A Life Bound By Books

Where is she? (Hiatus)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 03:50:00 +0000

Hello, hello!

Yes, it's me. I've been gone for months and I'm sorry about that. Life has just gotten in the way. I've been meaning to post here for awhile now and things have kept me busy and occupied. So, I figured it's better late than never.

What's been going on?

Last December my husband and I moved from Southern California to Liverpool, England. He's originally from there and we've been talking about giving it a go living there. He's been wanting to go back home for some time and I love it there so we took a chance and started the process of moving across the pond.

What most don't know is it's not as easy as simply (or not so simply) packing up your life and moving. It takes a lot of paperwork, money and time to complete the move.

How DO you do it?

Well, since he's from England... born and raised he has kind of dual citizenship by default. He became a citizen of the US about two years ago now. Going home for him is easy. Taking me with him is what's difficult. We always knew that when we left in December. We knew that I'd only be there for a few weeks to a few months, depending on what my passport was stamped when we went through Immigration upon arrival. We knew that when that time was up I'd have to come back to the states, with him remaining behind in the UK to work while I came back to So Cal to file paperwork.

You see, I had to do the paperwork from here in the US. I had to send over 3 pounds in weight of paperwork to prove our 15 year marriage. We had to prove that we weren't in it for a green card. Needless to say it was more paperwork than I could even tell you here, so I'll just leave it at that.

It also costs a CRAP TON of money as well.... and the catch? Or two catches actually....

1. This lasts 2.5 years. Then we have to do it allllllllllll over again. The good thing, I can do it from the UK then and it'll save us some money in airfare and shipping (It was... just in shipping the paperwork $277.00!! Why? Because you have to pay for the originals to be sent back to you as well. And shipping stuff two day, so they get the paperwork in the time they give you from when you complete your bio-metrics appt. it is in fact that much to send 3 pounds in weight of paperwork from Southern California to Sheffield, England)

2. They can deny you. And if they DO deny you and you choose to apply again you start over from scratch. And you PAY all over again as well. There's no guarantee in any of this. Our fate is in someones hands right now. AND IT IS TERRIFYING.

Wait?? You guys are APART to do this?

Yes. We sure are. I came back to the states in mid April and I've been here since. I had to renew my passport and we had to finish gathering things for our paperwork so we could e-file and then mail the forms needed. They received the paperwork on June 20th and it was just last week that I received an email letting me know that it was in fact received and someone would be assigned to work on it soon.

They ask you what your date of travel is and we picked Sept 15th, (this is due to the fact that it tends to take, on the norm 2-3 months. There is a quicker way to rush things, but that costs another $1000.00. Yeah, no.) so that means if it's completed and they've approved me that'll be the earliest date I can leave the US. However... yes, another however.... lol If everything is done and set and I can head back "home" I have ONE MONTH to enter the UK or we're not sure what happens exactly. SOOOO, our goal is for me to be back in the UK before our 16 years together/15 years married anniversaries on Oct. 11th.

We HOPE *crosses EVERYTHING* that I'll be traveling the first week in Oct. We hope.

We're really missing each other. Texts and FaceTime has helped and we do "dates" where we watch a movie or TV show together, but even that's starting to become hard to take. We have moments where were depressed and angry, and were really trying to deal. We know there are other people out there who are apart for so much longer than what we're dealing with so I feel for everyone that's for sure.

What else have you been up to?

I've been spending TONS of time with family. When I first came over, no one knew what the date was. They thought I was coming home later than I really was. We planned this to surprise everyone and we did that by leaps and bounds. And have the videos to prove it lol. Lots of time with my nieces. Mainly the older one since the younger niece doesn't like to come stay with us more than a night. She gets homesick.

I've been trying to slowly sort the last of the stuff that we didn't pack before December last year. It's mainly some misc. things and my books. We're going to ship everything over at some point, so I'm trying to purge as many books as possible to save us some money. I HATE doing it, but I have to sacrifice something and it happens to be weight in the form of books. :(

I've also taken a few small trips with family while I've been here and seen a few friends. I've attended a book signing too!

One extremely exciting thing that happened right at the beginning of the year. Great friend and author Heidi Joy Tretheway was in the UK for work and I had a chance to take a day out to see her. It was one of the best days and we all had a great time! While we were chatting we talked about her hiring me to be her PA... so soon after that, exactly that happened.

If you haven't read her books, you are SO MISSING OUT! Here's her Amazon link. Don't walk, RUN and grab up her books - Tattoo Thief is FREE! And the fourth book - Say It Louder comes out really soon.

I've also been BETA reading for her, JC Emery, Toni Aleo, Bethany Lopez and others. I LOVE doing it!

And lastly, I've been working on plotting my OWN writing. Working for Heidi has helped me to learn SO MUCH and I know I have some great friends that I can go to for questions.

So, in a nut shell, the blog has taken a back seat. At least for now. Sadly, something had to give and it fell here.

Does this mean the blog is finished?

No. Not necessarily. I'll never say never. Having been blogging for SIX years here at A Life Bound By Books is hard to just give up. It's hard enough just putting it on hiatus. It's hard enough not having posted anything in as long as I have. It was just such a huge part of who I was for so long, that giving it up took so much out of me I don't even know how to start explaining it.

I'm still here. I'm still great friends with my co-blogger, Jenny who used to post reviews and various events in the book world she had attended. As a matter of fact, she's from the UK and lives not too far from where I do over there. We've seen each other a bunch of times. She picked us up at the airport when we landed with another friend Rachel AND when I came back the states her and her mum came with me lol.

I'm still VERY active on Facebook. You can find me -

A Life Bound By Books

Lisa (My Personal page but I talk mainly bookish things)

Please feel free to find me on both.

So what now?

Well, that's a great question. Mainly I'll just keep plugging along here until we hear back on my immigration status. I'll also continue to reading as much as I can and try to get ready for that long, long, boring flight back to the UK. I can't wait to see my husband and friends there. I can't wait to do all the things there we have planned. I can't wait to start attending author signings there again. I can't wait for the weather. I just can't wait! Being in this holding pattern for this long isn't fun. I mean by the time I get back over there it'll be just two weeks shy of SIX LONG MONTHS! (That is if it all goes to our plan.)

If you guys could all send some good thoughts our way and maybe cross your fingers would be wonderful.

And with that... I'm officially putting A Life Bound By Books on HIATUS.

I'll try not to stay away this long again. And I promise that when time permits we'll be back.

Much love,

PS - If anyone ever has any questions about Immigration from the US to the UK please feel free to email me. You can find my email on the right had sidebar. I still use that email and check it daily. We'd be more than happy to help anyone. It's a daunting task and we've come a long, long way and have untangled a lot to find the answers we have. So please feel free to ask away.

Book Wars! Don't Look Back - Jennifer L. Armentrout (124)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the US, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for is..... ! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Don't Look Back

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: US - Disney-Hyperion, 384 Pages (April 15th, 2014) UK - Hodder Paperbacks, 368 Pages (April 10th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Find Jennifer Online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa Who doesn't love Jennifer L. Armentrout? I know I do! Or can you tell from some of the choices I've made for Book Wars! recently? And while I was looking over her books I noticed that Don't Look Back had two different covers for US and the UK and couldn't resist.

I've seen the US cover in person and it's stunning, without a doubt. However there's something about the UK cover and the play on the title with the model, looking back that I love.

And I like the splash of color with her red dress and the red in the title.

The UK cover is a winner for me this week. Do you have a favorite? Tell us below.

Michelle I own a copy of the UK book, but I've also seen the US one around. Looking at these covers next to each other it's clear to me which is my favourite.

The US cover is dramatic and I like how the poses in the mirror are different, but I don't really feel anything towards it.
The UK cover however is also dramatic in it's own way, and I like how they have posed the cover model.

It's a UK win for me this week, which cover do you like the best?

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Don't Look Back NOW!

