Celebrating 16 years of True Book Addict!!

Another year in the books!

What a worthwhile experience it has been...starting out blogging here and gradually branching out to running a full online reading community. My reading group on Goodreads, my horror blog, Castle Macabre (which will celebrate 14 years on August 16th), my readathon site, Seasons of Reading, and my reading community hub for the reading challenges I host, Gather Together and Read.

If you're new to my site, check down in the sidebar and you will see graphics linking to the moving parts of the reading community I mentioned above. (I've also linked them above.)

I have met some fantastic people and made lifelong friends through this blogging journey. I wouldn't change a thing!

To everyone who has been here since the beginning, and to those who came after, thank you for letting me share with you through the years. 💙💙💙

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15 years of True Book Addict!

15 years! I have been so lucky...starting out blogging here and gradually branching out to running a full online reading community. My reading group on Goodreads, my horror blog, Castle Macabre (celebrating 12 years on August 16th), my readathon site, Seasons of Reading, and my reading community hub for the reading challenges I host, Gather Together and Read.

If you're new to my site, check down in the sidebar and you will see graphics linking to the moving parts of the reading community I mentioned above. (I've also linked them above.)

To everyone who has been here since the beginning, and to those who came after, thank you for letting me share with you through the years. 💜

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It's my 14 Year Blogiversary!!

14 years of writing about books...and cats! If someone would have told me back in 2009 that I would still be blogging, and basically running my own online reading community, I would not have believed it. What a blessing this blog, and community, has been for me. I hope to continue for many years to come, and I hope you will be with me. 

If you're new to my site, check down in the sidebar and you will see graphics linking to the moving parts of the reading community I mentioned above. 

To everyone who has been here since the beginning, and those who came after. thank you for letting me share with you. 

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13 Years of True Book Addict!

As of today, this blog has been active for 13 years! Wow! Though things have slowed down a bit around here, there have been 2074 posts of bookish, and cat loving, fun since its inception. The bookish community online is where I found my tribe. What I have built in the community since opening this blog 13 years ago has been so rewarding...a readathon community at Seasons of Reading hosting six (sometimes seven) readathons yearly, hosting reading challenges and read-alongs which have lead to a bookish community over at Gather Together and Read, a book group on Goodreads, True Book Talk, with weekly discussions on Slack, a year-round Christmas blog to celebrate my love of Christmas, and a horror blog, Castle Macabre, to embrace the wondrous thing that is horror in books and movies (CM will also be celebrating a blog anniversary, 11 years on August 16!). Oh, and social media groups/pages accompanying the places mentioned above.

I'm not sure what direction this blog is going, but I fully intend to stay active, and I hope to share more content on a regular basis again. Thank you to those of you who have stuck with me through the years. Book blogging truly changed my life and I will be forever grateful for that. 

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#ThrowbackThursday (1) The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy

Davida at The Chocolate Lady hosts this Throwback Thursday meme monthly and I've decided to participate. The idea is to highlight/share a previously published book review. Since I've been blogging since 2009, I have a lot of reviews to revisit (even if I have slowed down in more recent years, I used to be quite a prolific reviewer. lol).

So, today I'm sharing the very first book review I wrote for this blog. The book was The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater and the review was published on August 6, 2009. 

Without further ado...

For those of us who love Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, this book is an excellent companion piece to that wonderful novel. This is Pride and Prejudice told entirely from Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy's point of view--written entirely in diary form. I liked this book because it gives more insight into the character of Darcy...his inner turmoils and doubts. In his diary, he wears his heart on his sleeve and we are shown an even more caring character than we find in Pride and Prejudice

and, therefore, a more suitable match for Miss. Elizabeth Bennett. We also are treated to a look at Mr. Darcy's friendship with the illustrious Lord Byron. Darcy's propriety and genuine character contrasts nicely with Byron's debauchery, although Darcy is far from being of complete innocence--he is a single man after all. I found the addition of Lord Byron to the story very clever as it gives Mr. Darcy a place, so to speak, in the historical world. Some may be shocked by some of Mr. Darcy's actions in the book, but I find it refreshing as it seems an accurate portrayal of a well-to-do bachelor of the time period. What I do find ironic is the fact that the Bennett sisters are considered "unsuitable" for a high-born marriage because of their lower status in society and yet a wealthy bachelor could visit houses of ill repute, etc. and not fear for a lowering of his reputation. I guess it was certainly a man's world back then! In all, The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy is an excellent read. Ms. Slater has produced a novel that is smart and provocative. Austen enthusiasts should consider reading this, especially after reading the original Pride and Prejudice again.

Original post here.

Join in! Click the link to The Chocolate Lady blog for all the info on how to participate.

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The Actual 9 Year #Blogiversary of True Book Addict

Yes, I'm almost two weeks late AND I think part of that is because...I celebrated the wrong damn blogiversary last year. I started this blog on August 5, 2009. 2009 to 2017 is not nine years, it's eight! Oh dear.

Anyway, this is officially nine years of blogging here and though I've slowed down, I'm not tired of it. It's my own little corner of the web and it's here when I feel like sharing about books and cats and whatever else. I'm not going to have any fanfare this year. That can be next year when it will be 10 YEARS! Wow!

A big thank you to everyone who loyally reads my blog. I appreciate you so much. This blog has been instrumental in opening my world to so many like-minded people who I now consider the best of friends. What greater reward could there be?

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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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Happy Nine Years, True Book Addict! #Blogiversary

Can you believe it? Nine years! Where has the time gone?

