Leviathan (Leviathan #1)

by Scott Westerfeld, Keith Thompson (Illustrator)

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

The start of an exciting, thrilling adventure. I loved this whole series. The adventure was captivating and the illustrations were incredibly beautiful. The book touched on really important themes for youths: gender, equality, bravery, friendship, and many more. It's also a work of historical fiction, so anyone fascinated by the World War I era will enjoy this clever new spin on it.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

by Fannie Flagg

It's first the story of two women in the 1980s, of gray-headed Mrs. Threadgoode telling her life story to Evelyn, who is in the sad slump of middle age. The tale she tells is also of two women -- of the irrepressibly daredevilish tomboy Idgie and her life partner Ruth, who back in the thirties ran a little place in Whistle Stop, Alabama, a Southern kind of Cafe Wobegon offering good barbecue and good coffee and all kinds of love and laughter, even an occasional murder.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I can't sing the praises of this book enough. It is heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time, which mirrors the dual nature of segregated life in the US. 

My absolutely favorite quotation, from Idgie of course: “Oh it don't make no kind of sense. Big ol' ox like Grady won't sit next to a colored child. But he eats eggs- shoot right outta chicken's ass!” 

Fangirl

by Rainbow Rowell

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This was a fun read and a really easy one to get sucked into. This is a great book that explores the world of fanfiction and social anxiety in a way that is very accessible to folks that may not know much about either. Also, the fanfic Cath rights includes a same-sex couple. The more "every day" these things become, hopefully the more tolerant and accepting people will become in relation to the LGBT community.

This is one of the first books I tweeted about (#qlis739).

Graceling (Graceling Realm #1)

by Kristin Cashore

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.

(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

The journey Katsa follows is wild. It was wonderful to accompany her on the physical journey, but also her character's journey of emotional development as well. She works damn hard to live the life she doesn't know she deserves and tries to rise above the stereotypes people with her abilities face. She's a very strong and brave character and is a great role model for young women who may not always feel allowed to be powerful too. 

The other two books in the series are a must as well: Fire and Bitterblue. Both are available at most bookstores and libraries. You won't have to wait on the edge of your seat like I did for the next one to come out.

The Floating Islands

by Rachel Neumeier

When Trei loses his family in a tragic disaster, he must search out distant relatives in a new land. The Floating Islands are unlike anything Trei has ever seen: stunning, majestic, and graced with kajurai, men who soar the skies with wings.

Trei is instantly sky-mad, and desperate to be a kajurai himself.  The only one who fully understands his passion is Araene, his newfound cousin.  Prickly, sarcastic, and gifted, Araene has a secret of her own . . . a dream a girl cannot attain.

(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I stumbled upon this book by accident and was glad I did. It was perfect for me as a summer read, but it was not light and fluffy. The story was pretty intense. It took me a few pages to sort out who was who, but after that it was easy to get lost in a very interesting take of a new world Neumeier created.