The Bookshelf Monster

I read, review and post about fantasy, science fiction, romance, horror and some non-fiction books. I stay hydrated by crying over fictional characters and love things historical, fantastical and bookish.

[thebookshelfmonster]

The Plantin-Moretus Museum is the original residence and printing house of the Plantin-Moretus publishing family in the heart of Antwerp. It showcases three hundred years of book-printing art and has on display some of the oldest printing presses in the world. The remarkably well-preserved house museum takes the visitor through a tour of the craft, technologies and everyday practices of the first industrial scale printers in Europe. Additionally, one can view manuscripts, incunabula and original prints as well as a rich collection of art, including portraits by Rubens, a close friend of Balthazar I Moretus. #printing #historyofprinting #printisnotdead #printingpress #bookprinting #woodcutprint #copperplate #lithography #plantinmoretus #plantinmoretusmuseum #printmaking #historyofart #historyofscience #historyoftechnology #rubens #antwerp #belgium #visitbelgium #belgiumhistory #europeanhistory #westerneurope #benelux #flemish #historymuseum #museumfromhome #museumlover #booklover #bookaddict #bookcommunity #bookstagram (at Museum Plantin-Moretus) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqFPiNIrtqv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

Reading and books in Early Modern European art, Vol. III Courtesy: @plantinmoretus , Antwerp #readersgonnaread #readinginspiration #readreadread #readingart #arthistory #artmuseum #europeanart #earlymodern #artgram #booksandart #readinginart #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #bookcore #booklover #bookblogger #bookart #bookaesthetic #antwerpen #belgium #plantinmoretusmuseum #antwerpart #belgie (at Museum Plantin-Moretus) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqFqXcYLUOe/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

Reading and books in Early Modern European art, Vol. II Courtesy: @kmska_museum #readersgonnaread #readinginspiration #readreadread #readingart #arthistory #artmuseum #europeanart #earlymodern #artgram #booksandart #readinginart #womenreading #womenwhoread #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #bookcore #booklover #bookblogger #bookart #bookaesthetic #antwerpen #belgium #kmska (at Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp-msUyrzJT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

Reading in early modern European art 📖🖼️ #readersgonnaread #readinginspiration #readreadread #readingart #arthistory #artmuseum #europeanart #earlymodern #artgram #readinginart #womenreading #womenwhoread #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #bookcore #booklover #bookblogger #bookart #bookaesthetic (at Musée Old Masters) https://www.instagram.com/p/Corpa8Er4wI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

Bookstore displays in foreign countries: I walked past this creative book display outside of the Rupertus Buchhandlung in Salzburg, Austria every day that I was there. Unfortunately, I never got to visit the shop during my stay as it was closed for holiday season. Drop a comment below if you have read any of the books featured here or if any of them are on your tbr. #travelreading #readersgonnaread #readinglife #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #booklover #bookblogger #travelblog #salzburg #salzburgaustria #austria #rupertusbuchhandlung #bookstagramaustria #bookshopsoftheworld #bookshopsofinstagram #bookshopwindow #windowdisplay #windowshopping #bookshopping (at Rupertus Buchhandlung) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoR9fWqrUUK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

Cultured conversations with @jadedfruitcake 🧐☕️ #tehzeeb #culture #culturevultures #pretentious #toocoolforschool #stayinschoolkids #snobmobb #glittersnob #insidejoke #memesquad #memematerial #memeable #mememoments #wednesdaymood #chatstagram #textpost #textgram #textmemes #teacup #teatime #spillthetea https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn2BTGdrFPG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

