Waiting on Wednesday (11/30)

Heya!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.
*Thanks Danny @ Bewitched Bookworms for the WoW button

My pick this week:

Black Heart (Curse Workers #3)
by Holly Black

Release Date: April 3rd 2012
by Margaret K. McElderry
Hardcover, 320 pages

Goodreads:

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

I love this series! It's one of my favorite YA series ever! I had the chance to read the first two books back-to-back, but the second book ended with a killer cliffhanger and the wait for the next book has been driving me crazy, grrr! I can't wait to see what's going to happen with Cassel and Lila! (oh, Cassel... He really deserves some good things to happen to him for a change...) Ms Black sure knows how and when to throw the twists and turns to keep her fans on the edge of their seat and always craving for more! And since 2011 is almost over, the wait for the last book of the trilogy doesn't seem to be that long anymore... does it?

Also, I know the Curse Workers series is getting a completely new look and I really like it (that purple is cool and everything), but I still prefer the old one, I think it's more appropriate for the series. Oh well...

What are you waiting on today?

P.S. If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend it! I think you can still get the first book on audio for free HERE (I listened to the audiobook as well and I loved it! My glowing review)

P.P.S. For my fellow Romanian readers who celebrate their Name Day today (myself included, hehe), Happy Name Day! I hope you're having a wonderful one!
>La multi ani!<

xoxo

Waiting on Wednesday (11/30)

Heya!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.
*Thanks Danny @ Bewitched Bookworms for the WoW button

My pick this week:

Black Heart (Curse Workers #3)
by Holly Black

Release Date: April 3rd 2012
by Margaret K. McElderry
Hardcover, 320 pages

Goodreads:

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

I love this series! It's one of my favorite YA series ever! I had the chance to read the first two books back-to-back, but the second book ended with a killer cliffhanger and the wait for the next book has been driving me crazy, grrr! I can't wait to see what's going to happen with Cassel and Lila! (oh, Cassel... He really deserves some good things to happen to him for a change...) Ms Black sure knows how and when to throw the twists and turns to keep her fans on the edge of their seat and always craving for more! And since 2011 is almost over, the wait for the last book of the trilogy doesn't seem to be that long anymore... does it?

Also, I know the Curse Workers series is getting a completely new look and I really like it (that purple is cool and everything), but I still prefer the old one, I think it's more appropriate for the series. Oh well...

What are you waiting on today?

P.S. If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend it! I think you can still get the first book on audio for free HERE (I listened to the audiobook as well and I loved it! My glowing review)

P.P.S. For my fellow Romanian readers who celebrate their Name Day today (myself included, hehe), Happy Name Day! I hope you're having a wonderful one!
>La multi ani!<

xoxo

Review: White Cat (Curse Workers #1) by Holly Black

Hiya!

White Cat (Curse Workers #1) by Holly Black

Goodreads summary: 

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

 Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen. 

My thoughts: The Curse Workers by Holly Black just became one of my favorite YA series. White Cat was like a breath of fresh air for me – it gave the me the feeling that YA fiction is finally back on track. Though I enjoyed all the YA books I read lately, I always felt like there was something missing. I’m not sure what that was, but I found it in White Cat.:D (Maybe a cool male lead character? A story that was not just another love story between a human and a supernatural or about teenage angst? A refreshing male POV? Some paranormal elements that seemed real, believable? All of the above?:)) I don't know, but it worked perfectly for me.)

Black introduces us to the world of cons and mobsters, where using magic is illegal. Each member of Cassel’s family can use a different kind magic, and they all take advantage of it – except for Cassel. That’s why he’s always felt the outcast, the black sheep of the family. At least, he tries to blend in and make friends at the fancy boarding school where he goes, but even that changes after he starts sleepwalking. Smart and intuitive as he is, he soon realizes that his family not only hides things from him, but they played him. I'm not going to get into details, I can't say more than the goodreads summary says already anyway, but I really liked how the plot developed. The suspense and the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. And I liked that Cassel wasn't intimidated by his family games - or of the Zacharov family for that matter - that he knew he couldn't trust anyone entirely and decided to find out everything by himself. Even if that meant turning their own weapons against them in the process.

