Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

This book falls under the steampunk genre; it's a little bit science fiction mixed in with some historical fiction. I was already a fan of Westerfeld's work (see: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras), and I thought I've give this one a try. It is set right around the time of World War I and follows Alex, a now-orphan prince as his parents were just murdered by the Germans. Alex and his advisors and trying to escape while remaining anonymous. Meanwhile, there is a side plot that follows Deryn, a tom-boy who wants to be in the British Air Service; however, she must disguise herself as a boy since girls were not allowed in the military. These two stories combine into a great tale of war and friendship. There is a sequel to this book as well (look for that post later!).

ps: There are some EXCELLENT illustrations in this book, too.

Westerfeld, Scott. Leviathan. New York: Simon Pulse, 2009.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

This memoir is a tough read due to its content. Jeannette had a really hard upbringing--and that's putting it lightly. She and her family were homeless for most of her childhood and moved around a lot. Her parents did not hold down full-time jobs with benefits not because they couldn't find work, but because they did not want to; they were happy moving from small job, to small job. At one point, Jeannette's mom gets a job as a teacher; however, that does not last long either. A lot happens to poor Jeannette, but she finally graduates high school and college (moving away was a tough, but important choice for her to make). She lives in New York and her mother is still homeless--the book begins with Jeannette seeing her mother rummaging through a garbage dumpster :/ If you like the Dave Pelzer books, you'll like this one.

Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle. New York: Scribner, 2005.