael Phillip Cash (currently reading)
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs (currently reading, hosting read-along at Castle Macabre)
• Salem's Lot, Stephen King (read-along in Oct. for TuesBookTalk & the Stephen King Challenge)
• The Kept Woman, Karin Slaughter
• various other horror novels

Short story read-alongs at Castle Macabre for Season of the Witch:

Edgar Allan Poe:

The Mask of the Red Death 
The Pit and the Pendulum

H.P. Lovecraft
The Dunwich Horror
The Dreams in the Witch-House

I've already seen Ghostbusters and The Disappointments Room and I have to finish watching the last few episodes of Stranger Things. American Horror Story's new season starts tomorrow!

Movies I'm also planning to see:

Morgan
The Blair Witch
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
The Girl on the Train
Ouija: Origin of Evil
Rob Zombie's 31
Rings

and tons of scary movies and paranormal/horror TV shows on television!

BLOGGIESTA!

Goals:

• finish working on the new community reading site I've been promising since August :(
  completed site url: http://www.gathertogetherread.com/
• finishing touches on new perpetual reading challenge accompanying the intro of new site
• sign-up post for FrightFall Read-a-Thon
• create button for new reading challenge to start January 1, 2017
• visit other participants
• work on book catalog and my home library site (A Library, Collected), if I have time
• ...if I think of anything else
• mini-challenge at Guiltless Reading - create a book map Done. Here: http://www.truebookaddict.com/p/my-book-map.html

I accomplished a bit...not a ton, but I'm satisfied. :-)

Recent book acquisitions...

from Goodwill:

Treasured Stories of Christmas (from Norman Vincent Peale, Helen Steiner Rice, Pearl S. Buck, and more)
The Curious Cast of Benjamin Button, F. Scott Fitzgerald
The American Senator, Anthony Trollope
Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History, Fawn M. Brodie
Redcoats & Rebels, Christopher Hibbert
The Light in the Ruins, Chris Bohjalian

What's going on in your Reading life?

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#Bloggiesta Update

I actually was able to cross off the two things I had on my original list...which allows me to add a couple more items I may be able to get to over this weekend. :-)

My original list:

• create badge and sign up post for Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon
• create badge and post for my planned read-a-long of Roots coming next month
• Hoping to complete this weekend...
• Start adding books to my library blog from my catalog of books from my home library
• Update my books read pages on this blog and at Castle Macabre (my horror blog)

What I actually accomplished so far from original list...

• created badge for Roots read-along. 
• created announcement/sign up post and posted.
• posted about read-along in my Seasons of Reading Facebook group
• sent request to Book Bloggers International to post on their calendar
• sent request to Novel Challenge for them to post on their site
• created badge for Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon
• created sign up post and posted.
• posted about read-a-thon in Seasons of Reading Facebook group
• sent request to BBI to post on their calendar
• sent request to Novel Challenge to post on their site

I'm not promising that I will complete the other two items, but I'm certainly going to try. I'm still very proud of what I've done so far. 

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Bloggiesta Plans

It's here! Not sure how much time I'll have to devote to this through the week, but I'll do what I can.

In short, Bloggiesta is a blogging marathon revolving around ticking off those items on your to-do list and improving your blog while in the good company of other awesome bloggers doing the same thing. Our awesome mascot Pedro (Plan. Edit. Develop. Review. Organize) is ready to break out the nachos, enchiladas, drinks, mariachi music and whack a pinata or two! It’s nothing short of an awesome fiesta! (website)

My list is going to be short because I'm not sure what all I'm going to do, but I'll add to it as ideas come.

• create badge and sign up post for Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon
• create badge and post for my planned read-a-long of Roots coming next month
• ...
• ...
• ...

Are you joining in? If so, Good Luck!

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Fall 2015 #Bloggiesta

It's here again. Not sure how much I'll get done, but I do have a few specific things to accomplish...and may add more if I finish stuff on the list.

• Sign up post for FrightFall Read-a-Thon at Seasons of Reading
• Create button and announcement post for Season of the Witch at Castle Macabre (Oct)
• whittle down email inbox. Back at 20K+ so I know I won't get them all cleared
• write review for Friday for Sisters of Versailles (rescheduled for Tuesday)
• Visit and comment on blogs 
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

Extra bullet points..just in case.

