Tuesday, March 6, 2012

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.

I am coming off a week long bout of the flu.  Needless to say, I'm just now getting back to feeling 100% and the reading royally sucked for that entire week.  I don't know what it is, but just when I think I'm going to get it together and catch up on some stuff, something like this happens.  What, do I have a giant 'L' on my forehead?  Okay, negative rant over, sort of.

I need someone to explain to me how some bloggers are organized enough to do monthly recap/in review posts?  Is it that I just don't want to do it or is it that I'm not organized enough?  I think it might be a little bit of both.  Or maybe it's because I never accomplish enough reading in a month to even bother posting about.  I really thought 2012 was going to be different, but it seems I haven't got any better in the time wasting department (in addition to illness and life issues interfering) to put a terrific effort forward.  Of course, I'm always striving to do better and I guess that's what counts in the end.  So, do you do monthly reading recaps?  If you don't, do you want to?  Just curious.  ;O)

What's been going on lately in reading....
It's really no surprise that I'm behind on Wallace's Bleak House read-a-long.  I'm surprised Wallace doesn't hunt me down and put me out of my misery.  It would be the humane thing to do.  LOL! I am almost finished with the first section and should be posting about it shortly.

I'm doing the Review Copy Clean-Up this month and I still have to show off my review copy pile (although it's more a monstrosity than a pile).  How embarrassing.  So be looking for that post soon as well.  Prepare to be bombarded....just a little forewarning.

TuesBookTalk Read-a-Long for March....House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Our discussion starts tomorrow, March 6, on Twitter (@TuesBookTalk, #TuesBookTalk) at 10:30pm ET/9:30pm CT.  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.

Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon....
The voting has ended over at Castle Macabre and as you can see above, the voters chose that title.  Pretty cute, I think! Now don't let the word 'horror' dissuade you from participating.  The only 'rule' in that regard will be to read at least one 'scary' book during the read-a-thon.  It does not have to be horror...it can be a thriller, a gothic tale, a mystery, paranormal...just something with a scary element (most mysteries have a murder, right?  That's scary).  I have not set the date in April yet, because strangely Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon site has not mentioned when their date is (I can't even get the site to come up) and I don't want to interfere with their read-a-thon.  So keep April in mind and I'll be announcing the dates and sign-up details soon.  I will be hosting this one at Castle Macabre.

What I've been reading....
Currently reading:
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill (book tour review on Wednesday)
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Oleanna by Julia K. Rose
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (I was reading this for a read-a-long, but got seriously behind so now I've decided to just read it a bit at a time, even if it takes me all year)

Considering reading:
11/22/63 by Stephen King (for Chunkster Challenge read-a-long)

Recently finished:
The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau (Review)
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells and The Color Purple by Alice Walker (mini-reviews)
The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose (Review)




Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia and is currently on tour. This month's host is Diary of an Eccentric. (want to read a book description? Clicking the book covers will take you to the book's page on Amazon)

BookBox: embed book widget, share book list

WON:
52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You by Brett Blumenthal...from Mary at
Bookhounds

BOOKMOOCH:
People of the Wolf by Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear
The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
In a Dark Wood Wandering: A Novel of the Middle Ages by Hella S. Haasse

BARNES AND NOBLE (from giftcard):
Making Handmade Books: 100+ Bindings, Structures, and Forms by Alisa Golden

DOLLAR TREE:
The Jewel of Medina by Sherry Jones

GOODWILL:
Luxe by Anna Godbersen
In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannan
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
The Diviners by Rick Moody
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Thunderstruck by Erik Larson

Have a great week and happy reading!

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5 comments:

Thank you for visiting and taking the time to comment. It means so much.

I apologize for word verification, but as soon as I changed the settings from only users with Google accounts, I started receiving a ton of spam comments...within one hour of changing the settings. The bots are on high alert apparently.

  1. I've been wanting to read more Agatha Christie so I'm looking forward to your thoughts on that book. Happy reading!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Look at all of those things you're trying to balance, woman! You're getting a ton done! I never do end of month posts because, well, I figure if someone is reading my blog regularly, they already know what I've read. If they don't follow regularly, then they probably don't care for a recap anyway. And I don't have the time either!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The last thing I saw for Dewey's was April 21st this year. I can get all the old pages to come up, just not the home page. The last post I see is from last year October. Don't know what's going on, since I don't know anyone involved personally. Anyway, that's all I know!

    http://24hourreadathon.com/2011/10/25/october-read-a-thon-review-link-up/

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's me again! Dewey's does have a facebook page, at which I just got a VERY prompt answer (like a minute after I posted I think!) so it's on for April 21st, as stated there:

    http://www.facebook.com/readathon

    So I think you're free to plan! :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Man in the Brown Suit is my second favorite book of hers. I hope you love it. I'm really jealous of In the Bell of Jonah by the way.

    ReplyDelete
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