Hey everyone! I've been thinking about doing a post sharing all the different ways you can follow - A Life Bound By Books and I figured now would be the perfect time for it.

There are a few different ways you can follow along with the blog, other than Google Friend Connect and that's what I wanted to talk about today.

Subscribe by email: One of the best ways to follow along to is subscribe by email. On the right had side of the blog, under Google Friend Connect you'll see a box that you can enter in your email address and when a new post goes live, you'll get an email showing what's new on the blog! Enter your email address, click the "Subscribe" button and a window will pop up asking you to enter in a code. You just have to do this once, so don't worry! Once that's finished you'll receive an email asking you to confirm your subscription. Once you've done that, you'll receive emails keeping you up to date on everything here at A Life Bound By Books.

Follow via Bloglovin': With the somewhat recent news all hitting us that Goggle is disposing Google Feed Reader many of us have been looking for other ways to promote our blog. After hearing others talk and checking things out I've gone with "Bloglovin'". It's easy to use and is pretty straight forward. Want to follow along too? There's a handy, easy to use link on the right side bar, also under the Google Friend Connect. Follow A Life Bound By Books on: Bloglovin'

Twitter: I'm also on Twitter!! Love Twitter. Also, I have my blog connected to my Twitter account so any and all posts will be Tweeted with a link. You can find me on Twitter: @BoundByBooks. Let's chat!

Goodreads: I'm on Goodreads. I use it all the time. It's a great utility for me as a reader, if only to find books I'd otherwise never hear of and for keeping track of what I read... it works for me. Not to mention it's another way to chat with my fellow book lovers, so I use it and I use it often. Be sure to send me a Friend request there and let me know you found me there via my blog! Find me at: Goodreads

Now, I have a question for you guys. I am not currently on Facebook. My blog isn't on Facebook either. I haven't wanted to create an account because it's hard enough for me sometimes to keep up with everything so I've not wanted to add another thing to my plate. Should my blog have a Facebook account? And if so, is this something that I'd need time to maintain? I have no clue guys and I need your help! So, let me know in the comments! Thanks!

I hope you'll all take a minute or two and make sure you're following A Life Bound By Books in the way(s) that make things easier for you. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to comment below or send an email. I'd be happy to help.

Title: The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave #1)
Author: Rick Yancey
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile, 480 Pages (May 7th, 2013)
From: the Publisher via Amazon Vine
Format: ARC
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis: The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Review: 4.5 Stars - The 5th Wave by author Rick Yancey is a fantastic must read for anyone who loves sci-fi with a fascinating and heartbreaking story that shows incredible strength in teenage characters under some of the worst (EVER) circumstances’.

For this reader, The 5th Wave was a no brainer must read title. I’m a fan of sci-fi and anything with aliens scares the crap out of me. Yes, aliens are at the top of my freak out in a panic list. So, being the reader that I am I often look for books that’ll freak me out. Books that can bring out emotions or emotional reactions are the best and The 5th Wave did just that and more than once. Oh and that cover, more than fitting for the first in a thrilling new series.

Each wave that hit before the 5th is terrifying, and the 5th itself – wow – just the thought of each gave me the creeps. Yancey does a wonderful job in conveying what his female protagonist – Cassie – is going through. How she survived is beyond me but she was driven and strong in ways that shocked me and made me love her as a female lead character. I mean, she’s alone and there’s no one to trust and has to face things over and over again, your heart just breaks for her. Her inner dialogue was often haunting and made what was bound to be a creepy story for me even more terrifying.

Who to trust when you don’t know who your enemy is? Who to look for to help when those whom you thought were on your side do the unthinkable? With so many unknowns in Cassies’ present and future the strength she finds in herself to keep going wore me out mentally.

The surprising thing about this title for me was that it’s told in multi points of view and I almost jumped for joy at the chance to read this book from the different character voices. With the aliens arrival and then soon after so many of the earth’s population dead… the survivors are spread far and wide so hearing what others are facing or dealing with during this catastrophic event added so many unique layers to an already overflowing tale.

Even walker is mysterious and has his own side of the story. Dealing with questions only he can answer was a pleasure to read. You wonder who he is and as Cassie begins to peel back the layers to Evan, we learn more of him as a character and in turn the two try to find solace in the possibilities of what the world and its people have become. Talk about hard to do when you question everyone and everything around you.