Book Wars! The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1) By: Allison Goodman (123)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce.The Book Wars winner for Pure (Covenant #2) By: Jennifer L. Armentrout is...!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: The Dark Days Club
Series: Lady Helen #1
Author: Allison Goodman
Publisher: US - Viking Books for Young Readers, 496 Pages, (January 26th, 2016), UK - Walker Books, 496 Pages, (January 21st, 2016)
Add to Goodreads: USA Version | UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository, Foyles

Synopsis: London, April 1812. Eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall is on the eve of her debut presentation to the Queen. Her life should be about gowns and dancing, and securing a suitable marriage. Instead, when one of her family's housemaids goes missing, Lady Helen is drawn to the shadows of Regency London.

There, she finds William, the Earl of Carlston. He has noticed the disappearance, too, and is one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of powerful demons that has infiltrated every level of society. But Lady Helen’s curiosity is the last thing Carlston wants—especially when he sees the searching intelligence behind her fluttering fan. Should Helen trust a man whose reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her headstrong sense of justice lead them both into a death trap?

In The Dark Days Club, internationally best-selling author Alison Goodman introduces readers to a heroine who is just as remarkable as Eona—and yet again reinvents an establlished literary genre, making it her own.

About the Author:

Alison is the author of EON and EONA, a New York Times Bestselling fantasy duology.

Her latest novel --The Dark Days Club-- is Book 1 in a new trilogy, and will be published in the USA and UK in January 2016, and December 2015 in Australia. It has been reviewed by Publishers Weekly as "a delicious collision of Regency romance and dark fantasy". Alison calls it "Pride and Prejudice meets Buffy in English high society".

EON was short-listed for Victorian, NSW, and WA Premier’s Literary awards, and won the 2008 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel. It was also listed as an American Library Association Best Young Adult Book (2010), a James Tiptree Jr. Honour book, and a CBCA Notable Book.

Alison’s first novel, Singing the Dogstar Blues, won the 1998 Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel, and was also listed as an American Library Association Best Book (2004) and CBCA Notable Book. Her second novel, a crime thriller titled Killing the Rabbit, was published in the USA and shortlisted for the 2007 Davitt Award.

Alison was a D.J. O’Hearn Memorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne and holds a Master of Arts. She lives in Australia with her husband and their Machiavellian Jack Russell Terrier, and is currently working on Book 2 and 3 or The Lady Helen series.

Find Allison Online: Website | Instagram | Twitter| Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa Oh gosh, what a choice this week?! Michelle picked a great one to compare side by side... I LOVE them both! I honestly LOVE the both. UGH!

The US cover is dark and haunting, yet beautiful. Look at the intricate background.

The UK cover is also beautiful yet mysterious with a side of classic touch of Victorian feel to it.

I mean,... WOW! I have NO idea which one to choose. Hmmm....

I think I'm going to totally go against the grain and pick the US cover. I can't stop looking at it. I just love everything about how dark it is, how haunting it is and the whole feel of the thing from every angle I look at it.

So, this week the US cover gets my vote! Which one do you like the best? Give us a click and tell us below.

Michelle I first heard about this book at a blogger event, and I will admit that this genre isn't usually my thing, but as soon as Allison got up and read a snippet for us I was hooked.

Looking at these covers next to each other, it's clear to me which one I prefer the most. The US cover is dark, and gloomy, with only the silhouette among the shadows, and I think if I hadn't seen the UK cover or it was against the Australian cover, then this would have been my first pick, but standing next to the UK cover, the US one pales in comparison.

I love everything about the UK cover, from the background imagery, to the characters on the cover. I love the font and the little fan images on the corners.

Its a UK win for me this week, which cover gets your vote?

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of The Dark Days Club by Allison Goodman NOW!

Review - Title: Night Study (Soulfinders #2) By: Maria V. Snyder

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Title: Title: Night Study (Soulfinders #2)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publisher: Harlequin UK/ Mira Ink
From: e-ARC from Netgalley
Format: eBook, 400 pages, 26th February 2016
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek...secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister that they could have ever imagined.

Review: 5 stars - Contains spoilers for the earlier books in Snyder’s Chronicles of Ixia series.

“HOLY SNOW CATS!” could there be any more action in this book? I need Dawn Study NOW!!

Night Study continues from the cliff hanger where Shadow Study finished. At the same moment of utter happiness for two of my favourite characters, I was also filled with dread at what may happen.

With loyalties on the line and the existing tension between Ixia and Sitia even more stretched, it’s down to our trusted band of beloved characters to save the day again.

Yelena and Valek set off for Ixia after hearing some news of enemy assassination, needing to update the Commander. They leave behind Leif and Devlin to investigate Owen Moon’s curare growing operation.

Upon their arrival at the Commander’s castle, Valek has a meeting with the Commander himself. Learning that he now has restricted power over the lower ranking troops and all missions must be authorised by the Commander. Something seems out of place and where there was once trust between them; the relationship between Valek and the Commander is strained.

With trust proving an issue not only with the Commander but with assassin in training Onora and with unwelcome guests in the castle, Valek finds himself torn. Does he follow his orders or his heart?

With the characters separated on their own missions; will the enemy be able to divide and conquer or can our favourite group of soldiers and magicians once again triumph over evil?

The book is told between Valek, Yelena, Janco and Leif’s points of view, this is easy to follow and it’s good to know what is going on with each character as you read through the book.

Chapter 10 caused me to do a happy dance and squeal, I won’t say why but Snyder’s fans won’t be disappointed.

Night Study is a veritable treasure trove of adventure. You never know where the characters are going to get into trouble next.

A quick mention about the characters. The awesome foursome as I call them, are like friends, not literary characters in my mind.

Words cannot describe how much I love Ari and Janco. If it was possible to bring literary characters to life, these two would be top of my list. Strong, witty and with a caring side, Ari and Janco are like big brothers to Yelena. They will do anything in their power to keep her safe even if it does have a habit of landing them in jail.

I still don’t trust Onora, but it is the skill off Snyder that does this. You want to trust Onora, because she’s lined up to take Valek’s job, but secrets from the past lead us to the conclusion that not all is as it seems.

Another brilliant book from Maria V. Snyder that will immerse you in the world of Sitia and Ixia; so much so, that you don’t want Night study to end.

I need it to be 2017 already!!!

Recommended reading if you enjoyed Sarah J. Maas and Trudi Canavan.

Book Wars! Pure (Covenant #2) By: Jennifer L. Armentrout (122)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the US, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for Night Study By: Maria V. Snyder is..... ! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Pure

Series: (Covenant #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: US - Spencer Hill Press, 329 Pages (April 3rd, 2012) UK - Hodder Paperback, 400 Pages (September 18th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: There is need. And then there is Fate. Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's other half is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her. When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon--and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude--or killing her. When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Find Jennifer Online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa And since a couple of weeks ago we featured the first book - Half-Blood - from the Covenant series I thought we'd talk about another.

This one is a tiny bit different to the first book. The flower are a bit different and while I still love the US cover, because I own it and love these books... I think I like the UK cover for this one a bit better.

It's cleaner. You can read the fonts - title and authors names - so much easier. And the flower is more stunning to me.

So, it's a UK win for me. Which one do you love? Vote below!

Michelle Like our previous post, I also owned the UK copies of this book, and this is the first time I am seeing the US cover.

For me it's a clear winner. I do like the design of the UK one, but I love how dramatic and ethereal the US cover looks. The flower has a luminosity about it that fits in really well with the darker background.

It's a clear US win for me this week, which cover gets your vote?

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Pure (Covenant #2) NOW!

Book Wars! Night Study By: Maria V. Snyder

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce.The Book Wars winner for Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout is...!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Night Study
Series: Soulfinders #2 | Study #5 | The Chronicles of Ixia #8
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publisher: US - Mira, 448 Pages, (January 26th, 2016), UK - Mira INK, 416 Pages, (February 25th, 2016)
Add to Goodreads: USA Version | UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository, Foyles

Synopsis: Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek...secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister that they could have ever imagined.

