Spirit Bound

Last year I fell in love with the Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead. The first four books were AWESOME! The fourth book was pretty good, but not as good as the others (in my opinion). Needless to say, I couldn't wait until the 5th book of the series, Spirit Bound, came out this year. I pre-ordered it on Amazon so that I wouldn't have to wait on my semi-slow library. As you can tell, I was super excited to read this book.

From Goodreads:

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and he's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won't join him, he won't rest until he's silenced her...forever.

I hate to say it, but the book did not live up to my expectations. I LOVED Rose and her kick ass personality in the previous books, but now she is really getting on my nerves. She is completely self-centered and puts her friends in horrible situations that could get them killed. She also leads on her boyfriend Adrian, making him believe that she's really into him, when she's constantly fantasizing about Dimitri. I did love the growth that all the other characters experienced in this book. Everyone is maturing nicely and growing up. Everyone, except for Rose.

When reading this book, I almost felt as though Mead is just pulling plots from her ass in order to finish the series. I know there will be one last book (book 6) in this series, but I hope it's not as over the top as this one. Many of the subplots were so dramatic and over the top that I wanted to literally throw the book across the room.

All this being said, I will not give up on the series. Not when there is only one book left. I will patiently wait for the final book to come out in hopes that it does not disappoint. If you are into YA paranormal fantasies, then you should definitely give this series a try. Like I said, the first 3 books were AWESOME!

Ahhh...I'm in love...

with the most AMAZING house in our price range!!!!! The good news: it's damn near perfect. The bad news: we have to sell our house before we can start building.


Our house has been on the market for about a month now. How many showings? Two. Yep, you read that correctly, TWO. TWOOO! We have a pretty awesome starter home if I may say so myself. Unfortunately, the market is crap and it probably won't pick back up until the fall.

I know what you're thinking: oh, that doesn't sound so bad Leah. Just be patient. You know what I say to that? FUCK PATIENCE! I want the house NOW. Yes, I realize that I am being unreasonable and childish, but so what? I'm always unreasonable and childish.

So, because I know you're interested, here are some specs on the house:

• Great neighborhood with a community pool, gym, tennis courts, basketball courts, playground, and club house.


• Friends live in the same 'hood.


• 4 bedroom


• 3.5 baths


• HUGE master suite


• screened in porch


• covered patio


• sunroom


• amazing kitchen


• other amazingness

The Reckoning

Don't you hate when you fall in love with a group of characters in a series, and then the series ends?!?!? Yeah, me too. I'd been waiting and waiting for The Reckoning, the last book in the Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong, to become available from my library. Thankfully, my friend Crystal was nice enough to send me her copy to read. Of course, the next day the library had my copy ready for pick up. Silly library.

So, the third and final book picks up right where the last left off. Thankfully, there was some recap in there, otherwise I wouldn't have remembered some essential parts. Chloe, Derek, Simon, and Tori have finally found safety from the Edison Group. These supernatural teens don't know if they can trust their rescuers or even each other.

Haha...and that's all I will say because I don't want to give the plot away.

So, if you read my blog (ahem, let's pretend you do, okay?) then you know that I love YA paranormal fantasies. That, however, does not mean that I like the dark, mysterious, edgy boyfriend that seems to appear in an abundance in this genre. That is probably part of the reason I loved this series so much. It doesn't remind me of any other book or series.

This is definitely a must read series. I seriously fell in love with the characters and I will miss them. I hope that Armstrong will give glimpses of them in her next YA series.

Have you read any of the books in this trilogy? What did you think?

Beautiful Creatures

Miss me?

I have not posted on here, let alone read any other blogs in a loooong time! Sorry to keep you guys waiting. I've been working like a mad woman and that last few book I've read had to do with cervical fluid and baby-making. Thankfully, I did FINALLY finish reading Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I've had this book on my shelf at home for MONTHS. I was so excited to read it, but of course, I kept pushing it back. Once I finally finished all of my library books, I dug into it.

