Crescendo

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Summary from Amazon

The sequel to the New York Times Best selling phenomenon, Hush, Hush!

Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

My Thoughts

Before it was published I received an ARC of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I wasn't sure why I received it but I decided to read it anyway. I usually don't find myself reading paranormal, angel, vampire or young adult novels. This was definitely out of my comfort zone. I found myself whizzing through Hush, Hush only to find out the ending was different than the ending in my ARC because there would be a sequel! Inside I was quite happy because I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was looking forward to more to the story. When I saw Barnes and Noble had a Sneak Peek for Crescendo in their book clubs I jumped right on it.

Crescendo continues the story of Nora and Patch which seems to get more complex and complicated. The series continues with it's dark romance between Patch and Nora which of course cannot go smoothly. Nora's friend, Vee adds some humor to the story with her quirky ways. Marcie Millar is the typical teenage bully that we all love to hate. The story takes some unexpected twist and turns which kept me very interested. I found myself liking this second book in the series even more than I liked Hush, Hush. I found it very suspenseful and found myself thinking about the book when I wasn't reading it. Crescendo was the perfect name for this book! This story just keeps building and building! I am looking forward to the third installment, Tempest. I'm just sad that I will have to wait awhile for it.

I received this ARC as part of Barnes and Noble Sneak Peek Program which in no way influenced my review.

Fall Into Reading Question #4

I am participating in the Fall Into Reading Challenge. Every week Katrina at Callapidder Days has posted a question for us to answer. It's fun to see what everyone's reading habits are. This weeks question is:

Do you ever dog-ear the corners of book pages to mark your spot? Or are you a faithful bookmark user, refusing to damage the pages of your books? OR do you have another way to keep track of where you are in a book?

I do not dog ear books now but that was not always the case in my teenage years. Now I just can't bring myself to do that. I have many bookmarks, some which have been given to me by friends that are very dear to me. If I don't have a bookmark handy I will use a scrap of paper or whatever is handy until I can get to my bookmarks.

Now for my progress on the FIR Challenge. I have finished 4 out of the 10 books I have listed. Not bad at this stage of the game.

Do you dog-ear or are you a bookmark user?

Dewey's Nine Lives

Dewey's Nine Lives by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter

Book Summary from Penguin
The cat that captured America's hearts returns, to share more of his special brand of magic.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World was a blockbuster bestseller and a publishing phenomenon. It has sold nearly a million copies, spawned three children's books, and will be the basis for an upcoming movie. No doubt about it, Dewey has created a community. Dewey touched readers everywhere, who realized that no matter how difficult their lives might seem, or how ordinary their talents, they can-and should-make a positive difference to those around them. Now, Dewey is back, with even more heartwarming moments and life lessons to share.

Dewey's Nine Lives offers nine funny, inspiring, and heartwarming stories about cats--all told from the perspective of "Dewey's Mom," librarian Vicki Myron. The amazing felines in this book include Dewey, of course, whose further never-before-told adventures are shared, and several others who Vicki found out about when their owners reached out to her. Vicki learned, through extensive interviews and story sharing, what made these cats special, and how they fit into Dewey's community of perseverance and love. From a divorced mother in Alaska who saved a drowning kitten on Christmas Eve to a troubled Vietnam veteran whose heart was opened by his long relationship with a rescued cat, these Dewey-style stories will inspire readers to laugh, cry, care, and, most importantly, believe in the magic of animals to touch individual lives.

My Thoughts

I received this book and was a bit afraid to read it. I'm always afraid these types of books will be too sad. While there were a few sad parts, I found the stories to be very heartwarming. The cats in these stories all filled a void and played an important role in someone's life just as Dewey did. Each story is unique and touching. My favorite story was about a cat who rode a motorcycle, truly a remarkable cat! Also there a couple of new Dewey stories included in the book. If you love cats or pets, I think you will be touched and love each story as much as I did. It was so moving that I read the whole book in one sitting. Definitely a five star read!

I received this book for my honest review from Penguin

Fall Into Reading

The calendar says it is Fall here but Mother Nature seems a tad bit confused. It is much more like a summer day here today but that will be changing in less than 24 hours. So to kick Fall off I am going to participate in The Fall Into Reading 2010 challenge hosted by Katrina over at Callapidder Days. Katrina is kind enough to host a reading challenge not only in the Fall but also the Spring. Here is the brief recap as to how the challenge works by Katrina:

Here’s a brief recap of how to be a part of Fall Into Reading 2010:

Make a list of books you want to read (or finish reading) this fall. Your list can be as long or as short as you’d like. (Also, feel free to modify your list during the challenge if it’s not working for you.)

Write a blog post containing your list and submit it to this post using the Mr. Linky below.(over at Callapidder Days)

Get reading! The challenge goes from today, September 22nd, through December 20th.

Check out other participants’ lists and add to your own to-read-someday pile!

Write a post about your challenge experience in December, telling us all about whether you reached your goals and how Fall Into Reading went for you. But remember: this is a low-pressure challenge that should be fun. As long as you do some reading this fall (and enjoy it!), that’s good enough for me.

Go on over and sign up. It is quite easy and it's fun too!

My list is below and will more than likely change. I pulled these off the top of my head but I know I have some commitments that will have to be added also. And then there will be the books I see on other people's list that will have to be added! I'm hopeless when it comes to books!

1.Somewhere Inside: One Sister's Captivity in North Korea and the Other's Fight to Bring Her Home by Laura Ling and Lisa Ling
2.The World is Bigger Now by Euna Lee with Lisa Dickey
3.Room by Emma Donoghue
4.Dewey's Nine Lives by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
5.Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
6.Saturday Morning by Lauraine Snelling
7.Still The One by Robin Wells
8.Angel Song by Sheila Walsh and Kathryn Cushman
9.The Cailiffs of Baghdada, Georgia by Mary Helen Stefaniak
10.How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway

I have some more books that I really want to dive into too so we shall see if the list gets longer. Go on over to Katrina's lovely blog and sign up. It's a nice, relaxed challenge and it is so much fun! It's a great way to make a dent in that TBR stack!