About the author:

Meteorologist turned novelist, Maria's been writing fantasy and science fiction since she was bored at work and needed something creative to do. A dozen novels and numerous short stories later, Maria's learned a thing or three about writing. She’s been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a half-dozen awards, and has earned her MA degree in Writing from Seton Hill University where she's been happily sharing her knowledge with the current crop of MFA students. She also enjoys creating new worlds where horses and swords rule, 'cause let's face it, they're cool, although she's been known to trap her poor characters in a giant metal cube and let them figure out how to get out. Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule at http://www.MariaVSnyder.com.

Find Maria Online: Website | Blog | Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa These two covers are each beautiful in their own ways. However, the US cover just is captivating to me. It's just so clear and stunning in a way that is a bit lacking in the UK cover.

Don't get me wrong, I love the UK cover as well. It's scenery is stunning too, yet I mean just look at the US cover! Don't you just want to know what she's thinking? What's going on to make her look so forlorn? I know I do!

And so that's what pushes the US cover out over the edge in getting my vote this week. Do you have a favorite? Tell us by voting below.

Michelle This is a tough choice for me this week as I am torn between the covers for different reasons. I love the cover for the UK cover for its scenery, from the land, to the tower, to the stormy sky. I love the different hues of purple and green and how it all works to make this a creepy feeling land. I just wish the blue circle sticker/advert wasn't there. The US cover though wins for me as it not only matches Shadow Study, but this whole series has had a redesign and now this complete series matches, which always wins for booklovers. I love that we get to see Yelena, and also have a very nice scenic view in the background. For me this week I am going to go with my heart and not my orderly brain, and my vote goes to the UK cover. I much prefer the scenery of this one over the US cover. Now that I've left my vote, don't forget to vote for your favourite below.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Night Study by Maria V. Snyder NOW!

bookwars2013@gmail.com

Review - Always Room for Cupcakes By: Bethany Lopez

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Title: Always Room for Cupcakes
Author: Bethany Lopez
Publisher: 143 Pages (February 2nd, 2016)
From: the Author
Format: e-ARC
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a Adult novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: One day I was be-bopping along jamming to the music in my head while wondering if my thighs could handle grabbing a cupcake on the way home. The next thing I knew, my entire world crashed and burned.

I used to wake up at night in a sweat, crying because I’d dreamt that my husband was cheating on me, or that he hated me, and resented my kids. He’d always hold me close and tell me it was all just a dream, that he loved me and our family and that he’d never let me go.

He was a fucking liar.

Now I spend my days taking photos of scum just like him, trying to be a champion for other's being taken advantage of by the losers in our town, and my nights being a single mom to my beautiful twins.

I've got great friends who have my back, and a sexy, mysterious motorcycle man who keeps showing up when I need him. Maybe things are starting to look up, and one thing's for sure... There's always room for cupcakes.

Review: 3.5 Stars - Always Room for Cupcakes by Bethany Lopez is a fast read about a woman looking to create a new life for herself after finding her husband cheating on her. And as the story goes on we see just how much she’s willing to take on to make the best life she can for her and her two kids.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about this… I’m going to say novella because it has that feel to it, was that it has things in it that I love in stories I read. It has a touch of mystery, a bit of danger, a strong female lead and a dark mysterious man who pretty much shows up out of thin air to maybe sweep the main character – Lila – off her feet. Another thing that it has that I love is watching a character grow before your eyes. It had that and then some.

The characters are all different and play off each other extremely well. These characters are a bit of an older bunch than what I’ve been reading lately, so that was a breath of fresh air. Seeing the struggle of a single woman with kids, as she navigates her new life after her marriage and cheating husband was inspiring. How different her husband was to this mysterious man – Cade – who enters her life was perfect and helped to give this female lead a bit of a push into the growth she was on the verge of.

The story is written really well; however it felt like it was missing something. And I think this is what’s difficult when it comes to writing a novella. Trying to balance the story without readers feeling like something was missing.

I do commend Bethany for the book she’s written here. While it feels like there were parts that are missing or a tad rushed, there were others that were spot on and flowed extremely well.

I really did like these characters’ and became invested in them quickly to a point where I wish this had been a full book or maybe the start of a series of books since I wasn’t ready for it to end. And the title fits perfectly with the story, which you’ll just have to read to understand and I suggest you do because it really is a great quick story and I mean, Cupcakes, Mysterious men and danger? Yeah, go jump on it! This title is very adult for all those great adult things and oh so steamy sexy times. And if you’d ask me if I’d read more should this become a series, the answer would be HELL YES! Bring it on! I could always spend more time with Lila and Cade. I mean there’s no real question there at all.

Review: The Dirt on Ninth Grave (Charley Davidson #9) By: Darynda Jones

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Title: The Dirt on Ninth Grave (Charley Davidson #9)
Author: Darynda Jones
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
From: ARC from publisher
Format: ARC paperback, 326 pages, January 12th 2016
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a Adult novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she's more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.

But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her—even from her new and trusted friends—the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn't help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she's lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.

Review: 4.5 Stars - Contains spoilers for the Charley Davidson series.

Words cannot describe my excitement for this book. The newest installment in Darynda Jones urban fantasy series, The Dirt of Ninth Grave has been eagerly anticipated since I finished Eighth Grave After Dark. We were left on a cliff hanger after reading a Reyes P.O.V. chapter, and I needed to know what happened next!

At the end of eighth book, Grim Reaper Charley Davidson had almost catalyzed and over spent her powers in her grief and having to send her baby into hiding. She had a breakdown and as such her powers took her elsewhere.

In the beginning of The Dirt on Ninth Grave, Charley is going by the name Janey Doe. She found herself in the alley behind a diner with no memory of who she is or where she’s from. The only thing she knows is that it feels like she’s missing part of herself; to avid readers of the series we know this is her baby who she recently gave birth to.

When she’s rested from her ordeal, the diner owner offers her a job and finds her a place to live. Getting used to the daily grind, the customers and her surroundings while still trying to piece together who she is.

The amnesia thing Charley can almost understand, but the thing she finds weird is that she can see the departed. She doesn’t know why, she just knows she can. No one else seems to notice these things, so Charley just doesn’t mention them.

Mr Vandenberg a regular patron of the diner, is set in his ways, and treasures his shop. Charley is intrigued as to why there are strange men “working” in his antiques business across the street. Never one to stand on the sidelines, Charley decides to investigate why things are awry and we know from past experience, this is going to mean trouble. Supernatural happenings also provide intrigue and entertainment when reading Ninth Grave.

Whilst the reader is aware of the presence of Darynda Jones favourites in this book, Charley is making “new” friends in her work colleagues and patrons to the diner. But at the same time, there is the thought that some are lying, or not being entirely truthful with her. She can feel people’s emotions and unfortunately for Charley negative feelings and worry seem to cloud a lot of her conversations.

It was brilliant to see how Charley interacts with her “new” friends and how their relationships develop.

Cookie started work at the diner around a similar time to “Janey”, so they instantly connected over that. Cookie’s husband Bob is also welcoming to Janey and she feels like she’s known them forever, and she finds she trusts them easily. Cookie couldn’t try to be anything but herself if she tried, I absolutely adore her character.

Garrett, Osh, Angel, Agent Carson and Artemis also making an appearance brought a smile to my face. They’re all trying to subtly help Charley remember who she is without telling her the exact truth.

Reyes, well what can you say about the son of Satan himself. As hot as ever; but this time, he shows a slightly more intense side dare I say it than in previous books. When Charley is describing him, she thinks he hates her, because he’s always so moody and doesn’t smile when she’s about. I think Reyes is dealing with the internal turmoil of the fact him and his wife have been separated and their baby hidden away for safe keeping. But at the same time this needed to happen otherwise Charley would have burnt herself out.

It is great to see them flirt and rekindle their love for each other as they start a fresh. In the first few books in the series, all of the Charley and Reyes moments were as intense as they are in this book and I didn’t realize until I read it that this has actually been missing.

When you get to the end of the book and you realize what Reyes went through to pull this off, it truly shows how much he wanted Charley to come back to him.

Never one for a quiet ending, Jones throws in a few scenes with a creepy character who has been mentioned in the book, but I had forgotten about him, focusing on Charley and Reyes. I thought it was all over and she was going to leave us another cliff hanger.
I’m thankful to say she didn’t.

