Heir Of Novron by Michael J. Sullivan

A FORCED WEDDING. A DOUBLE EXECUTION. TWO THIEVES HAVE OTHER PLANS.

The New Empire intends to celebrate its victory over the Nationalists with a day that will never be forgotten. On the high holiday of Wintertide, they plan to execute two traitors (Degan Gaunt and the Witch of Melengar) as well as force the Empress into a marriage of their own design. But they didn’t account for Royce and Hadrian finally locating the Heir of Novron—or the pair’s desire to wreak havoc on the New Empire’s carefully crafted scheme. @goodreads 

OMG! I freaking cried at that ending. Okay, so I cried earlier in the book about a death. And then I cried a little more here and there. And then I was doing so much happy crying at the end!



When he. . . and then she. . . and then Mercedes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My feels, my feels......

This book was so freaking good. I laughed and I cried. I loved the journey the group all took together. They had me cracking up so much of the time but then some deaths. That happens, we just move on. I hated crying but that's what I do and I feel so much and Michael J. Sullivan you're just the best.



Hadrian and Royce I will love you forever. Arista, Gwen, Sir Breckton, Amilia, Alric - gah, there are so many. This book were such a great adventure, I don't see how anyone could not love them. And one of my friends mentioned this was the best book so far and they are right. It was so good! I'm repeating myself.

I knew who the Heir of Novron was at one point. I'm sure everyone did, I just knew it and YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

So listen people, if you have been putting off these three volumes (two books in one) because of the size, just don't. It's freaking good you need to read them. If you don't love the boys then there is something wrong with you. Lol, just kidding. I know, we can't all like the same things. But, just give it a chance because it's amaze balls. This is one for the shelves and for re-reads baby! 

GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2032471164

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder's brain interference has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it "a matter of national security," but Cinder suspects it's more serious than he's letting on.

Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder's intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that's been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter's illness, Cinder's stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an "honor" that no one has survived.

But it doesn't take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for. @goodreads 

Re-Read of Cinder on Audio Of course, now I need to buy the rest of them on Audible but I will listen to them on Overdrive until I can get them all.

I'm still loving Cinder, Iko and Prince Kai. I loved one of Cinder's sisters but the other one and her stepmom. Ugggg.

Cinder being a cybor-mechanic is too cool!



There is a deadly disease going around and it kills so many people. They are trying to find a cure by doing some evilness.

Cinder gets to meet Prince Kai and sigh, I felt so happy for her.

Then there is Queen Levana from Luna. Don't even want to talk about her evilness right now. And Cinder finds out who she really is... eeep!

Here's a really cool fan art of Cinder by MiraPau ↓



This book was so good. I remember when I read it the first time that it was so amazing. Listening to it, I find that it is still amazing. I'm loving these audio re-reads. Well, unless I get a bad narrator!

I'm still in awe and I'm still in love! Oh, the joy of a re-telling with cyborgs and all kinds of different things! And there is a war brewing. Isn't there always a war brewing! It's just the beginning to an amazing series. In my opinion anyway. =) 

GOODREADS REVIEW:

 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1186645115

♥ Book Depository Book Haul ♥

Okay, I couldn't wait to post my books. I do have some more on the way from Book Depository but I couldn't wait any longer. =) I will also be doing a bookshelf (not case) tour of different shelves as soon as more things come in. Enjoy! This book haul made me so happy ♥

The first is Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind by Hayao Miyazaki. I love him so much and have most of his movies. Although, Spirited Away is my favorite. I wish there was a huge Manga like this of that one as well. 

Anyhoo, this box set is HUGE. I weighed it on my digital scale and it is 7.2 lbs! It made my back hurt carrying it around with my arthritis and fibro. Lol 

Here it is next to a regular box set so you can get an idea. I should have made a video for you guys to see it better! 

Here are the two hardback books inside. Ugg, I forgot to take them from the side but as a whole, there are 1000 + pages! 

Inside was this beautiful double sided poster! Side one above. Side two below. 

The following pictures of the book are some of the inside covers that are in color and the regular pages that are in black and white. I'm so happy to have gotten these books. 

Next is my beautiful Harry Potter books =) 

I love all of these books so much, there are a few more =) 

And of course, I had to get the paperback copies as well =) I have so many copies of the Harry Potter books now that it's insane. But, it makes me happy! ♥

Like I said, I will be doing a bookshelf tour of two different authors as soon as I get them set up =) 

Thank you for looking at my haul ♥

Mel  

Now I Rise by Kiersten White

Lada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.

