Hi Sean
Another option is to place your articles in to a single unique category and then use the Articles - Newsflash module (Extensions -> Module Manager -> New -> Articles - Newsflash).
Regarding the 'Read More..' button it is worth noting that you can create your own button by adding the following code to the end of your text (best set your editor to CodeMirror)..
<p class="readmore">
<a href="http://www.joomla51.com"> Read more...</a>
</p>
.. editing '
http://www.joomla51.com' to your own taste.
Ciarán