The Dirt on Ninth Grave is a MUST READ for any fans of the Charley Davidson series. I know Lisa is a couple of books away from reading it and I can’t wait to hear what she thinks about it.

Check out the Charley Davidson series if you’re a fan of Jeaniene Frost, Chloe Niell, Stacia Kane or Jennifer Estep.

Waiting On Wednesday - Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) By: Cassandra Clare + The Great Hunt By: Wendy Higgins + Walk the Edge (Thunder Road #2) By: Katie McGarry (277)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 08:00:00 +0000

"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: Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 786 Pages (March 8th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Los Angeles. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to to discovering exactly what it was that killed her parents and getting her revenge.

Raised in the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorn family, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn. A series of murders in the city catch her attention — they seem to have the same characteristics as the deaths of her parents. Could the murderer be the same person? And her attention isn’t the only one caught: someone has been murdering Downworlders as well. The Fair Folk make a deal with the Institute: if the Blackthorns and Emma will investigate the killings, they’ll return Mark Blackthorn to his home. The catch: they have only two weeks to find the killers. Otherwise it’s open war between faeries and Nephilim.

The Shadowhunters of the Institute must race against time to catch the killers, even as they begin to suspect the involvement of those closest to them. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.

Title: The Great Hunt
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: HarperTeen, 416 Pages (March 8th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Kill the beast. Win the girl.

A strange beast stirs fear in the kingdom of Lochlanach, terrorizing towns with its brutality and hunger. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.

Princess Aerity understands her duty to the kingdom though it pains her to imagine marrying a stranger. It would be foolish to set her sights on any particular man in the great hunt, but when a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention, there’s no denying the unspoken lure between them…or his mysterious resentment.

Paxton is not keen on marriage. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast and protecting his family—yet Princess Aerity continues to challenge his notions with her unpredictability and charm. But as past secrets collide with present desires, dire choices threaten everything Paxton holds dear.

Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale, “The Singing Bone,” New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins delivers a dark fantasy filled with rugged hunters, romantic tension, outlawed magic, and a princess willing to risk all to save her people.

Title: Walk the Edge (Thunder Road #2)
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN, 384 Pages (March 30th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Razor knows his family is haunted by secrets of the past…

High school senior Thomas "Razor" Turner knows his family has a dark history as part of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, especially when it comes to the secrecy surrounding his mother’s death.

When Razor starts to dig deeper into his mum's case he turns to the unlikeliest source for help: classmate Breanna Miller, the shy, smart girl he's never looked twice at. But the more time they spend together, the more they realise they actually have in common, and how attracted to each other they really are.

When secrets from the past are revealed can their newfound feelings survive?

*covers are always subject to change.

Book Wars! Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (120)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the US, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for This Raging Light By: Estelle Laure is..... ! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Half-Blood

Series: (Covenant #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: US - Spencer Hill Press, 281 Pages (October 18th, 2011) UK - Hodder & Stoughton, 383 Pages (August 14th, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals--well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is.

If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Find Jennifer Online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa This week I've picked a book that the covers are pretty similar yet different.

What I'd like to know is which one packs more of a punch to you? Which one makes you want to read it over the other. Tell me below!

So I guess you'd like to know which one gets my vote this week?? Well... I'm kind of a purist and since I own and have owned the US cover for a long while now I'm going to give that version a vote. US wins for me this week!

Michelle I like how similar but different these covers are. The US cover is very bold and dramatic, whereas the UK cover has gone in a subtle direction with the background colour.

Like Lisa owning the US cover, I had the UK book, and I do think the the cover above portrays the cover perfectly, and it's the one that also gets my vote this week.

UK wins for me, which cover do you like the most?

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Half-Blood (Covenant #1) NOW!

Waiting On Wednesday - Exposed (Madame X #2) By: Jasinda Wilder + Fire Touched (Mercy Thompson #9) By: Patricia Briggs (276)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Title: Exposed (Madame X #2)
Author: Jasinda Wilder
Publisher: Berkley, 304 Pages (March 1st, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a Adult novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Jasinda Wilder presents the second darkly seductive novel starring the mysterious Madame X.

Everything Madame X has ever known is contained within the four walls of the penthouse owned by her lover, her keeper, the man who controls her every move and dominates her desires. While Caleb owns her body, someone else has touched her soul. X’s awakening at the hands of Logan’s raw, honest masculinity has led her down a new path, one that is as exciting as it is terrifying.

But Caleb’s need to own her completely knows no bounds, and he isn’t about to let her go. Not without a fight that could destroy them all…

Title: Fire Touched (Mercy Thompson #9)
Author: Patricia Briggs
Publisher: Ace, 352 Pages (March 8th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a Adult novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: Mercy Thompson has been hailed as “a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself.”* Now she’s back, and she’ll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it’s the children who suffer...

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

*covers are always subject to change.

Book Wars! This Raging Light By: Estelle Laure (119)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce.The Book Wars winner for Another Day (Every Day #2) By: David Levithan is...!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: This Raging Light
Author: Estelle Laure
Publisher: US - HMH Books for Young Readers, 288 Pages, (December 22nd, 2015), UK - Orchard Books , 320 Pages, (January 14th, 2016)
Add to Goodreads: USA Version | UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository, Foyles

Synopsis: How is it that you suddenly notice a person? How is it that one day Digby was my best friend's admittedly cute twin brother, and then the next he stole air, gave jitters, twisted my insides up?

Lucille has bigger problems than falling for her best friend's unavailable brother. Her mom has gone, leaving her to look after her sister, Wren. With bills mounting up and appearances to keep, Lucille is raging against her life but holding it together - just.
A stunning debut to devour in one sitting, Laure captures completely the agony and ecstasy of first love.

About the Author:

Estelle Laure is a Vonnegut worshipper who believes in love and magic and the power of facing hard truths.

She has a BA in Theater Arts from New Mexico State University and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and thinks everyone should have to wait tables or work in a kitchen at least once in their lives. She lives in Taos, New Mexico with her children.

Find Estelle Online: Website | Blog | Twitter| Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa This is an easy week for me. Hands down the US gets my vote. It's just so much more colorful and bright that looking at these two side by side it really makes the UK cover so kind of blah looking.

So, for the colors and hombre affect from dark to light, the US gets my vote. Give us your vote below!

Michelle This is an easy pick for me this week. I have the UK copy for review on my iPad, but seeing these covers next to each other just confirms my choice. The UK cover has a nice, big font on it, and I like how it's all styled. But for my, the US one is just that much better. I really like the rainbow effect on the background, how bright and bold the colours are. I also like how it's framed with a white border. I also prefer the font for the US cover over the UK cover. Now that I've shared my vote, don't forget to leave your vote below.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of This Raging Light by Estelle Laure NOW!

10 (+ a Bonus) Books Jenny's looking forward to in 2016

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Wow, writing a book list is hard. Here's just a few that i'm looking forward to in 2016. I tend to discover books when I least expect it, so hopefully 2016 will bring some nice surprises as well as some great continuations to series I already enjoy.

Book List (In no particular order) -

Title: The Dirt on Ninth Grave (Charley Davidson #9)
Author: Darynda Jones
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 326 Pages (January 12th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a Adult novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she's more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.

But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her—even from her new and trusted friends—the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn't help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she's lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.

Title: The Crown (The Selection #5)
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 352 Pages (May 3rd, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Kiera Cass’s #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series has captured the hearts of readers from its very first page. Now the end of the journey is here. Prepare to be swept off your feet by The Crown—the eagerly awaited, wonderfully romantic fifth and final book in the Selection series.

In The Heir, a new era dawned in the world of The Selection. Twenty years have passed since America Singer and Prince Maxon fell in love, and their daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own.

Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.

Title: Night Study (Soulfinder #2)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publisher: Mira INK, 400 Pages (February 25th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's life has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore.

Title: Tell the Wind and Fire
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Clarion Books, 368 Pages (April 5th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Tell the Wind & Fire is about a young girl called Lucie who lives in a New York very different from the New York we know: the city is torn between two very different kinds of magic, and Lucie’s own family was torn apart years ago by that conflict. Lucie wears magic rings and carries a burden of guilt she can’t share with anyone.

