Waiting On Wednesday (60): We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, in which bloggers talk about the books they are most eager for!
 

This Week's Pick: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Publisher:  Delacorte Press

Release Date: May 13th, 2014

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

I. Want. This. Book. I mean, the cover alone makes me want it. Also the title (We Were Liars is probably one of my favourite titles. So simple but utterly powerful). Also, the description, which makes it sound like it's going to be a horribly messed up and punch-in-the-gut story. I have also heard SO MANY good things about the book (and so many good things about E. Lockhart as a writer). Put all of these things together and, seriously, can it be May so I can have this book in my hands? Please? I beg.

What are you waiting on this week?

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight)

Top Ten Tuesday (3): My Top Ten Angsty Boys

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish in which bloggers post their "Top Ten" of whatever that week's theme is! This week's theme: 

TOP TEN CHARACTERS WHO (FILL IN THE BLANK)

As soon as I saw what this week's theme was, I immediately knew what I wanted to write about. You see, I have a type of character I like in my books. I even made a Goodreads shelf about it. I just happen to have a very big soft spot for angsty prep school boys. So, my list this week is my:

TOP TEN (okay, twelve) ANGSTY BOYS 
*links to Goodreads

12. W.W. Hale the Fifth

(Heist Society, Uncommon Criminals, Perfect Scoundrels)
- Anybody who has read Perfect Scoundrels knows EXACTLY why Hale is on this list. He's got a lot to be angsty about, and it definitely makes me love him even more.
My Review: Heist Society, Uncommon Criminals

 

11. Miles "Pudge" Halter

(Looking for Alaska)
- Miles is on a search for The Great Perhaps somewhere in rural Alabama. On his journey, he finds a mother-effing fox, a Colonel, and a girl no one understands. Also, angst. Lots of angst. 

 

10. Adam Wilde 

(If I Stay, Where She Went) 
- I feel like Where She Went could actually be titled A Book Documenting Adam's Angst and it would be just as appropriate. After the heartbreak that was If I Stay, we dive straight into Adam and his messed-up, confused, and lost self. I loved every page of it.
  
 

9. Jonah Griggs

(Jellicoe Road)
 - Oh, Jonah Griggs. My lovely, angsty, Jonah Griggs. If you guys have yet to meet Jonah Griggs, you need to remedy that ASAP. Because he is wonderful in all those heart-breaking ways. 

8. Cassel Sharpe

(White Cat, Red Glove, Black Heart)
- I haven't been able to gush about my Cassel Sharpe love in ages! The Curseworkers trilogy is one of my absolute favourites, and Cassel is such a stunning protagonist. He's the only non-curseworker in a family of curseworking con men and mobsters. I mean, 'angst' is practically his middle name!

 

7. Cas Lowood

(Anna Dressed in Blood, Girl of Nightmares)
- Cas! My favourite angst-filled ghost hunter. I fell in love with this guy from the very first page, and his interactions with Anna just broke my heart. There's angst in ever aspect of Cas' life, but he pushes forward and doesn't give up. Ugh, I just love that guy.
My Review: Anna Dressed in Blood, Girl of Nightmares

6. Cole St. Clair

(Linger, Forever, and the upcoming Sinner)
- Okay guys, you don't get much angsty-er than the former rockstar turned werewolf, Cole St. Clair. Rockstar = angst. Werewolf almost always = angst. Combine those two together, (plus a boatload of other issues) and you have one heck of a character. I cannot wait for July when I get to dive back into his jumbled head again.

 

5. James Keane

(Mind Games, Perfect Lies)
- When I was texting the bestie about this list I used the words WHY KIERSTEN WHY right next to James Keane's name. Because ugh, Kiersten, MY HEART, YO. James Keane is one of those characters I have such a soft spot for. You can tell there's something irreparably  broken behind his mask of arrogance. I just wanted to give him (and Fia, obvi) one big giant hug.
My Review: Mind Games

 

4. Ronan Lynch

(The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves)
 - Ronan! Oh, Ronan. My dear, twisted, Ronan. Ronan is the kind of guy with the tough-as-nails exterior to cover up his destroyed heart. He's got angst oozing out of his pores, and I love every single word he speaks.
My Review: The Raven Boys 


3. Thomas Mackee

(Saving Francesca, The Piper's Son)
- The angst Thomas Mackee has going on in The Piper's Son is almost unmatched. Reading his perspective was like having my heart ripped out and stomped on again and again. It was honest-to-goodness painful to read, but it made for sure a beautiful book. And one hell of a character.

