Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

I enjoyed reading this book.  Okay, I cheated, I checked out the audio book from my library.  It was fun to hear the story in a British Victorian voice.  I adored Sophronia and wanted her to be my new best friend.  I also wanted to have a mechanical dog and feed it bits of coal as well.  It's fun, it's adventures and it's spunky.  Just how many petticoats does a young woman need to wear???

Reaching Out by Francisco Jimenez

The previous two books have been amazing and this too is an inspiration.  His parents were migrant workers harvesting crops all over California.  Insightful to what life can be like for those work hard for everything they need to earn.  Also moving on to go to college and being away from your family can be the learning experience as well.  Great book to read!

Messenger by Lois Lowry

If you have ever read The Giver and Gathering Blue then this is the next book to read.  Brilliant.  Simply brilliant.  This is the author's website Lois Lowry's website so you can read about the author and also learn more about this series.

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

This is the third of the books.  I should say that the father of the series was killed off in the first book, Graceling and you learn about him in book 2, Fire.  He was a very evil character.  So there is mention of his crimes.  He had raped, killed and hurt people.  It happens all off pages.  But I did wish to be sensitive to anyone who is thinking about reading the books.  They are good books.  Also can be entertaining for adults to read as well.  This is a book about healing, a country healing, people healing and facing the hard terrible truths.

Scrivener's Moon by Philip Reeve

This book follows a series of books.  I'm including the author's website link http://www.philip-reeve.com/index.html to see the variety of the books he's penned.  The book that I read before this was Fever Crumb.  I know I'll be visiting more of the author's books.

In The Shadows of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

This book is a page turner.  I liked how history was incorporated into the story so it didn't read like a history lesson.  The paranormal aspect is a driving force in the story.  It was a nice read.

Death Cloud by Andrew Lane

Smartly written.  If you like a good mystery, give this a go.  Sherlock has his first adventure of solving a mystery.  He doesn't do it by himself, he has an American tutor who is a tracker/detective and learns about observing and hiding in plain sight.  The villain is an evil mastermind and challenges Sherlock to an amazing sword fight.  It's a good read.

Brides of Rollingrock Island by Margo Lanagan

This is a multilayered story.  We have silkies who are seals turned into women.  If they are united with their pelts then they can return to the ocean as seals.  We have angry women who are cast into witches. We have men who fall under the spell of magical women.  It's a dangerous book.  Well crafted and written.  Not for under 10th graders.  For the more mature reader.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

This came out in the 70's and I found a copy in a used book store.  I know several people who have read it and how it touched them.  It's a metaphor for finding ones self and about being.  Instead of people, seagulls are our characters to read.  If you are interested in flying or are a pilot this is the book for you.  It's not really young adult but I would recommend it to teens.  You never know.....