What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?

As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost. @goodreads 

Let us begin!!





**************THERE WILL BE SOME SPOILERS *************

Okay, so I freaking hate Mehmed! He was alright in the beginning of the first book when him and Lada, and Radu were just friends. And then he becomes Sultan and Lada encourages him and he's a prat! First off, I don't like that crap custom of having the harem. He's in love with Lada but popping out kids. My arse!

And Lada and Radu just keep loving him no matter what. The hell?

Anyhoo, Lada is off trying to get her throne of Wallachia and she's having a very hard time. No one cares for her and no one wants her to be prince. < -- Yes, prince. Assassins are trying to kill her but Lada and her men take care of most of that and then Lada just starts taking her revenge.

Lada knew punishing Transylvania for everything that had gone wrong in the past year did not make perfect strategic sense. But it felt better than anything else, and so Transylvania burned.

I love Lada's men. They are very loyal to her for the most part. Bogdan and Nicolae hold a special place in my heart. I also fell in love with Hunyadi who was an enemy at one time but became a great friend to Lada. Then that b••tard Mehmed happened!

Lada asked Radu to come to her and help her but he's stuck so far up Mehmed's rear end that he doesn't go. He's in love with the jerk. Once again, what the hell? Mehmed is doing nothing in this book but using Lada and Radu. I really hope Mehmed either takes a turn for the better in the next book or that Lada kills him deader than dead!

I love Radu's wife, Nazira. She was so much fun and so smart! She had me laughing a few times.

Then Mehmed sends Radu off to Constantinople, he just sends him out to possibly get killed. I loathe him! Nazira goes with Radu, so there was a whole sh•t show over there.

Lada goes through all kinds of hell. She even saw her mom which was beyond crazy train!

There are those that are killed of course and I wish they weren't but it is what it is.

Then Lada gets her throne and she's not all that happy with the way things have been going. I love her so much. She's bloody, brutal, but she takes up for those that need to be taken up for.

You better rock it in the next book Lada and not let anyone kill you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She had done what was necessary. She watched as each body was removed. She would mark their passing, and acknowledge their unwilling sacrifice. Because with each body they drew closer to her goal. She clutched her locket so tightly that her fingers ached.

She was a dragon. She was a prince. She was the only hope Wallachia had of ever prospering.

And she would do whatever it took to get there.

Some court people thought they could tell her what she needed to do. Wellllllll, that didn't work out too good for them in the above excerpt =)

To Radu, my brother,

I do not acknowledge your new title, nor Mehmed's. Tell the lying coward I send no congratulations. He sent none to me when I took my throne in spite of him.

You did not choose right.

Tell Mehmed Wallachia is mine.

With all defiance,
Lada Dracul, Prince of Wallachia

Take that b•tches!

GOODREADS REVIEW:

 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1794160036

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Contains exclusive content: songs from Griffin Peterson

Sydney is living in an idyllic bubble—she's a dedicated student with a steady job on the side. She lives with her best friend, has a great boyfriend, and the music coming from the balcony opposite hers is fast becoming the soundtrack to her life. But when Sydney finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her, the bubble bursts. The mysterious and attractive man behind the music, Ridge, gives Sydney hope that she can move on and they begin to write songs together. But moving on is harder than she expects, Sydney can only hope….

Maybe someday…

Colleen Hoover draws you in to this passionate tale of music, love and betrayal…@goodreads 

How can two people who both have such good intentions end up with feelings, derived from all the goodness, that are so incredibly bad?

I thought is book was really sweet. I mean there were a lot of things that got on my nerves but it all worked out in the end.



****SOME SPOILERS****

Sydney meets Ridge by listening to him play his guitar on his balcony every day. She sits on hers and he sits on his across the way. Ridge has been having trouble writing his lyrics for the band and he sees Sydney singing to his music and thus it begins.

On Sydney's birthday she finds out from Ridge that her boyfriend of two years, Hunter, has been having a relationship with her roommate, Tori. He really didn't want to tell her but he couldn't put it off any longer. Ridge had seen them on the balcony. They say it was just sex and meant nothing, they had been having sex for years before they knew Syd. Seriously?

Anyway, Syd moves in with Ridge and his roommates, Bridgette and Warren. They are a hoot let me tell you.