From Goodreads (because I'm being super lazy today):

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

So, obviously this description does not even begin to tell all this book encompasses. It was a longer read than most YA books, but it was written very well. One of the things that took me by surprise was how well these two women wrote in the voice of a teenage boy. Granted, he was more sensitive and down to earth than most teenage boys, but it wasn't overdone. I also LOVED the characters. I am from the South so I could appreciate the dialect and the way people behaved. It could have easily been set in a small town in Alabama, so I could really relate to the people and places.

It amazes me how these two authors put their idea together and created one pretty awesome book. I can't wait to read the sequel!

How To Say Goodbye In Robot

Okay, I'll admit it...I totally picked this book up because of the title. Yes, I checked it out from the library and read it all because of the title. So, note to all you authors: A good title can change your lives!

Bea and her parents are moving. Again. New town, new school, new friends. She's used to it by now. She'll become friends with the friendly, average girl as usual, right? Wrong. Bea's life changes when she meets the boy who sits next to her, Jonah. Jonah is quit and keeps to himself. He hasn't had a friend in years, but something in Bea strikes his interest. Their friendship grows and blossoms into something more than a friendship, but not a romance either. They know about each other's dysfunctional families, secrets from the past, and aspirations for the future. Their relationship means one thing: love. But is love enough?

This book wasn't what I expected at all. It was a little quirky, a little sweet, and a little dark. It didn't grab me and make me fall in love with the characters or the plot, but that doesn't mean it was a bad book. I'm glad I read it because it was so different from anything else I've read this year. No, I didn't love the book, but it would have been an awesome quick read for a rainy day. I'm interested to look into more of Natalie Standiford's work. She took an interesting approach into the lives of Bea and Jonah and I appreciate her for that.

Read? What's that?

Oh yeah, it's that thing I used to do ALL THE TIME!

I know I have been slacking in my blogging, but don't feel bad because I have also been slacking in my reading, cleaning, and grading. At least I'm consistent. Right?

Just so you know what I've been up to these past few weeks, I decided to post a little update. First, I got a new job. Well, it's not really a new job since I worked there 3 summers ago. I'm working as a teacher counselor for the Space and Rocket Center. I LOVE my job. We teach teachers who come to space camp. Of course, school isn't out yet for most, so camp hasn't started yet. My boss asked if I could start early to get so things done before all the action happens. I obliged since we are trying to save to build our dream home.

I've also been dieting. I know, shocker right? A friend of mine lost 28lbs on the HCG diet, so I did some research and decided to give it a try. It's a little costly, but I'm loving the results so far. Plus, it's perfect timing for my Vegas trip next month! There is a lot of controversy about the diet, but I go to a doctor who has done it herself and I have a great support system. Anyway, I've been getting more sleep (and better sleep) and therefore I haven't been reading or blogging much.

So, that's what I've been up to. I'm working 3 jobs, trying to lose weight, and taking care of my Hubs and pets.

The Secret Year

I've heard some buzz about The Secret Year on some of the book blogs that I follow. It is Jennifer Hubbards' debut novel and I love supporting new authors!

Colt and Julia secretly dated for a year. Colt is from the flats and Julia lives in a mansion on Black Mountain Road. They hid their romance for an entire year without anyone finding out their secret. Everything is fine until Julia dies in a car accident right before her senior year begins. Colt has to go on as if this tragedy doesn't effect his life. He mourns her privately until Julia's journal turns up. Julia documented their relationship in the journal. Colt now is obsessed with the journal to see how Julia really felt about him. He keeps looking for answers to his questions, but the one question that no one can answer is how will he ever get over someone who wasn't his to begin with.

The was a very short read, and that really worked. I didn't need to be any longer than what it was. It was so interesting that Hubbard write from the male's POV considering she is female. Even though during some scenes I questioned whether a boy would really handle the situation the same, she made it work. Pick up this book and support a debut author!