The light in her life is her sweetheart boyfriend Ethan, but it turns out Ethan has a secret too: a soulless doppelganger created by dark magic, who has to conceal the face identical to Ethan’s with a hood fastened by a collar nobody but a Light magician with magical rings can take off… and who introduces himself to both of them by, for reasons nobody can understand, saving Ethan’s life…

Title: Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2)
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: Allison & Busby (July 21st, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: In Ink and Bone, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history…

With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good.

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.

Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, or the Library willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control…

Title: The Sleeping Prince (The Sin Eater's Daughter #2)
Author: Melinda Salisbury
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 336 Pages (February 4th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Return to the darkly beautiful world of The Sin Eater's Daughter with a sequel that will leave you awed, terrified . . . and desperate for more.

Ever since her brother Lief disappeared, Errin's life has gone from bad to worse. Not only must she care for her sick mother, she has to scrape together rent money by selling illegal herbal cures. But none of that compares to the threat of the vengeful Sleeping Prince whom the Queen just awoke from his enchanted sleep.

When her village is evacuated as part of the war against the Sleeping Prince, Errin is left desperate and homeless. The only person she can turn to is the mysterious Silas, a young man who buys deadly poisons from Errin, but won't reveal why he needs them. Silas promises to help her, but when he vanishes, Errin must journey across a kingdom on the brink of war to seek another way to save her mother and herself. But what she finds shatters everything she believed about her world, and with the Sleeping Prince drawing nearer, Errin must make a heartbreaking choice that could affect the whole kingdom.

Title: A Tyranny of Petticoats
Author: Jessica Spotswood, Elizabeth Wein, Beth Revis, Marie Lu, Andrea Cremer, Caroline Richmond, J. Anderson Coats, Marissa Meyer, Katherine Longshore, Saundra Mitchell, Robin Talley, Y.S. Lee, Kekla Magoon, Leslye Walton, Lindsay Smith
Publisher: Candlewick Press., 368 Pages (March 8th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: From an impressive sisterhood of YA writers comes an edge-of-your-seat anthology of historical fiction and fantasy featuring a diverse array of daring heroines.

Criss-cross America — on dogsleds and ships, stagecoaches and trains — from pirate ships off the coast of the Carolinas to the peace, love, and protests of 1960s Chicago. Join fifteen of today’s most talented writers of young adult literature on a thrill ride through history with American girls charting their own course. They are monsters and mediums, bodyguards and barkeeps, screenwriters and schoolteachers, heiresses and hobos. They're making their own way in often-hostile lands, using every weapon in their arsenals, facing down murderers and marriage proposals. And they all have a story to tell.

Title: Stay With Me
Author: Mila Gray
Publisher: Alula Press, 273 Pages (February 28th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "Adult/New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: Firebrand Emerson Lowe and popular ice-hockey player Jake McCallister have been best friends since third grade but just as their friendship starts to morph into something more a terrible event occurs that heralds the end of innocence for both of them.

Within a week Jake’s living on the other side of the country and Emerson is left alone to pick up the pieces of her life in a small town determined to paint her as a liar.

Seven years on and Emerson is still living on the beautiful Pacific West island of Bainbridge, helping her family run their outdoor adventure company. The last thing she needs is Jake turning up, bringing with him old memories and opening up old wounds. But Jake - even better looking than Emerson remembered and on the cusp of a bright sporting future - seems determined to revive their friendship no matter how much Emerson tries to push him away.

Forced to work alongside him for the summer Emerson soon starts falling for Jake despite her ex-boyfriend Rob throwing obstacles in their way, and soon they’re in the midst of a passionate summer romance that neither of them wants to end.

But if they’re to have any kind of future they’re first going to need to confront the past, a past that most people want to stay buried.

Title: The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 400 Pages (April 26th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

In a starred review for Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Kirkus Reviews declared: "Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close."

Title: Dirty (Dive Bar #1)
Author: Kylie Scott
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 288 Pages (April 19th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a Adult novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: The last thing Vaughan Hewson expects to find when he returns to his childhood home is a broken hearted bride in his shower, let alone the drama and chaos that comes with her.

Lydia Green doesn't know whether to burn down the church or sit and cry in a corner. Discovering the love of your life is having an affair on your wedding day is bad enough. Finding out it's with his best man is another thing all together. She narrowly escapes tying the knot and meets Vaughan only hours later.

Vaughan is the exact opposite of the picture perfect, respected businessman she thought she'd marry. This former musician-turned-bartender is rough around the edges and unsettled. But she already tried Mr. Right and discovered he's all wrong-maybe it's time to give Mr. Right Now a chance.

After all, what's wrong with getting dirty?

Title: Broken Sky
Author: L.A. Weatherly
Publisher: Usborne, (March 1st, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Welcome to a ‘perfect’ world.

Where war is illegal, where harmony rules.

And where your date of birth marks your destiny.

But nothing is perfect.

And in a world this broken, who can Amity trust?

Set in a daring and distorted echo of 1940s America, the BROKEN trilogy is an exhilarating epic of deception, heartbreak and rebellion.

Cover Reveal - US (Him #2) by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:45:00 +0000

Title: US (Him #2)
Author: Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen
Publisher: (March 8th 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order the first book - HIM (Him #1) here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "Adult/New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He's living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves–Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There's just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It's not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn't help that his new job isn't going as smoothly as he'd hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they? When Wes's noisiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Warning: contains sexual situations, a vibrating chair, long-distance sexytimes, and proof that hockey players look hot in any shade of green.

Oh how I LOVED HIM!!! This is one of my MUST read books if 2016! I'm SO excited I can't wait!!! YAY! Bring on Wes and Jamie!

About the Author:

Sarina Bowen makes her home in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where she lives with her family, eight chickens and a large pile of skis and hockey equipment. She is a graduate of Yale University.

Find Sarina Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

About the Author:

A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Find Elle Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Review - Finding Paris By: Joy Preble

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Title: Finding Paris
Author: Joy Preble
Publisher: Balzer and Bray, 272 pages (April 21st 2015)
From: My friend and blog owner Lisa
Format: Hardback
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: An evocative and compelling story of two sisters who would do anything for each other—perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why and Speak. Joy Preble's stirring new novel explores the lengths to which sisters go to protect each other, and the winding road that brings two strangers into each other's lives.

Sisters Leo and Paris Hollings have only ever had each other to rely on. They can't trust their mother, who hops from city to city and from guy to guy, or their gambler stepfather, who's moved them all to Las Vegas. It's just the two of them: Paris, who's always been the dreamer, and Leo, who has a real future in mind—going to Stanford, becoming a doctor, falling in love. But Leo isn't going anywhere right now, except driving around Vegas all night with her sister.

Until Paris ditches Leo at the Heartbreak Hotel Diner, where moments before they had been talking with physics student Max Sullivan. Outside, Leo finds a cryptic note from Paris—a clue. Is it some kind of game? Where is Paris, and why has she disappeared? When Leo reluctantly accepts Max's offer of help, the two find themselves following a string of clues through Vegas and beyond. But the search for the truth is not a straight line. And neither is the path to secrets Leo and Max hold inside.

Review: 2 stars - When I started this book I didn’t quite know what to expect; but I knew being set in California I needed to give it a read.

I like the general idea of the book- scavenger hunt to find Leo’s missing sister following clues around California; but admit I nearly gave up reading half way through. I have recently read Paper Towns by John Green and I thought it was going down the same route, but instead of towns it was finding tourist destinations. The thing that kept me intrigued with this book was that I didn’t know where they were going to end up next. Having visited California a few times, I needed to keep reading so I could relive my memories.

Although I knew there had to be more to this book than just a scavenger hunt, the fact that Paris wanted to save Leo by any way possible if proof of her love for her.

I wasn’t expecting the ‘reveal’ at the end, although I was slightly curious because of that person’s involvement in certain parts of the book.

