Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Wintergirls - where do I start?  Admittedly, Laurie Halse Anderson is the queen of tackling difficult subject matter and Wintergirls is no exception.  Wintergirls was published in 2009, ten years after her seminal work Speak.  In Wintergirls Anderson dives into the world of eating disorders.  Lia has anorexia, while her best friend Cassie struggles with bulimia.  The insight that Anderson offers into the mind of those experiencing trouble with eating disorders could have only come from thorough research and interviews.  From the outside looking in, it is very easy to assume what is going on inside the mind of someone with an eating disorder, but Wintergirls shatters all preconceived notions.  Such insight is visible on almost every page - Example - As Lia and her mother delicately dance and debate about Lia eating, her inner monologue is this, "I am so hungry I have to stay strong - bend, but not break. 'One muffin'."  The relationships within the novel are tenuous at best, artfully explored, and absolutely realistic.  But the stand out of the book, the thing that stays with you, is how tortured Lia is, how lost and confused, how set in her ways, and how frighteningly easy it is for her to believe the distorted thoughts in her head.  I will be thinking about this one for a while.  A must read for anyone interested in the psychology of eating disorders, or for those who may want to educate their kids about the dangers of eating disorders.  It's relatable, not preachy.

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Okay - so some of the plot seems to be much like other books that have become popular with teens over the last couple of years.  A love story, a tragedy, zombies and so on.  While the zombie action is somewhat predictable Showalter's insight into the heart and mind of teens is surprising.  Some of the scenes actually took me back to high school - and that's a pretty far ride.  Alice is a normal girl with an abnormal father - he sees things - dead things.  Of course, Alice thinks he's crazy, that is, until a tragic accident takes Alice's entire nuclear family.  As she adjusts to life at her grandparents, a new school, and new friends, Alice has a surprising and unexplainable connection with the school bad boy, Cole.  It's not until later in the book that their connection is revealed and Alice begins a new life among the undead.  Some scenes with Cole and Alice leave you feeling breathless, catapulting you back to your first high school love.  Alice's grandparents are equally endearing as they try to communicate with Alice on "her level" using slang like "crackalackin" and "dead presidents".  The book is equal parts action, romance, and comedy.  I will definitely be on the lookout for the next in the series, due out this time next year (Through the Zombie Glass 10/2013).

Museum of the Missing: A History of Art Theft by Simon Houpt

While this book is decidedly Non-Fiction it reads like a fast paced thriller, constantly slapping you in the face with shocking facts of art theft throughout the ages.  The book tackles the cost of art theft - both as a finanical loss and a cultural one.  Houpt covers ground throughly but you never feel as though you're sitting through a college lecture.  This book may be a good choice for young adults who are looking for something in the Non-Fiction realm for school, or just as a change of pace.  This book feels more like "The Thomas Crown Affair" than anything else.  Just as surprising - one of the works noted as "Missing" is from right here in little old Delaware.

When It Happens to You by Molly Ringwald

Yes, that Molly Ringwald.  It turns out she can write. I stumbled upon an interview with her about this novel on NPR while driving one afternoon and was drawn to her thoughtful yet not overly sentimental musings on family life. Plus, hearing a short excerpt of the novel read on air convinced me I wanted to read more.  When It Happens to You is a quiet novel in stories about a family with issues that may never be resolved.  From infidelity to raising children, Ringwald writes with clear, sparse prose, creating characters that are perfectly imperfect humans -  vulnerable yet resilient.

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Loved this book - - made me believe in magic!  Imagine a traveling circus entirely done in black and white that only opens at night.  With no schedule & no advertising, it just appears and disappears with the wind.   Yet somehow it spawns a world-wide cult of followers who meet to discuss the acts, and speculate where the circus will appear next. Well-developed characters are woven into a suspenseful plot involving a paranormal game of life and death.     Unique read. 

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Okay, so I'm a little behind the curve.  Pretty Little Liars was released in 2006, and since then has spawned ten follow-up books (with a eleventh scheduled for release on December 4, 2012), and a television series that airs on the ABC family network.  With all of that said - I thought I should read the book.  The first book in the series introduces us to Alison, Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna, all of whom are BFFs and in the seventh grade.  Alison is the ring leader, and as such, she knows all of the girl's secrets.  All of the girls bend to her will, not always agreeing with her, sometimes even hating her, but all equally dying for her approval.  Then one day Alison disappears.

The book picks four years later when the remaining girls are juniors in high school.  They have gone their separate ways, as girls will sometimes do.  Each girl is dealing with issues of her own, each struggling with a secret or a secret pain.  These issues range from the seemingly benign - lust for an older sister's boyfriend, to the intense - eating disorders and affairs with much older men.
As the story moves along each girl starts receiving startling and somewhat threatening messages from a person known only as "A".  Since the girls no longer speak to each other each of them feels isolated and afraid.  A shocking development starts to mend the relationship of the remaining girls toward the end of the book, making the reader salivate for the next in the series.
As far as chic lit goes this book is far more interesting and complicated than say the Gossip Girl series, and tackles much heavier subject matter.  While it certainly can not be considered great literature, the story is interesting and will be an easy sell to most teenage girls, hence the popularity of the books and the television show.

Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland.

This is a novel in search of a plot. Actually it's a virtual "kitchen sink" of plots - just pick one.  Set in turn-of-the-century Manhattan, the story is loosely based on real people and events.  However, I wasn't sure if I should be following the squalid immigrant conditions, Clara's revolving love interests, art vs. manufacturing constraints, emerging gay issues among uptown literary types, trade unions, interracial marriage, suffragettes, Tiffany's business ventures, etc, etc, etc. I should have known it was hopeless after reading the scene where Clara watches the sweaty, muscled, glass-blower hauling molten glass out of the furnace.  It was comically, painfully obvious the author was thinking: why not throw some erotica in?  Multiple plot lines & undeveloped characters kept me reading to the end hoping for some closure.  Didn't happen.