Beauty and the Bookshelf

Get Ferocious with Paula Stokes

2017-08-15T03:01:00.001-04:00

Hello, my ferocious readers who live vicariously through fiction! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Ferocious, the sequel to Paula Stokes's fierce and thrilling Vicarious. If you're looking for a book steeped in technology, mystery, pace, science fiction, and Korean culture, then look no further. Paula's on the blog today to talk about one of the locations of Ferocious, and she brought pictures! Be sure to stick around, too--there just might be a ferocious giveaway in store.

When I lived in South Korea, I taught English in a business neighborhood that was mostly skyscrapers and upscale restaurants—the Samsung neighborhood of the Gangnam district that would later become famous for its Gangnam style.

[EXCERPT] When we arrive at Gangnam Station, Jesse is astounded by the main level. Corridors snake off in several directions, filled with shops selling clothes and shoes and souvenirs and all types of food.

“It’s like an entire underground shopping mall,” he says.

“More or less.”

We make our way through the long rows of shops and eateries—a sprinkling of which have opened for business—and exit the subway tunnels. As we walk past the front of the UsuMed building, I slow down and look around, being sure to capture ViSE footage like Baz instructed. Jesse snaps some photos with his cell phone, like he’s a tourist out for an early morning stroll.

We cross the street to a red-and-gray building called Shinsa Tower. Inside, there’s a coffee shop with a banner in the window advertising something called honey bread. It smells delicious. I pull Jesse over to a corner and we stand next to a giant potted plant, scanning the doors and the lobby. While Jesse pretends to be checking something on his phone, I record as much information about this building as I can without arousing the suspicion of the security guard who stands next to the alcove where the elevators are located.

When I returned to Seoul last January, I walked all around the area between the Samsung and Gangnam subways stops. Consisting of major streets lined with skyscrapers owned by major corporations, this neighborhood felt like the ideal place to locate the corporate headquarters for my fictional pharmaceutical company.

One of the coolest things about Seoul is the creative architecture. Some of the buildings are curved or adorned with unusual facades for no reason other than décor.

There’s also a Buddhist temple, Bongeunsa, located right in the middle of this business neighborhood, across the street from a giant shopping mall. I love these colorful paper lanterns :)

Next stop: Namdaemun Market. Like good deals and delicious food? Join me tomorrow at Snuggling on the Sofa as our mini-tour of Seoul continues.

Title: Vicarious

Author: Paula Stokes

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publishing Date: August 16, 2016

Pages: 336

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, work as digital stunt girls for Rose's ex-boyfriend, Gideon,

engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it's bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities in the city's hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you--for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter is devastated. She won't rest until she finds her sister's killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the digital recordings her sister made, Winter isn't sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she'll have to untangle what's real from what only seems real, risking her own life in the process.

Title: Ferocious

Author: Paula Stokes

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publishing Date: August 15, 2017

Pages: 352

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Paula Stokes returns to the world of Vicarious in this sequel, a high-action psychological thriller with a protagonist out for vengeance.

When Winter Kim finds out that her sister is dead and that she has a brother she never knew about, only two things matter―finding what’s left of her family and killing the man who destroyed her life. Her mission leads her from St. Louis to Los Angeles back to South Korea, where she grew up.

Things get increasingly dangerous once Winter arrives in Seoul. Aided by her friends Jesse and Sebastian, Winter attempts to infiltrate an international corporation to get close to her target, a nefarious businessman named Kyung. But keeping her last remaining loved ones out of the line of fire proves difficult, and when all seems to be lost, Winter must face one last devastating decision: is revenge worth sacrificing everything for? Or can she find a spark of hope in the darkness that threatens to engulf her?

Paula Stokes is a mental health nurse and the author of several novels, most recently Ferocious and This is How it Happened. Her writing has been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands. She also loves interacting with readers.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Mon. August 14 | Itaewon | YA Romantics

Tues. August 15 | Gangnam-gu | Beauty and the Bookshelf

Wed. August 16 | Namdaemun Market | Snuggling on the Sofa

Thurs. August 17 | Namsan Tower | Owl Always Be Reading

Fri. August 18 | Jeju Island | Love is not a Triangle

Would you like to WIN your very own copies of Vicarious and Ferocious? Because Tor Teen is very generously giving them away just for you. All you have to do is retweet this tweet (and follow the rules!) by August 25. And don't forget these rules (which I am very strict on):

-This giveaway is for residents of the US and CANADA ONLY.
-No cheating or bending the rules whatsoever.
-No private accounts, giveaway accounts, shady entries, or the like. I check. And if the majority of your account is giveaway after giveaway your entry will not be accepted.
-Winner will have 48 hours to respond to my congratulatory email or else another winner will be chosen.
-I reiterate: no cheating.

The Weekly Forecast (40)

2017-08-15T02:05:00.001-04:00

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.

These past few months I've been the worst blogger/bookish person/reader in general, but to go on talking about that calls for a discussion post. Between work and life and all that jazz, books have seriously taken the back burner--and I need to fix that. Here's hoping this weekly forecast is actually forecast something bookish.

Recap

The last thing I posted was...a Weekly Forecast. Whoops.
Read:
It's been three months since I actually finished a book and a few weeks I think since I read a page of anything--and that was The Comet Seekers, which apparently I forgot I was (attempting to be) reading.

Forecast

Tuesday: Ferocious Blog Tour

Wednesday: The Art of Lainey Review

Thursday: Girl Against the Universe Review

Friday: This is How it Happened Review

Recommendation of the Week

My problem with Greek yogurt is that I'm not super fond of the texture or the bitterness. But Chobani's drinkable Greek yogurt--especially in apple cucumber, strawberry banana, and mango? YUMMY. I have like two a day. And that's not really an exaggeration.

What's up in the blogosphere?

The Weekly Forecast (39)

2017-07-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

Recap

Monday: The Sea of Tranquility Review

Tuesday: Top Ten Series I Still Haven't Freaking Read

Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

Thursday: What to Say Next Review

Read:
I haven't finished a book in two months okay.

Forecast

Monday: June Rewind

Tuesday: Books + Ice Cream

Wednesday: Wesley James Ruined My Life Blog Tour

Thursday: Girl Out of Water Review

Friday: Favorite "Junk Food" Books

Recommendation of the Week

Weeeeeell, I literally just listened to this song for the first time and I already have it on repeat, so this week's recommendation (besides finding some damn time management) is:

Hoooooooooow is it almost August?

Review: What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

2017-06-22T14:45:00.000-04:00

Title: What to Say Next

Author: Julie Buxbaum

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publishing Date: July 11, 2017

Pages/Format: 272, ARC
Add on Goodreads!

