Show Us Your Books Anniversary Edition - What I Read in September

Today is a very special Anniversary Edition of Show Us Your Books - Jana and I are giving away a $50 gift card to Amazon and Bookwormboutique merchandise. There will be two winners - an Amazon winner and a BWB swag winner. You do not need to link up to enter. The giveaway can be found at the bottom of the post after all the links. Thanks to everyone who has enjoyed this link up along with us, whether you've silently been taking notes on your next books to read, commenting with what you've liked recently, or linking up and doing all of the above...thank you. It's been awesome.

Linkup Guidelines:
1. Please visit and comment with both of your hosts, Jana & me
2. Please display the button 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 read since the last linkup. 

Engrossing Reads

Law of Attraction by Allison Leotta - This was fast paced and required a little bit of suspended belief in the legalities of it all, but I was definitely drawn in. A little legalese, a little D.C., a little love, a little violence, a little psychosis. It's a recipe for a winner for me.

The One You Love by Paul Pilkington - Let me come clean immediately and say this book infuriated me and I felt like punching many of the characters and calling them dumbasses as well as punching the author for ending it on a cliffhanger because I will have to read the next one...the almighty BUT here is that regardless of those things I couldn't put the book down and had to stay up until after 1, knowing I'd get less than five hours of sleep, in order to finish it. There's something to be said for that. It's a quick read so I anticipate the next one will be as well. Edited to add: thanks to Michelle in the comments for letting me know this is still free for Kindle. Always good to read the comments on posts like these friends!

Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer - I was totally into this story, and I even got MFD to read it too. Well, to start it anyway. Thanks to Kathy Biatchi for this recommendation. It's an age old tale of two rises to the top - one born of privilege and one who had to claw his way there - a few fatal soap opera misunderstandings, and a lot of good stuff along the way.

The Betrayal by Laura Elliot - This book ensared me. The tagline is something ludicrous like a gripping novel of psychological suspense and hot damn, it was. I thought the past that they alluded to was a little wimpy at first, then I was like ohhh. I gobbled it up front to back.

The Doll Maker by Richard Montanari - Recommended by a co-worker, I did not want to put this book down. I read the first book in this series about Philadelphia Homicide Detectives Byrne and Balzano a while back and never picked up any others. This sucked me in immediately. It was extremely creepy. A good candidate for you mystery/suspense fans.


Passed the Time Just Fine

Never Buried (Leigh Koslow Mystery #1) by Edie Claire - This reminded me a little of the unassuming Aurora Teagarden mysteries by Charlaine Harris. A very mild character and a very mild storyline. I think I read another reviewer call them "cozy mysteries" and that's just what they are. I won't run right out to read more, but I didn't mind reading this one.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald - I got this from Netgalley in exchange for a review. I liked the characters and liked the idea of a dead town being revived by books and sheer will. As a reader, I also love the references to books and how the author wove them into the story. The love story in the book seems really underdeveloped, which is a shame. Regardless, this left me with a feel good feeling like I used to get after reading Fannie Flagg books.

Whistling Women by Kelly Romo - Another freebie from Netgalley in exchange for a review. I didn't know much about this book. I liked the cover and the title, and was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked the story and how it unfolded too. I detested Mary and her speech patterns but enjoyed the other characters.

Open Season (Joe Pickett #1) by C.J. Box - I picked this up in Grand Teton. It's about a Wyoming Game Warden. I was like oh, why not. He was a bit of a wimp sometimes, and I don't really like that. His young daughter also played too heavily in the story too, I don't like that either. I liked this book okay and am curious to see how the character might develop further, so I might give another book in the series a shot.

Girl Defective by Simmone Howell - I very rarely remember who recommended what to me but for some reason I know I saw this on Erin's blog. Maybe because it's an Aussie book? I liked the writing here (some snippets felt lyrical), as well as the characters. I think the story could've been sharper and deeper. There were a lot of interesting plot threads, none of which were done justice I don't think. But it was a fine read as it was.

Hard No

N/A, thankfully. No non starters this month!

This link up happens the second Tuesday of every month. The next one is Tuesday, November 10. 

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Non-bloggers, what have you read recently? Let me know what you recommend and what to stay away from. Bloggers, link up your posts below.

An InLinkz Link-up

One year anniversary giveaway! Two winners. One prize is a $50 Amazon gift card and the other prize is a mug & 8x8 print from bookwormboutique both seen below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway