Book Paradise

Searching for a new book is not always so easy, and lately I have been having the most difficult time. Nothing has really been hitting me. There hasn't been a book to hit the trend waves in a while, so I have had to do more research than normal. 

Today, I had some free time and something told me I should go to the library. It was like the day was just set in stone, like it was meant to be. Well, I decided to hit up one of my local libraries. 

Something kind of hit me when I went to the library and that something was nostalgia. Growing up, going to the library was like my candy store. It was as much of a day out as it would be going to the movies. As a young kid and up to now, there has always been something magical about going to the library. It holds something special for me that nothing else could replicate. It's my happiest place on Earth. 

Going to the library today instantly brought back those same feelings of excitement and anticipation of what books I was going to find. Looking at all the books gives me this simultaneous feeling of anxiousness and peace. It can be overwhelming at times because I have such high hopes for what I can find. Plus, you have hundreds of books at your finger tips for FREE. Lot's of Book Bound material is supported by the New York Public Libraries because books can be expensive. It also makes it easier to get a bunch of new books to review right away. 

The inspiration for this blog post was from my experience at the library today. Even though it wasn't the best library that I have been too, it still created for me that childhood innocence and excitement that never gets old. I have to remember that even though going to the library isn't a very popular thing to do for people my age, it's still popular in my heart. It is still something that people should put there support behind. It's the only place that I know of that you can go and get something special for free. Books to me are priceless and beautiful works of art that help you escape from your realty. They give you a place to go when your mind just can't rest. They lift your mind and creativity to new heights. It's the only thing in this world, outside of my family and friends, that I have had a connection to. The one constant thing in my world that has made sense. Books have and always will be a part of me, a part of my soul. 

XOXO,

Cheryl 

REVIEW: "The Girl on the Train"- BY:Paula Hawkins

Happy July! I have a great book review for you today!

First off, I've been having a slight struggle figuring out what to read lately. Usually, I have a running list of books but it has gotten harder recently. I haven't heard of a hyped up book in quite some time so it has definitely taken a little more time to do research.

The book review this time is for "The Girl on the Train." Now this was a hyped up book at one time. I remember seeing it everywhere and especially in Target stores for quite awhile. I remember thinking at that time that I wasn't really interested in what the book was about, basically it wasn't my time to read the book. So, now in my desperate time of need for a book, this book popped up and fell in my lap at just the right time. Now lets stop using the word time and get to the review.

Rachel is a recently divorced alcoholic. She rides the train to and from work everyday even though she was recently let go. She sits in the same seat and looks out at the same familiar landscape. She especially looks forward to seeing this one particular group of houses. One is her old house the other is of a couple that lives a few houses down (Scott & Megan) that looks like the perfect couple with the perfect life that she once had in that neighborhood. Everyday, she looks forward to spotting the couple outside on the terrace soaking in the sun or having a cup of coffee. Rachel creates in her mind the life she thinks they live and what they like to do. She also tries to avoid looking at her old home, where her ex-husband Tom still lives with his new wife Anna and their little girl Evie. They are everything she wanted in her life but as it turns out, Rachel can not conceive so her life crumbled and she turned to drinking.

One not so ordinary day, Rachel spots Megan kissing another guy that's not Scott. And one roughly bingeful night Rachel wakes up completely bruised and beaten but she can't remember what happened to her. All she knows was that she went to her old neighborhood but the rest was a blur. Then Megan mysteriously goes missing and her body found down by the river. Rachel finds herself right in the middle. Police question her because Anna saw her at the train station the night of the disappearance. All Rachel wants to do is tell Scott that Megan had been unfaithful because Rachel knows how it feels to have a spouse cheat on them. Rachel and Scott start a tumultuous relationship of trying to help Scott figure out who could have killed Megan and what happened that night that she can't remember. Little does she know just how intertwined her life really was to Megan's murder.

"The Girl on the Train" was suspenseful and thrilling. Some of the best writing is the kind that really makes you feel the emotions and actions that are happening. And that't exactly what this book did for me. The book was dark and twisted. It was like going through the mind of an addict. I loved how the chapters each had a different perspective of the three girls: Rachel, Anna and Megan. Each character was awesomely developed to truly feel like you have a good sense of what each character was like before and after the murder. I'm so glad I decided to read this book. It gets The Book Bound seal of approval. I don't want to give away the ending but be prepared for some plot twists and turns that make the whole book exceptional.

XOXO
Cheryl

HAPPY THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

It's that time of year again! Happy Anniversary Book Bound ! (Real anniversary is the 30th) Three years have flown by. Like every anniversary post, I like to reminisce and I feel like this one should be no different. I think everyone who starts something never really knows how it's going to go or if they can even keep doing it for so long. But when I started this blog, I knew it was something that felt right. It was something I knew that I could really see myself consistently keeping up with. And maybe my posts are not as frequent as I would like, but that doesn't make it any less of a success. It can get hard juggling life and having to read the books and make the posts. It's definitely time consuming when I don't have all that much time. But this post isn't a pity party. It's a celebration of 3 years of doing something that I love to do. It brings me much joy to my soul and that's all I can really ask for.

I also wanted to catch you all up on my latest literature adventures. Recently, I have really been loving comics. I know this is a bit off the path of what I normally review on this blog but I thought I would change it up for just one post and make a comic review. The particular comic I will be reviewing is "The Walking Dead." I have all 3 compendium's and I have already finished the first one and am loving the second one. I'm a huge fan of the show and was just dying to know the true story. I was considering doing an individual post for each, but reading the comics doesn't take too long. And I also wanted to just make one post about my comic experience so I think I will be able to cram all that into one post.

And as always, I wanted to thank everyone of you that does take the time to read my posts or comment and contribute to the blog. I thank you with all my heart for allowing me to feel like my dreams are real.

Ciao, xoxo

Cheryl

REVIEW: "You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Life Changing Lessons From Heaven" - BY: Theresa Caputo

Welcome back to my regular book reviews. Glad to be getting back on track. There are so many books in the lineup so check back for more reviews coming soon. 

Back in May of 2014, I read Theresa Caputo's first book, "There's More to Life Than This." I reviewed it for this blog and recently re-read it and I consider that review one of my best, if not my best work. Looking back, I remember how deeply moved and inspired I was by the first book. Her books and her message were totally unexpected. It is truly a soul changing experience. 

When I found out that she wrote another book, I knew what my next book was going to be. And it was just as soul changing as the first. This time around she focused mostly on life lessons and our souls journey in this life. She often talks about soul- searching and how important it is to find out our souls purpose on this earth. I learned a lot about how our souls reincarnate and choose our bodies and then come to earth to continue learning the lessons it didn't fully learned on its first round on earth before they died. Your soul also has the choice to stay in heaven and learn the lessons there. It's all about of your souls journey to reach the highest level of heaven which is where God is supposed to be. 

Most importantly I learned a lot about how our choices and the way we view our life and our reactions to things can effect our souls. Theresa explained the ways that we should go through life trying to trust in our souls journey and to not hold grudges, resentment or anger. We should always be kind, do out best and let go and forgive all the things that weigh heavy on out hearts and souls. It only effects ourselves in the next life. 

I think in a lot of ways it was my destiny to read this book. Sometimes along the way, you need to stop and smell the roses. Look around you and realize that life is a wonderful gift. I needed this reminder to get my life and my soul's life back on track. It helped me feel more comfortable in my journey and that no matter what is happening, I am were I am meant to be. 

Theresa also included many stories about the people she has read. Each story was so powerful and moving. It was again, comforting to know that our loves ones who have crossed over are always looking out for us and guiding us from the other side.

I don't thing nearly enough people give Theresa the time of day to truly listen to her message. Theresa said her gift was from God and spirit to help the world receive his message in a new and more interesting way and I truly believed it has helped me to feel stronger to my faith and believe and trust more in God's will for my life. It's not always easy to give up some control of your life or destiny but her message makes me feel more secure that God has the right plan set out for me and for everyone.We just have to listen and live the best possible life. 

I highly recommended reading her books not only are her books entertaining and fun reads, but there life changing and help you to be a better person. And who doesn't need a little lesson in that?!