From the New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things comes a charming and poignant story about two struggling teenagers who find an unexpected connection just when they need it most. For fans of Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Niven, and Rainbow Rowell.

Sometimes a new perspective is all that is needed to make sense of the world.

KIT: I don’t know why I decide not to sit with Annie and Violet at lunch. It feels like no one here gets what I’m going through. How could they? I don’t even understand.

DAVID: In the 622 days I’ve attended Mapleview High, Kit Lowell is the first person to sit at my lunch table. I mean, I’ve never once sat with someone until now. “So your dad is dead,” I say to Kit, because this is a fact I’ve recently learned about her.

When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David’s blunt honesty—in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit’s attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad’s tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they’ll find. Can their friendship survive the truth?

BOOK IN A WORD: DAVID

If you were to ask me what made me want to read What to Say Next, I'm not sure I could tell you. I liked Julie Buxbaum's Tell Me Three Things okay, but it wasn't a complete and utter hit. When I received an email asking if I'd participate in a bookstagram tour-esque post for What to Say Next, of course I said yes; I thought it sounded like a contemporary worth reading (and that's been my genre of preference lately), and Buxbaum's work was definitely worth a second try--especially after the ending in Tell Me Three Things. And what do you know--What to Say Next also had an aspect that was particularly stellar.

Told in the dual points of view of David Drucker and Kit Lowell, What to Say Next is literally about what to say next. David and Kit are both stuck in their own worlds. The book opens up thirty days after Kit lost her dad in an accident, and though she tries to put up a front, she's struggling: the world's going on as if nothing happened, but her world stopped. Then there's David, who is essentially the school loner and the kid everyone thinks is weird. But as the story progresses (and I don't think this is really a spoiler since it's mentioned early on) we learn the truth about David: he's on the autism spectrum (and may have Asperger's; don't quote me). Kit doesn't know what to say because her life is changed; David doesn't know what to say because his brain doesn't quite work the way everyone else's does. But when Kit sits next to David and he brutally, honestly says all the right things...something starts to happen.

What to Say Next was a rather unexpected read, for I wasn't expecting to get it from what I did: a character who's probably one of my favorite characters of all time--and I do not say that lightly. There's just something about David Drucker. Being in his head is just so fascinating. I haven't read very many books where I get to be in the head of someone with Asperger's, autism, or the like, but it really adds something to the story and the character. Because David is, essentially, different, he's not like all the other fictional characters I've met. He's a shield made with the strength of Thor's hammer, but he's also so, so fragile. He's precious, and you want to protect him from even the slightest bit of harm. Kit wasn't my favorite, but David? He felt real. And I don't think that's an easy thing to pull off.

It's kind of hard to properly put What to Say Next into words, because it wasn't a complete hit. While David blew it out of the park, there were parts of the book that didn't quite work for me and that hindered a connection. (Like the whole mystery solving thing. I thought it would be bigger, but it wasn't.) (The romance that wasn't exactly a romance, and the romance when it was? YES.) In the end, my heart goes out to What to Say Next because of one very specific character. But also in the end, if it weren't for the character, I'm not quite sure what I'd say about this book.

Did I like it? Yes!

Did I love it? No, unfortunately.

Would I reread it? I certainly wouldn't say no.

Would I purchase it? I mean, I don't need it, but I wouldn't mind owning it eventually.

Who would I recommend it to? If you like your books filled with angst and bright spots, ups and downs, the turmoil of being a teen, and unique, refreshing characters, then this may be for you.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting on Wednesday (185)

2017-06-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking the Spine that

showcases upcoming releases people are very much anticipating.

I'm very, very new to this author's fanbase. I recently read one of her books and was immediately turned into something obsessive when it came to her work. And when I say obsessed I mean OBSESSED. I don't know what it is about this author's books--and I still have many more to read!--but I am a hardcore addict. So to say I'm looking forward to her latest is a bit of an understatement.

Title: Without Merit
Authors: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books
Publishing Date: October 3, 2017
Pages: 384

Add on Goodreads!

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends With Us and November 9 comes a moving and haunting novel of family, love, and the power of the truth.

In Colleen Hoover’s gripping novel, reminiscent of the bestselling works of Liane Moriarty and Jojo Moyes, a young woman decides to reveal the dark secrets of her seemingly-happy family before she leaves them behind, but when her escape plan fails, she must deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth.

Have you joined the CoHobsession?

Top Ten Tuesday (185)

2017-06-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

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

This Tuesday's theme is...

The super fun thing about top ten topics like today's is that I'm afraid people will come at me with torches and pitch forks. (I'm kidding.) (Mostly.) It's always just a nice little friendly reminder that "Hey, Rachel, you still haven't read that book?!" I'm constantly behind on big and popular things (you guys, what in the actual fuck is the point of playing with a fidget spinner?), and that definitely includes major series. But I'm also very wary of hyped books, because being a mood reader and a constant black sheep is a bad combination. And series I still need to freaking read? Ha! There are many. To help narrow it down I've excluded series I've read a few pages to a few books from but never actually finished, like Harry Potter, the Mortal Instruments, and the Raven Boys, to name a few. But the following? I'll give them a try...eventually.

What's the number one series you still need to read?

Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

2017-06-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title: The Sea of Tranquility

Author: Katja Millay

Publisher: Atria Books

Publishing Date: June 4, 2013

Pages/Format: 434, Paperback
Add on Goodreads!

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay.

All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

BOOK IN A WORD: Baaaa

The Sea of Tranquility is one of those books I'd been hearing about for years, and what I was hearing was love, love, love. Before my reading turned moody and I became such a damn black sheep, I really wanted to read The Sea of Tranquility. But like so many books, it sat on my shelf collecting dust until I finally cracked it open. And when I did, to say I had expectations would be an understatement. I wouldn't say I expected to love it; I've learned by now to try to be wary of hype. But when just about everyone loves a book and act like it's something precious, I'm hoping to get something out of that book. As far as The Sea of Tranquility goes, I guess I did get something...just not what I had expected.

I think my biggest thing with The Sea of Tranquility is that I just don't get it. Why is this so loved? This wasn't just one of those books that didn't quite work for me. It's one of those books where I have a really hard time understanding the appeal. What does everyone see in this book that I didn't? I mean, that's not to say I didn't like it. Once I got into it and was able to somewhat get over my qualms, I did like it. But love? Nooo.

