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.

Is it really almost the middle of March already?  I can't stand it! Remember when we were kids and the year always seemed to go by so slowly?  We would be thinking that Christmas was so far away, or summer vacation was never going to get here.  Now that we're old, everything goes by so fast.  I would love to go back to when everything seemed to take forever.  Wouldn't you?  Anyway, just a little reflection there.  I just have so much on my plate right now, I think I might be getting a bit overwhelmed.  Okay, Michelle, think positively.  You will overcome and triumph...my new mantra. ;O)

What's going on in the reading world....

I showed off my review copy piles for the Review Copy Clean-Up.  You can see the embarrassing details HERE.  I'm beginning to think that I'm not going to get much of a clean-up done this month.  As you can see at the top of the blog, I'm not accepting review books until I get more caught up.  I had to make it very obvious because I still get a ton of requests in my inbox daily.

The Forever Amber Read-a-Long starts this Sunday.  Are you ready?  Haven't heard about it yet?  There's still time to join us over at Historical Fiction Connection.  Check out all the details HERE.  Would love to have you join us!

I have announced the Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon over at Castle Macabre.  The dates are April 23 - 29, on the tailcoats of Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon.  I had to make it that week because I'll be out of town in the early part of the month.  Hope that's okay with everyone.  I'm really hoping to make this read-a-thon more about the reading this time so any challenges will be reading related.  I'll also be seeking any prize donations or giveaway hosts so if you're game or you know anyone, let me know.  For all the read-a-thon details and to sign-up, head over to this POST at Castle Macabre.

I have to share again about Jillian's (A Room of One's Own) The Classics Club.  It's such a cool, long term classics challenge.  You really must check it out.  Read all about it in my post HERE.

What I've been reading....
Currently reading:
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
The Turning of Anne Merrick by Christine Blevins (review for tour on Friday)
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
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)


Getting ready to start:
Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor
The Turquoise by Anya Seton
A couple of review books from my pile, not sure which yet

Still considering starting:
11/22/63 by Stephen King

Recently finished:
At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill (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)



FOR REVIEW:
Never Say Sorry by Rose Edmunds...from Read 2 Review reading group--April read

from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours:
The Dragon's Harp b Rachel Pruitt
The Flower Reader by Elizabeth Loupas

WON:
from Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer:
The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore
Snow Rising by Matt Baldwin

BOOKMOOCH:
Water Bound by Christine Feehan
The Life and Death of a Druid Prince by Anne Ross and Don Robins

MYSTERY GUILD (intro package):
The Raising by Laura Kasischke
The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco
The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice (squeeeeee!)
The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
Mozart's Last Aria by Matt Rees
The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston

LIBRARY SALE:
Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
Darcy and Elizabeth: Nights and Days at Pemberley by Linda Berdoll
The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho
The Rift Walker: Vampire Empire #2 by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino
In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires by Raymond T. McNally and Radu Florescu
The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron