Top Ten Tuesday: Fall 2013 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Books on my fall TBR list.

I will preface this post by saying that some of these books have already been published, others are books that will be published at some point in the next few months. Regardless of if the book has been published or not, I am looking forward to reading all of these in the coming months.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth - There is a strong likelihood that Allegiant is on just about everyone's list and I totally understand why. After everything that went down in Insurgent, I can't wait to see how it will all come together. Plus we get Four's point of view.

Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes - I found myself liking Falling Kingdoms last year so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. I've had an ARC of Rebel Spring sitting on my bookshelf for a few months and now that the release date is getting closer, I have the perfect excuse to read it.

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead - Richelle Mead. Adrian Ivashkov. Enough said.

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano - The premise of Perfect Ruin is that it takes place in a utopian world. And it's written by Lauren DeStefano. That's pretty much all I need to know in order to know I will want to read this book.

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry - My heart broke a little in Dare You To with what happened to Isaiah so I can't wait to finally read his story in Crash Into You. Plus, as far as I'm concerned, Katie McGarry can do no wrong.

How to Love by Katie Cotugno - I was lucky enough to get an ARC of How to Love while at BEA and I proceeded to read it on the bus ride back from NYC. But it's one of those books that I really, desperately want to reread. So since it's coming out soon, I'll most likely be doing just that.

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White - So far I have loved everything I have read by Kiersten WHite. And now she writes a book about mythology? Count me in.

Resist by Sarah Crossan - I loved Breathe. I want to know what happens next (though I may need a refresher between now and then). And that's all that really needs to be said about Resist.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black - Vampires and Holly Black. Do I really need to explain this any further?

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - I only just recently read The Raven Boys but the moment I finished, I wanted the sequel. And now I have it. So you can bet I'll be reading The Dream Thieves and Ronan's story quite soon.

What books are on your fall TBR list?

Black Heart by Holly Black

Title: Black Heart (Curse Workers #3)

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date: April 3, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

In a world where magic is illegal, Cassel Sharpe has the most dangerous ability of all. With one touch, he can transform any object--or person--into something else entirely. He's so valuable, the Feds are willing to forgive his past crimes if he'll go straight. But why does it feel so crooked?

For one thing, it means being on the opposite side of the law from Lila, the girl he loves. She's the daughter of a mob boss and she's joining the family business. Though Cassel is pretty sure she can never love him back, he can't stop obsessing over her.

The Feds say they need Cassel to get rid of a powerful man who is spinning out of control. But if they want Cassel to hurt people, what separates the good guys from the bad ones? Is everyone just out to con him? Time is running out, and all Cassel's magic and cleverness might not be enough to save him. With no easy answers and no one he can trust, love might be the most dangerous gamble of all.

The Curse Workers series by Holly Black is one of my all time favorite series so I was beyond excited when an ARC of Black Heart showed up on my doorstep. But as much as I was excited about reading it, I also didn't want to because that would mean one of my favorite series would be over. Regardless of all this, Black Heart ended up being a fantastic read.

Now training to work for the government, Cassel Sharpe has left behind the life of crime he grew up in and has always known. Except that the more he works with them, the more Cassel finds that the good guys may not necessarily be as good as they appear to be. Not only that, but working with the Feds means that Cassel is working against Lila, the girl he has been in love with his entire life. And to make things better, everything seems to be going completely wrong in Cassel's life, both at home and at school. When you grow up in a world filled with lies and deception, nothing can ever be what it seems.

I absolutely adore the world and story that Holly Black created in her Curse Workers series. It's dark and deceiving and I absolutely love it. The story itself will take you to places you never thought it would. The story in Black Heart was packed with twists and turns, every time I thought I had everything figured out, Holly Black would throw something new in the mix and I would have to re-evaluate everything. And of course Holly Black's writing itself is incredible. It draws me in to the story, to a place that I just don't want to leave. Once I started reading I just couldn't stop. And the ending was just perfect, both for the book and for the series. I couldn't have asked for a better one.