The overall love and hype for The Sea of Tranquility wasn't the only thing I failed to comprehend--I also didn't get several aspects of the book itself. I wasn't a fan of the writing (that was a struggle in the beginning), the big reveal behind what happened to Nastya took too long, I wasn't a huge fan of Nastya herself, and while the person/part I probably liked most was Josh, things were weird there too. I just...gah! There was a lot of potential here, and some elements were really strong. (Like the relationship--whatever it was--between Nastya and Josh. Sometimes. I also was, for the most part, a fan of Drew. But there were some oddities there, too.) I just expected The Sea of Tranquility to be so much more than it was, to be of a different quality, and it wasn't. (Why was I also thinking it was new adult?)

Do you ever notice how it's easier to talk about the negatives rather than the positives? That's me with this review. And I don't think I even really delved into any details. The thing is that I didn't dislike The Sea of Tranquility. There were parts of it that I did like and that did work for me, and parts that I didn't like and parts that didn't work. I didn't hate it! I just failed to see what so many others see in this book--and I also fail to understand why they hype exists. (Which sounds horribly mean, I know.) I clashed with the prose and the protagonist, was frustrated with a major plot point, and didn't quite...agree (bad word choice) with how some scenes were acted out. Again: I didn't hate it! But if I'm drowning in this book, it's not in tranquility and the sea's a bit rough.

Did I like it? Yes...

Did I love it? No.

Would I reread it? Maybe--to see what a second try would do--but I don't know...

Would I purchase it? I already own it, but if I didn't I wouldn't be in much of a rush to get it.

Who would I recommend it to? People who like their books full of angst and harshness, slow-burn-esque romance, interesting friendships, horrible pasts, protagonists that have to grow on you, and hints of mystery.

The Weekly Forecast (38)

2017-06-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

Recap

Tuesday: April + May Rewind

Read:
Let's not talk about how I haven't finished a book in a month, okay?

Forecast

Monday: Alex, Approximately Review

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday

Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

Thursday: What to Say Next Review

Friday: July Blogging Tips

Recommendation of the Week

I just really really like the feel and sound of this and I kind of want to dance whenever I hear it so here, have some good music.

Has anyone else looked at their Goodreads goal and felt a bit of panic?

April + May Rewind

2017-06-06T22:33:00.002-04:00

I was behind enough on blogging in May that I never recapped April. WHOOPS. So today's a twofer!

Books Read

The Animal Under the Fur by E.J. Mellow
It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Slammed by Colleen Hoover
This Girl by Colleen Hoover
Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher
November 9 by Colleen Hoover
The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun and Susan Mullen
Once and For All by Sarah Dessen

Reviews

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman: Really, REALLY liked this and how come I still don't have the sequel?
The Animal Under the Fur by E.J. Mellow: I liked it, but it wasn't what I had expected like at all.

Book of the Month

I turned into an utter CoHo junkie in April and became super obsessed with her stuff, and I think Slammed might be my favorite. The feels, you guys. The feels.

Posts

I shared ten of my favorite books with unique features! After that I waited on some book with some pig.

April was my birthday month, sooo: a birthday post!

Books Read

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Confess by Colleen Hoover

Reviews

Once and For All by Sarah Dessen: The whole wedding scene was refreshing buuut it wasn't my favorite.
What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum: DAVID DAVID DAVID.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus: I expected this to be a bit...darker?

Book of the Month

Reading in May was a struggle, but I'm going with A Court of Wings and Ruin because the fucking nerves this book gave me made me want to puke and break down sobbing.

Book Haul

(Book haul video to come--maybe!)

Posts

I posted a recommendation list of summer reads and anticipated something with goblins.

The blog tour for The Pearl Thief--aka the Code Name Verity prequel--stopped by!

To get back in the blogging groove after an unintentional hiatus, I hosted a giveaway!

Last but not least, a new episode of the Ninety Second Novel--featuring Julie Buxbaum's What to Say Next.

Currently Reading

I'm in a bit of a book slump right now and I'm not really reading. I have five million review books to get through, which is always fun. I started When Dimple Met Rishi and Wallbanger but couldn't get into the writing--so now I've moved on to reading Dangerous Girls, which I need to actually sit down and read.

I did not give permission for the year to reach the halfway point.

The Weekly Forecast (37)

2017-06-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

Recap

Tuesday: One of Us Is Lying Review

Read:
I STILL haven't finished a book, but I've started ANOTHER one. And that would be Dangerous Girls. Let's see if I actually finish it.

Forecast

Tuesday: May Rewind

Wednesday: Alex, Approximately Review

Thursday: Favorite Fictional Friendships

Friday: A Villain Feature

Recommendation of the Week

The problem with working at Target is that I discover things like this. The wonderful, cruel people at Hampton Creek have created a safely edible cookie dough. It's free of GMOs, eggs, and dairy, and it's utterly delicious. I tried the birthday cake flavor and it lasted less than a day. You can eat with a spoon (or finger) or bake it in the oven, but no matter what, it's a stellar creation--and a dangerous one.

IT. IS. JUNE.

Review: One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

2017-05-30T16:00:00.000-04:00

Title: One of Us Is Lying

Author: Karen M. McManus

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publishing Date: May 30, 2017

Pages/Format: 368, Hardcover
Add on Goodreads!

The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars, One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

BOOK IN A WORD: Unexpected?

There are certain kinds of books that toot my horn, and books with murder (as horrible as that sounds) are one of them. It's the thrill and suspense and mystery and build up of it all that creates this sort of feeling, and I eat it up. So when I heard about One of Us Is Lying--pitched as The Breakfast Club with murder--I was definitely intrigued. It just wasn't quite what I had expected.

One of Us Is Lying begins with five Bayview High kids in detention: brainiac Bronwyn, pretty and popular Addy, all-star athlete Cooper, resident bad boy Nate, and the infamous Simon. But once detention is over, only four students leave--and Simon is dead. Simon, who was the creator and runner of his school's gossip app, where everyone's secrets were fair game--and Simon knew everyone's secrets. When foul play is suspected--and it's discovered that Simon's detention-mates would have their secrets leaked on the following day's app update--the Murder Club become the suspects.

The thing about One of Us Is Lying is that it felt less like a thriller or suspense novel and more like a lighter mystery centered around the age old murder mystery question: whodunnit? And that wasn't a bad thing, but I think I just prefer my murder a bit...darker? One of Us Is Lying was, like The Breakfast Club, less about the bad and more about getting to actually know these people--and them getting to know themselves--and that's an interesting take on such a storyline, and I liked it. The first half of the book was, at least to me, more about who killed Simon: looking for little clues here and there, studying behavior, trying to Nancy Drew the shit out of this mystery. But the second half was a bit different: it was more about finding ways how Bronwyn, Nate, Addy, and Cooper couldn't possibly have killed Simon because you don't want any of them to be That Person. And I will say that when we do find out who Simon's killer was? Color me surprised.

If you add murder into any story it's bound to get a bit more interesting. (Take any murder-free story and add murder in. It just. got. interesting.) So putting Breakfast Club-esque characters into detention, killing one of them, and then trying to figure who the killer is? You've got something interesting. One of Us Is Lying was full of one big liar but even more little lies, and together it added up to be a lighter mystery that was less about murder and was a bit more...coming of age. It was the test of true friendship and self, complete with romance, bullies, family, school problems...and, of course, murder. I didn't love it, but I did like it. And that's not a lie.

Did I like it? Yes.

Did I love it? No.

Would I reread it? I think I'm good.

Would I purchase it? I do have a hardcover, but if I didn't it's not something I think I would need?

Who would I recommend it to? Fans of The Breakfast Club, an eclectic cast of characters, whodunnits, and murder sunny side up.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Weekly Forecast (36)

2017-05-29T00:26:00.000-04:00

Recap

Monday: A Multipurpose Giveaway

Tuesday: Top Ten Books for Your Summer Reading List

Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

Thursday: Once and For All Review

Friday: What to Say Next Ninety Second Novel

Read:
I haven't really read anything? I mean, I started When Dimple Met Rishi and Wallbanger. But nothing's really grabbing me, so I might try to start something else once I finish up this post...

Forecast

Tuesday: One of Us Is Lying Review

Wednesday: Favorite Flower Covers

Thursday: Alex, Approximately Review

Friday: May Rewind

Recommendation of the Week

DID YOU KNOW that there is such a thing as witch hazel, and that you can put said witch hazel ON YOUR FACE? I discovered this fantastically named magic potion through work, and the few guests I know who use it (and bought it, of course) said you use it as a toner. No cleanser or anything, really. Just toner. And your makeup can go right over it. Feel free to use moisturizer if you need to, too. I've been using it for a bit with some other products and can't say that I see much of a difference yet, but it definitely cleans my face and it doesn't burn. And it's called witch hazel. If it's the cure that gives me great skin then I will be very, very pleased.

Wait, how is it almost June?

Ninety Second Novel: What to Say Next

2017-05-26T01:29:00.000-04:00

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!

Today it's all about what I have to say about Julie Buxbaum's What to Say Next!

Title: What to Say Next

Author: Julie Buxbaum

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publishing Date: July 11, 2017

Pages: 272

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things comes a charming and poignant story about two struggling teenagers who find an unexpected connection just when they need it most. For fans of Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Niven, and Rainbow Rowell.

Sometimes a new perspective is all that is needed to make sense of the world.

KIT: I don’t know why I decide not to sit with Annie and Violet at lunch. It feels like no one here gets what I’m going through. How could they? I don’t even understand.

DAVID: In the 622 days I’ve attended Mapleview High, Kit Lowell is the first person to sit at my lunch table. I mean, I’ve never once sat with someone until now. “So your dad is dead,” I say to Kit, because this is a fact I’ve recently learned about her.

When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David’s blunt honesty—in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit’s attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad’s tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they’ll find. Can their friendship survive the truth?

Are you excited to meet David?!

Review: Once and for All by Sarah Dessen

2017-05-25T00:29:00.000-04:00

Title: Once and for All

Author: Sarah Dessen

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date: June 6, 2017

Pages/Format: 400, ARC
Add on Goodreads!

As bubbly as champagne and delectable as wedding cake, Once and for All, Sarah Dessen's thirteenth novel, is set in the world of wedding planning, where crises are routine.

Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that's why she's cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm's length. But Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged, now that he's met the one girl he really wants.

Sarah Dessen’s many, many fans will adore her latest, a richly satisfying, enormously entertaining story that has everything—humor, romance, and an ending both happy and imperfect, just like life itself.

BOOK IN A WORD: Hmm

When I first started to really get into reading, one of the first books I read--and, possibly, my first contemporary--was This Lullaby. Then I made my way through all of Sarah's books. (Though there's still one I have yet to finish, whoops.) Thirteen books and nine or so (nine?!) years later, and we're at Once and for All, with a wedding-themed-ish premise that's right up my alley. But in nine years I've grown older and read a lot more contemporaries, and I've gotten more and more particular and picky and hard to please when it comes to books--and loving them. So where does the latest from the arguable Queen of Contemporaries stand?

I'll start out by being completely honest: Once and for All was...not my favorite, either as a book or as a Dessen book. My biggest issue is that I can't tell if the problem is me ("it's not you, it's me") or if the problem (which isn't actually a problem) is the book itself. I mean, I liked it. I really did! But I never really clicked with the book and something just didn't quite work for me. And that makes me worry. Is Once and for All just not the book for me? Or am I outgrowing and moving on from one of my favorite authors? (And as someone who has very much wanted to reread all of Dessen's novels, especially my favorites, I'm worried and slightly terrified about how those rereads may go.) But that may be more of a discussion and less of a review.

Once and for All is about Louna, daughter of a stellar wedding planner. Despite being wholly immersed in the business and world of weddings, Louna is adamant about her feelings toward true love--or, more accurately, it's lack of existence. Her reasons are valid, but when Ambrose--who's the messy, delicious pie filling to Louna's fine, perfect crust--comes along and wears love and optimism likes it's cologne, Louna sees that maybe, just maybe, she wasn't quite right.

What I really liked about Once and for All was how fresh it was. I can't say there are many YA novels set around weddings in such a manner, and there really should be because it's so fun. (Though really, I needed more. Bring it all.) The book was, for the most part, light and fluffy, but this is by Dessen--so it's not quite romance centered (though I would kill for one of those) (and I would say this is a bit more romance centered than her others, perhaps) and there's still some angst and emotion and hints of darkness. I think that what I needed from Once and for All was for it to go up a level or two. I just need a little something more. Aspects of the story could've been pushed farther and harder. The prose wasn't my favorite. I mean, it was definitely better than not. And it could be that I went into this with certain expectations because it is a Sarah Dessen novel, and it's hard for those expectations to be met, let alone beat. And when I already love certain Dessen novels more than others and have my favorites--it's hard, I think, to make room for others.

It's never, ever fun to not love a book you wholeheartedly thought you would. It's even less fun when that books from a favorite author and there are all kinds of expectations and factors to take into consideration. All that said, let me reiterate: despite the shoddy job this review has done, I really did like Once and for All! Using weddings as part of the plot was so refreshing, Louna (how the hell do you pronounce that by the way?) was likable, Ambrose was fantastic, and it was a nice contemporary. Yet as I'm typing all this, I'm realizing one more thing: Once and for All, while good, didn't feel like a Sarah Dessen novel. It could've been any contemporary, really. And for a number of reasons, though the whole thing was light and fun and good, I failed to catch the bouquet.