Finding Paris was an easy read, however at times it just felt live you were going round in circles and as I’ve said above it wasn’t the story itself that kept me reading. The characters are likeable; I can’t however say that I was particularly attached to them.

Finding Paris was not for me sadly, but I think this could be a book that is received differently by different people, as it seems to have very mixed reviews. Passing this onto Michelle at Much Loved Books now, looking forward to hearing what she thinks of it!

Read if you enjoyed John Green’s Paper Towns, M.G. Reyes’ Emancipated, and E. Lockhart We Were Liars.

Cover Reveal ACE: A Band of Brothers Novel (Band of Brothers #1) By: Lyra Parish @givemebooksblog and @lyraparish

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 15:33:00 +0000

Title: ACE: A Band of Brothers Novel

Series: Band of Brothers #1

Author: Lyra Parish

Genre: Romance

Cover Design: Letitia Hasser, RBA Designs

Release Date: February 22, 2016

ADD TO GOODREADS

NOTE: This is a "Adult/New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Blurb

My name is Ace and I'm the Ace of Spades.
I'm not nice and I misbehave.
I will be your nightmare.
I will be your dream.
I will have you begging for more of me with each scream.

The truth is in my lyrics.
Uncontrollably controlled.
I bleed many things one being Rock & Roll.

I don't date or make love, I fuck real hard.
Did you know the ace of spades is considered the death card?
Love doesn't exist in my world, it never did.
Love won't exist in my world, it's something I forbid.

My name is Ace and I'm the ace of spades.
Proceed with caution, because I'm sharp like a blade.

The Band of Brothers novels are full length and will follow each brother in the band.
They can be read together or separately.

Pre-order Links

Special pre-order price of $2.99.

Price will increase to $3.99 after release

AMAZON US / UK
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS
PAPERBACKS

Excerpt

Excerpt from Chapter 1.
Subject to Change.
Unedited. © 2016 Lyra Parish.

Tonight I would fuck the blonde in the front row who continued to visually rip my clothes off with every little blink she took. Her tits were hanging out of her shirt and she licked her lips and batted her eyes at me. The set was nearing the end and I could feel her gaze. When I looked away and back at her, it was like her eyes had never left me. I liked when a woman knew what she wanted.

Blue and green lights flashed over the stage then washed across the crowd. When we made eye contact again, her tongue traced the outside of her plump bottom lip and at that moment I knew she was DTF. Her being down to fuck made this so much easier but then again, being the lead singer of the Band of Brothers made panties magically melt. I'd be her fantasy for the night. I'm sure there would be many more one night stands considering each show from Florida to New York, all the way to California was sold out.

The drums beat on as I screamed out the next few lyrics. "I won't let the world decide. I'll die before that happens."

The drums stopped and the distortion was cut leaving a melodic strum of Nikolas's guitar.

The lights faded when walked off stage leaving the crowd screaming and yelling at the top of their lungs. Jex, Nic, and Rex had huge smiles covering their faces as they chugged the water the technicians handed us. This would never get old. Moments like this were the ones we lived and worked for. Once the chanting and clapping rose to the maximum volume, the four of us walked back onstage and gave the fans what they wanted, an encore.

Green and yellow lights flashed over the crowd and smoke hovered at the bottom of the stage. We played three more songs. People sang and swayed to the lyrics and music. Some jumped up and down, feeling the full beat of the drums while others banged their heads. The feeling of having thousands of people chanting my words would never become real. More often than not, I felt like I was in a dream, one that I never wanted to wake from.

During the last song, I pointed to the blonde. By the way she was dressed in a tight pink shirt and a skirt that showed the bottom of her ass cheeks, I knew she wanted to be seen. She could have possibly had this night planned from the beginning. Randomly, I chose a few others from the crowd to join us, to dance in front of our audience, to feel the temporary power. It was something I did every show, every tour. It was a habit of sorts.

Security helped the girls climb on the stage and they lifted their arms and shook their asses. Before the song ended, the technicians led the girls' side stage as cannons of small fireworks shot from the floor. After the final song, my brothers and played the crowd and threw drumsticks and guitar picks. The yelling didn't stop for minutes and the audience realized we weren't coming back out. I walked side stage where girls anxiously waited us. I smiled, popping an eyebrow at my chosen woman for the night, and she instantly came to me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and hers hung on my waist. My brothers stopped in the green room with the other girls, but Blondie and I walked to the bus.

"I'm Lindsey," she whispered in my ear before we reached the end of the hallway. I smiled at her and pushed open the exit door. Groupies and fans waited near the bus and as soon as we walked up they rushed it.

"I'll be out in a bit," I said, smiling at them with pearly whites. "My brothers are coming out that door over there. Really soon."

I hated to out their exit strategy, but I wanted to take my time burying my dick deep inside Misty or Christy or whatever the fuck her name was. It didn't matter. Names never did.

Author Bio
Lyra Parish loves to write, glamp, and sing obnoxiously loud at the top of her lungs in the shower. Sweet love stories (along with the dirty ones) make her gush. She is a firm believer that a person can never have too many cups of coffee, cats, or happily ever afters. When she isn't busy writing, she can be found sipping various beverages from her non-alcoholic drink buffet, pimp slapping excel spreadsheets, or riding her bike. Lyra lives in Texas with her glassblowing, guitar-playing hubby and black cat named Nibbler.

Author Links

FACEBOOK | NEWSLETTER | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

| PINTEREST | GOODREADS

Giveaway

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Updates!

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 15:15:00 +0000

Hello from the blustery and chilly UK!

Things have taken me a bit longer than I had hoped to get into the swing of "normal" everyday life. It still feels like I'm on a vacation or holiday so I'm trying to force myself to sit down at least a couple times a week to do blog work. Starting today!

I've been brain storming and I'm about to talk to two readers who expressed interest in helping out here so I'm hoping over the next few weeks things will start to pick up again and be back to a smooth-er working order.

My thanks goes out to everyone who's stuck around during this huge transition. I appreciate each of you more than you know.

I have a few things in mind that'll be coming up soon, so keep an eye out here for more exciting details to come!

Until then, happy reading!

Waiting On Wednesday - After the Woods By: Kim Savage + In Real Life By: Jessica Love (275)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Title: After the Woods
Author: Kim Savage
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 320 Pages (February 23nd, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: An emotionally-charged debut novel about the deadly lies hidden beneath a destructive friendship.

One year ago, two best friends, Liv and Julia, were attacked in the woods by a paroled predator. In an attempt to save Liv, Julia was left behind while Liv escaped. After spending three days in the woods trying to escape her abductor, Julia was rescued. She only remembers what happened in the woods in terrifying flashbacks. Now, on the eve of the anniversary of the attack, a body is found in the woods. This discovery rips open fresh wounds between the two girls as the truth about Liv's role in the kidnapping is revealed.

Title: In Real Life
Author: Jessica Love
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 240 Pages (March 1st, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Hannah Cho and Nick Cooper have been best friends since 8th grade. They talk for hours on the phone, regularly shower each other with presents, and know everything there is to know about one another.

There's just one problem: Hannah and Nick have never actually met.

Hannah has spent her entire life doing what she's supposed to, but when her senior year spring break plans get ruined by a rule-breaker, she decides to break a rule or two herself. She impulsively decides to road trip to Vegas, her older sister and BFF in tow, to surprise Nick and finally declare her more-than-friend feelings for him.

Hannah's romantic gesture backfires when she gets to Vegas and meets Nick's girlfriend, whom he failed to mention. And it turns out his relationship status isn't the only thing he's been lying to her about. Hannah knows the real Nick can't be that different from the online Nick she knows and loves, but now she only has one night in Sin City to figure out what her feelings for Nick really are, all while discovering how life can change when you break the rules every now and then.

*covers are always subject to change.

Book Wars! Another Day (Every Day #2) By: David Levithan (118)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the US, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) By: Susan Dennard is..... ! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Another Day

Series: (Every Day #2)
Author: David Levithan
Publisher: US - Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 327 Pages (August 25th, 2015) UK - Electric Monkey, 400 Pages (July 30th, 2015)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Every day is the same for Rhiannon. She has accepted her life, convinced herself that she deserves her distant, temperamental boyfriend, Justin, even established guidelines by which to live: Don’t be too needy. Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up.