Syd finds out Ridge is deaf but he can still play guitar and writes music for the band his brother formed. They are a big hit. Ridge won't play with them though because of his nerves and something else, but I won't tell you what that something else is, just something that is holding him back.

So Ridge and Syd communicate through text messages and the laptop. And they make music together. Syd writes the lyrics and Ridge plays, at least until he gets his muse back, which is through Sydney.





Then, Syd finds out Ridge has a girlfriend. Hello, you could have mentioned that from the beginning before I started falling for you. Men.

Maggie and Ridge have been together for 5 years and it's not all what it seems either. You know how you get comfortable with someone and they have other problems and you feel you can't leave them. But it all works out in the end for everyone.



I loved being able to read a nice fluffy book. Sometimes I just need to do that, although I don't need to explain myself to you. I enjoyed this book, but like I said I wanted to scream through some of it. I loved the characters and they all seemed to just get one another. Lovely.


GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2041280837

Arena by Holly Jennings

Every week, Kali Ling fights to the death on national TV. She's died hundreds of times. And it never gets easier...

The RAGE tournaments the Virtual Gaming League's elite competition where the best gamers in the world compete in a fight to the digital death. Every kill is broadcast to millions. Every player leads a life of ultimate fame, responsible only for entertaining the masses.

And though their weapons and armor are digital, the pain is real.

Chosen to be the first female captain in RAGE tournament history, Kali Ling is at the top of the world until one of her teammates overdoses. Now she s stuck trying to work with a hostile new teammate who s far more distracting than he should be.

Between internal tensions and external pressures, Kali is on the brink of breaking. To change her life, she ll need to change the game. And the only way to revolutionize an industry as shadowy as the VGL is to fight from the inside @goodreads 

 I enjoyed this book! I love anything about gaming. I'm more of a watcher than a player though =) 

This book is about teams competing in the Rage tournaments. It's a virtual gaming where people are actually fighting each other. You can die many times in the game, but you wake up, train and try to keep yourself on top so you can win. It's like the new thing, digital sports. 

All of the crews are big in the public eye and pretty much celebrities. They have big companies that back them, etc. 

Kali, Lily, Hannah, Nathan and Derek are a team, but this last match against a new group has brought them down a notch. Then a tragedy happens and they have another player to train, Rooke. I had a crush on him =) 

Kali is the leader and it's hard to get them to all work together and we have to see what the end game is going to be. 

There are a lot of problems with drug abuse and overdoses in this book. It happens to the gamers just like it would any other person that is a celebrity. But can they make it through all of the hardships and come out on top? Read the book and see. 

 

The Stranger In The Woods by Michael Finkel

Many people dream of escaping modern life, but most will never act on it. This is the remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a reality—not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his own.

In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life—why did he leave? what did he learn?—as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.@goodreads 

Wow! This book . . . I couldn't even put it down!

This is the story about Christopher Thomas Knight who at 20 years old, walked into the woods and ever came out until he was caught at 47 years old. He lived in the Maine woods for all of those years in bad weather and in good weather. The only thing he did wrong was burgle cabins and Pine Tree which was a place for people with disabilities. He took any kind of food to survive, watches, books, propane tanks, etc. And when he was caught he confessed right away about these things and said he was sorry for it. He had 1000 burglaries over the course of his life. All he wanted was to live alone in the woods and survive. He never hurt anyone and he never damaged anything.

The author, Michael Finkel met Christopher while he was in jail. He wouldn't talk very much. When he did open up I found that so many things he said opened my eyes even more to the world we live in and how being quiet in nature is more important than even writing this review. Too many things take over our lives and I would like to start simplifying more things then I already do. (which is going to take about 6 years!)

Christopher didn't ever get a cold or any major issues accept for his teeth from a lot of the sugar he ate because when you live like that and you take what you can get. He was wearing the same glasses he was wearing at age 20, he was losing his sight but they fixed him up with some new glasses when he got caught.

Chris knew the woods, his hearing became fine tuned to every little sound, even the minute ones. He never left any tracks. When he left his camp, he stepped in the same places that he had stepped in for years. The police were amazed about that while watching him when they followed him back to his camp.

I'm just amazed at this book. I wish he didn't have to do all of the burglaries but I think he should have been left alone and there are a lot of people that feel the same.

If I had a cabin in that area I would have left him out some food, mostly right before winter. A big lot that he could have over the course of the winter to survive so he wouldn't have to go and get so much stuff to make sure he stayed alive. He wasn't a free loader just because he stole food to survive in the woods. Seriously, I know some free loaders that just don't want to work and live off someone else. My cousin, she has one of those. I think if he could have had the nice part of the community to leave him some food and let him be alone in the woods that would have been a nice thing. He just wanted to be in the woods. He didn't want to sit in his house and watch tv or drink or do drugs, things free loaders do. He just wanted to sit with nature, listen to the odd pbs broadcast on his radio and read books. I didn't think it was right to bring him back, make him live with his family and work with his brother. The quiet was gone and he wanted to kill himself. I don't know what ever happened with that or how he is doing now. I really hope he finds a way to get back to his nature in some way. I thought while reading the book that maybe he could go out and live in the woods close to his family where he would have some quiet and his nature. I don't know. But he was always good and did what the police said and did his community service without any trouble. He never caused any trouble or denied anything when he was caught.

Once again this book was so very good. I'm going to have to get my own copy since this was a library book. It was my own type of feel good book with some of the little things Chris said.

I'm going to leave a few pictures below that came from the author's website taken from him and the Maine Police. There are more but you can go look yourself.

And I will leave an excerpt or two.

Another decade elapsed. The break-ins at Pine Tree increased with both frequency and quantity of goods stolen. By this point, a quarter century in, the whole thing was absurd. There was the Loch Ness Monster, the Himalayan yeti, and the North Pond hermit.

It's possible that Knight believed he was one of the few sane people left. He was confounded by the idea that passing the prime of your life in a cubicle, spending hours a day at a computer, in exchange for money, was considered acceptable, but relaxing in a tent in the woods was disturbed. Observing the trees was indolent; cutting them down was enterprising. What did Knight do for a living? He lived for a living.

His mushroom friend that he watched grow from a baby. He was worried the police might have accidentally killed it, but the author went out and it was still there =]







Little North Pond above.



The woods he traveled.

I hope others get a chance to read this book this wonderful book!

GOODREADS REVIEW:

 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2039838094

Crown Of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for. @goodreads 

This was a re-read on audio and I still love this book as much the first time around if not more. Yes, more. I forgot this was the book with a death that broke my heart =( **Some Mild Spoilers**



Celaena is keeping up her end of the bargain to the horrible king. She is killing people and bringing their heads to the king. Or is she really?

We find out some secrets about Dorian and Celaena that I just loved. I loved it! Loved it!

Chaol and Celaena have a little thing but when something bad happens it turns Celaena around. I love Chaol but I don't see them as lovers. Yeah, it's fun for a bad to the bone woman to go and have all the men she wants like men do (heh) but reading it a second time and finding out some stuff about Celaena I'm even more glad of where the book has moved and the current love of my life -er- Celaena's.

Anyhoo, I loved when Celaena and Dorian were working together to fight off another freaking demon. They are both special in certain ways and can fight in certain ways. That was really mind blowing right? Lol

Oh, and I loved the doorknocker, Mort. He was such a joy! =) Of course, Celaena wanted to smash him a few times for his smart mouth, but he was still hilarious.

We also find out some things about the king. Some things about people who killed someone we loved and the revenge was so sweet...... it made me all tingly inside! I love some sweet Revenge

The ending was sad with Chaol but he will find his place later, later on. The cliffhanger we find out about Celaena is amaze balls. It's the start of all the goodness and well, badness. Either way, still loving it!







***Old Review From 2015***

OMG!! This book rocks! I can't believe who/what Celaena really is! I can't wait to get to the next one and see what she is going to do.

In this one, she goes about beheading, etc, people the King thinks are against him. She has to do these things per her contract.

Celaena and Nehemia are still trying to figure out what all of the symbols mean. And of course, Nehemia is upset with Celeana going around killing people. But they sort all of that out.

There are so many surprises in this book! We find out someone has magic, which was supposed to have been destroyed by the King years ago. We find out the things about Celaena. We find out who she picks as her first lover :) We get to mourn a death :( And a few other tidbits along the way.

She still has her love for books and all things a little glamorous. There isn't really time for all of that in this book though with all of the chaos going on. She still has Fleetfoot, who I just love :)

I still can't believe the turn of events at the end of the book. Talk about a cliffhanger!

I recommend this book to all that love bad to the bone women, evil Kings, handsome dudes and all kinds of monsters and what not! Oh and doggers :) Enjoy!

GOODREADS REVIEW:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1257298060