Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Show Us Your Books: Celebrating Two Years of Reading Together

Two years ago Jana and I thought what the hell, let's make the book talk post into a monthly linkup and see if anyone links up. And boy, have you. Together with all of you, we've really built a nice reading community. Thanks for linking up or commenting on posts or tweeting us about what you're reading. It's awesome to be surrounded by other booknerds, and to celebrate, we're giving away four prizes this month so be sure to enter the rafflecopter down below before you hit the linkup. The prizes are all book related. First prize = $50 Amazon gift card; second prize = banned books socks and a library card catalog coffee mug; third prize = reading journal and book ornament; fourth prize = card catalog pouch (when we bought it, Out of Print sent a book to a community in need, so it's a feel good prize too). The thing you can do to get the most entries to win is follow The Armchair Librarians on Instagram - even if you (like me) don't listen to podcasts, on Instagram we post about book and reading related stuff so I think you'll like it. Please and thank you. Speaking of, who would like to take over The Armchair Librarians account for a few days with your reading/book related thoughts/pics? 


Linkup Guidelines:
This link up happens the second Tuesday of every month.
The next one is Tuesday, November 8, 2016
1. Please visit and comment with both of your hosts, Jana & me
2. Please display the button (need it? let me know) or link back to us on your blog post
2. Please visit a few other blogs who've linked up and get some book talk going!

Here's what I've read since the last linkup. 

Engrossing Reads

Siracusa by Delia Ephron - I was in thick with this book from jump. I devoured it. So many assholes, so little time. Four different viewpoints tell the story, and there's a little overlap with each. The perspectives are true to each character and what could have felt burdensome to read did not. Ephon did well. Thanks to Jen from That's What She Read for the recommendation.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena - There's something appealing about reading the monumental fuckup that a circle jerk of dumbasses can get themselves into. This was like hopping on the crazy train from beginning to end and the ride was pretty enjoyable to me even with insane plot jumps, sometimes flat characters, and general lunacy from all parties involved. 

Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino - Touted by at least two people in last month's linkup, I got right on this and I'm glad I did. I don't often read love stories, but I loved this one. A few times I was like yes WE GET IT when the author repeated, but all in all I had feelings for this book. (Amazon e-book)

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison - Kristen told me this would be a good read for me, and she was correct. This was creepy as fuck and God knows I love psychotic characters. (Amazon e-book)

Sleeping in Eden by Nicole Baart I don't often have great luck swiping books off of library shelves, especially when I judge a book by its cover, which is what I did here. That was not true with this hidden gem. Fast moving, a little weird, and told in a really interesting way that only became apparent later on in the book. If you've got nothing else to do, give it a go. This is straddling the line between engrossing (was it just a good time for me to read this book?) and passed the time just fine. (library paperback)

Passed the Time Just Fine

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead - I think this is an important book, but I drug my feet reading it through most of the first half. I think it actually is a good commentary on race relations today, and how there are so many things that are not the same for black people as they are for white people. There was also a liberty taken with history in this book that I absolutely could not hurdle. (hardback, purchased and passed on) (discussed on The Armchair Librarians)

The Girl in the Ice (DCI Erika Foster #1) by Robert Bryndza - I thought this was a little scrabbled together as far as mystery stories go, but I liked the writing and I liked DCI Foster so if there's another I'll give it a go. (Amazon e-book)

Let Me Go (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #6) - I read this series a few years back, and was unsure if I'd finished it out. Turns out, I hadn't. This is the last one, and it felt like meeting up with those fucked up old friends you used to have and finding out that shocker they're still a little fucked up even after all these years. (library hardback)

The Wednesday Group by Sylvia True - Kimmi read this last month. This was a quick and interesting read, especially having lived the role of an addict's wife (different type of addiction, but still). Some of it rang true and some did not. (library paperback)

Owl Island by Randy Sue Coburn - A weird little book filled with eccentric characters. I had to skim some of it because one of the characters could be a real dumbass and the other a real pain in the ass. I wish there was more of the surrounding cast. (cheap Amazon e-book)

The Guineveres by Sarah Domet - This book was close to being not worth it. I had to skim a good deal, and even though it wasn't actual repetition it felt like it at times. Other reviewers were all oh in the vein of The Virgin Suicides - I don't think so. In the end, some of the storylines did redeem it and I was pretty surprised at how it ended. (Free e-copy from Netgalley)

Not Worth It

Seventh Heaven by Alice Hoffman - Every once in a while I like a dose of Alice Hoffman's mystical writing. This was like pounding warm keg beer as an adult. Too much, why am I doing this, no thank you. (e-book, not sure from where)


Prize entry here

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link up here - what have you been reading? 