Achievement Unlocked: Read the Harry Potter series

I'm so excited to announce that I have now officially finished reading Harry Potter. I read all 7 books. And now I can die happy. :)

Reading Harry Potter has brought me so much joy and renewed my love for books. I can't even quite remember a time before reading Harry Potter, because it probably it took me a few good months to get through them. They sparked a new life in me. I truly felt as if these books carry a magic all their own. It was truly a trance like experience reading them. It helped that I also saw all the movies so the visual imagery was totally alive. I think it's time I start binge watching those movies again....

All 7 books were phenomenal and delivered everything and more than I could have ever imagined. I got started on this journey after I cam back from "Harry Potter World" at Universal Orlando, Florida. I got so insanely inspired from that park that I knew I had to read the books. I wanted to know all the secrets. I wanted to immerse myself in Harry Potter land and never leave. I luckily had 3 of the 7 books and then just ordered the rest on Amazon. I sometimes literally could not put the books down. They were amazing from start to finish. Each and everyone. 

Some times that surprised me about the books started with the very first one. I know these books came out many years ago and at the time I was slightly too young to truly appreciate them. So I feel that now was the perfect time for me to get the full experience. But the first book less intense then I was expecting. It felt very much like being a kid and your parents withholding all the "grown-up" stuff that you don't need to know yet. And all the books progressed, much like we all age and come to learn about all those things that our parents omitted telling us. It was the underlying theme that played throughout. Each book got more intense and starting revealing more and more. 

I know years ago, I remember some people had told me that the movies did not follow the books too well. So when reading it I was hoping to find out some more information that the movies skipped over. To be honest, since having seen the movies first, I didn't see that much difference. of course there were plot lines that were omitted for good reasons I think. Except for the last book. I felt that towards the end there were some interesting things left out. Such as when Harry dies and goes to "Kings Cross," his conversation with Dumbledore was much more informative then I remember the movie being. I especially remember this because I was a little frustrated with the lack of information he gave Harry in the movie. But we all know movies are far more complex.

Harry Potter is a MUST READ. It's magical and amazing. After finishing the last book, I felt as if my whole life was changed from that moment and that it would never be the same. I remember just sitting there with the book closed in my lap and thinking,"What am I going to do now?" 

It's the true feeling of a "book-hole." Where you don't know what to do with yourself after investing so much time and enjoyment into something. This book will live in infamy and I will be sure that my kids read these books and enter the magical world one book at a time. 

Writing Power

Lately, I've been trying to write more things down. I often have an overflow of ideas or thoughts. They just can't stay in my head space for too long. So for some time now I've been telling myself that I need to get into journaling more. I even bought a journal from work for the purpose of starting my journaling journey. However, its taken me some time to really take the plunge.

But writing is second nature to me. Heck, I'm obviously writing right now! Writing is who I am. It's always been apart of me. So I don't quite know why it takes a whole lot of energy to get me to do it sometimes. My best guesses are: I'm super busy sometimes and I have so many thoughts to write that it can seriously get overwhelming. The best idea is for me to write down the influx of thoughts but I'm sure I'm not the only one who has trouble truly sitting down and sorting through your thoughts to write them out. Sometimes the work can just be put off for another day. Except today was the day and I didn't have another day to spare. The thoughts were going down on paper. One way or another. And it was exactly what I needed. I brought be the clarity that I had so desperately been craving.

Sometimes you just have to stop overthinking and just go with the flow. Literally JUST DO IT ! Don't think. Just Do. That's going to be phrase going forward because I have big plans and I want to be in control of them. That's the only way to get ahead.

So no more time for excuses. It's time to make things happen. Writing is my vice in life. Besides reading of course. It's the way my mind knows how to function.

Another good tip of mine for life is to write. Writing is sometimes the only way to get out your true feelings. It's pure and personal and sometimes the most vulnerable you can feel.