Then there’s Ben, another Point of View who finds an outlet for his revenge fueled rage to those who took something from him that he was supposed to protect. His part of the story was shocking and scary in a whole different way that added even more to an already impossible situation and to the story as a whole. There are other secondary characters in the novel that Yancey built his story around. It’s all the different characters and voices that help build Cassie’s story from beginning to end. I was never overwhelmed in the slightest with the changing points of view, I welcomed it because I never knew what to expect!

There is a lot of death in this title, but there has to be for this type of story that Yancey has masterfully created. He wrote words that seek deep into you, burrowing down until you are so consumed and emotionally invested and attached to these characters’ that there’s simply no turning back.

All in all The 5th Wave has left a lasting impression on me that started from the first page – which happened to be one of the most creepy first pages I’ve ever read – right on through until the heart wrenching, fast paced explosive last few pages. I am extremely impressed with Yancey’s writing, story and voices he found for his characters. Also the character emotions he was able to weave for them throughout such a well crafted book was impressive. I loved this book. I highly recommend this one and I am thoroughly excited (more than words can express) and looking forward to the next books that follow in this amazing, fantastic and compelling series.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

So the rumors are true! I really didn't believe them until I showed up here at A Life Bound By Books and saw it with my very own eyes. But they’re true!!!

Lisa’s blog has been hijacked.

Oh my gosh! I am so excited... I mean, I’m so worried about Lisa. If her blog has been taken over by a bunch of rogue book bloggers then where is she? If she were okay she never would have let us have a free-for-all on her blog. Lisa’s way too much the professional for that.

I've been told that she’s on a “family vacation” but I have my own theories about where she really is and it most certainly isn't on vacation. After all, Lisa knows that there is no such thing as a break for us tireless book bloggers. And she never would have taken a break from reading. I've seen pictures of her bookshelves, she’s way too much of a book addict for that.

And... she would never have let me take over her blog for a second, let alone a day. I do have a tendency to cause mischief. Or ramble on endlessly, much to many a reader’s chagrin.

But here I am. And here she’s not. So I’m going to take full advantage.

And I’m going to share exactly what I think happened to Lisa which led to the opening up of her book blog’s proverbial doors.

First, let me let you in on a little secret. That expression “getting lost in a book” isn't just an expression. No. It’s true. As any avid reader will tell you, every so often someone they know gets lost in a book.

That’s right. The story grabs hold and pulls them right in. Sometimes at the story’s end they’re allowed to return to their lives. Other times... well... they’re so caught up by the story that they never return. And they’re only seen again when the book goes into a second printing... or if it does.

Well that’s what I believe happened to Lisa. It was no family vacation that caused her to leave her book blog unattended. To be taken over. To be hijacked. No. Lisa is organized. She’s a planner. If she were truly going on vacation she’d have prepared and scheduled posts to cover those days of her absence. And she wouldn't truly be absent.

But to allow days and weeks to go by without even a peep... well, that’s not like Lisa at all. Which only reinforces my belief that she was swallowed up by one of the tomes she had been perusing.

As I hadn't been closely following Lisa’s reading piles immediately prior to her disappearance, I am not certain where to even begin to guess.

I can only hope she wasn't reading Julie Kagawa’s THE ETERNITY CURE. While Lisa may very well have the skills to survive as an Unregistered, things have taken a bit of a darker turn in this sequel. And I’m not confident of Lisa’s fortitude to withstand all the horrors that have befallen New Covington. Even if she does manage to make it through, the series doesn't end with this book, which means it could be awhile before she’d be allowed to return.

And I hope she hasn't gone back in time to the world of shadowhunters and downworlders in Cassandra Clare’s CLOCKWORK PRINCESS. Because there is just too much of a temptation to remain in that world with those characters. And as Lisa is quite familiar with life across the pond, she just might not want to return to reality and her book blog. She may even choose to stay lost in that world until such time as Jace, Clary, Simon, Alec and Isabelle make their appearance.




Maybe, just maybe, she’s lost in Brodi Ashton’s EVERBOUND with the Everlivings. Trapped in a maze that is fraught with peril. Or perhaps she’s decided to try and save Varen Nethers in Kelly Creagh’s ENSHADOWED, a book she’d been anxious to read. But a world that dark would be nearly impossible to escape, so I hope she’s not lost there.


