It's the Monster Mash

Today is, in fact, Frankenstein Day. (Not to be confused with Frankenstein Friday, which is the last Friday in October.) Frankenstein Day honors the birthday of Frankenstein creator Mary Shelley, who was born on this day in 1797--219 years ago! And so, to celebrate, I figured it'd be a fun time to have a...

MONSTER MASH!

And you're invited. The rest of the guest list is below, thirteen or so monsters and monster-like creatures and beasts and things from various works of fiction who will come to together just for Frankenstein Day. It'll be a graveyard smash, with blood served in the finest goblets made from the bones of their victims. Care to join?

Review: Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

Title: Love & Gelato

Author: Jenna Evans Welch

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publishing Date: May 3, 2016

Pages/Format: 390, Hardcover
Add on Goodreads!

“I made the wrong choice.”

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more. 

Book in One Word: Cuteee

The Weekly Forecast (4)

Welcome to a new (and hopefully) weekly feature of sorts here on Beauty and the Bookshelf: The Weekly Forecast! (Name possibly still tentative.) I've been reworking the blog a bit, trying to post more and be consistent, but also to post more than reviews and the same two memes every week (assuming I even post anything during a week). Then I thought of The Weekly Forecast, a way to recap what I did on the blog (and maybe even read and watched and listened to?) the week before, and then to forecast what will be on the blog the coming week. The latter could be helpful because it keeps me in check, kind of: if I tell you I'm going to post a review this week then now I basically have to post a review this week. But first: let me tell you what happened on the blog last week.

I said it last week and I'll say it again this week: doing this has been so helpful with my blogging and posting a variety of content.

Boss Ass Bitches in YA

Today is National Dog Day, which is super duper fantastic. AND it's Women's Equality Day, which is also super duper fantastic. And so today the blog is all about some of my favorite boss ass bitches in YA.

Ninety Second Novel: Holding Up the Universe

Hello, my fellow bookworms! Welcome to Ninety Second Novel! With this sporadic feature, I'll be using booktube as a way to review a book before I can actually review it. In other words, if I happen to read a book earlier than I can post my review for it, then I'll be using this feature to tell you about it. Look at it as a preview review, perhaps? For the feature, I'll be talking about whatever book(s) I read, but in ninety seconds or less!

Waiting on Wednesday (173)

is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking the Spine that 
showcases upcoming releases people are very much anticipating.

I saw this book on A Reader of Fictions's Cover Snark (the reason why I look forward to Thursdays) and was immediately intrigued by the cover and, even more so, the title. It felt like a book that was right up my alley. I sincerely hoped the synopsis would be just as enticing, and, my gosh, IT WAS. The only problem? It doesn't publish for eight months.

Top Ten Tuesday (173)

is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This Tuesday's theme is...

Review: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Title: All the Bright Places

Author: Jennifer Niven

Publisher: Knopf

Publishing Date: January 6, 2015

Pages/Format: 388, Hardcover
Add on Goodreads!

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.
 
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
 
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
 
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
 
This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

Book in One Word: Moody

The Weekly Forecast (3)

Welcome to a new (and hopefully) weekly feature of sorts here on Beauty and the Bookshelf: The Weekly Forecast! (Name possibly still tentative.) I've been reworking the blog a bit, trying to post more and be consistent, but also to post more than reviews and the same two memes every week (assuming I even post anything during a week). Then I thought of The Weekly Forecast, a way to recap what I did on the blog (and maybe even read and watched and listened to?) the week before, and then to forecast what will be on the blog the coming week. The latter could be helpful because it keeps me in check, kind of: if I tell you I'm going to post a review this week then now I basically have to post a review this week. But first: let me tell you what happened on the blog last week.

I know this only the third week I have scheduled, but doing this has been so helpful. If I don't want to blog I remember that I said I would post something, and something specific--and it's all planned ahead--and I've been doing it. I love it!