I found my tribe nine years ago and it has changed my life. A girl who already loved reading blew that love up into the stratosphere when she discovered book blogging and this wonderful bookish community. This blog started it all for me. I not only blog here, and at my sister (horror) blog, Castle Macabre, but I also host two book clubs on Goodreads, host six readathons yearly at Seasons of Reading, and I have a community reading site, Gather Together and Read, from which I host all of my reading challenges (and read-alongs of books from those challenges).

I know my blogging/reviews have slacked off a bit, but I'm still around and I'm trying to get back into more regular review writing. In the meantime, I'm participating in Roof Beam Reader's Austin in August, and I still host Cat Thursday every week.

I'd like to thank everyone who follows me and takes the time to read what I post. As many of you know, blogging is a labor of love. We don't get paid. A person must have a real passion for it to keep at it year after year. I have no intention of stopping. I love it. I love all the friends I've made, all the great authors I've met, and all of the wonderful books I've discovered.

So, in recognition of nine wondrous years, and to thank you for your friendship and loyalty, I'm hosting a little giveaway. I'm giving away a $10 gift certificate (egift) from Better World Books to one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me a book you've read recently that you would recommend. Don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact the winner. (Anyone who does not leave an email address will not be entered. If you're afraid of a bot stealing it, enter it like so: truebookaddict AT gmail DOT com) This giveaway will end on September 1st at 12 midnight central time.

Good luck...and thanks again for being here!

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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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Celebrating 7 Years of True Book Addict!

Time sure does fly! Today marks SEVEN YEARS of my little niche in the blogosphere. Writing this blog has been such a blessing in my life. I honestly can't imagine my life without it. I have made so many friends in our book blogging community. That makes it even more worthwhile.

via GIPHY

My very first post was the bookish meme 32 Questions Asked and Answered. Since then, I've written 1605 posts (this will be 1606), have had 3,116,519 page views, and I have over 600 friend connect followers, over 1200 Google+ followers, almost 400 Bloglovin' and over 100 email subscribers. I'm so glad that people enjoy reading my blog. I certainly enjoy writing it.

I've also been lucky enough to carve an even larger niche with a sister (horror) blog, Castle Macabre, hosting reading communities on Goodreads (TuesBookTalk and Lit Collective), hosting seasonal read-a-thons with my Seasons of Reading blog and community on Facebook, and hosting a myriad of perpetual reading challenges. (Note: I have a new community in the works that will encompass all of my perpetual reading challenges AND I'm rolling out a new challenge. Stay tuned!)

via GIPHY

To commemorate the day, I'm giving away a $7.00 Amazon digital gift. This is only open to followers so be sure to leave a comment with how you follow to enter. I'll leave the giveaway open for a week...maybe two. (Be sure to leave an email address so I can contact the winner)

So, thank you so much for seven wonderful years. I'm looking forward to many, many more.

via GIPHY

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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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Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2016 - It's Back!

I've been living under a rock so I just found out last night that this was being brought back by The Estella Society...and I signed up...11th Hour!

Today, we introduce ourselves with five books that represent us as a person. I'm going to do mine more as a defining moment, or why/how these books shaped me as a reader. Kinda sorta.

Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice. My favorite book and the book that introduced me to my favorite author of all time. It was the third book in the Vampire Chronicles series, but I read it first for some reason. Only then did my mom, who had read the first book, Interview with the Vampire, many years before, inform me about the first book. Doh! I proceeded to read the first and second book, and then read Queen of the Damned again. I have since read it four times and the first, second and fourth books twice. Of course, I will read Queen of the Damned again, and probably the others too.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Another favorite. I credit this book with igniting my huge passion for historical fiction which has become one of my top three favorite genres.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This is the book that I read and loved when I was a girl, and have since read it many more times. Jo taught me that a girl could do anything and sparked my passion for writing.

Grist by Linda Little. This one is a relatively recent one, but it was my favorite read in 2014 and it touched me profoundly. I guess it was because it reminded me how blessed I am to be mother...what a precious thing it is, and also how lucky I am to be a woman in this age, able to make my own choices.

Let Me In (or Let The Right One In) by John Ajvide Lindqvist. I'm a huge horror fan. I mean, I have another blog dedicated to the horror/speculative fiction genre (Castle Macabre) so that makes it pretty obvious. I credit this book for getting me excited about horror again. I read it in 2009.

Trying to define yourself by five books is really hard. There are so many books I've loved and that have changed my life. I'm sure it's the same for many of you as well.

Once again, welcome back BBAW!

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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 
• 
  
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• 
  
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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

Introspective Thoughts (2) - No Guilt

That's right. You heard it here first. No more guilt.

I completely and utterly failed at Mini-Bloggiesta last week. Did not complete ONE single thing on my list. Know what? No guilt.

I still haven't come up with ANY resolutions/goals for this year, reading or otherwise. Know what? No guilt.

I'm not going to do a 2014 top ten favorite reads this year. That's right. No guilt.

But hey...here's my favorite read from 2014. Drumroll...

Grist by Linda Little (read my review of this magnificent little book here) My sister also loved it. It's just really, really, really good.

I'm hoping to decide on reading challenges and to get my TBR jar done this weekend, but it I don't...you got it. No guilt!

I guess you could say that is my number one goal this year, and moving forward in life. Letting go of the guilt, especially in reading and blogging...my passion in life. We'll see how it goes.

Are you letting go of guilt in your reading/blogging life?

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?