Nerdy Post Subscription Box ~ April

I wanted to try out one of the Nerdy Post boxes and they had a fantasy book this month so here it is! Oh, and the last picture has my favorite item!

 I got the Ultimate Nerdy Post that included everything. So, the next picture is of a beautiful T-Shirt inspired by Merlin that says "Believe me, I'm not ordinary.

 The next photo is of a tote bag inspired by A Darker Shade of Magic that says " I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still." 

 The next picture is of a beautiful magnet inspired by His Dark Materials. And a sticker inspired by The Night Angel Trilogy and it says "You don't need to like reality, only be strong enough to face it."

 The next picture is of a coloring postcard and two bookmarks that are two-sided. The one side of the big bookmark is from Game of Thrones and says "I'm no ordinary woman. My dreams come true." The normal size bookmark is from The Princess Bride and it says "Have fun storming the castle."

 The next picture is of the two bookmarks with the other sides. The normal sized bookmark is from The Name of the Wind and it says "Words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts." The larger book mark is from Harry Potter and it says "It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be."

 The next pic is of three cards. One is from Siege and Storm and it says "When people say impossible they usually mean improbable." The second one is from Once Upon A Time and it says "Magic always comes with a price." And the third one is from Lord of the Rings. This one is used to list all of the things in the box on the back. 

 The next picture is of a beautiful little poster. It's great cardstock and I have it laid out with something on it to straighten it out. I used a few things in the actual picture including my picture which isn't showing. Lol. It's freaking awesome. It's from Strange the Dreamer and says "Beautiful and full of monsters?" ... "All the best stories are."

 and FINALLY,  one of my favorite things in the box is in the last picture. Anyone that knows me will know what it is right off the bat. We have a candle inspired by Stardust and...... a freaking lapel pin of GHOST from Game of Thrones! Yessssssssssssss! 

 I hope you guys enjoyed the pictures! 

Happy Reading! 

Mel ♥

Owlcrate April 2018 Unboxing

I was happy to get this book in this month's box because I was going to order it and I'm glad I didn't now. The rest of the box is pretty good as well. 

 The following picture is of Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt coffee from Bones Coffee Company. And a Shadowhunter soap from Three Sisters Apothecary by Soap Caldron. 

 The following picture has 3 Harry Potter-inspired pencils by Jubilee Designs. And a Vinyl Sticker from the Young Elites designed by artist, Jamila Mehio. And the little pin we always get with our boxes 

 The next picture is of a pillowcase inspired by Crooked Kingdom and designed by Stella Bookish Art. 

 And finally, the book, Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody. There is also an exclusive postcard set. The book signed by the author and a letter from the author. 

 Happy Reading! 

Mel ♥
 

The Calculus of Change by Jessie Hilb

A poignant and empowering teen novel of grief, unrequited love, and finding comfort in one's own skin.

Aden isn't looking for love in her senior year. She's much more focused on things like getting a solo gig at Ike's and keeping her brother from illegal herbal recreation. But when Tate walks into Calculus class wearing a yarmulke and a grin, Aden's heart is gone in an instant.

The two are swept up in a tantalizingly warm friendship, complete with long drives with epic soundtracks and deep talks about life, love, and spirituality. With Tate, Aden feels closer to her mom—and her mom's faith—than she has since her mother died years ago. Everyone else—even Aden's brother and her best friend—can see their connection, but does Tate?

Navigating uncertain romance and the crises of those she loves, Aden must decide how she chooses to see herself and how to honor her mom’s memory. @goodreads 

I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. At first I just knew it was going to at least be four stars for me. But then.... things. 

I loved the characters for the most part and then some of the said characters started doing really bad things. Now don't get me wrong, I did all kinds of bad things when I was a teen and an adult for that matter. Maybe it was because I could see myself in some of those situations from my past, I'm not really sure. 

Don't take my word for it though, this is a great book and I know a lot of people will have different feelings. Just go with it and feel what you feel. 

I think overall, it was a great book. It just has some hard situations inside of the book. 

I do love the ending though, Aden made better choices and I hope I can some day do the same thing. xo

Happy Reading! 