For the Tote: A Court of Mist and Fury - Part 1

For the Tote is a sporadic feature here on Beauty and the Bookshelf where I, in short, post about a few things (or more!) I would like to fill a tote up with.

Today's theme is...

A Court of Mist and Fury

Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Publishing Date: May 3, 2016

Pages/Format: 624, Hardcover
Add on Goodreads!

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world torn apart. 

Book in One Word: E V E R Y T H I N G

Ninety Second Novel: The Doorway and the Deep

Hello, my fellow bookworms! Welcome to Ninety Second Novel! With this sporadic feature, I'll be using booktube as a way to review a book before I can actually review it. In other words, if I happen to read a book earlier than I can post my review for it, then I'll be using this feature to tell you about it. Look at it as a preview review, perhaps? For the feature, I'll be talking about whatever book(s) I read, but in ninety seconds or less!

Review: Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein

Title: Shuffle, Repeat

Author: Jen Klein

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date: May 2, 2016

Pages/Format: 336, Hardcover
Add on Goodreads!

When Harry Met Sally for YA romance readers. This opposites-attract love story is perfect for fans of Huntley Fitzpatrick, Stephanie Perkins, and Jenny Han.
 
June wants high school to end and real life to begin. Oliver is soaking up senior year’s glory days. They could have coasted through high school, knowing about—but not really knowing—each other.
 
Except that their moms have arranged for Oliver to drive June to school. Every. Single. Day.
 
Suddenly these two opposites are fighting about music, life . . . pretty much everything. But love is unpredictable. When promises—and hearts—get broken, Oliver and June must figure out what really matters. And then fight for it.

Book in One Word: CUUUUUUUUUTE

The Weekly Forecast (2)

Welcome to a new (and hopefully) weekly feature of sorts here on Beauty and the Bookshelf: The Weekly Forecast! (Name possibly still tentative.) I've been reworking the blog a bit, trying to post more and be consistent, but also to post more than reviews and the same two memes every week (assuming I even post anything during a week). Then I thought of The Weekly Forecast, a way to recap what I did on the blog (and maybe even read and watched and listened to?) the week before, and then to forecast what will be on the blog the coming week. The latter could be helpful because it keeps me in check, kind of: if I tell you I'm going to post a review this week then now I basically have to post a review this week. But first: let me tell you what happened on the blog last week.

Now, this week's post is super duper late--like, a whole day late--because I haven't had the chance to put it together. But I figured, hey, better late than never! Especially since last week's Weekly Forecast really helped me to stay on a schedule and post on the blog--hopefully this week's is just as helpful.

Review: The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Kiss of Deception

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Publishing Date: August 2, 2016

Pages/Format: 688, Hardcover
Add on Goodreads!

Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous - what will happen now? This third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed.

Bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's combination of intrigue, suspense, romance and action make this a riveting page turner for teens.

Book in One Word: ENJOYABLE

The Serial Salutation

You know when you finish a series and you're filled with every emotion on the scale and you're inside out and you want to cry tears of joy and tears of sadness because this series, this series that you've spent and invested your time in reading, is over? Has come to an end? The End? Yeah, that feeling. It's despair and happiness, it's a sweet and sour candy that's bitter on your heart and soul. It's saying goodbye to a world and a story and characters you became a part of. It's the goodbye you anticipated, but once you reached it you didn't want to let go, never wanted to let go--because then it would be over and you'd have to let those characters live their lives without you knowing every word of it. It's the epitome of the masochism that is reading.

Review: The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Heart of Betrayal

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Publishing Date: July 7, 2015

Pages/Format: 470, Hardcover
Add on Goodreads!

Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save Lia's life, her erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.

Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: There's Rafe, who lied to Lia but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be savages. Now that she lives among them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny. 

Book in One Word: Like!

My Bullet Journal

I'm not really much of a planner--I guess you could say I'm more of a pantser. I was better at using a planner back in high school, but for the most part I buy planners, fill out a week's worth of information, then never use it again. I'm wretchedly horrible at this kind of stuff.

But then I heard about bullet journals (thanks to Twirling Pages's blog post) and I was intrigued. What was appealing was how customizable they are. It's still a planner, but you can make it look however you want and feel it with whatever content you want. It's literally a personalized planner, and it allows you to get creative. (Seriously, just look up #bulletjournal on various social media sites.)

So I thought that I, the person who can't use seem to a planner (and whose whiteboard calendar never got updated after November), would give bullet journaling a try. And I thought that I would tell you all about it.

Review: The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Kiss of Deception

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Publishing Date: July 8, 2014

Pages/Format: 486, Hardcover
Add on Goodreads!

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

Book in One Word: LIKE

The Weekly Forecast

Welcome to a new (and hopefully) weekly feature of sorts here on Beauty and the Bookshelf: The Weekly Forecast! (Name possibly still tentative.) I've been reworking the blog a bit, trying to post more and be consistent, but also to post more than reviews and the same two memes every week (assuming I even post anything during a week). Then I thought of The Weekly Forecast, a way to recap what I did on the blog (and maybe even read and watched and listened to?) the week before, and then to forecast what will be on the blog the coming week. The latter could be helpful because it keeps me in check, kind of: if I tell you I'm going to post a review this week then now I basically have to post a review this week. But first: let me tell you what happened on the blog last week.

Review: Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Kindred Spirits

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Publishing Date: March 3, 2016

Pages/Format: 62, Paperback
Add on Goodreads!

'Everybody likes everything these days. The whole world is a nerd.'
'Are you mad because other people like Star Wars? Are you mad because people like me like Star Wars?' 
'Maybe.' 

If you broke Elena's heart, Star Wars would spill out. So when she decides to queue outside her local cinema to see the new movie, she's expecting a celebration with crowds of people who love Han, Luke and Leia just as much as she does. What she's not expecting is to be last in a line of only three people; to have to pee into a collectible Star Wars soda cup behind a dumpster or to meet that unlikely someone who just might truly understand the way she feels. Kindred Spirits is an engaging short story by Rainbow Rowell, author of the bestselling Eleanor & Park, Fangirl and Carry On, and is part of a handful of selected short reads specially produced for World Book Day.

Book in One Word: Shooooooort

New On My Bookstagram Feed

You know what I love? BOOKSTAGRAM. Despite the fact that Instagram has been a major bitch lately and needs to pull its head out of its ass, it is, at the core, something beautiful. It's an opportunity to get creative and artistic just for fun, and you can see the variety in every single account.

I'm constantly following new accounts, and what I follow has a vast range. It might be the lighting or filtering, a certain element or the use of minimalism. I love aesthetics, and I almost immediately follow bookstagram accounts that also use lettering, calligraphy, and the like. Since I'm a snob and am particular about what I'll have on my own account, I don't do shoutouts, but I have posted about my favorite accounts here and there and sometimes I'll share them on Twitter. Today I'm sharing nine of my favorite recent follows, and hopefully you'll find some new follows, too!

Waiting on Wednesday (172)

is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking the Spine that 
showcases upcoming releases people are very much anticipating.

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THIS BOOK. When I devoured its predecessor last year I went into a crazed freakout mode because THERE WAS NO DEAL FOR A SEQUEL and that was super not okay with how book one ended. But then a sequel did happen, and now my craziness is because I don't have it. So, who needs to walk the plank so that I can have the treasure? I will do illegal things for this book, I WILL (and if you read the first book YOU KNOW WHY) (please let this book end well PLEASE).

Top Ten Tuesday (172)

is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This Tuesday's theme is...

Rewinding July

Oh my goodness, I'm posting a recap ON TIME! I've been really trying to keep up with blogging and posting more, and even though I'm only a week in I'd say it's going well. Sooo, here's the bookishness of July!