Goodreads Catch-Up Read-a-Thon

STICKY POST FOR READ-A-THON UPDATES--PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR NEWER CONTENT.  THANKS!


Yes, I know...another read-a-thon. But, as I was getting ready to have another self-imposed read-a-thon anyway, this couldn't come at a better time. Stephanie at Once Upon a Chapter is hosting this one.  Here are the details from her blog:

*Will run from 2/24 (12:01 AM) to 3/1 (11:59 PM).

*If you are a blogger, please do a post announcing your participation. If you want to do all of your updating from one post, that is completely fine by me. (You can also grab the smaller button below.)

*I will be having mini-challenges throughout the week. Two for US residents and one for my international friends!

*I can’t stress this enough: HAVE FUN with the read-a-thon!

To sign up, visit her BLOG


What will I be reading...hmmm?


Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (yes, I'm still trying to catch up for the read-a-long)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Oleanna by Julia K. Rose
Macbeth by Shakespeare
The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (finish on Tuesday for TuesBookTalk)

I'm going to use this post for all my updates and I will make it a sticky post.

Updates
I'm using the update template created by Bout of Books (slightly modified)

2/24

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2/25
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2/26
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2/27
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2/28
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2/29
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3/1

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Cat Thursday

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! (share your post in the Mr. Linky below)


A very special Cat Thursday this week.  Here is Alice Anne on the eve of her birthday.  Yes, her birthday is tomorrow, February 24.  She'll be five years old.


In case you're wondering why I'm suddenly calling her Alice Anne.  Well, she has a middle name now! My husband's brother has been staying with us and he started calling her Alice Anne and since my middle name is Anne, I thought, why not!

"Am I really a year older tomorrow?"

"I'm not quite sure how I feel about that!"

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.

Hope everyone had a great week last week! I don't have much to report, except that my family and I got to stay at the Opryland Hotel over the weekend for a Dreamworks Family Fun Night, courtesy of Klout perks.  You can read all about it HERE.  It was great fun and didn't cost us a penny. =O)

NEWS
Have you checked out my new history blog yet?  It's brand new so there's not much posted over there yet, but my introductory post is about William Wallace.  And the blog design is nice too. ;O)  Stop by and check it out if you get a chance.  The blog is called A Brave Heart.


EVENTS

Just a quick reminder:  Marie and I are hosting a read-a-long of Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor over at our blog, Historical Fiction Connection.  It runs from March 18 through April 14.  Head over to the blog and read this POST for all the details.  If you haven't signed up yet, we would love for you to join us!


What I'm reading:
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (for TuesBookTalk)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (still trying to catch up for the read-a-long)
Macbeth by Shakespeare

Finished:
The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau (REVIEW)
The Rebel Wife by Taylor M. Polites (REVIEW)

Starting soon:
Oleanna by Julie K. Rose
The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose (book tour/review on 2/29)

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

FOR REVIEW:
The Forest Laird: A Tale of William Wallace by Jack Whyte (from publisher, Tor/Forge)

FROM BETTER WORLD BOOKS:
Twilight of Avalon: A Novel of Tristan and Isolde by Anne Elliott
Dark Moon of Avalon: A Novel of Tristan and Isolde (Book 2) by Anne Elliott

FROM AMAZON (WITH GIFT CERTIFICATES):
The Turquoise by Anya Seton
The Shangri-La Diet: The No Hunger Eat Anything Weight Loss Plan by Seth Roberts, Ph.D.
The Everything Guide to Writing a Novel by Joyce and Jim Lavene

FROM BARNES AND NOBLE (WITH GIFT CARD):
Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz
Treasury of Art Nouveau Design and Ornament (Dover Books)
Twelve Degas Dancers Bookmarks (Dover Books)
Keep Calm and Carry On bookmark

Book Tour: Book Review and {Give@way}--The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau

My thoughts:
It was a perilous time during the reign of Henry the VIII of England.  Women who caught his eye and who were 'lucky' enough to be made his wife would not feel so lucky for long.  At least, in the case of a few of them.  Loyal servants who served his will in one instance could next find themselves out of favor and facing execution for some failing, many times through no fault of their own.  And none felt the danger more than the faithful who served at the monasteries, at the priories and abbeys throughout England at the time.  These institutions were being suppressed and the nuns and monks turned out (with or without pensions, depending on the situation) to either find houses in foreign countries or to find new ways of life.  For many, a life outside of an religious order was unthinkable, but they were given no choice as Henry appointed himself the head of the Church and ushered in a new era of religious reform.

It is among this strife that this excellent novel is set.  Meticulously researched, The Crown is at once a historical novel that the reader will learn a lot from.  I am always pleasantly surprised when I learn something new from a historical novel and in this case, I learned of King Athelstan, a king that I had never heard of.  Just when you think you know pretty much everything about a particular country's history, something like this comes along to prove you wrong.  It happened to me here in a big way.  I can't wait to go off on my own and read more about him and the legends surrounding him.  One of these legends is about his crown which is what the book is about.  There is a desperate search for this crown and so we are also given an exciting and interesting mystery along with the excellent historical prose.  I'm not kidding when I say exciting.  I was literally on the edge of my seat during many parts of the book.

Add to what I've said above the seamless incorporation of historical figures, such as Mary Tudor, Katherine of Aragon, Anne and George Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, as well as compelling and heroic characters, and this book easily takes a place on my list of great works of historical fiction.  Joanna is a heroine I have a strong liking and admiration for and I look forward to the continuation of the series in the second book, The Chalice.

About the book:
An aristocratic young nun must find a legendary crown in order to save her father—and preserve the Catholic faith from Cromwell’s ruthless terror. The year is 1537...

Joanna Stafford, a Dominican nun, learns that her favorite cousin has been condemned by Henry VIII to be burned at the stake. Defying the sacred rule of enclosure, Joanna leaves the priory to stand at her cousin’s side. Arrested for interfering with the king’s justice, Joanna, along with her father, is sent to the Tower of London.

The ruthless Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, takes terrifying steps to force Joanna to agree to spy for him: to save her father’s life she must find an ancient relic—a crown so powerful, it may hold the ability to end the Reformation. Accompanied by two monks, Joanna returns home to Dartford Priory and searches in secret for this long-lost piece of history worn by the Saxon King Athelstan in 937 during the historic battle that first united Britain.

But Dartford Priory has become a dangerous place, and when more than one dead body is uncovered, Joanna departs with a sensitive young monk, Brother Edmund, to search elsewhere for the legendary crown. From royal castles with tapestry-filled rooms to Stonehenge to Malmesbury Abbey, the final resting place of King Athelstan, Joanna and Brother Edmund must hurry to find the crown if they want to keep Joanna’s father alive. At Malmesbury, secrets of the crown are revealed that bring to light the fates of the Black Prince, Richard the Lionhearted, and Katherine of Aragon’s first husband, Arthur. The crown’s intensity and strength are beyond the earthly realm and it must not fall into the wrong hands.

With Cromwell’s troops threatening to shutter her priory, bright and bold Joanna must now decide who she can trust with the secret of the crown so that she may save herself, her family, and her sacred way of life. This provocative story melds heart-stopping suspense with historical detail and brings to life the poignant dramas of women and men at a fascinating and critical moment in England’s past.

Tour schedule

Nancy Bilyeau's Website

Nancy Bilyeau on Twitter: @TudorScribe

Tour Event Twitter Hashtag: #TheCrownVirtualBookTour

Check out Nancy's excellent guest post HERE
GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
Open to U.S. entrants only (per publisher).  To win a copy of The Crown, leave a comment telling me who is your favorite Tudor historical figure.  Winner will be chosen randomly via random.org.  Giveaway ends on Monday, March 5, 2012 at 11:59pm CST.  Good luck!