Until the morning everything changes. Justin seems to see her, to want to be with her for the first time, and they share a perfect day—a perfect day Justin doesn’t remember the next morning. Confused, depressed, and desperate for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts questioning everything. Then, one day, a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person…wasn’t Justin at all.

In this enthralling companion to his New York Times bestseller Every Day, David Levithan tells Rhiannon’s side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you.

About the author:

David Levithan (born 1972) is an American children's book editor and award-winning author. He published his first YA book, Boy Meets Boy, in 2003. Levithan is also the founding editor of PUSH, a Young Adult imprint of Scholastic Press.

Find David Online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa Since I loved the covers for the first book so much, I thought I'd share the second in this series to see what everyone thinks of this one too.

And again while I really love them both, I'm still so captivated by the US cover. There's something about it that really makes me want to pick up the book and read it.

Both fit perfectly with the previous installments too.

I really can't stop looking at the US covers. They're so interesting and again unique.

So it's another US win for me. Do YOU have a favorite? Vote below.

Michelle I actually had to look twice at these covers, I thought we had accidentally duplicated the first covers. Looking at these I do like how they match the previous books, I am a big fan of matching covers.

My vote this week is the same as it was for the other covers. I really like the UK cover and how dramatic and bold it is, but the US cover just looks nicer for me.
I love the whole effect of this one, the clouds, the floating/falling person. Everything about this is a win for me

US gets my vote, which gets yours?

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Another Day (Every Day #2) NOW!

Waiting On Wednesday - Riders (Riders #1) By: Veronica Rossi + The Power (Titan #2) By: Jennifer L. Armentrout (274)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Title: Riders (Riders #1)
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: Tor Teen, 384 Pages (February 16th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can’t remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen—Conquest, Famine and Death—are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.

They fail.

Now—bound, bloodied, and drugged—Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he’s fallen for—not to mention all of humankind—he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.

But will anyone believe him?

Title: The Power (Titan #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press, (February 23rd, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: With any great change, there is always strife, and the Covenant University has become the frontline between pure-bloods who want the Breed Order reinstated and the half-bloods who want the right to control their own destinies.

Fate has other plans.

The violence is escalating and war between the races seems inevitable, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Hyperion may be out of commission, but Josie and Seth know they have only earned a reprieve. Seth must get Josie fully prepared, which means controlling her newfound abilities, and they need to find the other demigods before the Titans do.

But the gods are sensing a greater threat.

Only one thing is more dangerous than a bunch of starved Titans, and that’s an out-of-control Apollyon. The aether in Josie is drawing Seth in deeper, and when lust mixes with love and gives way to power, he knows being close to her is not only dangerous to her, but to everyone around them, but letting her go requires a level of selflessness that just isn’t Seth’s style.

The paths taken in the past are becoming the roads of the future.

Just as chaos breaks out, familiar faces from the past return, complicating the already strained bond between Josie and Seth, and when the danger from the Titans erupts with devastating consequences, the dark allure of power calls to Seth again, but this time Josie might not be able to pull him back.

And when the struggle between power and love becomes the deadliest battleground, there may be no salvation.

*covers are always subject to change.

Book Wars! Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) By: Susan Dennard (117)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the UK, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce.The Book Wars winner for Last Mile (Vicious Cycle #3) By: Katie Ashley is...!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Truthwitch
Series: The Witchlands #1
Author: Susan Dennard
Publisher: US - Tor Teen, 416 Pages, (January 5th, 2016), UK - Tor, 400 Pages, (January 14th, 2016)
Add to Goodreads: USA Version | UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository, Foyles

Synopsis: On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

About the Author:

Susan Dennard has come a long way from small-town Georgia. With a masters degree in marine biology, she got to travel the world—six out of seven continents, to be exact (she’ll get to Asia one of these days!)—before she settled down as a full-time novelist and writing instructor.

She is the author of the Something Strange and Deadly series (from HarperTeen) as well as the forthcoming Witchlands Series (Tor, 2015). When not writing, she can be found hiking with her dogs, exploring tidal pools, or earning bruises at the dojo.

Find Susan Online: Website | Blog | Twitter| Facebook

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa This week we're featuring a book that I haven't yet heard of and it's funny how these two covers are so similar yet so very different. From the models right down to the colors and the font, it's so much the same and different at the same time.

However we much pick only one and my gut says the US cover is more visually appealing to this book lover. It feels more polished and finished than the UK cover.

I like the flow and movement of the US cover as well, yet when you look at the UK cover the wave in the background just doesn't feel like it fits. It feels out of place. While I'm going to assume it's fitting for the story, it looks so out of place here.

So, it's a US win for me. Which one wins your vote?

Michelle I've chosen Truthwitch for this weeks post, because for me, there has only ever been the one cover for me. The UK has some nice artwork, and has some bright colours to draw your attention, but for me it's the US cover that wins every time. I love how dramatic and magical it feels, I love the pose for the model, as well as all of the background imagery. It really feels like you can reach in and feel the water on your hands, the breeze on your face. It's a US win for me this week, don't forget to elt us know which cover gets your vote.

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of book title and author NOW!

Review: Happily Ever After (The Selection #0.4, #0.5, #2.5, #2.6) By: Kiera Cass

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Title: Happily Ever After (The Selection #0.4, #0.5, #2.5, #2.6)
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books
From: Waterstones book shop
Format: paperback, 320 pages, October 8th 2015
Add to: Goodreads
Order a copy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Meet Prince Maxon before he fell in love with America, and a girl named Amberly before she became queen. See the Selection through the eyes of a guard who watched his first love drift away and a girl who fell for a boy who wasn't the prince. This gorgeous collection features four novellas from the captivating world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series, as well as exclusive, never-before-seen bonus content.

This series companion is a must-have for any Selection fan, and includes:

The PrinceThe Guard
The Queen
The Favorite
Exclusive new scenes from The Selection, The Elite, and The One
Introductions to each novella from Kiera Cass
A map of Illéa and other illustrations
And more!

Review: 4.5 stars - I personally love novellas. They’re little snippets from your favourite series; they can be short stories to wet your appetite for a new world, new characters and adventures. When you hear that one of your favourite authors is releasing a collection of novellas from a favourite series, then you know you’re on to a winner.

Happily Ever After is just that. I fell in love with The Selection series a couple of years ago and although I have previously read The Prince, The Guard and The Queen in e-book form. There’s nothing better than reading about much loved characters in paperback. Obviously due to these stories being novellas from The Selection series, there’s only a limited amount I can discuss without telling all- which I will happily do off the blog!

It was fun re-reading The Guard, The Prince and The Queen because now because Cass is currently writing the 5th book in the series for publication next year and sometimes when you read, you forget things that have happened in previous books.

It’s great to hear from Aspen and Prince Maxon’s POV, to discover how much they both truly wanted America to be happy, despite other people who may stand in the way. Amberly’s story tells of her journey from being one of the Selected when King Clarkson was Prince. And her struggle with poor health and dealing with the possibility that it might lead to her being dismissed from the palace.

I was so happy when I saw Marlee had a short story in this book. I love her and she’s like the BFF every girl wants. She’s strong but can come across as shy until you get to know her and she is someone who will fight for what she believes in including true friendship and love.

At the end of the book there is an update on what happened to the other Selected. This was an interesting read. Especially as we got to know these girls in the first 3 books in the series and then when The Heir came out, we didn’t think we’d hear from them again.

Dotted through the book are some black and white illustrations of the characters which only add to The Selection fairytale magic.

It’s no secret that I’m a Kiera Cass fan, so no surprise to e that I was going to love this book.
It’s a must read for fans of The Selection series- it nicely fills the gaps where your imagination may have once wandered.

Check out The Selection if you’re a fan of Amy Ewing’s The Jewel.