So I did what I set out to do. I WROTE!

xo Cheryl

Just One of Those Days

Until mid-day, I was having a mostly normal day. Nothing crazy and I was feeling pretty good. For some reason, as the day went on, I just got into one of those moods. Nothing even happened to make me feel this way. My attitude just flipped and I was no longer feeling like this day was normal or fun.
Sometimes these days just happen. And often times I find myself reflecting on this moments because for the most part I like to remain happy at all times. I have some suspicions that I have some underlying issues, like under the surface that I haven't faced, that cause me to create these moments in a seemingly good day.
I wanted to share this thought with you because I felt like we can all use a reminder that bad days will happen and they won't be announced. But remember that you can turn things around. Don't get weighed down by the negativity. I believe that life is a lot about how you react to it. Stop for a moment before you make a decision or say what your thinking. Often times if you give yourself that few seconds to think you will find that what you are about to do or say in those moments of negativity are not the correct response. I tired to do that today. I still failed but I realized that I do have the power over how I respond to things and how I respond reflects on how well my day will go.

Another reason I wanted to write this, was because reading is a huge antidote to a bad day. If I'm ever having a bad day I know one thing that will always get me out of it and that's reading. One of the major things I love about books is that they can be an escape. Books have always been an escape route for me from life. Whenever I need clarity, I read, because it clears my mind of my worries or concerns and opens it up for more positive and rational thoughts. Reading should truly be a medical remedy for some people because I swear its my life line.

So if you're having a bad day, maybe this time start reading, if you don't normally do that. I think you might find that your day just turned around again and this time for the better.

XO
Cheryl

REVIEW: "The Tides of Memory"- BY: Sidney Sheldon

Here's another review for ya! I'm gonna make it as short and sweet as I can.

An older woman that I work with and I got to talking one day and we realized we are both book lovers. I always feel like I'm in good company with a book lover. Now me and my co-worker do not have exactly the same taste in books. Partially because there is a significant age gap, but also because well, we just have different tastes. She has a much more mature reading style and I still tend to gravitate towards teen fiction. But, I don't like to book discriminate so when she said she left me a good book to read, I couldn't say no.

"The Tides of Memory," is largely a mystery thriller. But what is great about this book is that it's not the creepy kind of mystery books that I often associate with mysteries. The story line was very reminiscent of other books that I love, so I quickly immersed myself in this book.

The book is initially set at a summer camp in the 70's where Toni Galetti and Billy Hamlin become too distracted with each other to realize that a young boy camper has drowned. However, Billy takes the rap for it all because he loves Toni and doesn't want to see her go to jail. Billy winds up going to jail for 20 years and Toni runs away and is never to be seen again.... as Toni. Toni runs away to England and starts another life as Alexia. No one comes looking for her and she ends up marrying Teddy De Vere who is British royalty. Aelxia, for some time, lives a politically sophisticated life with her husband and two kids. That is until she became Home Secretary of England. From that moment on, things start to unravel or Alexia one by one. Her daughter had tried to commit suicide but ultimately ended up paralyzed in a wheel chair. Her son quit University to follow a dream and Billy, the boy who took the rap for her all those years ago, has suspiciously showed up in England looking for Alexia.

Billy has gone crazy since he got out of jail and ends up dead in England as he was trying to get Alexia to help him because he has been hearing voices that someone was going to kill her and his daughter. Alexia didn't want anything to do with Billy, since she tried to hard to erase her old life.

Alexia is ultimately pushed out of office because surprisingly to Alexia, her husband was charged with murder of her daughters ex-boyfriend and also of the murder of Billy Hamlin. Alexia thought her husband was the good one but he did heinous acts to protect his family.

The biggest surprise came when the book revealed that Alexia's best friend Lucy was actually the brother of the little boy that died at camp under Toni's watch that Billy went to jail for. Lucy had been plotting for years to get revenge on her and Billy. Lucy almost successfully kills Alexia but ends up just killing herself and leaving her family completely in shock.

The book may start out a little slow with peaks and valleys to keep you on your toes. But once all hell breaks lose it is like an avalanche of misfortune. One crazy incident after another. I was pleasantly surprised by the story line of the book and was even more surprised by the way the book was written. I loved the style of writing and appreciated the shorter chapters and breaks within.  It is definitely a compelling read and the ending was something I totally had not suspected. There are multiple twists and turns in this book that deserves a gold star.

REVIEW: "Gone Girl" - BY: Gillian Flynn

Welcome back Book Lovers! 

I'm pretty excited to bring you a review of "Gone Girl." I'm probably late to the party again, but that's just my style. Not much of a follower... ya know?!