 

2. Richard Campbell Gansey III

(The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves)
- Those who know me know that Gansey is my favourite character ever. Seriously. I have never read about a character that affected me as much as he did, and continues to do. Gansey's search for Glendower, his search for something more is fascinating, and filled with lots of angst filled moments. This series is pretty angsty as a whole. And I can't even begin to express how much I love it.  
(Also, seriously, Maggie Stiefvater. That's THREE of your boys on this angsty list. So, thank you. For writing these beautifully messed-up boys that make me love every single twisted part of them) 

 

1. Holden Caulfield

(The Catcher in the Rye) 
 - I couldn't have a list of angsty boys without THE angsty boy on it. Holden Caulfield's story has defined generations, and continues to impact people daily. I read it at a time when I was full of angst. At a time I needed someone to relate to, to make me feel like I wasn't alone. Holden Caulfield was that person. And, I know I'm not the only one he's done that for. His broken narration, his angry, angsty voice, and his hopeful defiance has stayed with me for years and will, no doubt, stay with me forever. Holden is, simply, the epitome of an angsty prep school boy.

So, there is my list! (And, trust me, I could've added plenty more to it!) Do you guys like angsty boys? 

What are you counting down this week?

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight)      

Mini-Review: The ACB with Honora Lee by Kate De Goldi

Title: The ACB with Honora Lee

Author: Kate De Goldi

Publisher: Tundra Books

Release Date: April 8th, 2013

Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for 

an honest review (Thanks, Jackie!)

My Rating: 3.5/5

Perry's mother and father are busy people ... they're impatient, they're tired, they get cross easily. And they think that only children, like Perry, should be kept busy. On Saturday mornings Perry and her father visit her gran, Honora Lee, at the Santa Lucia rest home, but Gran never remembers them. 'Who is that man?' Honora Lee asks when Perry's father leaves the room. After movement class is abruptly cancelled, Perry is allowed to go to Santa Lucia on Thursday afternoons. She discovers her Gran has an unconventional interest in the alphabet, so Perry decides to make an alphabet book with the help of Honora and the others. Soon everyone is interested in Perry's book project. The ACB With Honora Lee unfolds with characteristic warmth, quirky, surprising humor and a rich cast of 'residents'. The story is a meditation on kindness and patience and acceptance; that of the very young and the very old. It's a story that will resonate with echoes of recollection for many -- from Perry's endearing perspective on the adult world to the embracing kindness of those who care for the elderly. (Summary from Goodreads)

I have been meaning to take a dive into the wonderful world of Middle Grade for a long while now. Working at a bookstore has made me become fascinated with the magical books covering the shelf in the 9-12 section. Lucky for me, I received a copy of the lovely book The ACB with Honora Lee to get me started!

The ACB with Honora Lee was adorable and funny, and a great book to read in a spring afternoon. I think my favourite thing about this book was Perry. She was so quirky and determined and seemed like the kind of kid I would love to know. I loved how this tiny little girl felt such a connection to all the elderly people in Saint Lucia. I think this type of story often feature the main character learning to appreciate their elders and, although that was definitely there, I think The ACB with Honora Lee explored the connection and friendship these two groups can have. Perry looked up to the residents of Saint Lucia, but also thought of them as her friends. It was great to see the camaraderie between this unconventional little girl and these peculiar residents.     

Perry's grandmother, Honora Lee, was quite the personality. From stealing peppermints to her insistence that Perry was actually a boy, Honora Lee jumped off the page and had me laughing out loud. She was intriguing to read about and her interactions with Perry were delightful. But, one of the most interesting things about her was her frequent memory loss. Although it often led to some funny encounters, it also added some poignant moments to the novel. Perry's father had trouble looking past the memory loss, but Perry really saw Honora Lee for the interesting and wonderful person she has and always will be.

Overall, The ACB with Honora Lee was an entertaining and heart-warming read. The pictures were great and the characters were even better. Honora Lee and Perry were a delightful pair, and one I think lots of kids will love reading about!

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight)

Find This Book: Amazon | Chapters/Indigo | Goodreads | Random House's Website

Side Effects May Vary: My Bucket List

Hi, all!

