Crescendo - Becca Fitzpatrick

Crescendo (Hush, Hush)
By Becca Fitzpatrick

Crescendo is the sequel to Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I reviewed Hush, Hush previously and I did not enjoy it. I am happy to say that Crescendo was so much better. Remember all those things I said about Hush, Hush that annoyed me? Almost none of it existed. Fitzpatrick’s writing was so much better, her descriptions weren’t overdone but instead painted an intriguing picture. Best of all, Patch had already been introduced so I didn’t have as many issues with his personality.

Nora’s friend, Vee, also had a bigger role in Crescendo and I loved her personality and the humor she brought to the story. The story was a bit predictable but I was still anxiously reading to see how everything was going to play out.

I can say that I will be reading the next book in the series – which will definitely exist because Crescendo had a very open ending. I actually really enjoyed the ending because many of the questions raised throughout the book were answered so I wasn’t left wondering about them as I wait for the next book to come out.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with Crescendo. So, if you read Hush, Hush and didn’t love the book but you were still interested, you will not be disappointed.

**Source: ARC from the publisher for review.

Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush
By Becca Fitzpatrick

This was a difficult book for me to get into but I think that is my fault for reading Nightlight at the same time. I mean really, did I think that I could read a YA supernatural romance parody WHILE I was reading a YA supernatural romance and not have it ruin the storyline? Well let me give you some advice: don’t do it! Once I realized my mistake and put Nightlight aside, I was able enjoy Hush, Hush a bit more but I did still have some issues with the book.

Nora meets Patch and right away she is drawn to his sexy bad boy appeal but she knows he is bad so she tries to stay away. The problem is that no matter how hard she tries, she can’t keep her distance and she finds him either appearing where she is or she hunts him down herself. A good portion of the story took place in Nora’s high school Biology class which was where she first talked to Patch. Nora immediate reaction was that he was dangerous but it bothered me that her actions didn’t reflect her feeling that way. It was like she would tell herself he was bad (to the point that she thought he was stalking her and may even want to kill her) but she kept going with him and listening to him. There was one particular scene where he ends up in her house making food with a very big knife and she is looking at the knife thinking that his plan was to kill her. I just didn’t feel the imminent danger that she felt she was in; maybe it was because moments earlier Nora was accepting a ride home from Patch. I don’t know about you but if I am scared enough of someone that the moment they pick up a knife I think “oh no, he is planning on stabbing me to death with that super big knife” that is not the person I would be accepting rides home from.

On the other hand, Hush, Hush did have some interesting moments. I especially enjoyed the vee and some of her randomness that had me cracking up…

’Who said anything about being ashamed?’ Vee said. ‘I’m not ashamed. Why would I be ashamed? The only other sixteen-year-olds with boobs as big as mine are suffused with silicone—and everyone knows it. Why would I have reason to be ashamed?’ She rummaged through a bin. ‘Think they have any bras in here that can get my babies to lie flat?’
‘They’re called sports bras, and they have a nasty side effect called the uniboob.’ I said, my eyes picking out a lacy black bra from the pile.
-pg. 133

I’m curious to see where the story goes. Stay tuned for the review of Crescendo, the sequel of Hush, Hush.

**Source: Library copy

Nightlight: A Parody - The Harvard Lampoon

Nightlight: A Parody
By The Harvard Lampoon

Nightlight…oh Nightlight. How you ruined me. In case you don’t know, Nightlight is a parody of Twilight and this book was absolute random hilarity. The beautiful thing is that since everyone knows at least something about Twilight, I don’t think you have to have even read the books to enjoy it. Although the entertainment was very up and down, sometimes I would go pages without caring much about what I was reading and then I was suddenly cracking up, reading excerpts to anyone who was around me. The real problem was that I became so used to reading for a quick laugh and knowing that everything written was a joke, I had a hard time picking up any other book and taking it seriously. A word of caution: don’t read part of Nightlight and then try to read something else between sittings. I decided to list a few of my favorite quotes. If they make you laugh, this book will be right up your alley.

Here are some of my favorite quotes in all their dumb gloriousness:

Lucy was standing beneath a ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fans’ poster.
‘Join my club!’
‘No, thank you,’ I said icily. But I was not thankful and I think I conveyed that in my tone. I had no intention of supporting a show that encouraged the genocide of an already endangered species of immortals.
-pg 50

We walked together, our pointer fingers romantically linked. The cemetery loomed ahead of us covered in a dark haze of night, lit only by the silver moon of Twilight! I mean, Nightlight!
-pg 101

We settled down and began to enjoy the romance of each other, almost like a warm glow inside of us. This is the way married grownups feel all the time.
-pg 105

Source: Borrowed from a generous friend.

This is the Coolest Idea Ever!

This was one of those days I just want to sit and stare at my computer all day, but don't worry, those days are happening all week so you can just sit and stare with me.  Okay, I guess what I really want is to live in Seattle right now, but that's besides the point.

If, like me, you read Shelf Awareness today then you may have seen something called The Novel: Live!  It is this amazing event going on this week at the Hugo House in Seattle.  36 writers are coming together to write a book...LIVE!  This week you can check out the website (or if you are lucky and live in Seattle you can go to Hugo House and watch them with your very own eyes, no computer screen needed) and actually watch as each author takes their 2 hours to type out their part of the story (yes I have it open in another tab right now and I keep flipping back to watch).

Seriously, if you haven't checked it out yet then you are missing out.  It was so great to see the differences in each person's the writing process.  I was so fascinated with every pause.  What were they thinking? Was there some deep story-line brewing there or were they just stretching their fingers?  Okay, so maybe this has turned me into an author stalker--it was bound to happen--but I'm telling you, check it out and you will understand.  It is just a person sitting at a computer typing...and I love it!

Check out The Novel: Live! here.

They also have sweet loot you can buy in their merch store and the best part is all proceeds are being donated to 826 Seattle, a non-profit that encourages kids to develop their writing skills.

The Red Queen - Philippa Gregory

The Red Queen
By Philippa Gregory

The Red Queen is Philippa Gregory’s second book in her trilogy about the Cousin’s War. This book follows Margaret Beaufort through her life and determination to place her son on the throne, where she believes it is God’s will that he rule. Through her loveless marriages and all the hardships she must face a woman she remains devout to God and continues to believe she is destined to follow in the footsteps of Joan of Arc.

While I can’t exactly gush over this book, I did really enjoy it. I can say that although I knew how it would end, I was excited to get to the end of the book. Gregory did a fantastic job of building up the suspense, especially towards the end of the book, so even if you know the outcome, you still have doubts that it is certain to turn out that way. It’s like when you watch Romeo and Juliet and Juliet starts to stir and for a moment you think that Romeo is going to notice her starting to wake up and they are going to live happily ever after so you forget that Shakespeare doesn’t give them the happy ending you are hoping for and you are yelling at the screen “Look Romeo, she is waking up. Just look at her right now and you will see she didn’t die.” When the final battle begins at the end of The Red Queen, even if you know who is going to be the victor, you still hesitate for a moment, knowing where all the key players stand but still unsure of their intentions, you forget what you know about history and become lost in the uncertainty of the battle.

Although it did take me awhile to become fully interested in the story (the first part of the book was a bit slow) I cannot wait for the third and final book. I am excited to see where Gregory takes the story.

**Source: I bought this book with my own sweet loot.