Did I like it? Yes!

Did I love it? No...

Would I reread it? Definitely yes; I also want to test whether my feelings toward this are a factor of my being a mood reader.

Would I purchase it? At some point.

Who would I recommend it to? Fans of Sarah Dessen, weddings, quirky love interests, bits of angst, and sweet and fun contemporaries.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting on Wednesday (184)

2017-05-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking the Spine that

showcases upcoming releases people are very much anticipating.

Let it be known that I am here for goblins (and that I may be hoping this works better for me than a certain other goblin-esque novel).

Title: The Goblins of Bellwater
Authors: Molly Ringle

Publisher: Central Avenue Publishing
Publishing Date: October 1, 2017
Pages: 288

Add on Goodreads!

A contemporary romance inspired by Christina Rossetti's eerie, sensual poem, "Goblin Market."

Four neighbors encounter sinister enchantments and a magical path to love in a small, modern-day Puget Sound town, where a fae realm hides in the woods and waters...

Most people have no idea goblins live in the woods around the small town of Bellwater, Washington. But some are about to find out. Skye, a young barista and artist, falls victim to a goblin curse in the forest one winter night, rendering her depressed and silenced, unable to speak of what happened. Her older sister, Livy, is at wit's end trying to understand what's wrong with her. Local mechanic Kit would know, but he doesn't talk of such things: he's the human liaison for the goblin tribe, a job he keeps secret and never wanted, thrust on him by an ancient family contract.

Then Kit starts dating Livy, and Skye draws Kit's cousin Grady into the spell through an enchanted kiss in the woods. Skye and Grady are doomed to become goblins and disappear from humankind forever, unless Livy, the only one untainted by enchantment, can unravel the spell by walking a dangerous magical path of her own.

Are you waiting on any goblins this week?

Top Ten Tuesday (184)

2017-05-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

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

This Tuesday's theme is...

Summer reading lists are actually kind of difficult because it's so easy to just fill them with fluffy and bright books that are typically contemporaries. There's nothing wrong with that, and I love books like that. But summertime is also a great time to immerse yourself in all kinds of worlds and genres, and honestly: anything goes. So today's summer reading recommendations are a slight bit different. I'll be suggesting a book based on reasoning, and the books range from historical to thriller to paranormal (but no fantasy, whoops). Enjoy!

If you would like to...

...Get some color and forget to leave the sun, try Amanda Panitch's Damage Done. This book is...something else. It's also deliciously disturbing, and reading it in the bright cheeriness of broad, summery daylight is not a half-bad idea. The beauty of Damage Done is that it's exactly what a thriller should be, it doesn't hold back, and the character development is unreal. If you like thrillers that are what they're supposed to be, I'd also recommend Kelley Armstrong's The Masked Truth.

...Remember to turn over to even out that tan or burn, try Ashley Elston's This is Our Story. There's not a more perfect book to get you to turn over because there's a part in this book that will literally make you turn over. The question of the day is why five friends went in the woods and only four left. And the answers along the way will turn you into a potato bug stuck on its back and screaming (and will help you even out that tan or burn, guaranteed).

...Wear a smile that shines brighter than the sun, try Sally Thorne's The Hating Game. I cannot get over my love for this book, and I never will. The Hating Game is utter perfection and the ship is so shippy and the banter and everything is just pure gold. It's one of the few hyped books that actually worked for me, and that says something. So if I were you I'd definitely jump the hell on it.

...Feel the heat, try Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry trilogy. There's nothing like a hot, steamy read on a hot, muggy day, and the Perfect Chemistry books are perfect for that. Follow the Fuentes brothers, the trouble they get into, and the girls they fall for--then swoon. Hard. (And you'll need something a lot stronger than a fan while you're at it.)

...Cool down, try Sarah Beth Durst's Ice. Okay, so a romance with the Polar Bear King (who is, for the most part, an actual polar bear) may be a little to feelsy for cooling down. But with an off-the-charts setting amidst ice, snow, a palace that puts Elsa's to shame, and everything cold you can possibly imagine, Ice was made for cooling down. And it's best read east of the sun and west of the moon. Hint hint.

...Throw a book in the sand or water, try Jennifer Lynn Barnes's The Long Game. You're actually better off reading The Fixer before The Long Game, since the latter is the sequel. This YA-Scandal series is very well written, has some excellent characters, and is thrillery good with some twists and turns. But if you ever need to throw a book or just glare at one angrily? Go for the sequel.

...Have an overflowing tote bag, try Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers trilogy. You could really fill your tote bag if you wanted to add in the not-really-a-spinoff Darkness Rising trilogy, but, man, The Darkest Powers. I don't know what it is about these books, but last year I made the decision to reread them every year because I have to. Actually, I know exactly what "it" is. And that would be Derek. And my ship. But DEREK.

...Feel wanderlust from your head to your toes, try Sarvenaz Tash's Three Day Summer. Concerts are super duper expensive, especially the iconic ones. Some are so iconic you can't even go to them anymore--like Woodstock. But never fear, Sarvenaz Tash will bring you right to Woodstock--and any outdoor festival, for that matter--in Three Day Summer. And it will only cost you like twenty dollars to go. That shouldn't even be legal.

...Stay out until the tide comes in, try Ruta Sepetys' Salt to the Sea. There's a slight chance I put this book on here because the title is uber fitting. But really: there's something about Salt to the Sea that's slightly harsh, ridiculously simple, yet totally engrossing. It's historical fiction that takes a very well known time--the era of Hitler--but tells it in a way that's new and from a side you may not have known. And there's a reason you'll be reading it as the sun sets: your emotions will be making ripples in the water.

...End the day getting cozy by the fire, try Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott's The Way Back to You. One of my favorite things is when I start a book and am immediately here for it, and The Way Back to You is one of those books. It's light and fun, but at the same time there's an air of melancholy to it that gives just the right amount of depth. I mean, it's about a dead girl's best friend and boyfriend going to find the people who received parts of her body--it's not exactly fluffy. But it's something. And it's something you don't want to put down and don't want to see end.

What books are you recommending this summer?