Books in Museums I: The Memory Book of Maria van Nesse “Rich and Independent: Maria van Nesse (1588-1650)” is a small but very well-curated exhibition currently on at the Stedelijk Museum in Alkmaar, Netherlands, and at the heart of it is a unique “memoriebook” belonging to a seventeenth century woman. Maria van Nesse was an incredibly wealthy woman in seventeenth-century Alkmaar. She was a Roman Catholic in a Protestant town, unmarried and completely in control of her finances. And she kept a “memorieboek” which was a diary and account book where she recorded details of every purchase she made. The “memorieboek”, which was discovered in 2019 in a family archive in Belgium, helps reconstruct van Nesse’s life and times in Alkmaar during the period which it covers, from 1623 to 1646. This exhibition was such a delight to explore. Using this rare book, the exhibition brought to life the domestic affairs and social world of an extraordinary woman from the early modern age. #bookstagram #booksondisplay #bookdisplay #oldbooks #historicbooks #oldbooksmell #memorybook #accountbook #bookkeeping #journaling #earlymodern #womeninhistory #dutchhistory #netherlands #alkmaar #stedelijkmuseum #museums #europeanhistory #womenshistory #historyofthebook #booklovers #womenwhowrite #mariavannesse (at Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnxVRbVLaa9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

“I want to get to a place where I’m ready for you,” I whisper. “Just get to a place where you know how wonderful you are,” she whispers back. “They’re one and the same.” She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen was everything I could have asked for and more. It was a fun, wholesome sapphic teen romance with an engaging plot and interesting characters who were imperfect and messy but loveable and easy to root for. The story is set in a suburban high school with the main character Scottie, a basketball player, navigating her struggle to deal with the rejection of her ex-girlfriend and her own feelings of self-worth in relation to how others view her, while circumstances put her in the path of the girl she considers her nemesis, or so she thought, until she is forced to reckon with her own presumptions and prejudices. I liked how character-focused the narrative was and how much the characters' decisions (both good and bad) led the plot.The teenage characters were portrayed with both realism and empathy. The main character, in particular, made several ill-advised decisions that costs her heavily which came from a place of pain, confusion and insecurity that is both relatable and understandable. The best part was that the author makes her characters earn them redemption, sometimes even at the cost of the characters' comfort to the point that as I reader, there were moments I wondered what kind of ending her story would have. 4/5 🌟 and full review on #goodreads #bookreview #kellyquindlen #shedrivesmecrazy #teenromance #sapphicbooks #highschoolromance #yaromance #queerya #queerreads #wholesome #oppositesattract #enemiestolovers #fakedating #highschoolbasketball #cheerleading #characterdevelopment #yafiction #kindlebooks #bookstagram #bookblogger #bookreviewer https://www.instagram.com/p/CnjqqcsrTQT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

Alys Arden's Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend was paranormal YA perfection. This was a wonderful reimagining of a classic DC character, which added new and interesting dimensions to her origin and mythos. The elements I associate with and appreciate about Alys Arden's writing were crafted to delicious charm. I find people's relationship to places fascinating, so I really enjoyed the way the author built her characters in relation to the place they were - Zatanna and the people in her life in the carnival world of Coney Island. In this fictional world of a real place that is clearly distinguishable as Alys Arden's, she creates a fascinating plot of generational magical feuds with dark family secrets upending and threatening the main character's life and those of her loved ones. Jacquelin de Leon's art serves as the perfect compliment to the worldbuilding and characterization. I especially loved the creative way in which the panels were arranged and the sense of movement they simulated. The story involved lots of instances of characters and objects moving in a variety of ways and the art design helped convey it very nicely. I enjoyed the pacing of the story for the most part. However, the climax felt a little overwhelming to me, either because a lot seemed to be happening all at once and in quick succession. Regardless, the build up to it was very enjoyable and the punch that was served was very effective. 4/5 🌟 #bookreview #graphicnovel #zatanna #dccomics #zatannazatara #alysarden #jacquelinedeleon #dcuniverse #comicbooks #paranormal #ya #urbanfantasy #coneyisland #newyorkcity #mystics #magicians #witchyvibes #firstbook #bookstagram #booklover #bookblogger #readersgonnaread #2023reads #2022books https://www.instagram.com/p/CnPYAoVNsd9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