Mel ♥ 

Unbreakable by Sara Ella

Eliyana Ember is stranded in a foreign country in the Third Reflection with no passport, the inability to mirrorwalk, and zero clue where the nearest Thresholds back into the Fourth or Second might lie. Her mind is a haze, her memories vague. She knows a wormhole from the Fourth sent her here. She remembers her mom and baby brother Evan. Makai and Stormy and Joshua . . .
Deep down El realizes she must end the Void once and for all. Is there a way to trap the darkness within its current vessel, kill it off completely? To do so would mean sacrificing another soul—the soul of a man Joshua claims is a traitor. But he’s lied to her before, and even El senses Joshua can’t be fully trusted, but one thing is certain . . .
The Void must be annihilated. And only the Verity—the light which birthed the darkness—can put an end to that which seeks to kill and destroy.@goodreads 

*I would like to thank BookLookBloggers for a print copy of this book.*

Unfortunately, I didn't get to read the second book. I did receive the first one from the same publisher and gave it 3 stars as well so I'm not sure missing out on the second book would have made a difference in my case. 

There are some parts of the books that I enjoyed. However, I don't like love triangles or for the most part, time travel. 

I do however believe a lot of people will love this trilogy and that makes me happy. The love of books is a wonderful thing. 

Happy Reading! 

Mel ♥
 

Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

Alosa's mission is finally complete. Not only has she recovered all three pieces of the map to a legendary hidden treasure, but the pirates who originally took her captive are now prisoners on her ship. Still unfairly attractive and unexpectedly loyal, first mate Riden is a constant distraction, but now he's under her orders. And she takes great comfort in knowing that the villainous Vordan will soon be facing her father's justice.

When Vordan exposes a secret her father has kept for years, Alosa and her crew find themselves in a deadly race with the feared Pirate King. Despite the danger, Alosa knows they will recover the treasure first . . . after all, she is the daughter of the Siren Queen. @goodreads 

Sirens & Pirates! Oh My!





Alosa is back and bad to the bone! I loved the first one and love this one even more

The sound of my knife slitting across a throat feels much to loud in the darkness.

I catch the pirate before his corpse hits the ground and gently lower him the rest of the way. He is only the first of Theris's - no, Vordan's, I remind myself - crew who will die tonight

Alosa is now a captain of her own ship and has her own female pirates and we might just have some sirens too 😊

But will they defeat the Pirate King and get the gold? Read and find out.

Oh and lovely, Riden. Lord have mercy. I could say something naughty but I won't. Lol.

"Have you decided you want to be a permanent member of the crew, then?" I tease.

"Aye, Captain." He lifts the tricorne off my head and runs his fingers through my hair. "I'll sail with you anywhere. I don't care where we go it what we do as long as I'm with you

Gah! I need me a Riden!!

Happy Reading!

Mel 🖤🐺

GOODREADS REVIEW 

Tess Of The Road by Rachel Hartman

In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can't make a scene at your sister's wedding and break a relative's nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy.

Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it's a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl--a subspecies of dragon--who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she's tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one.@goodreads 

I loved the hell out of this book!!



Some will love it and some will hate it. I could give a damn because I love it.

This is what "They" call a character driven book. This book is about Tess and her journey. And she has some delightful friends along the way.

This is the first book I have read from the author. Yeah, I know this is the same world as Seraphina and I might read that duology one day. And yes, there are some things with Seraphina in it but I don't give a rats @ss. This is Tess story, the good the bad, the ugly and some nice things.

I hope the next book is just as awesome and I hope to read more of Tess and another journey she is taking.

Soooo, read the book for yourself and make your own damn decisions.

Happy Reading!

Mel 🖤

GOODREADS REVIEW 

AMAZON REVIEW  

Stiff by Mary Roach

Stiff is an oddly compelling, often hilarious exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem. For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. In this fascinating account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries and tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them. @goodreads 

Omg and Grossness! I made the mistake of trying to eat a bit while reading this! Just no!



And then a part where they talk about left over skin being used for wrinkle stuff and something to do with penises. I didn't even look up the word they used. Although, now, if a penis was ever whipped out somewhere, I would have to wonder if that penis had something to do with cadaver skin!



I did have to skip over stuff due to my ewww reflex. But there is a lot of stuff I learned that I had no idea about. There is a lot of historical stuff too.

And the cadaver drive test dummies! I can't even. So if you're one that is going to donate your organs, just know that no part of your body will go to waste. Well, most of it!

Mel 🖤

GOODREADS REVIEW

Stormcaster by Cinda Williams Chima

The third book in the thrilling four-book Shattered Realms series from New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima

The empress in the east—the unspeakably cruel ruler whose power grew in Flamecaster and Shadowcaster—tightens her grip in this chilling third installment in the series.