A Multipurpose Giveaway

2017-05-22T01:58:00.002-04:00

HELLO HELLO HELLO! In case you haven't noticed, I haven't been around the blogosphere as much lately. My reasons are many, and while I now have more to balance on my plate than before, I am BACK! I never really intended to go on hiatus, but I did. And it was...nice. But now? Well, I only have one thing to say:

I also decided that I--we--should celebrate my return from my unofficial, unplanned hiatus. BUT WHY STOP THERE? We should also belatedly celebrate my birthday, since as of early April I'm one year closer to very officially being the crypt keeper. And since Beauty and the Bookshelf is turning five (!!!) (hey, that's how old I am) in June, let's get a head start on that too! And so this is, OFFICIALLY and UNANIMOUSLY:

Now, I know what you're ALL wondering: WHAT CAN I WIN, RACHEL? Well, step on down, and LET ME TELL YOU. For one very lucky, wonderful, and possibly glittery person of fantasmical-creature-like origins I'm going to get a box. And:

Okay, so I'm not going to turn you into a flea and smash you with a hammer because I'm not that horrible. But I AM going to get a box and fill it with things just for you. Ah, yes: a box catered specifically for you. When the winner is chosen, I am going to very non-creepily stalk the internet out of them. I'll figure out what kinds of things they like, buy those kinds of things (and maybe throw in a few of my favorite things), and then I'll ship it off. (Without fleas or hammers. I think.) Spoiler alert: I work at Target, so expect some goodies from there because RedCard + employee discount = Rachel saving money (and Rachel loves saving money).

The very UNFORTUNATE part about this giveaway is that to ship such a thing to another country would cost more than an arm and a leg, and I can't do that. HOWEVER, if you scroll down you will see a giveaway SPECIFICALLY FOR INTERNATIONAL FOLKS. Don't worry, loves. I didn't forget about you.

I would very much encourage you to ENTER AWAY (and to please stay once the giveaway is over! I promise I'm not always this crazy. But I mostly am), but first: THE RULES. I am very pissy and bitchy and strict on THE RULES, so please, please, please follow them so I won't have to disqualify you. (Because I will. I've done it many, many times, and I never, ever like to do so.) And the thing about THE RULES is that they're actually super duper incredibly simple and easy to follow. So please follow them.

-One giveaway (the second one) is US ONLY. The other (the first one) is INTERNATIONAL ONLY.
-No cheating or bending the rules whatsoever.
-No private accounts, giveaway accounts, shady entries, or the like. I check. And if the majority of your account is giveaway after giveaway your entry will not be accepted. Also, one-word, meaningless comments are not preferred (hint hint).
-Winner will have 48 hours to respond to my congratulatory email or else another winner will be chosen.
-I reiterate: no cheating.

International Giveaway

One very lucky person of international location will win...A BOOK! Because we all love books, right? So long as the Book Depository ships to you (and for freeeeeeee) and you can pick something(s) $20 or less, YOU ARE GOOD TO GO.

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US Giveaway

Enter to win a box of things picked specifically for you! (Can I enter my own giveaway?)

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Until next time, folks--THANK YOU. I heart you all. And may the odds be ever in your favor.

The Weekly Forecast (35)

2017-05-21T01:14:00.000-04:00

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.

I. AM. BACK. Between work and reading and computer issues and my inherent laziness, I went on an unofficial, unplanned blogging hiatus. BUT THE HIATUS IS OVER. I don't know that I'll be posting as much--as in, the forecast has five posts on it, but I may have to cut down to three or four posts a week (the Weekly Forecast excluded). Either way, it's my honor to introduce to you a new issue of the Weekly Forecast. I hope you're here to stay. Because I am.

Recap

Tuesday: Blog Tour: The Pearl Thief

Read:
I reread A Court of Thorns and Roses for the second time and finally reread A Court of Mist and Fury in preparation for A Court of Wings and Ruin--which I have read! Then I read Alex, Approximately, Confess, and One of Us Is Lying. Now I'm on When Dimple Met Rishi!

Forecast

Monday: A Multipurpose Giveaway

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday

Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

Thursday: Once and For All Review

Friday: What to Say Next Ninety Second Novel

Recommendation of the Week

Thanks to a couple bloggers on Twitter I came across a series of videos featuring American kids trying food from all over the world, and I love it. It's a complete and utter day maker, and I can never get enough of them (though I've definitely fallen behind). It's genius, it's hilarious, and it's one of the greatest things in the entirety of the universe.

What's up in the blogosphere?

Blog Tour: The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein

2017-05-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hello, thieves of words! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Elizabeth Wein's The Pearl Thief. If you're familiar with Elizabeth, then you might recognize her as the Hardy-riffic author of Code Name Verity (which I highly, highly recommend reading). In her latest historical novel she returns to the life of Maddie--pre-Verity. You heard me right: The Pearl Thief is a Code Name Verity PREQUEL. So sit back, relax, prepare for the feels, and get ready to enter a giveaway (no stealing of pearls necessary to enter).

Title: The Pearl Thief

Author: Elizabeth Wein

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publishing Date: May 2, 2017

Pages: 336

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Before Verity . . . there was Julie.

When fifteen-year-old Julia Beaufort-Stuart wakes up in the hospital, she knows the lazy summer break she’d imagined won’t be exactly like she anticipated. And once she returns to her grandfather’s estate, a bit banged up but alive, she begins to realize that her injury might not have been an accident. One of her family’s employees is missing, and he disappeared on the very same day she landed in the hospital.

Desperate to figure out what happened, she befriends Euan McEwen, the Scots Traveller boy who found her when she was injured, and his standoffish sister Ellen. As Julie grows closer to this family, she experiences some of the prejudices they’ve grown used to firsthand, a stark contrast to her own upbringing, and finds herself exploring thrilling new experiences that have nothing to do with a missing-person investigation.

Her memory of that day returns to her in pieces, and when a body is discovered, her new friends are caught in the crosshairs of long-held biases about Travellers. Julie must get to the bottom of the mystery in order to keep them from being framed for the crime.

In the prequel to Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity, this exhilarating coming-of-age story returns to a beloved character just before she learned to fly.

ELIZABETH WEIN was born in New York City in 1964, and moved to England when she was 3. She started school there. She lived practically in the shadow of Alderley Edge, the setting for several of Alan Garner's books and for her own first book The Winter Prince; that landscape, and Garner's books, have been a lifelong influence on her.

Her father, who worked for the New York City Board of Education for most of his life, was sent to England to do teacher training at what is now Manchester Metropolitan University. He helped organize the Headstart program there. When Elizabeth was six he was sent to the University of the West Indies in Jamaica for three years to do the same thing in Kingston. She loved Jamaica and became fluent in Jamaican patois (she can't really speak it any more, but she can still understand it); but in 1973 her parents separated, and they ended up back in the USA living with her mother in Harrisburg, PA, where her parents were. When she died in a car accident in 1978, her wonderful parents took them in and raised them.