So I really liked Cassel : "Clever as the Devil, and twice as pretty.":)) His dry humor and his attitude make of him a lovely character – someone I’d like to hang out with in real life. He’s smart, funny and sarcastic and his only flaw is…well, his family. They’re all mysterious untrustworthy mobsters, who play dangerous games with their magic abilities and have no respect for anything or anyone - not even for their own siblings. Even so, they 're still complex characters that help the story progress in a very intriguing way. His older brothers, Philip and Barron, are pretty scary. His mother is in jail and his grandfather, though he seems to be the only person Cassel can count on, can kill anyone just with a touch of his hand.*shivers*

The beginning of the book was a little confusing, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. I liked everything about it: the original plot, the cons world, the characters, the mystery, the touch of romance... And Black's writing style is brilliant and very compelling. I really recommend this book to any paranormal lover who's looking for an original story and a new voice.;) 4.5/5*





I LOVED it!!! It's a must read!
(When I started reading this book, I wanted to smack myself in the head for not reading it sooner, but after I finished reading it, I actually wanted to pat myself on the back for waiting till the sequel was out, considering the way it ended. LOL And I've just started reading Red Glove, I can't wait to see what happens next!).


xoxo

Review: White Cat (Curse Workers #1) by Holly Black

Hiya!

White Cat (Curse Workers #1) by Holly Black

Goodreads summary: 

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

 Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen. 

My thoughts: The Curse Workers by Holly Black just became one of my favorite YA series. White Cat was like a breath of fresh air for me – it gave the me the feeling that YA fiction is finally back on track. Though I enjoyed all the YA books I read lately, I always felt like there was something missing. I’m not sure what that was, but I found it in White Cat.:D (Maybe a cool male lead character? A story that was not just another love story between a human and a supernatural or about teenage angst? A refreshing male POV? Some paranormal elements that seemed real, believable? All of the above?:)) I don't know, but it worked perfectly for me.)

Black introduces us to the world of cons and mobsters, where using magic is illegal. Each member of Cassel’s family can use a different kind magic, and they all take advantage of it – except for Cassel. That’s why he’s always felt the outcast, the black sheep of the family. At least, he tries to blend in and make friends at the fancy boarding school where he goes, but even that changes after he starts sleepwalking. Smart and intuitive as he is, he soon realizes that his family not only hides things from him, but they played him. I'm not going to get into details, I can't say more than the goodreads summary says already anyway, but I really liked how the plot developed. The suspense and the mystery kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. And I liked that Cassel wasn't intimidated by his family games - or of the Zacharov family for that matter - that he knew he couldn't trust anyone entirely and decided to find out everything by himself. Even if that meant turning their own weapons against them in the process.

So I really liked Cassel : "Clever as the Devil, and twice as pretty.":)) His dry humor and his attitude make of him a lovely character – someone I’d like to hang out with in real life. He’s smart, funny and sarcastic and his only flaw is…well, his family. They’re all mysterious untrustworthy mobsters, who play dangerous games with their magic abilities and have no respect for anything or anyone - not even for their own siblings. Even so, they 're still complex characters that help the story progress in a very intriguing way. His older brothers, Philip and Barron, are pretty scary. His mother is in jail and his grandfather, though he seems to be the only person Cassel can count on, can kill anyone just with a touch of his hand.*shivers*

The beginning of the book was a little confusing, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. I liked everything about it: the original plot, the cons world, the characters, the mystery, the touch of romance... And Black's writing style is brilliant and very compelling. I really recommend this book to any paranormal lover who's looking for an original story and a new voice.;) 4.5/5*





I LOVED it!!! It's a must read!
(When I started reading this book, I wanted to smack myself in the head for not reading it sooner, but after I finished reading it, I actually wanted to pat myself on the back for waiting till the sequel was out, considering the way it ended. LOL And I've just started reading Red Glove, I can't wait to see what happens next!).


xoxo

Romanian Bookish Love (#3)

Hey everyone!

I just started reading White Cat (Curse Workers #1) by Holly Black and I realized that she's an amazing author and that I didn't have the chance to read her previous books. I've heard mixed things about them, but but since they're published in Romania too, I'll check them out to see if they are actually good. Anyways, take a look at our covers for The Modern Faerie Tales series:

Tithe (The Modern Faerie Tales #1) by Holly Black

Valiant (The Modern Faerie Tales #2) by Holly Black 

(The Modern Faerie Tales #3) by Holly Black

Source: RaoBooks.Com
There are many editions of this series, but I think these are the original US covers. :)

So what do you guys think about them? Which one do you like?
(They're not that special, but I think they're ok.)

xoxo

Romanian Bookish Love (#3)

Hey everyone!

I just started reading White Cat (Curse Workers #1) by Holly Black and I realized that she's an amazing author and that I didn't have the chance to read her previous books. I've heard mixed things about them, but but since they're published in Romania too, I'll check them out to see if they are actually good. Anyways, take a look at our covers for The Modern Faerie Tales series:

Tithe (The Modern Faerie Tales #1) by Holly Black

Valiant (The Modern Faerie Tales #2) by Holly Black 

(The Modern Faerie Tales #3) by Holly Black

Source: RaoBooks.Com
There are many editions of this series, but I think these are the original US covers. :)

So what do you guys think about them? Which one do you like?
(They're not that special, but I think they're ok.)

xoxo