Vagabond seafarer Evan Strangward can move the ocean and the wind, but his magical abilities seem paltry in comparison to Empress Celestine’s. As Celestine’s bloodsworn armies grow, Evan travels to the Fells to warn the queendom of her imminent invasion. If he can’t convince the Gray Wolf queen to take a stand, he knows that the Seven Realms will fall. Among the dead will be the one person Evan can’t stand to lose.

Meanwhile, the queen’s formidable daughter, Princess Alyssa ana’Raisa, is already a prisoner aboard the empress’s ship. Lyss may be the last remaining hope of bringing down the empress from within her own tightly controlled territory.

Multiple intricately interwoven storylines converge in this gripping novel about a brave, coordinated effort to undermine a horrific tyrant. @goodreads 

Holy crap on a cracker!!! I loved it!



I loved the hell out of this book!! I meant to re read the first two but wasn't able to but I'm hoping to re/read all three. I'm not sure if there is one or two more books left. I'm thinking one more and I hope it knocks it out of the ball park!

These characters are awesome! Actually, I think I might need to re/read the 4 books in the beginning of this world and then start these again! Who knows! I'm just happy with this book for now! 




Happy Reading!

Mel 🖤🐺 

PS ~ There is one more book, I was just being an idiot! 

 GOODREADS REVIEW

AMAZON REVIEW

Battlemage by Taran Matharu

The Wyvern turned, its eyes focused on Fletcher, and he suddenly realized how puny his sword was against the monstrosity before him. He backed away slowly. His knees trembled with exhaustion, barely able to bear his weight. He could hardly stand, let alone run.

Fletcher and his classmates from Vocans Academy—including the elf Sylva and the dwarf Othello—travel through the ether, where they must pursue a mortally dangerous quest to rebuild their world and broker peace.

As he leads a small army of soldiers, Fletcher will face his biggest challenge yet: his nemesis, the albino orc, Khan, who seeks to destroy everything Fletcher loves.@goodreads 

I can't believe I have had this book for a year and just now read it. This was a pre order for Pete's sake!!

But luckily, I'm only spending time reading as many books as I can in two of my groups to get my badges and get books DONE! This one now gets its place on the shelf with the first two. Of course now there is a prequel coming out in May. Not sure when I will get to that one as I will surely be in chemo when that comes out.

I'm so happy this was a great ending to a great trilogy! I truly hope to re read this set again in the future, all at one time!

Happy Reading!

Mel 🖤

Stronger Than The Struggle by Havilah Cunnington

"Why do I still struggle if I'm faithfully following God?"

We all face challenges. On any given day, the problems of real life can take our breaths away. Our marriages, finances, relationships, and health are regular struggles, and that's just the beginning. Doesn't the Bible say the war has already been won? So why do we still battle?

In a down-to-earth, let’s-get-real approach, popular Bible teacher Havilah Cunnington cuts through the confusion and shows us how to


Discern whether we’re dealing with battles within ourselves, resistance from God, or genuine fights with the Devil.
Throw off misconceptions about spiritual warfare, and understand what Jesus really said about our spiritual authority and the certainty we have in him.
Ask the right questions and build a realistic battle plan to win one day at a time.
With humor and honesty, Cunnington lays out practical tools to thrive in the face of hardship, enabling us to walk forward in the confidence that, because of Jesus, we really are stronger than the struggle. @goodreads 

This is the first book I have read by this author. I liked how the author adds every day life with Biblical notes. 

I think this book will help a lot of people in their walk with Jesus and their struggles. Unfortunately, it wasn't really for me. 

I would like to thank BookLookBloggers for a print copy of this book! 

Happy Reading! 

Mel 

The Walking Dead March Dropbox Subscription ~ Got Mine A Little Late

This is the March Walking Dead Subscription Drop Box. I got mine today - April 6, 2018. This box is amazing once again! Every piece in the book is dedicated to some of the people we have lost. Enjoy! 

 

Glenn memorial baseball cap

 An awesome authentic Carl costume relic card. I just had to touch the scrap of shirt and then it's going in a protect card sleeve 

 The Walking Dead License Plate 

 A Brian Rood painted Carl carnival cup! 

A replica of Abraham's dog tags 

 Herschel Green's Farm leather-bound journal 

 A candy bar filled with Carl's Pudding ♥

 A Shiva T(iger)-shirt! ♥

 A Sasha Funk O Pop, which I have been wanting! 

 And a copy of the back of the awesome card that came with the box showing pictures of our beloved that were awesome and not forgotten ♥

 I hope you enjoyed! I very much love this box and look forward to the June box, which probably won't get here until July. Lol 


Mel ♥