I Am the Messenger

by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author)

protect the diamonds
survive the clubs
dig deep through the spades
feel the hearts

Ed Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery.

That's when the first ace arrives in the mail.

That's when Ed becomes the messenger.

Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary) until only one question remains: Who's behind Ed's mission?

This goes on the shortlist of books that not only will stay with me forever, but had a huge impact on my life. This story fell into my lap when I needed it the most, it should be required reading for humanity. The characters were completely genuine and well-developed. The story was an unbelievable balance of sweet and brutal, kind and ruthless. Zusak is an absolutely masterful storyteller. Read everything he's ever written. Your heart will be torn apart, but you'll thank him for it.

The Little White Horse

by Elizabeth Goudge

A new-fashioned story that is as wonderful as the best fairy tales.

When orphaned young Maria Merryweather arrives at Moonacre Manor, she feels as if she’s entered Paradise. Her new guardian, her uncle Sir Benjamin, is kind and funny; the Manor itself feels like home right away; and every person and animal she meets is like an old friend. But there is something incredibly sad beneath all of this beauty and comfort—a tragedy that happened years ago, shadowing Moonacre Manor and the town around it—and Maria is determined to learn about it, change it, and give her own life story a happy ending. But what can one solitary girl do?
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This is one of the few books whose movie adaptation was thoroughly enjoyable. I saw the movie before I learned it was a book first and then was able to track it down a few days later at the library. If you just want a good old-fashioned wholesome story, this is it. It was written in 1946 and has a post-war feel to it. Fun adventure with great characters and a strong female lead.

Witch Week (Chrestomanci #3)

by Diana Wynne Jones

SOMEONE IN THIS CLASS IS A WITCH.

When the note, written in ordinary blue ballpoint, appears between two of the homework books Mr Crossley is marking, he is very upset. For this is Larwood House, a school for witch-orphans, where witchcraft is utterly forbidden. And yet, suddenly magic is breaking out all over the place - like measles!

The last thing anybody needs is a visit from the Divisional Inquisitor. If only Chrestomanci could come and sort out all the trouble!
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I consumed this story because it was written by Dianna Wynne Jones, but I hadn't realized at the time that it was part of a series. It felt like a book that worked as a stand-alone too. The story was fun and quirky and wonderfully witty.

House of Many Ways (Howl's Moving Castle #3)

by Diana Wynne Jones

A chaotically magical sequel to Howl's Moving Castle. Charmain Baker is in over her head. Looking after Great Uncle William's tiny cottage while he's ill should have been easy, but Great Uncle William is better known as the Royal Wizard Norland and his house bends space and time. Its single door leads to any number of places - the bedrooms, the kitchen, the caves under the mountains, the past, to name but a few. By opening that door, Charmain is now also looking after an extremely magical stray dog, a muddled young apprentice wizard and a box of the king's most treasured documents, as well as irritating a clan of small blue creatures. Caught up in an intense royal search, she encounters an intimidating sorceress named Sophie. And where Sophie is, can the Wizard Howl and fire demon Calcifer be far behind?
(retrieved from goodreads.com)

I accidentally read this series out of order, but it was still great and very understandable--in spite of my imposed order. Charmain was plucky and courageous and a great character. The story, while complex, was not difficult to follow. And the setting, both at Uncle William's house and in the royal palace, were easy to imagine, though I had to come to terms with their fictitious nature. A shame.

The Book of Lost Things

by John Connolly

High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own -- populated by heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things.

Taking readers on a vivid journey through the loss of innocence into adulthood and beyond, New York Times bestselling author John Connolly tells a dark and compelling tale that reminds us of the enduring power of stories in our lives.
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This was the first book by John Connolly that I randomly picked up. the second--and third--were his Samuel Johnson series. I will definitely include them soon, they were great... and a little more fresh in my memory.
I think I saw it at The Strand on one of their tempting rotating islands of books and judged the heck out of it by its cover. What a thoroughly novel novel. This is one of the few books I could see myself easily rereading.