Read my review of first book in The Selection series and fall into a fairytale with a slight dystopian twist >>>here<<<

Waiting On Wednesday - Reign of Shadows By: Sophie Jordan + Legend (Real #6) By: Katy Evans (273)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Title: Reign of Shadows
Author: Sophie Jordan
Publisher: HarperTeen, 304 Pages (February 9th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.

But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.

With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

With lush writing and a star–crossed romance, Reign of Shadows is Sophie Jordan at her best.

Title: Legend (Real #6)
Author: Katy Evans
Publisher: Gallery Books, 272 Pages (February 9th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "Adult/New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: Maverick “the Avenger” Cage wants to rise to the top and become a legend in the ring. Though he keeps his identity well guarded, he's known on the fighting circuit as the new kid with a chip on his shoulder and a tattoo on his back that marks him as trouble. He's got a personal score to settle with the Underground's one and only Remington "Riptide" Tate.

As Mav trains, he meets a young girl—the only other new person in the town--and sparks fly. When things get heated between them, he finds out she's none other than Reese Dumas, the cousin of Remington Tate’s wife. A girl who's supposed to root against him and a girl he's supposed to stay away from.

But Maverick fights for the woman in his heart, and the monsters in his blood. The world’s eyes are on them and the victor will go down in history as the ultimate fighting champion; the ultimate LEGEND.

The highly anticipated sixth story in the New York Times bestselling series that began with Real—“a rare mix of fevered obsession and gentle enchantment…a visceral and addicting debut” (Christina Lauren).

*covers are always subject to change.

Book Wars! Last Mile (Vicious Cycle #3) By: Katie Ashley (116)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Book Wars a weekly feature hosted between two book review blogs – A Life Bound By Books & Much Loved Books!

It’s a fact that book lovers know all about the covers of the books they covet. Often when a title is released here in the US, it’s sometimes vastly different across the pond in the US. So, Michelle from Much Loved Books and I have come together to create Book Wars to talk about the difference in covers when it comes to the US vs. UK versions.

We hope from time to time authors will chime in with their thoughts as well. We welcome everyone to comment and share their thoughts too! The more the merrier!

Before we get to this weeks Book Wars, we have a winner to announce. The Book Wars winner for City of Ashes (The Mortal instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare is..... ! Thank you to everyone who voted for both books, and for picking a winner.

Also, there's a poll at the bottom of the post that we'd love to hear your input for the two covers! Tell us which one YOU love the most.

Left: US - Right: UK

Title: Last Mile

Series: (Vicious Cycle #3)
Author: Katie Ashley
Publisher: US - Signet, 336 Pages (May 3rd, 2016) UK - Headline Eternal, 384 Pages (May 3rd, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads USA Version | Goodreads UK Version
Order online here: USA: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository UK: Amazon UK, Waterstones, W H Smith, The Book Depository

NOTE: This is a "Adult/New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: Katie Ashley, the New York Times bestselling author of Redemption Road and Vicious Cycle, returns to the dangerous and seductive world of the Hells Raiders motorcycle club…

After her father was murdered in the line of duty, ATF agent Samantha Vargas is determined to take down the scumbags of the drug trade. When her partner takes on a case to infiltrate the Hells Raiders MC, Samantha agrees to go undercover as his old lady but is surprised to find herself drawn to the very man she is investigating.

Benjamin “Bishop” Malloy has worked hard to carve a place for himself both in and out of the MC world. Working days as a mechanic, he spends his nights rebuilding motorcycles with the hope of one day owning his own shop. After taking one of the club’s new hang-arounds under his wing, Bishop is conflicted over his growing attraction for the man’s girlfriend.

Even though she’s determined to bring down the Raiders, Samantha discovers their world isn’t as black-and-white as she thought. And as the stakes grow higher, she’s in danger of losing more than her heart.

About the author:

Katie Ashley is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.

With a BA in English, a BS in Secondary English Education, and a Masters in Adolescent English Education, she spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.

Find Katie Online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Let the Wars Begin: Its now time to make our decision, let's see what we think about the covers and pick our favorite cover.

Lisa It's no secret that I love a great MC book and I have to say these covers, both US and UK are pretty hot. I love the fonts used on both. I love the colors selected and I love that you can't see the full models face. It gives you just enough to get your imagination going.

But, there's been something pretty amazing about the UK covers that I like a bit more. I think I picked the US cover for the first book and then the UK cover for the second... While I really want to choose the US cover because there's a bike in it, I can't stop looking at the UK cover.

It's simple yet somewhat stunning. So, yep... it's a UK win for me this week.

Which is your favorite? Share with us below!

Michelle This is the first time I am seeing both of these covers, and it was quite clear to me which cover gets my vote this week.

Let's start with the US cover...to me it just looks fake. I love the whole concept and the idea behind it, but it does nothing for me. I think if the background image would have been different then it might not have been so obvious, but to me this cover looks photo shopped, and I really don't like how the two images have been put together.

The UK cover however is very, very nice. I love how it's just one clear image of the model, how it's focused on him alone...and let's not lie to ourselves, he's a very hot cover model. I like the tattoos, the font style, basically everything about this cover wins for me.

It's a UK vote from both of us, which one gets your vote?

VOTE for YOUR favorite cover of Last Mile (Vicious Cycle #3) NOW!

Waiting On Wednesday - He Will be My Ruin By: K.A. Tucker + Bait & Switch (Alphas Undone #1) By: Kendall Ryan (272)

noreply@blogger.com (A Life Bound By Books) — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000

Title: He Will be My Ruin
Author: K.A. Tucker
Publisher: Atria Books, 352 Pages (February 2nd, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "Adult/New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: The USA TODAY bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series makes her suspense debut with this sexy, heartpounding story of a young woman determined to find justice after her best friend’s death, a story pulsing with the “intense, hot, emotional” (Colleen Hoover) writing that exhilarates her legions of fans.

A woman who almost had it all . . .

On the surface, Celine Gonzalez had everything a twenty-eight-year-old woman could want: a one-bedroom apartment on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, a job that (mostly) paid the bills, and an acceptance letter to the prestigious Hollingsworth Institute of Art, where she would finally live out her dream of becoming an antiques appraiser for a major auction house. All she had worked so hard to achieve was finally within her reach. So why would she kill herself?

A man who was supposed to be her salvation . . .

Maggie Sparkes arrives in New York City to pack up what’s left of her best friend’s belongings after a suicide that has left everyone stunned. The police have deemed the evidence conclusive: Celine got into bed, downed a lethal cocktail of pills and vodka, and never woke up. But when Maggie discovers a scandalous photograph in a lock box hidden in Celine’s apartment, she begins asking questions. Questions about the man Celine fell in love with. The man she never told anyone about, not even Maggie. The man Celine believed would change her life.

Until he became her ruin.

On the hunt for evidence that will force the police to reopen the case, Maggie uncovers more than she bargained for about Celine’s private life—and inadvertently puts herself on the radar of a killer. A killer who will stop at nothing to keep his crimes undiscovered.

Title: Bait & Switch (Alphas Undone #1)
Author: Kendall Ryan
Publisher: Kendall Ryan Books (February 9th, 2016)
Add to: Goodreads
Order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

NOTE: This is a "Adult/New Adult" novel. Due to mature content this title is recommended for ages 18+

Synopsis: Love is a trap, a trick only other people fall for. Former Navy SEAL Nolan has no such illusions. The only things real in his life are his beloved bulldog and the two women who regularly share his bed. One is light—soft, innocent, and tender touches. The other is dark—and gives him all of the wicked things he craves behind closed doors. It’s not cheating when each is aware of the other. But when he begins to feel much more than he ever bargained for, the order of his carefully crafted world is shaken, and he stands to lose everything.

Nolan thinks we met by chance. We didn’t. I sought him out, seduced him, and in return got the sanctuary I needed to survive. But now, impossibly, I’ve fallen in love with him. I don’t care that he has another lover, because when he finds out who I am, it’s going to ruin any chance I ever had with him anyway. She’s the least of my worries.
B
ait & Switch is Book 1 in a new contemporary romance series called Alphas Undone, which will each feature a new couple.

This is a standalone novel with no cliffhanger.

*covers are always subject to change.