Anyways, "Gone Girl" is probably not new to you and if it is then I feel pretty good about myself because I just taught you a little something ! :) 

Regardless, "Gone Girl" is basically a house-hold name. You've maybe seen the movie and better yet you read the book before you did. I don't know about you but the trailer of the movie definitely mislead me about the book. My impression of the book, just based on the trailer, made me feel as if this was going to be some middle aged women's version of a mystery/crime scene. That sounds a little harsh but mainly what I'm trying to say is that it could be very blase and not the style I'm impressed with. 

I haven't seen the movie yet because I just finished reading the book. As the natural order should go. It was definitely on my radar because of all the interesting things I've heard about the book. 

I was intrigued from the first sentence. The writing style was beautiful. It was fluid, clear and enticing. I kept finding myself trying to play detective. I was trying to think one step ahead of the author. I went through various stages where I thought maybe he did because it sure did seem like it ... but then just when you thought you had it pegged down, she would flip it on you and you were thinking of a totally different scenario. It was a very natural progression but one that definitely shocked you and you love it for doing that.

Something that I love about books is the hold they can have on you. The hold can be before you read it, while you are reading it or after you read it. This book definitely had all 3. I was excited to read it, couldn't put it down and didn't want to let it go. 

I hate to give some big plot or round up about the gist of this book because it has been so popular in the media. However, I will implore you with a small bit about the book that I feel will help you get a good idea and make you read it or not if you haven't already done so.

Amy and Nick have been married for 5 years when Amy suddenly goes missing from their Missouri home. Nick doesn't freak out but is definitely curious as to how this could possibly have happened. He tries to keep his tracks clear because he knows the story with missing wives and the husbands have nothing to show for it. Nick knows his marriage wasn't great. They both turned into different people after they happened to be married for a little while, but Nick denies any involvement in this disappearance. We slowly learn the true inner workings in the mind of Nick and Amy through narration and "diary" entries that Amy has written. Don't count Nick out just yet. Don't let your mind slip into feminist paranoia towards men. Maybe some women are driven  mad and would do anything to seek their "rightful" attention. 

There is a lot about this book that I love. I love the way it is laid out. Every chapter is either in the voice of Nick or Amy. You are constantly getting a contradiction or rather understanding of what you just read in the last chapter. Its enticing and totally "revolutionizes", if I can say that, about the way I feel towards murder mysteries or disappearances. I never really gave them much thought but I'll probably never think of them the same again. And maybe there is a lot of fictionalization that you can't apply to real life but I always say, "Never say never!"

BUT.. I will leave you with something that still seems to keep plaguing me is the ending. For a book that is full of such suspense, insanity and intrigue the ending still makes me sit and wonder what I just read. Maybe it has a deeper meaning then I can truly wrap my head around at the moment. But it felt like an awfully odd way to let things go. 

Either way, it is what it is and I'll let you go by saying: Yes, read the book enjoy it and let me know what you thought about the ending. I definitely want to hear some thoughts about this book! 

Ciao!

UPDATE: Playing The Game

Good Hello my book lovers!

I wanted to take a moment to talk to my loyal followers. Sometimes it is nice to take a break from reviews and just reflect on some things that are happening in your life. I have been very busy lately with a new job that I have acquired. I'm working as a supervisor in a retail position right now, while I am trying to figure out my next move. I feel very blessed that I have been given this opportunity. As you know, I was struggling for a little while and sometimes I feel like I still am, but I feel like this new job was exactly what I needed. It has allowed me to unburden myself from the growing anxiety I had felt towards what my future was going to look like. I feel like I finally stopped holding my breath.

But nothing in life is ever guaranteed and it is surely the most unpredictable thing in existence. My life has strange timing but timing nonetheless. Meaning..., I believe that everything in my life is meant to happen when it is EXACTLY supposed to in order for me to either learn a lesson, grow from an experience or have something fall right into place. Nothing that has ever happened in my life was  meaningless and I know that now.