Have you heard of this book, Side Effects May Vary? It's by Julie Murphy at it comes out TOMORROW! Yes, tomorrow. I was lucky enough to snag an early copy and I was crying by the third chapter. I haven't finished the novel yet (curse you, essays!) but I already know it's gonna be a life-ruiner. Which, as you guys probably know, is my favourite type of book. In celebration of tomorrow's release of Side Effects May Vary, I'm here to share with you my bucket list!

You guys may not know, but I have a weird obsession with lists. I make a lot of them. For no real reason (except that it lets me avoid doing whats actually on my list). And my bucket list? Well, that's probably the biggest list of all. It hasn't stopped growing and I hope it never does. (I even have a bookish bucket list which includes things like "Find Cabeswater" and "Plant a Poppy on The Jellicoe Road")

I decided to limit my never-ending bucket list to only my top five because, really, reading a bucket list longer than my street won't be that entertaining.  

MY BUCKET LIST (OF AWESOME THINGS)

5. Have a Montage Moment

You know in movies where there's like a montage of all this awesome stuff that the character does? Yeah, I totally want one made of my life. Its been one of those things I've wanted since childhood. I'm not really sure how I'll ever accomplish said goal, but hey, it's on the list.

(It might be set to this song) 

4. Get a Tattoo

I'm one of those people that over thinks absolutely everything. From an exchange I had with the barista at Second Cup, to what I want my life to be, my mind is constantly analyzing and panicking about everything. So, getting a tattoo is a VERY. BIG. DEAL. I have been thinking about getting a particular tattoo for the last five years and I'm determined to, you know, actually get it at some point. It'll include these words from one of my favourite bands, Valencia. 

(Note: that song does not have the lyrics I want tattooed, but it's my favourite, so.)

"Maybe our shadows aren't that tall"

3. Own ALL the Animals

Okay, well, not alllll the animals. Because that would be impossible. And too much to handle. I'm a really big animal lover and really want to have a house full of pets at some point. For now, this guy will suffice.

2. Travel Everywhere

In October of 2012, I went on a plane for the first time. I got to fly across an ocean to the country my family is from. And I did it all by myself. Technically, "Go to Ireland" would have been one of the top things on my Bucket List. But, I did it. Which, still amazes me to this day. (Seriously, I can't even cook a pizza pocket. How I made it to a foreign country alive is still baffling). I always want to travel the world, but ever since I took the first step, I've been itching to go everywhere. Paris, London, Prague, Sydney, L.A., Maine, Glasgow, Barcelona, etc. Put me on a plane, and fly me to the moon. 

1. Make My Life Mean Something

It's kind of hard for me to write that, but it's true. I guess I'm afraid I'll fail at that. I guess I'm afraid I'll never know how to do that. It doesn't have to be something huge. I'm not going to cure the common cold, or broker world peace. But, I just want to do something that makes me happy. I guess that's all we can really ask for.

So, that's the (short) version of my bucket list. Want to tell me what's on yours?

Julie lives in North Texas with her husband who loves her, her dog who adores her, and her cat who tolerates her. When she's not writing or trying to catch stray cats, she works at an academic library. Side Effects May Vary is Julie's debut novel. Julie can be found on her website, tumblr, or twitter. 

Make sure to check out Side Effects May Vary, in stores tomorrow!

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight)

Find This Book: Amazon | Chapters/Indigo | Indie Bound | Goodreads | The Book Depository

Waiting On Wednesday (59): Steadfast by Claudia Gray

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, in which bloggers talk about the books they are most eager for!

This Week's Pick: Steadfast (Spellcaster #2) by Claudia Gray

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: March 4th, 2014

Nadia, Mateo, and Verlaine have saved Captive's Sound from the dark Sorceress Elizabeth...or so they thought. Despite their best efforts, a crack opened and a new, greater evil seeped through. With Mateo as her Steadfast, Nadia's magic is magnified and she is more powerful than ever. But there is still so much she doesn't know about the craft, leaving her open and vulnerable to a darker magic...which has begun to call Nadia's name.

I've been a Claudia Gray fan for years and I couldn't wait to read Spellcaster when it came out early last year. And, it was even better than expected! Witches, and romance, and creepy spells, and awesome friends, it was all fantastic. I really want to see where this story goes and to dive back into this intriguing world. 

Steadfast is out in March! And if you're looking for a really great vampire read, check out her previous novels in the Evernight series!

- Ciara (Lost at Midnight)