I am most definitely at least a little bit in love with Cassel Sharpe. I mean, not falling in love with him would have been a little difficult. In this book, he was the same Cassel that I have come to love in the other books. Once again, he has really good intentions and his heart is most definitely in the right place, but sometimes the follow-through is a little bit lacking or doesn't really turn out quite as planned. But, hey, at least it kept things interesting. And Lila finalled proved to me that she was deserving of Cassel and I was finally able to see what he saw in her. And of course, more than anything, I was happy with the way things turned out for everyone.

I loved Black Heart. In this book, Holly Black wrote an amazing conclusion to her phenomenal Curse Workers series. Though I'm sad this series I love has now ended, I couldn't have asked for a better ending for it. 

Interview with Holly Schindler

Today I have the pleasure of having Holly Schindler, author of A Blue so Dark and Playing Hurt, on the blog as part of the Canadian blog tour for Playing Hurt. She was kind enough to answer a few questions for me. Here is what she had to say.

How was writing PLAYING HURT different from writing A BLUE SO DARK, your first novel?

Actually, I drafted PLAYING HURT before I ever drafted A BLUE SO DARK. And while BLUE wrote really very quickly, PLAYING HURT had a longer drafting process. PLAYING HURT also changed the most, from first draft to final published version—in fact, the first draft of PLAYING HURT didn’t feature the sports subplot or chapters written from Clint’s POV.

Where does inspiration come from when you write? Did it come from different places for A BLUE SO DARK and PLAYING HURT?

All my books come from a scenario, rather than from an idea for a character. With A BLUE SO DARK, I knew I wanted to write about the possible link between mental illness and creativity. With PLAYING HURT, I knew I wanted to write about learning the difference between loving someone (which is how Chelsea feels for Gabe) and being passionately IN love with someone (how Chelsea feels for Clint). From those basic scenarios, I start to create characters, outline a plot…

Both Chelsea and Clint were very involved in sports in high school. Were you particularly athletic in high school or more into music like Chelsea’s brother Brandon?

Very perceptive question! Yes, I was very much like Brandon, rather than Chelsea or Clint. I’ve never been particularly athletic at all—if you’d told me a few years ago that my second book would feature athletes, I would have laughed.

But I’ve always adored music. When I was in high school, I took guitar lessons from a local musician who played with the Ozark Mountain Daredevils (and was the most innately talented person I’ve ever known)…

Did you always want to be a writer or was there something specific that made you want to write?

I’ve always loved books and reading—and was writing stories by the time I was in the first grade. It’s always been a lifelong dream, just something I always had to do.

Are you working on anything new you’re allowed to share with us?

My debut middle grade novel will be released by Dial in the summer of 2012—the book doesn’t yet have an official title—or cover art! I can’t wait to finalize both…

You can visit Holly Schindler on her website at hollyschindler.com and on her blog at hollyschindler.blogspot.com, as well as follow her on Twitter @holly_schindler. You can also find her and other YA authors at YA Outside the Lines and she also recently started a blog with a group of middle grade authors which you can find at Smack Dab in the Middle.

Be sure to check out the final stop of the Playing Hurt Canadian blog tour on Readers Unite next week.

Red Glove by Holly Black

Title: Red Glove (Curse Workers #2)

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date: April 5, 2011

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

CURSES AND CONS.

MAGIC AND THE MOB.

In Cassel Sharpe’s world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth--he’s the most powerful curse worker around. He can transform anything--or anyone--into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Now she’s back, but she’s been cursed to love him. If Lila’s love is as phony as Cassel’s made-up memories, then he can’t believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel’s oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help find his brother’s killer. But the mob wants Cassel too--they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. Where can he turn when he can’t trust anyone--least of all, himself?

I was extremely happy to have Red Glove close by when I finished reading White Cat. I loved that right away I was able to dive back in and get more of the characters that I loved so much the first time around. If I thought that White Cat was good, Red Glove definitely kicked it up a notch.

After spending the summer helping his mother con rich me, Cassel is back at school. Only this year, Lila is also present at Wallingford, making things even more difficult for Cassel. And much like everything else in his life, things once again don’t appear to be exactly as they seem. Now Cassel has a crime boss trying to use him as an assassin, federal agents wanting his help, and a mysterious murder that needs to be solved. Once again, Cassel finds himself in a world full of curses and cons an all around mystery. With the help of his friends, Cassel tries to solve all the mysteries all while trying to get through the beginning of his senior year of high school.