Hopefully she’s lost in a romance, though her appearance would potentially turn a love story into a love triangle and that would make it a bittersweet or even tragic one. And I know Lisa wouldn't want to get in the way of anyone’s happily ever after. So, I suppose I hope she’s not lost in that type of story either.

Well... I could go on guessing, but I don’t think I’ll ever know, unless or until Lisa decides to reappear, the book decides to release her, or her name becomes etched forever on the story’s pages in a subsequent printing.

I will just keep my fingers crossed for her safety and her safe return. And I’ll grin just a little bit because I got the chance to take over her lovely blog for a day, even if it is without her permission.

And no, I am not in the least bit ashamed that I have hijacked A Life Bound By Books. It’s just so pretty here. If I could, I’d stay just a little bit longer. But there is a code amongst thieves.

Before I go, though, I just want to say one thing to Lisa...

Lisa, whatever book you are lost in, in whatever world you’re navigating, with whatever friends and foes you encounter, I hope it’s one that you are enjoying enough to make the fact that your blog has been hijacked not quite so upsetting.

And if you do return with a vengeance against those who have taken over your little space on the interwebs, I seriously hope that no one taught you how to use a katana, a broadsword or crossbow. And I really hope you know how awesome I think you are.

Find Rachel Online:

Fiktshun | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr

Using last years horrible graphic again lol

So, it's that time of year again. Tomorrow afternoon I'll be on my way to the airport for the long, long journey from Southern California to Liverpool! We can't wait, we can't wait, WE CAN'T WAIT!

We have a long day ahead of us, door to door it's almost 24 hours and who knows if we'll be facing even more delays due to the furloughs and cut backs at airports across the country. On top of an 8 hour time difference to get used to, but it's all worth it. This year we'll be gone a little longer than we have in the past which is always great when we're talking about a vacation.

I miss the city that has become my second home and my family there so I can't wait to see everyone and everything. SO EXCITED!

While I'm away, I'll be on twitter (@BoundByBooks so be sure to follow me there) and in email on and off during my time away. I also have some posts planned. Might not be as much as I have been for the last few months but I'm trying to set up enough posts for at least a few or more a week.

When I get back in June you can look for content to pick right back up again and some much needed maintenance  My blog has been suffering for so long from my slacking that I just need to take some time to update a lot of things here, so hang tight guys! Also when I return I'll be hosting my annual UK giveaway!! YAY!!! I love doing that and I look forward to it every year.

Please keep your fingers crossed for us that we're not delayed too long, I don't want us to miss our connecting flight in Heathrow and I hope you all have a wonderful May! See you in June!

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Levitating Las Vegas
Author: Jennifer Echols
Publisher: Pocket Star, 300 Pages (May 7th, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Synopsis: Nothing up her sleeves...or so she’s been led to believe.

Showgirl Holly Starr is sick and tired of assisting her dad, a celebrity magician, in his Las Vegas casino magic show. As soon as he keeps his promise to her and shares the secrets to his tricks, she can break out on her own. But can she really make it? For years Holly has taken medication to stave off crazy hallucinations that she can levitate objects. Just when she thinks she’s ready to make a career and a life for herself, her medicine—and her luck—run out.

Elijah Brown suffers from a similar delusion—that he can read minds—and he’s out of medicine too. Determined to save himself and his old flame Holly, he kidnaps her and takes her straight to the source, a town high in the Rockies where their medicine is made. What they discover there leads them to suspect their powers are not imaginary after all...and neither is the intense attraction they feel for each other.

They make a pact to stick together as they return to Vegas to confront the people who kept them in the dark so long. But soon they’re pitting their powers against each other in a dangerous world where the nightlife is seductive, domination is addictive, the sex is beyond belief...and falling in love is murder.

Title: Icons (Icons #1)
Author: Margaret Stohl
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 448 Pages (May 7th, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.

Another two books this week - Levitating Las Vegas by Jennifer Echols. Anything by her, I'll read. She's an author buy/read author. Then, Icons... sounds like the start to a pretty epic series. Can't wait to read both!  Thankfully I won't have to wait too much longer. 

*covers are always subject to change.