Elizabeth went to Yale University, spent a work-study year back in England, and then spent seven years getting a PhD in Folklore at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. While she was there she learned to ring church bells in the English style known as "change ringing", and in 1991 she met her future husband there at a bell ringers' dinner-dance. He is English, and in 1995 she moved to England with him, and then to Scotland in 2000.

They share another unusual interest--flying in small planes. Elizabeth's husband got his private pilot's license in 1993 and she got her ten years later. Together they have flown in the States from Kalamazoo to New Hampshire; in Kenya they've flown from Nairobi to Malindi, on the coast, and also all over southern England. Alone, most of her flying has been in eastern Scotland.

They have two children.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

Week One

5/1/2017 | YA and Wine | Blogger Post

5/2/2017 | Beauty and the Bookshelf | Spotlight

5/3/2017 | The Blonde Bookworm | Review

5/4/2017 | The Autumn Bookshelf | Blogger Post

5/5/2017 | Rants and Raves of a Bibliophile | Review

Week Two

5/8/2017 | Booklove | Review

5/9/2017 | Tales of the Ravenous Reader | Blogger Post

5/10/2017 | Mundie Moms | Review

5/11/2017 | YA Books Central | Spotlight

5/12/2017 | History from a Woman's Perspective | Review

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The Weekly Forecast (34)

2017-04-30T12:36:00.000-04:00

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.

Hey, folks! Long time, no see or post! I'm not quite sure what exactly has kept me from posting, except for a combination of picking reading over blogging, being busy working, and having a laptop that only turns on when it wants to. (I just need to take it to a damn computer genius already.) I'm not officially back this week--I'm only here because a blog tour's stopping by. I could be back this week, but it's the week of A Court of Wings and Ruin, and the only way I'll be putting that down is if I have to sleep or I'm going to work. But NEXT WEEK. By then I should hopefully, hopefully be back to my regularly scheduled programming.

Recap

Monday: Review: The Animal Under the Fur

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday

Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

Read:
Colleen Hoover's Never Never: Part One and November 9, The Sea of Tranquility, We Are Tornadoes, Once and For All, and I started The Pearl Thief and am currently rereading A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Forecast

Tuesday: Blog Tour: The Pearl Thief

Recommendation of the Week

Back next week!

I hope your first week of April was lovely!

Waiting on Wednesday (183)

2017-04-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking the Spine that

showcases upcoming releases people are very much anticipating.

Honestly, this book had me wholeheartedly at pig.

Title: The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City
Authors: Jodi Kendall

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publishing Date: October 3, 2017
Pages: 336

Add on Goodreads!

In this modern-day homage to Charlotte’s Web, a little pig in a big city leads to lots of trouble. Can eleven-year-old Josie Shilling save the day?

Josie Shilling’s family is too big, their cramped city house is too small, and she feels like no one’s ever on her side. Then, on Thanksgiving Day, her older brother, Tom, brings home a pink, squirmy bundle wrapped in an old football jersey—a piglet he rescued from a nearby farm. Her name is Hamlet.

The minute Josie holds Hamlet, she feels an instant connection. But there’s no room for Hamlet in the crowded Shilling household. And whoever heard of keeping a pig in the city? So it’s up to Josie to find her a forever home.

This modern-day homage to Charlotte’s Web is a heartwarming tale of family, belonging, and growing bigger when you’ve always felt small—perfect for fans of Katherine Applegate and Cammie McGovern.

Does your pick this week include any animal characters?

Top Ten Tuesday (183)

2017-04-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

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

This Tuesday's theme is...

Ah, unique books! Those books that have a little something else, something out of this world or totally fucked up or purely magical. Here are ten books just like that, and a brief note about what makes them so wonderfully (or frighteningly) unique.

Parasitology by Mira Grant: Two words: tapeworm. apocalypse.

Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine: A middle-of-nowhere town inhabited by humans and vampires.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones: I mean, have you seen the movie?

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples: The world and the art.

The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: It's told through various documents and formats and it works.

The Shadows We Know by Heart by Jennifer Park: This book 100% contains Sasquatch and it's 100% not ridiculous.

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst: You may not think a girl and a polar bear are a ship but they're a SHIP.

Penryn & the End of Days by Susan Ee: This ain't your momma's angel apocalypse.

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum: I don't know of many books with an autistic/autism spectrum/Asperger's protagonist, and the one here quickly became one of my favorite characters ever.

Gone by Michael Grant: There's only one way to describe this world, and that's fucked up.

Which unique books are your favorites?

Review: The Animal Under The Fur by E.J. Mellow

2017-04-10T16:04:00.001-04:00

Title: The Animal Under The Fur

Author: E.J. Mellow

Publisher: Four Eyed Owl

Publishing Date: March 30, 2017

Pages/Format: 453, eBook
Add on Goodreads!

From award-winning author E. J. Mellow comes an action romance dripping with vengeful delight.

Orphaned on the streets as a baby, Nashville Brown, a.k.a Kill Operative 3, knows better than to rely on anyone. With heightened senses and superhuman strength to survive, she’s been raised as the perfect assassin.

The trick to her success? Keeping everyone, even her best friend, at arm’s length.

Losing his entire family in the span of a year, Carter Smith left his ability to love buried deep in their graves. His only concerns now are completing his missions and effortlessly charming the next temptress to warm his bed.

The key to his accomplishments? Working alone mixed with a Casanova smile.

But when a deadly weapon needs to be stopped from falling into the wrong hands, the lone wolves find themselves thrown into an explosive partnership. Can Carter and 3 lower their guns aimed at one another long enough to succeed, or will their unwillingness to compromise end up destroying more than their perfect records? Whatever their differences, both agree on one thing—in the game of lies and deceit, the line between friend and foe is often blurred by blood splatter.

The Animal Under The Fur is a hate-to-loath-to-love standalone novel filled with savagery, secrets, and enough angst to wrinkle the pages you’ll find gripped in your hands.

BOOK IN A WORD: Likey!

I discovered E.J. Mellow purely through bookstagram. I'd seen photos of her Dreamland series around, and eventually ended up following her myself. It was through Mellow's Instagram account that I learned about The Animal Under The Fur, falling first for the title and then that cover that makes me want to drool all over the place. Add to that a premise promising romance, murder, and some specialized assassins, and you might as well wrap The Animal Under The Fur up in a bloody red bow with a tag that says "For Rachel." My expectations weren't too high, but I can say that I was definitely interested in it. And now that I've read it, I can say that it wasn't really a disappointment--but it wasn't quite what I had expected.