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60 comments:

  1. So many good books. Some that were already on my tbr, and I added another. Seems like you had a satisfying month of reading.

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  2. The Butterfly Garden is on my TBR and it's great to see that you enjoyed it too. I liked messed up books, particularly lately! Maybe because it makes me feel sane. :)

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  3. My husbands mum recommended The Butterfly Garden to me, so it's been on my want to read list for ages, maybe next time I fancy something short (my mind is telling me it's a short book, but I could be wrong), I might crack it out.

    What a great round up, that's a lot of books! And mostly great or good too, which is always a fun month.

    I didn't read quite as many, but I had a good month in terms of the number of books that were good or great and what's better October is starting out to look that way too! Now I'm off for a little morning reading of the 5th HP book!

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  4. happiest link up anniversary to you and jana!! best link up in the world. so nice to be part of a bookish community like this. high fives for creating it!
    so glad you liked swear on this life and the butterfly garden! bummer about the guineveres as it is on my kindle... blah.
    the underground railroad intrigues me. i assume it's something american related with the incorrect history you couldn't get over? i know very little about american history, i have read other books and then gotten to goodreads and people are like this is so inaccurate or whatever, so i'm interested to see if i would feel the same/understand. it's on my list, anyway, and i haven't listened to that particular podcast episode yet because i was gonna read it first.
    i don't *think* i have read an alice hoffman book, but i know a few are on my list.
    great giveaway! congrats on the anniversary again!

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  5. The Butterfly Garden had me at "creepy as fuck"

    I'm almost done with The Couple Next Door. We will discuss.

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  6. Hi Steph!
    i just found your blog and I am so excited because I love talking about books! I look forward to reading more of your posts in the future!

    Lisa

    http://www.porkchopandpossum.com

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  7. Congrats on 2 years of your linkup! I have compiled a list 10 miles long of all your recommendations over the years :)

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  8. I really like your description of The Couple Next Door. Added it to my list...I'm about to step up my reading game in October.
    Congrats on two years and what a fabulous giveaway!

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  9. I am always amazed at how many books you get in during the month. Blows my mind!
    Congrats on your anniversary. You've made the 2nd Tuesday of the month something exciting for me. I look forward to it every time!!
    ... &I'm currently reading Suddenly Royal. After the crap I've read lately, I needed something fun & thoughtless.

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  10. I absolutely loved Swear on This Life and I am glad you did too! Siracusa sounds like an interesting read so I am adding it to the good old TBR! Happy Anniversary to you and Jana and the best link up ever!!!!

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  11. I listened to the podcast episode on The Underground Railroad and that's definitely in my TBR. I keep saying I want to start some historical fiction, but instead it's been an awful lot of self help.

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  12. Happy link up anniversary!! How exciting to be going strong for two years and no stopping! I love that you guys added in the Armchair librarians, too! That Renee Carlino book has been on my TBR, but with your rec it's moving on up! I'm reading book 2 in the Falling series by Ginger Scott.

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  13. you always amaze me with your reading! adding swear on this life, butterfly garden, and sleeping in eden to my tbr. thank you for your recos and happy anniversary! keep it up!

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  14. I always love this post.. it gives me lots of ideas for my reading list. I'm doing a screenshot of this one! I've been checking my library, like a crazed reader, for The Couple Next Door to be available.

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  15. Hooray for two years-- definitely my favorite linkup :) Siracusa was one of my favorite books from the summer-- really enjoyed the writing. I'm on a very slow going hold list for The Underground Railroad, but I'm really intrigued and interested to read it eventually.