I’ll say it again, but Holly Black is simply an amazing writer and I just can’t seem to get enough. What I particularly love are the characters she creates. Even the characters that play only a minor role in the story appear to be fully developed. As for the main characters, I just can’t help but love Cassel. Despite his sometimes questionable behavior and decisions, Cassel’s heart is most definitely in the right place, he does whatever in needs in order to protect and help those he loves. Lila on the other hand is a bit of a puzzle to me, I can’t seem to tell when she’s being truthful or when she’s playing a role. Already in White Cat I really liked Sam and Daneca but we didn’t really see as much of them as I would have liked. This time around we find out a lot more about them and I loved seeing how the relationship between them and Cassel developed. One thing that didn’t change though was that no matter how crazy the idea, they were always ready to follow Cassel in the action.

The story is dark and mysterious without being overly heavy, if that makes any sense at all. While the action takes place in the present, it almost feels like it should be taking place in another time altogether. The Curse Workers’ world is dark and twister and I absolutely love it. Around every corner there is something or someone hiding, and it never seems to be what you expect it to be. Every twist in the plot is more twister than the last. The story is just one big puzzle that you can’t put together until the very last page, no matter how hard you try to put it all together sooner.

Red Glove was even better than White Cat if that is at all possible. Now, I can’t wait to get my hands on Black Heart, the third installment in the Curse Workers series. Holly Black once again writes an incredible story that will play with your mind from start to finish.

White Cat by Holly Black

Title: White Cat (Curse Workers #1) 

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date: May 4, 2010

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

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. Since curse work is illegal, they’re all criminals. But not Cassel. He hasn’t got the magic touch, so he’s an outside--the straight kid in a crooked family--as long as you ignore one small detail: He killed his best friend, Lila. Now he is sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat. He also notices that his brothers are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of a huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to outcon the conmen.

Until I read White Cat, I hadn’t read anything by Holly Black (I know, don’t judge). Now I’ve come to realize that I’ve been missing out. White Cat was absolutely amazing and I’m so happy that I decided to pick it up. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I definitely enjoyed this book, more than I thought I would.

Cassel Sharpe is a non-worker in a family full of curse workers. His whole life he’s been trying to fit in, something made even more difficult for someone who believes they murdered their best friend. When he starts sleepwalking and dreaming about a mysterious white cat, Cassel starts being suspicious, wondering if what he knows of his path is actually the truth. When everyone around him seems to be keeping secrets, Cassel will have to find a way to get to the bottom of things. But for someone coming from a family of expert conmen, it may prove to be easier said than done.

Holly Black is a phenomenal writer and I absolutely loved the voice she gave her characters, especially Cassel. There aren’t that many YA books, that I know of, that are told from a boy’s point of view and I love it when I get the chance to read one. Cassel was just a great character not matter how you look at him. Sure sometimes his behavior and judgement class were somewhat questionable, but that what made him more interesting. There was a lot more to him than met the eye to say the least. I won’t even try to go into the Sharpe-Singer family dynamics. I’m sure they all mean well but they often have a weird way of showing it. Cassel’s friends, Sam and Daneca, amused me. They were ready to follow Cassel no matter how crazy the plan. There was a wide variety of characters and that’s what really made the story that much more interesting.

The idea of curse workers is one that is different from most of what is out there. In most books with some sort of magical or supernatural characters, they live in or outside of society without the general public knowing about them. In this case, curse workers are part of society, granted they aren’t the most upstanding members of it, and the general public knows about them. The curse workers are only one aspect of the criminal activity going on here. This is all set against a back drop of mob activity. Let’s just say that with this book, nothing is ever really as it seems. All together, this book was different from most of what I’ve read and I absolutely loved it.

White Cat was a fantastic read, one you definitely should pick up if you haven’t already done so. Holly Black is an absolutely fantastic writer and creates a story that will have you always wanting to know what happens next. You should go read this book, trust me you won’t regret it.