I thought The Animal Under The Fur would be a lot more serious than it actually was. I was hoping for something along the lines of Stephenie Meyer's The Chemist (though a bit better, since that didn't quite work out for me), something akin to the Bourne movies. That kind of story about a professional killer and the jobs he or she does. What I did get was Mr. and Mrs. Smith (the Jolie/Pitt version) meets The Hating Game. Now, I love love love The Hating Game and this was nowhere near that level, but with the banter and the ship and the hate-to-love thing 3 and Carter had going on, I was very much reminded of it.

The Animal Under The Fur is told from the points of view of 3 and Carter, two professional assassins working for different companies who are unwillingly forced to work together to solve a very big and important case. 3 (aka Nashville Brown) and Carter are different yet similar. She has a close relationship with very few people and keeps her walls up, while Carter, though he definitely has walls, has no problem interacting with people and always having a woman warm his bed. But their biggest difference is that 3 is a superhuman, a rare being with extra strength and heightened senses--perfect for an assassin. (Though that really could've been expanded on and made a larger focus.) They're both the best at what they do, so when it comes to working together any passion is better geared toward trying to kill each other. And it's rather entertaining, if I do say so myself, even if I'm constantly waiting for that hateful passion to turn into something else a bit more passionate.

I actually really liked The Animal Under The Fur and its somewhat addictive quality. And I'm actually kind of shocked that it's well over 400 pages, because the pace never made the book feel long; instead it went nice and quick. However, I do wish that this may have leaned a bit in another direction. This could have been more graphic, more detailed, more serious--more like a thriller or suspense novel. I liked it like this, I really did. But I also think it could've benefited from feeling a bit more adult and bringing something else to the table. (And don't say "poop." Just say "shit.") It also was pretty predictable at times, but not in a way that really bothered me, and a lot of it was just too rushed and quick; take time to tell each scene and the story as a whole. At the end of it all though, I really enjoyed reading The Animal Under The Fur, and I would not, for the record, say no to reading a sequel. Hint hint.

Did I like it? Yes!

Did I love it? No.

Would I reread it? Maybe.

Would I purchase it? YES because I want a physical version of that cover.

Who would I recommend it to? People who like their assassin stories on the lighter side and with some hate-to-love romance.

The Weekly Forecast (33)

2017-04-09T14:49:00.000-04:00

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.

Between my birthday, starting a job, and getting hardcore obsessed with a few books, I definitely fell a bit behind on blogging last week. I need to work on balancing everything a bit! And also tell my body hell no when all it wants to do is nap nap nap.

Recap

Monday: March Rewind

Tuesday: Review: Prisoner of Night and Fog

Thursday: 24 Notable Things

Read:
The Animal Under the Fur, It Ends with Us, and Slammed, and I recently started Never Never, so basically in less than a week I became a CoHo junkie.

Forecast

Monday: Review: The Animal Under the Fur

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday

Wednesday: Waiting on Wednesday

Thursday: Review: 738 Days

Friday: Ninety Second Novel: What to Say Next

Recommendation of the Week

As I mentioned above, I seem to have very quickly become a CoHo junkie. Like, my gosh. I read It Ends with Us and Slammed in less than forty-eight hours, and after reading the former I filled my Amazon cart with every single one of Colleen Hoover's books. I don't even know what it is about her books, except that something about them make you super duper obsessed. And I am HERE for it. I've already obtain four more of her books and I planning on getting and devouring them all.

I hope your first week of April was lovely!

24 Notable Things

2017-04-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

It may seem like an odd (yet even) number--24. Or maybe it's not so random. There are, after all, 24 hours in each day. The 24th day of December is Christmas Eve. There's some show I've never seen called 24. Pure gold is 24 carats, and Bruno Mars sings about it. Kobe Bryant's jersey number is, apparently, 24. Then there's this very post, which will briefly list 24 of my favorite things. And it just so happens that today, April 6, I am 24 years old. (And if you turn April 6 into 4/6, then 4 times 6 is 24.) So this, basically.

I like my birthday. I do! I'm just another year older and that I do not like. But hey, we're not here to be all dark and dreary. It is, after all, MY BIRTHDAY. Instead I'm going to share 24 somewhat favorite, definitely notable (and some edible!) objects with you. Merry April 6, folks!

1. pickle juice, which is, in fact, delicious, especially when you drink it right from the jar.
2. soul eater aka why I'm mad at Netflix because how dare they remove my show and my precious babies.
3. the braveheart score because I just really love it okay (and the second to last track is very big writing inspiration).
4. rings that are fun and funky and, of course, aesthetically pleasing for bookstagram.
5. bookstagram, or, my creative outlet and also my stress factor because nature and books don't exactly mix well.
6. sparkling ICE coconut pineapple sparkling water/juice/drink stuff, and what, instead of water, my body is vastly made up of.
7. great apes, also known as gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos, very commonly and incorrectly known as monkeys, and animals that tug at my heartstrings.
8. beauty and the beast, the movie of my childhood, one of the stories with my fav concept "who is the monster and who is the man?", and the (new) soundtrack I'm listening to as I type this.
9. peter pan because, even though Beauty and the Beast is my favorite, I am such complete and utter trash for all things Peter Pan.
10. tabasco sauce because you put that shit on everything (salt too, sorry Mom and my body as I keep getting older ew).
11. stephenie meyer, whose books have made me the reader and aspiring write I am today.
12. the rainforest cafe because is there a cooler place to eat (no there's not don't even try).
13. maps may be sort of hard for me to read and remember (compasses can die and why they were a part of PE in elementary school I will never understand) but something about them is so lovely.
14. five layer burrito from Taco Bell, why aren't you in my mouth right now?
15. black isn't technically a color but it's my favorite color (and makes me feel like I should've put my favorite word on this list, which rhymes with "duck" but is bad).
16. studio ghibli/hayao miyazaki aka weird as hell but such freaking beautiful movies that make you angry because why isn't there more kissing?
17. faux taxidermy is super cool and ugh (antlers and skulls hello) but real taxidermy makes me angry face.
18. scarves should go with pajamas, am I right or am I right?
19. hair and nails, because the more colorful and the more claw-like (respectively), the better.
20. vampires are my favorite (not) mythical creature (so are werewolves and fae and stuff) and apparently I am one, or so I've been told (though I don't know my own blood type, should I?).
21. puppy patrol was the chapter book series of my youth and some of them made me cry but they all made me want my very own animal rescue/dog kennel and I still do.
22. boots are such wonderful shoes and I'd like to have them all and I'm not big on shopping but I'll go shopping for some badass boots.
23. morganville vampires is more than just a book series to me--it's a series and world and stories and characters that feel like home.
24. dinosaurs because motherfucking dinosaurs.

What are some of your notables?