I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld #38)

by Terry Pratchett

It starts with whispers.
Then someone picks up a stone.
Finally, the fires begin.
When people turn on witches, the innocents suffer. . . .
Tiffany Aching has spent years studying with senior witches, and now she is on her own. As the witch of the Chalk, she performs the bits of witchcraft that aren't sparkly, aren't fun, don't involve any kind of wand, and that people seldom ever hear about: She does the unglamorous work of caring for the needy.

But someone or something is igniting fear, inculcating dark thoughts and angry murmurs against witches. Aided by her tiny blue allies, the Wee Free Men, Tiffany must find the source of this unrest and defeat the evil at its root before it takes her life. Because if Tiffany falls, the whole Chalk falls with her.

Chilling drama combines with laughout-loud humor and searing insight as beloved and bestselling author Terry Pratchett tells the high-stakes story of a young witch who stands in the gap between good and evil.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I was lucky enough to have this book with me when I was called for jury duty. Let me tell you, there is nothing better, when stuck in a room for 10 hours with a bunch of other disgruntled New Yorkers, than being kept company by Terry Pratchett. This book was funny, intense, extremely intelligent, and exactly what I needed. Tiffany is easily one of my favorite [fictional] people ever.

The Thief Lord

by Cornelia Funke

Welcome to the magical underworld of Venice, Italy. Here, hidden canals and crumbling rooftops shelter runaways and children with incredible secrets....

After escaping from their cruel aunt and uncle, orphans Prosper and Bo meet a mysterious boy who calls himself the "Thief Lord." Clever and charming, the Thief Lord leads a band of street children who enjoy making mischief. But the Thief Lord also has a dark secret. And suddenly Proper and Bo find themselves on a fantastical journey to a forgotten place. What they discover there will change the course of their destiny.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This was an excellent thriller and it was a delight to get sucked into. The story was compelling, the characters were easy to relate to, and the plot was both comfortably familiar but tense unexpected twists and turns. Adults and youth alike will enjoy this story.

Dead End in Norvelt (Norvelt #1)

by Jack Gantos

Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is "grounded for life" by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets.

But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack's way once his mom loans him out to help a feisty old neighbor with a most unusual chore—typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his Utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launched on a strange adventure involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels . . . and possibly murder.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I read this for school actually. It was way more fun than I had thought it would be--being skeptical of anything assigned to me. It is a wonderfully--but not overwhelmingly--complex story with something for everyone.

The Maltese Falcon

by Dashiell Hammett

A treasure worth killing for. Sam Spade, a slightly shopworn private eye with his own solitary code of ethics. A perfumed grafter named Joel Cairo, a fat man name Gutman, and Brigid O’Shaughnessy, a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at the drop of a dime. These are the ingredients of Dashiell Hammett’s coolly glittering gem of detective fiction, a novel that has haunted three generations of readers.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

This novel truly is a classic. I really enjoyed reading it after I saw the film as a teen. I had no idea until recently that Hammett spent time as a private investigator himself and drew many of his stories from his own experiences. It made me appreciate his works even more. Seriously great caper.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

by Brian Selznick

Half sketches create a story in pictures too, relevant history. Real last-century French pioneer filmmaker Georges Méliès collected mechanical robot-like automata, and, impoverished, worked at a toy booth in a Paris railway station. Here, orphan Hugo fixes his late father's automata, and meets Méliès through his god-daughter Isabelle.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

Is it a graphic novel? Is it a "traditional" novel? Yes! It's both! This was a marvelously told story that led the reader on many unexpected and exciting twists and turns. The illustrations pull you into Paris and the story is one that everyone can relate to.

The film adaptation was surprisingly good as well.

Bad Monkey

by Carl Hiaasen

Andrew Yancy--late of the Miami Police, soon-to-be-late of the Key West Police--has a human arm in his freezer. There's a logical (Hiaasenian) explanation for that, but not for how and why it parted from its owner. Yancy thinks the boating-accident/shark-luncheon explanation is full of holes, and if he can prove murder, his commander might relieve him of Health Inspector duties, aka Roach Patrol. But first Yancy will negotiate an ever-surprising course of events--from the Keys to Miami to a Bahamian out island--with a crew of equally ever-surprising characters, including: the twitchy widow of the frozen arm; an avariciously idiotic real estate developer; a voodoo witch whose lovers are blinded-unto-death by her particularly peculiar charms; Yancy's new love, a kinky medical examiner; and the eponymous Bad Monkey, who earns his place among Hiaasen's greatest characters with hilariously wicked aplomb.