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Bloggiesta Spring 2015 #Bloggiesta

SEE WRAP-UP AT END OF POST

Bloggiesta is here again! I will have to see how this goes. I have a bunch of stuff I need to get done, but it's going to depend on work (last week of the month and all). Here's what I'm hoping to accomplish:

• create button and post sign-up for my Sit Down and Read writing challenge (April 1-15)
• create button and post sign-up for the Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon (April 20 - 29)
• update Seasons of Reading blog to Spring (header and background) created new header and blog design/layout  Check it out here
• add images back to past posts they were removed from (due to my purging images on Google on my phone - yes, they're connected)
• change blog background on this blog (maybe)  New design/layout...what do you think?
• finish going through reading challenges in the Novel Challenge folder (email)
• complete my TBR jar
• clear out my email (if I told you how many I have backed up, you would be truly appalled. lol)

Wish me luck!

Wrap-Up:

Well, I was able to cross a few things off the list. I'm happy with what I accomplished, as I had a busy week and was dealing with tooth pain. lol

Mini-Bloggiesta - January 2015

I'm in! But the question is...will I get anything accomplished? I hope so! This is the shorty version of Bloggiesta hosted by the lovely ladies at the Bloggiesta blog.

My plans (there's a reason these are not written in blood. lol)...

• My main goals are to 1) go through all the challenges and decide once and for all which ones I'll be doing (this includes working on my TBR jar) 
• and 2) writing my top favorites books read of 2014 list
• I also have to go through a bunch of blog posts and add the images back in. I deleted them off my Google photos on my phone and that deleted them everywhere! URGH!
• If I have time...I will try to work on my books read pages

These are my very modest goals. We shall see where the chips fall.

If you're joining in this weekend, have fun. Ole!!!

A Reading Life (35) and #Bloggiesta Ending Stats

Bloggiesta stats at end of post

Currently reading:

March, Geraldine Brooks (still)

People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks (yeah, a finish is not looking promising)
The Ancestor's Tale, Richard Dawkins (This one will have to be for another time..too deep for me at the moment)
The House of Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne
All the Pretty Horses, Cormac McCarthy (another Classics Club spin that I will not get to *frown*)

Audio:

The Essential Edgar Allan Poe (Stories, Poems, Biography)

Family Reading Project (20 minutes daily, alternating titles):

The Crystal Cave, Mary Stewart (on page 196)
Salem's Lot, Stephen King (we have chosen this for our scary read for Fall. I started reading SK when I was about 12 or 13 and they've already listened to The Stand with me on audio so they're ready)

Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton (on page 131) (The boys have decided that we should not continue with this one. It's way technical and so kind of over their heads for their age...and they're getting bored)

One movie/One TV show I like right now:

I can't believe I haven't been to a movie since my last Reading Life post which was on September 1st! I usually go to a movie every weekend, but with Gabe's  football games on Saturdays, it hasn't been possible. So, the last movie I watched (with the boys) was The Amazing Spiderman 2 and I was NOT happy with the ending. I'll leave it at that.

New show on SyFy...Z-Nation. Zombies...I love zombies. This one is more campy than The Walking Dead, but it's still pretty good. And I SO enjoyed the back to back Miss Marple episodes on Masterpiece Mystery (PBS) last night. One can never go wrong with Agatha Christie.

Life:

Busy, busy, busy! Work has...should I say exploded or imploded...yeah, one of those. lol I have another new client so I'm working more (which means more money...and I got my raise...the positives) and this week I'm the back up for one VA who is on vacation and I'm also the back up for another who is on maternity leave for two weeks. So trying to fit in blogging and reading has been even more of a challenge. And I'm getting ready to start a writing class this week. Eek!

The reason I missed going to the movies this past weekend...I was shopping for supplies for the Christmas planner I'm making. I first went to Walmart and they didn't have everything I needed so I had to go to Michael's (no Hobby Lobby for me). I got a huge book of Christmas scrapbook paper for half off and I also got a cute jar that was on clearance for my TBR jar project. Hoping I will be able to work on both the planner and TBR jar this week. I'd like to have the planner ready to share on Rudolph Day at The Christmas Spirit (my Christmas blog) on Thursday. Good luck, right!?

Read-a-Longs: 

The read-a-long for The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne is still going on (of course, I'm behind on the reading), in conjunction with Gothic September at Castle Macabre. I was hoping to do more with Gothic Septemeber (some themed posts, etc.), but haven't had time to put anything together. Maybe I can for the last week. We'll see...

I'm thinking about hosting a read-a-long of The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice in October at Castle Macabre, in conjunction with The Never-Ending Anne Rice Challenge. Still haven't decided...guess I better get my butt in gear!

TuesBookTalk - We are currently reading two non-fiction books, Unbroken by Laura Hilenbrand and The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins. Unfortunately, Heather and I have decided that we just cannot finish Ancestor's Tale right now. I might try it again later, but it's just too much for me at the moment. Our scary read for October is 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz.

