Review: Velvet by Temple West

Title: Velvet

Author: Temple West

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Publishing Date: May 12, 2015

Pages/Format: 416, Paperback
Add on Goodreads!

First rule of dealing with hot vampire bodyguards? Don't fall in love.

After losing both her parents before age seventeen, aspiring designer Caitlin Holte feels like her whole world has been turned upside down, and that was before the terrifying encounter with a supernatural force. Then, she learns that her hot bad-boy neighbor, Adrian—who might have just saved her life—is actually a half-demon vampire.

Suddenly Caitlin is stuck with a vampire bodyguard who feels that the best way to protect her is to become her pretend boyfriend. Trouble is, Caitlin is starting to fall in love for real, while Adrian can never love a human. Caitlin trusts Adrian to keep her safe from his demon father, but will he be able to protect her heart?

Book in One Word: LIIIKE

Review: Miranda and Caliban by Jacqueline Carey

Title: Miranda and Caliban

Author: Jacqueline Carey

Publisher: Tor Books

Publishing Date: February 14, 2017

Pages/Format: 352, ARC
Add on Goodreads!

A lovely girl grows up in isolation where her father, a powerful magus, has spirited them to in order to keep them safe.

We all know the tale of Prospero's quest for revenge, but what of Miranda? Or Caliban, the so-called savage Prospero chained to his will?

In this incredible retelling of the fantastical tale, Jacqueline Carey shows readers the other side of the coin—the dutiful and tenderhearted Miranda, who loves her father but is terribly lonely. And Caliban, the strange and feral boy Prospero has bewitched to serve him. The two find solace and companionship in each other as Prospero weaves his magic and dreams of revenge.

Always under Prospero’s jealous eye, Miranda and Caliban battle the dark, unknowable forces that bind them to the island even as the pangs of adolescence create a new awareness of each other and their doomed relationship.

Miranda and Caliban is bestselling fantasy author Jacqueline Carey’s gorgeous retelling of The Tempest. With hypnotic prose and a wild imagination, Carey explores the themes of twisted love and unchecked power that lie at the heart of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, while serving up a fresh take on the play's iconic characters.

Book in One Word: SIGH

The Weekly Forecast (27)

Welcome to a weekly feature of sorts here on Beauty and the Bookshelf: The Weekly Forecast! 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 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.

My desire to blog these last couples has been low, and the desire basically diminished when my computer began having issues charging and turning on. Because of the latter, one week of blogging got short and I ended up going on hiatus last week completely. (Which is unfortunate because Get Up Offa That Slump was happening, but at least the schedule was up!) I am still very much having computer problems, but I'm going to try and persist in blogging this week because I'm falling behind and I need to get certain posts up at somewhat certain times. Let's just hope my laptop and its charger quit being bitches.

Get Up Offa That Slump: A Blogging Extravaganza - Day 2

Hello, readerlies! Welcome to Day Two of Get Up Offa That Slump: A Blogging Extravaganza, a two-week, three-posts-a-week long blog-a-thon of sorts to get people blogging and showcase creativity! To learn more about Get Up Offa That Slump (like what the schedule is or how you can join in on all the fun, which you can do at any time), please go here. And if you're already participating, WELCOME! Don't forget to add your link to the linky at the bottom of this post. Now--today's prompts!

Boy Scout Day

Today is, apparently, Boy Scout Day. To honor the Scouts, I'd recommend compiling a list of fictional boys who would be Boy Scouts. Maybe say what they'd badge in, who'd be really good and who'd be the naughty one of the group, and so on and so forth.

The Book Bonanza

Let's tie in to badges and winning things by creating book awards, or something of the like. This can go one two ways: first, creating actual awards--like an award show--but bookish. Or, create book badges, perhaps to fill up a reader's tote as they accomplish all the bookish things.

Get Up Offa That Slump: A Blogging Extravaganza - Day 1

Hello, lovelies! Welcome to Day One of Get Up Offa That Slump: A Blogging Extravaganza, a two-week, three-posts-a-week long blog-a-thon of sorts to get people blogging and showcase creativity! To learn more about Get Up Offa That Slump (like what the schedule is or how you can join in on all the fun, which you can do at any time), please go here. And if you're already participating, WELCOME! Don't forget to add your link to the linky at the bottom of this post. Now--today's prompts!

An Interview With Yourself
I know what you're thinking: Umm, Rachel...what the hell? But trust me on this. I did this a couple years ago (you can see my post here) and for last year's Extravaganza (here), and it's actually really, really fun! I also think it's a fantastic way to kick this giant blogging party off and show off your voice. People will get to know the person behind the blog, and you'll have an entertaining new post.

A Vlog

Another aspect of GUOTS is to challenge yourself a bit and maybe push a little outside your comfort zone. And a great way to do that? Through a video! It shows the person behind the blog, but also really shows you and gives people a chance to get to know you. (And it's not that scary, I promise!)

The Weekly Forecast (26)

Welcome to a weekly feature of sorts here on Beauty and the Bookshelf: The Weekly Forecast! 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 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.

My laptop's charger (which I like just replaced) quit on me and that is NOT GOOD. But in better news: the blogging extravaganza starts this week! Weee!

Review: The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro

Title: The Last of August

Author: Brittany Cavallaro

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publishing Date: February 14, 2017

Pages/Format: 336, eARC
Add on Goodreads!

In the second brilliant, action-packed book in the Charlotte Holmes trilogy, Jamie and Charlotte are in a chase across Europe to untangle a web of shocking truths about the Holmes and Moriarty families.

Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are looking for a winter break reprieve in Sussex after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But nothing about their time off is proving simple, including Holmes and Watson’s growing feelings for each other. When Charlotte’s beloved uncle Leander goes missing from the Holmes estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring—the game is afoot once again, and Charlotte throws herself into a search for answers. 

So begins a dangerous race through the gritty underground scene in Berlin and glittering art houses in Prague, where Holmes and Watson discover that this complicated case might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other.

Book in One Word: Whaaaa?

Introducing the Return of Get Up Offa That Slump: A Blogging Extravaganza

Almost a year ago I introduced Get Up Offa That Slump: A Blogging Extravaganza, a blog-a-thon to help reinspire people to blog, incite creative, and show how versatile a blog can be. And I think it went well, so much so (and enough) that I decided to bring it back this year. I hope you'll participate and get into the blogging groove!