(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I haven't read a book by Hiaasen I haven't loved, and this is no exception. It was a perfect mixture of hilarious, gross, mysterious, exciting, and lots of other adjectives that I'm not awake enough to think of. Any book by him, JUST READ IT.

Wonderstruck

by Brian Selznick

Ben and Rose secretly wish for better lives. Ben longs for his unknown father. Rose scrapbooks a famous silent actress. When Ben finds clues and Rose reads enticing news, the children independently run to New York for what they are missing. Ben's story in words, Rose's in pictures, come together in deafness.

(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

The art in this book is breathtaking. The story is captivating. I really enjoyed how strong the characters were. Because of, or in spite of, their young ages. I will try not to do this too much, but I'm going with: just read it! I loved it and now that I'm looking at the cover art, I know I have to read it again.

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.

On the Jellicoe Road

by Melina Marchetta

I'm dreaming of the boy in the tree. I tell him stories. About the Jellicoe School and the Townies and the Cadets from a school in Sydney. I tell him about the war between us for territory. And I tell him about Hannah, who lives in the unfinished house by the river. Hannah, who is too young to be hiding away from the world. Hannah, who found me on the Jellicoe Road six years ago.

(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

The most important thing to remember when starting this book is that it is written from two perspectives and two different times. This was such a powerful story. Heartbreaking, tense, and powerful. It is a story about rivalry, loss, family, and survival. The characters are [a little too] believable, the setting is stark, and the plot is brutally honest. I couldn't put it down. Just read it.

Turtle in Paradise

by Jennifer L. Holm

In Jennifer L. Holm's New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor winning middle grade historical fiction novel, life isn't like the movies. But then again, 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple.

She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935 and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida to live with relatives she's never met. 

It's hot and strange, full of rag tag boy cousins, family secrets, scams, and even buried pirate treasure! Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she's spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. Filled with adventure, humor and heart, Turtle in Paradise is an instant classic both boys and girls with love.

(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

Though the protagonist is a child, I would recommend this book to folks of any age. The characters are tough and scrappy and creative as hell. The setting is as dynamic as the state of Florida itself. Great story.

Ship Breaker (Ship Breaker #1)

by Paolo Bacigalupi

In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota--and hopefully live to see another day. But when, by luck or chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life...
(summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

What a powerful book! I know post-apocalyptic stories are trending right now, but this is really the cream of the crop. The settings are vivid and the characters are all too believable and fall along the spectrum of sympathetic to terrifying. This is a world where there are no easy choices and though the wrong choice will likely kill you, trying to do the right thing might too. Truly, a great read.

Fevre Dream

by George R.R. Martin

When struggling riverboat captain Abner Marsh receives an offer of partnership from a wealthy aristocrat, he suspects something’s amiss. But when he meets the hauntingly pale, steely-eyed Joshua York, he is certain. For York doesn’t care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out all but one of Marsh’s dilapidated fleet. Nor does he care that he won’t earn back his investment in a decade. York has his own reasons for wanting to traverse the powerful Mississippi. And they are to be none of Marsh’s concern—no matter how bizarre, arbitrary, or capricious his actions may prove.
(Summary retrieved from goodreads.com)

I haven't worked up the emotional stamina to handle the Game of Thrones series, I hesitate to admit. However, Martin's style, his talent, is unquestionable. I decided to start with this work of his and I'm quite pleased I did. If you like a good horror/adventure/vampire tale, this is dark enough to be taken seriously and has incredible character development and interaction. It was perfect for my daily commute when I wanted to desperately dispose of the teeming masses I was sandwiched between. I'm grateful, however, that Martin's fantastic characters did so for me. Thanks ladies and gents.