Cover Reveal: Black Heart, by Holly Black

Ok, so I have to laugh because a picture from my post about the book signing I went to with Holly Black and Cassandra Clare last week (you can see that post here) is famous.

Holly Black herself has posted it on her blog! Plus, I've seen it pop up on my google reader twice already today. I'm laughing because it's not even a good picture! See:

Sooooo, since I don't want the only picture of her new, beautiful cover to be this one, I took a much better picture. Photography is a hobby of mine, so maybe that's why I feel it must be nice? Anyways, here it is:

You can click on it to make it larger

There. Isn't that much better? :)

Oh, and while you're here, you might as well check out the last post I just did about Lauren Oliver's giveaway. Check it out, her new book is so cute!

Review : White Cat

Title: White Cat
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: McElderberry books (Simon and Schuster)
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Description from Goodreads:

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.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love — or death — and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

My Review:

Fantastic!

I really liked Holly Black's books about the Fae (Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside), so I'm not sure why it took me so long to pick up White Cat. Maybe I was afraid that I wouldn't like this book as much since it wasn't about fairies? Well, I was wrong! I liked this book even more than her previous books!

The book starts off right in the middle of action- Cassel wakes up from sleepwalking to find himself on top of his school's roof, stuck. How did he get up there, and why did his dream lead him there? As the story unfolds we are told more about the curse workers and their history, Cassel's ties to them, and why he sleepwalks to his (almost) death. Black does a great job of only giving out little bits of information at a time, and keeps up just enough suspense, that makes the reader keep flipping through the pages. There was never a point where I was bored with the story! I wanted to know more about curse workers, more about his family, more about his dreams and the white cat he keeps seeing.

There were things in the story that I never saw coming. Sure, there were clues that I was satisfyingly able to figure out about little events in the book, but the main plot was still a mystery until it was revealed. The twists in White Cat were awesome!

The curse workers were so interesting! I loved the world that Holly Black created around them. What would it be like if there really were people who could change our feelings, luck, or memories? Black's answer is intriguing.

White Cat is a deliciously dark and mysterious story. I can't wait to dig into Red Glove, the next book in this series!

In My Mailbox (5)

In My Mailbox is a meme that is hosted by The Story Siren. It's a fun way to share what books we got for the week. They can be from publishers, the library bought, or whatever.

I had another fantastic week in books!

Won:

Huntress | Malinda Lo (Goodreads | Amazon)

I won this from Mission to Read! Yay!

For Review (from NetGalley):

Two Moon Princess | Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
(Goodreads | Amazon)

Frost Moon | Anthony Francis
(Goodreads | Amazon)

This one sounds interesting! I don't know yet if I'll get around to reading and reviewing it, but it sounds pretty good.

Bought:

I'm super excited about these next two! I went to a signing with Cassandra Clare and Holly Black! It was awesome! Tiring, but awesome. You can read about it here. I bought Red Glove and City of Fallen Angels and had them signed along with some of my other books.

Red Glove | Holly Black
(Goodreads | Amazon)

City of Fallen Angels | Cassandra Clare
(Goodreads | Amazon)

Clockwork Angel | Cassandra Clare
(Goodreads | Amazon)
I got a brand new, hardback copy of this for only $8 at powells this week! Yay! Plus, I got it signed. :)

Nevermore | Kelly Creagh
(Goodreads | Amazon)

Wake Unto Me | Lisa Cach
(Goodreads | Amazon)
I bought a signed copy at Powells.

Uglies | Scott Westerfeld
(Goodreads | Amazon)

Wicked Lovely | Melissa Marr

(Goodreads | Amazon)

I actually already own this one. I bought it to trade with someone, but they already owned it too. I'm thinking of either trading it or doing a giveaway. It's an awesome book!

Free for my kindle:

13 Little Blue Envelopes | Maureen Johnson

(Goodreads | Amazon kindle | Barnes and Noble nook)
You can get it free too! Just click on the links above.

Holly Black and Cassandra Clare: My First Signing!

I went to my first signing!

Cassandra Clare photo by Theo Black
Holly Black photo by D. Williford

A few other bloggers were there too! Vy of Vy's Blog was there. I didn't get to meet anyone, though. Maybe next time!

I got there at 6:30 and the space was already full (it started at 7:00). I figured that there would be a lot of people attending, but wow. There were so many people that I just waited in back and couldn't really hear what they were saying (and for some reason the people in front and behind me would not stop talking. Ugh.). I'm bummed about that, but oh well. Next time I know to show up super duper early and just read while I wait so that I can get a seat up front. They must have been funny, because people kept laughing!

You had to buy a book to get your book signed, so I bought City of Fallen Angels and Red Glove:

pretty, new books!

They each did a reading followed by a Q&A, and then we were lined up to get our books signed. At this event you had to buy a book from the authors in order to get your stuff signed. I don't think they really even kept track of that. I bought City of Fallen Angels and Red Glove. The people in seats got their books signed first, and then everyone else. The line was so long! Holy moly. I had to wait for over 2 hours I think, and I wasn't even towards the back of the line. I was sooooo tired of standing by the end.

It really was worth it, though!

I could tell that more people were there for Cassandra Clare than Holly Black. I think I was more excited to meet Holly (not that I wasn't excited about Cassandra too)! She signed 5 books for me! Yay! I didn't feel so bad holding up the line for that one because most people just wanted their Mortal Instruments books signed.

Cassandra Clare signed all of books for me too! I do feel guilty now for having her sign so many. It didn't take long at all, but I guess I should have limited myself. I just got too excited! Sorry, people who were behind me! I promise to limit myself last time. I have a super guilty conscience and I've felt bad all day. So there, my apology is out there, in the Universe. I am really excited that all of them are signed though! :)

Team Clary!

Both authors were so nice! I embarrassed myself by telling Holly Black that my cat puked on her books, and that's why I didn't have Tithe and Valiant there for her to sign. Dang cat. LOL! She made my day the next day by replying to my facebook post on her page:

Yes. Yes, I took a screenshot. :) I love when authors take the time to connect with their fans! I don't know if you can read it or not. LOL

I got a couple Curse Worker bracelets from Holly Black. I took one, but then my 3 year old (Charlotte) wanted one too, and Holly said we both could have one. How awesome is that?! I know there is no way my daughter would have let me keep my bracelet if she didn't have her own.

Luck Worker! This one is my daughter's. Mine says Memory worker, and is grey. I can't figure out where she put it. LOL.

Then Cassandra Clare had these little pamphlets with an excerpt from Clockwork Prince  on one side and an excerpt from Black Heart on the other. Ahhh! So awesome.

Clockwork Prince

Black Heart

If you want to see a better picture of Black Heart, click HERE

I can't wait for my next signing! I think it's going to be the Dark Days of Summer in June! I'm super stoked for that one.

Oh, and I forgot my camera, so I didn't get any pictures at the event. Lame of me.