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  16. Happy anniversary! Thanks for shepherding this community of fellow nerds :) I love that I'm never short of a book recommendation and I've read a bunch of stuff I never would have otherwise. Case in point, creepy as fuck isn't a genre I'd normally go for but in this case I think I just might!

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  17. I'm in a post-long-book=series hangover now. So I've started a few books and put them down because I miss my friends from the other books. I am now one of those people just sitting on the train rather than reading. I need to grab a few of these and make new book friends.

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  18. So I have Siracusa from Netgalley and I downloaded The Butterfly Garden from Amazon for the Kindle Books first, and after your great reviews, I obviously need to get to reading them! The Couple Next Door and Sleeping in Eden both sound really good, and since I love thrillers I'll probably give The Girl In The Ice a try. You read a lot of great thrillers this month! Happy anniversary for the Show Us Your Books linkup! I've loved participating and getting so many book recs from some great ladies!

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  19. YES! I love when it's a recap of a bunch of books I've never heard of. That means i can add so many to my list. I can't believe you guys have been doing this for 2 years. I love clicking through all the posts and getting so many book ideas. I think even more than that, I love reading other people's opinions of books I have read so I can see if others agree with me or have a different perspective.

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  20. Your engrossing reads have me interested - I need to look into those a little closer!

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  21. All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner
    The #CollaboReads topic for this month is books with the word "fall" in the title.

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    1. I don't know of this #CollaboReads. Off to research. Thanks!

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  22. Hmmm so you're saying that this link-up started in October 2014 and I rekindled my love of reading in January 2015? You guys are totally to blame, in the best way. I remember at first being bored by book posts because I didn't read and then deciding to give them a go and thinking hmmmm, maybe I can get back into that. And 100+ books later, here we are! Thanks, ladies!

    I already have some of these on my list but I'll have to check out The Butterfly Garden. I literally finished The Hopefuls last night after I finished my post and got out of bed to add it in, so I have two things on my kindle (can't remember them, but they're in my post) and hopefully someone today will tell me if either is worth my time.

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  23. YAY! happy anniversary! This is one of my favorite link ups, so I'm glad I found it!

    I'm a fan of thrillers but haven't read many lately. So I'll be adding several of these to my TBR.

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    1. Oops...I'm currently reading A Different Shade of Magic! :)

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  24. Happy Anniversary! Thank you (& Jana) for this link-up, I truly love it!

    My world isn't the most interesting but I would be happy to help out with thr Instagram account :)


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    1. Whoops- also I a, currently reading Delirum by Lauren Oliver.

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  25. Currently reading - No One Knows by J.T. Ellison. Main character is annoying me so far, but I need to know what happens!!

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  26. I am so happy you loved Siracusa as much as I did! Currently reading All the Ugly & Wonderful Things and starting Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple on audible tomorrow. Happy Anniversary to my favorite link up!

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  27. I am so happy you loved Siracusa as much as I did! Currently reading All the Ugly & Wonderful Things and starting Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple on audible tomorrow. Happy Anniversary to my favorite link up!

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  28. I haven't heard of any of those books! They look interesting!

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  29. You always have such an interesting mix of books but I can always find at least one or two to add to my TBR list! Happy Anniversary! I need to align my monthly book reviews with this link-up so I can participate, too!

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  30. I've borrowed The Butterfly Garden via Prime reading, but I'm so scared to actually read it! It sounds like a book I will enjoy, but it also sounds like a book that will give me some serious nightmares. My goal is to suck it up and read it by the end of October, because October should be all about the creepy books! Happy 2 years!!

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  31. Sounds like I might want to add a few of these to my to-read list. This month I finished My Name is Lucy Barton (another good one from Elizabeth Strout), In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri (loved it), Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (just ok), The Flood Girls by Richard Fifield (loved it), and The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Shumer. I'm currently reading Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood and Neil Patrick Harris's autobiography (Audible, read by him - very enjoyable so far).

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  32. I am dying to read Swear on This Life because I've heard a lot of good things about it - I should have it from the library soon though!! Siracusa sounds intense but interesting!!!
    Thanks for the great link up and for the giveaway! Happy 2 year anniversary to the best link up in the blog world!!! You and Jana are awesome :) I'm currently "reading" 4 books including the 8th Louise Penny and I already told you about me and Bel Canto...haha.