I can hardly believe my luck! Thanks to Random House - Ballantine and Netgalley, I am getting to read an advance review copy of Isabel Allende’s novel The Wind Knows My Name. So excited to begin reading! #isabelallende #thewindknowsmyname #randomhouse #ballantinebooks #advancereaderscopy #arc #readingtime📖 #januaryreads #newyearnewbooks #bookstagram #booklover #bookblogger #bookreviewer #netgalleyreads #netgalley #ebook #ebookreader #readersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm_-HsJL8iy/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something. So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life. Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever.” Neil Gaiman #happynewyear #neilgaiman #newyearnewbooks #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm4SFjoLXhH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍 Entranced by the Basilisks was everything I like in a paranormal fantasy romance. It was fun, heartfelt, steamy, thrilling and magical. This book takes readers deeper into the lore of Lillian Lark's Love Bathhouse world, exploring the society and magical culture of the serpent kin through the protagonist Emilia's relationship with the basilisks Ari and Jasper as they navigate magical and romantic complications. I loved the premise of the story that involved Emilia working in a library for arcane and magical knowledge and the sudden transformation that interacting with an antique book on the serpent kin brings about in her. Everyone, including her boss Jasper, assumes that she has been cursed until the much more ancient Ari sheds light on the nature of her transformation. Emilia's struggles to come to terms with the supernatural world and her place in it is a continuous theme that is explored realistically and with empathy. It was ultimately wonderful to see her journey towards a new understanding of herself and the world she lives in. I also enjoyed the complicated history of romantic and sexual tension between the chronically morose sadboi Jasper and the meddling drama queen Ari, and the ways in which they relate to and develop close bonds with each other and Emilia. 4/5 🌟 #bookreview #bookarc #pubday #newbook #lastbookoftheyear #romancereview #romancereadersofinstagram #paranormalromance #monsterromance #snek #mmf #polyromantic #🌶🌶🌶 #🥵 #steamyromance #spicybookstagram #lillianlark #lovebathhousemonsterromance #entrancedbythebasilisks #romancebook #bookstagram #bookblogger #nye2022 https://www.instagram.com/p/CmzzZ10LrgY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

Traveling from one city to another, reading about a third, and missing a fourth. #travelreading #readersgonnaread #readinglife #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #booklover #bookblogger #travelblog #travelbytrain #trainstagram #readingonthetrain #railways_of_europe #trainjourney #intercityexpress #salzburg #ansterdam #delhi #baltimore #chandnichowk #mughalhistory #historyofdelhi #historygram #swapnaliddle (at München Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmrJGxSI_y9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

High key in love with, but also jealous of @waterstonesamsterdam ‘s dreamy window reading nooks. 💗🪟📚 #readingnook #booknook #readingcorner #readingtime #bookshopsofinstagraam #bookloversofinstagram #readersgonnaread #bookshopsoftheworld #amsterdam #waterstones #bookstagramnl #bookstagramuk (at Waterstones Booksellers Amsterdam) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmaMYosI5GT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

Finally began watching Season Three of Derry Girls! #saturdaynight #netflix #weekendwatch #derrygirls #channel4 #season3 #tvseries #derry #northernireland #nightin #cosynights #cosyroom #nowwatching #winternight #nightlife https://www.instagram.com/p/CmSBAwsL5Ro/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

📚Spui Book Market at Spui Square, Amsterdam.📚 Originally a body of water, Spui was filled in in 1882 and is the ‘cultural books square of the Netherlands’ today. Every Friday, 25 booksellers sell old, rare, second hand and out of print books at this square in the heart of the old city of Amsterdam. Notably, the Spui Square also houses three big book stores in Amsterdam: the Athaenaem Boekhandel, the American Book Centre and Waterstones. #bookstagram #bookstagramnl #bookstagrammer #bookblogger #bookshopsofinstagram #bookshopping #bookmarket #boekhandel #booktour #bookstagramtogether #bookstreet #streetphotography #streetgrammer #travelgram #booktravel #fridaymarket #weekendgetaway #travelideas #dateideas #traveltips #cityexplore #exploreamsterdam #amsterdamlife (at Boekenmarkt Op 'T Spui, Amsterdam) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmHxqCGLWNu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[thebookshelfmonster]

The comfort of a friendly, well-stocked bookstore on an unexpectedly difficult day. #bookstagram #bookstoresofinstagram #bookshop #waterstones #waterstonesamsterdam #amsterdam #bookstagramnl (at Waterstones Booksellers Amsterdam) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClvixS7LX33/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=