Like a lot of things in life, practice is required in order to perfect something. Reading to me is a "sport." I use that term lightly but I believe it all comes from a place of passion. This blog was sparked from a passion for reading and I think that I am still practicing on being a better blogger. I hope to continue to grow this blog into bigger and better things. It will just take some time and practice. I brought up this particular imagery and message because life is a sport. You have to go through all the obstacles, stumble and get back up a million times before you get to reach your goal. You will face lots of losses and experience some amazing wins but we are all players in the game of life.

Ciao,

Cheryl xoxo

REVIEW: "If I Stay" - BY: Gayle Forman

Long overdue, but here none the less...

"If I Stay" is not a new book to me. Almost 3 years ago, I was browsing the book store with a friend of mine. When she spotted the book, she told me that this was definitely one I had to read. I could tell by her reaction that I knew I needed to find out what made this book so great. 

Fast forward to present time, "If I Stay" is just days away from its movie premiere and like any book lover, you need to read the book before you watch the movie. So in book lover fashion, I dug out this book and decided to re-enter a book with no hesitation. 

First off, I love the plot of this book. The concept is right on track with the kind of premise for books that I enjoy. I would like to disclaim that I'm not necessarily in love with the pure tragedy of the book. However, I am into reading about things that I either have not experienced or things beyond human explanation. Basically, far out things that only our imaginations can explore properly. 

This all relates back to the core of this book, which is the tragic story of a family who went out for a drive on a snowy day and got plowed by a truck. There's no easy way to explain it. Mia without realizing it wakes up after the accident and sees her dead family laying on the side of the road. The only person she can't find is her little brother Teddy. When she thinks she found him, she actually finds her own body and starts to realize what has happened. Mia is having an out of body experience. She is somewhere between life and death but she doesn't really know. She follows her body as it is rushed to the hospital. It is there where she will make her life changing decision, whether she stays and lives or goes and dies.... You can see there is so much intrigue with this kind of story. No one really knows what that is like because this kind of experience doesn't happen everyday.

Mia doesn't have much to live for. She lost her whole family in one swipe. The only thing she has left is her boyfriend Adam, who wants nothing more then for her to stay. Adam and Mia have a charming high school love story, where to seemingly to opposite types of people find love over music. Music is another theme of this book, which I think is the gap that makes the book actually have something to work with. But, I digress... Mia has to make an almost impossible decision until she Adam finally gets to touch her and it all makes sense. 

Of course, I'm giving you the short version. There is so much back story intertwined in this book that reading it the second time it seems almost unnecessary. However, I started to think a little deeper about the need for the back story and I thought: Mia is between life and death, it's possible that in this state you reflect on some really significant or memorable times in your life. This makes the most sense to me. The back story gave me a great perspective on this family and you can't help but fall in love with the whole clan. 

"If I Stay," is one of those books that I will always recommend. Reading it a second time did open my eyes to a few things that warped my initial feelings toward the book. The font type makes the book a quick and easy read and you don't find out until the very last page the decision that Mia makes. Some things that I'm not so happy about is that you don't even get a hint or an idea of what happens after she makes her decision. It just ends abruptly. Also, you never truly find out what happened to Teddy. She just made a probably accurate, but non the less an assumption. No one even talks about the loss of her family. They are just keeping vigil waiting for her to wake up. I think there was a miss in this area. Overall,  this book makes the list and doesn't disappoint to charm all those who let it. 

Life Update

Hey!

I've been wanted to write a quick life update post for a little while now.

A lot of life changes have been happening for instance, I graduated college and started working on some new projects! Graduating college was definitely the proudest moment of my life. Sometimes I get upset that I'm not where I want to be in life exactly but I'm working on it everyday and praying that all my dreams come true. Sometimes things in life take time to develop and I'll keep working hard to make things happen. 

In the meantime, I recently get a "freelance" position working with an independent publisher doing book publicity. I'll be working with beside the authors to help them go through all the stages of writing a book and then doing the publicity work afterwards. I'm excited to get this opportunity and hopefully it will be the start I need to launch my career.

I'll definitely be excited to share some of the projects I'll be working on, considering it pertains to books which is obviously what this blog is all about. 

I feel fortunate to get this experience under my belt but I won't stop putting my time into this blog which is like my baby.

Hope you all have a great week and the best start to the summer ! 

Get ready for a new book review coming in the very near future. 

Ciao,

Cheryl