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  33. Happy link up anniversary! What an awesome community you've created over the past few years, thank you for that!

    "This was like pounding warm keg beer as an adult" - LOL. I've only read The Marriage of Opposites by Hoffman, so I can't comment, but I did really like that one.

    Added Siracusa to my list (sounds great!) and The Butterfly Garden was on there from last link up, although I haven't had the courage to read it yet haha. I do like messed up books though!

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  34. Loved the Underground Railroad. Will definitely look into Siracusa.

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  35. Happy Anniversary! I have all but one of your engrossing reads already on my list. Someday, when I get my reading mojo back, I would LOVE to take over the Armchair Librarians Instagram!

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  36. Swear on This Life sounds familiar to me too; your review roped me in. Not positive yet about the Couple Next Door but I'm definitely going to see if my library has it.

    Thanks for not only providing us an awesome place to talk about books for the last two years, but for growing this community so much and so lovingly. Happy birthday, SUYB!

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  37. Happy Link-iversary! I LOVE this linkup and have found many great books and blogger friends, so thanks to you and Jana for being so committed! :)

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  38. I LOVE your blog and podcast!!! I am currently reading Love Walked In and listening to Pride and Prejudice. I get excited for the second Tuesday of the month. Pam :)

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    1. Thanks Pam! Just checked out your blog, your photography is awesome! I don't have your email to email you back.

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    2. mom2ri@aol.com I am thinking about adding my monthly reads to my blog so I can share.

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  39. Happy anniversary! :) That's so awesome! Overall sounds like a good month of reading! Bummer about the Hoffman though. XO - Alexandra

    Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things

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  40. Happy anniversary! :) That's so awesome! Overall sounds like a good month of reading! Bummer about the Hoffman though. XO - Alexandra

    Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things

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  41. I can't believe this link-up has been around for two years! I absolutely love it, and always try to make a point to join in even when I don't have as much time as I'd like to work on my post/read and comment on everyone else's posts. I'm so glad you guys decided to start it up!

    Several of these are already on my "To Read" list, including The Butterfly Garden (which I actually just picked up at the library today!). I'm also glad to see that The Couple Next Door didn't disappoint. I'm still giving Behind Closed Doors a try (even though you compared it with a turd last month haha), but it's always nice when someone with similar reading tastes gives a book I want to read a high rating.

    I'm adding Siracusa and Sleeping in Eden.

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  42. When I saw the name Butterfly Garden on your list, I surely didn't expect that kind of plot or review. lol Now you have me intrigued especially since i've hopped on the audio book train.

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  43. Everyone is talking about The Couple Next Door! Adding that to my list. Happy Linkup Anniversary, it's one of my favorites! :)

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  44. Thanks for hosting! I love this link up!

    I haven't read any of your books this month, but Swear on this Life sounds good.

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  45. Adding Swear on This Life to my TBR!

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  46. Stumbled across your linkup and so glad I did - what fun to see what other people are reading and share mine too! Currently reading Ann Patchett's latest but excited to check out some of these others.

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  47. I love this linkup and love reading everyone's posts. It honestly makes me a better teacher!

    Right now I just started reading "You are a Badass". Supposedly it's amazing. Don't worry, I'll report back.

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  48. I need some feelz books after Rose Under Fire. This book is breaking my heart and I just need something wholesome. Swear on this Life has been added to the TBR list.

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  49. Congrats on the anniversary! I'm going to rethink Siracusa. Super interested in Underground. I had to go and read the summary for Seventh Heaven because I couldn't remember it and it definitely wasn't her best. I remember not liking it much either.

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  50. The Couple Next Door and The Underground Railroad is on my To Read list. I can't wait to get ahold of a copy. I'm currently reading The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. I wouldn't recommend it :(

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  51. I'm reading the new Tana French book The Passenger.

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  52. The Couple Next Door looks very intriguing. I like how you described it "general lunacy from all parties involved" and "hopping on the crazy train" - hilarious!

    PS Happy Anniversary!

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  53. I need to read Siracusa soon. It sounds like it's right up my alley. So glad you enjoyed Swear on This Life!

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