Lit Collective - we are reading and discussing the works of Geraldine Brooks in August ...I extended this through September. Everyone is behind on the reading. (And I'm STILL behind!)

March

Caleb's Crossing

People of the Book

Theme nominations will soon be open for our theme read in March.

Reading Challenges:

 

I'm still trying to get my sign up ready for Rebecca and Tanya's Travel the World in Books challenge. I'll get to it, ladies...I promise!

My upcoming events (challenges, read-a-thons, other reading events):

Banned Books Week commentary on this blog going on right now. Posts went up today and yesterday and if you check out yesterday's (Sunday) post, I'm offering a giveaway. 

Gothic September at Castle Macabre - going on now

FrightFall Read-a-Thon at Seasons of Reading - Sign Up Here

Season of the Witch at Castle Macabre (Oct) - Want to share with us something scary you loved...book, movie, or TV show? Post will go up over there this week. You can email me at truebookaddict (AT) gmail (DOT) com if you're interested in contributing.

Recent Book Acquisitions (including library check-outs):

For review:

Die I Will Not, S.K. Rizzolo
Prisoner of the Queen, E. Knight
Consolamentum, Rebecca Hazell
The Oblate's Confession, William Peek

Library Sale:

The Weekend, Bernhard Schlink
Moby Dick, Herman Melville
Leviathan, Scott Westerfeld
Lydia Bennet's Story, Jane Odiwe
The Long Song, Andrea Levy
Memoir from Antproof Case, Mark Helprin
Against All Things Endings: The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Stephen R. Donaldson
Allison Hewett is Trapped, Madeleine Roux
The Woman in the Fifth, Douglas Kennedy
The Old Curiosity Shop, Charles Dickens

Goodwill:
Beautiful Disaster, Jamie McGuire
Dexter in the Dark, Jeff Lindsay
Shadow of Night, Deborah Harkness

Bloggiesta ending stats
My original list with tasks struck through:

1. Add a Family Reading Project tab to pages tab and create a page to keep track of our progress.

2. Write a review for The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

3. Work on my Slideshare projects for my Banned Books Week posts Created one

4. Come up with my list for the Travel the World in Books reading challenge (long overdue)

5. (Possibly) start working on my TBR Jar Project  purchased jar and paper - lol

6. I forgot to add...clean out email, respond to any review requests YES!

7. Cleaned up sidebar - non-appearing images and non-working links, updated other linked badges

8. ???

9. ???

Okay, so I didn't do too hot. Some is better than none, right? My main thing was the email. I have to STOP letting it get like that!

What's going on in your Reading Life?

#Bloggiesta - Semi-formed plans

It's time for another Bloggiesta! Yay! Of course, not sure why I'm so excited, as I'm so busy with work right now, I'm not sure how much I'll get done. I do have a couple of for sure tasks and then I'll just leave some open spaces to add on to if/when I think I might be able to squeeze more in.

1. Add a Family Reading Project tab to pages tab and create a page to keep track of our progress.
2. Write a review for The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
3. Work on my Slideshare projects for my Banned Books Week posts
4. Come up with my list for the Travel the World in Books reading challenge (long overdue)
5. (Possibly) start working on my TBR Jar Project
6. I forgot to add...clean out email, respond to any review requests
7. Cleaned up sidebar - non-appearing images and non-working links, updated other linked badges
8. ???
9. ???

I will also try to attend a Twitter chat, or two...but that depends on work too.

Happy Bloggiesta!

Mini-Bloggiesta July 2014

It's that time again. Not sure how much I'll get done because I'm supposed to be writing too, but we'll see. Here's my tentative list...

• Is cleaning out your email a Bloggiesta task? If most of the emails are blogging related, I would say yes! This is my number one goal.
• I need to do a mini-challenge contest post for my Stephen King Challenge.
• I need to set up a Wheel of Fortune spin for The Fantasy Project
• I'm thinking of creating another long term reading challenge. Hint: it surrounds my favorite author. A virtual cupcake if you can guess who and leave me a comment. *wink*
• I wonder if I'll get around to finally listing my books read from the past two years here on the blog? Maybe this time.
• I'd like to work on my library blog, but this may have to wait until the full blown Bloggiesta in the Fall.
• Starting post for High Summer Read-a-Thon.
• ....
• ....

(Some blanks in case I want to add anything. Yeah, I'm crazy!)

What are your Bloggiesta plans? Not signed up, you can do so here.