msjamgochian'sinfinitebooklist

A brilliant, beguiling and beautiful book set in Depression-era Seattle in the 1930s, TGOLAD tells the at once heartbreaking and hopeful love story of African American chanteuse Flora Saudade and adopted wealthy white boy Henry Bishop. Forever foes Love and Death are playing a game: Flora and Henry are their unknowing pawns. A pitch-perfect Seattle setting, an indelible ensemble cast of characters, and a hefty dose of high-stakes legerdemain all come together in a mesmerizing cacophony that will keep you turning the pages well into the night. I had the distinct pleasure of listening to Ms. Brockenbrough read at the Washington State Book Awards; the notes of her voice floating through the air were every bit as gorgeous as her words on the page. Not to be missed! Click here for a trailer and here for a full review . Grade 8+

Seventh-grader Suzy Swanson is in the unenviable position of losing her childhood best friend Franny twice: once when said best friend becomes popular, leaving Suzy behind, and again, after their friendship has ended, when Franny drowns during summer vacation. When she is told about Franny's death, Suzy sets aside her tears, stops talking, and sets herself to the task of proving that Franny, an excellent swimmer, was in fact killed by a jellyfish. Ali Benjamin's debut bestselling National Book Award nominee perfectly captures the agony of being a middle school girl who loses her closest companion to the dark side (in this case, the mean girls crowd). A fair dose of funny bits and a decidedly human supporting cast make TTAJ an exceptional read. A sweet, cozy, thoughtful book perfect for middle school readers who enjoy realistic fiction. Click here for Ali Benjamin's intro to the book . Grade 6+

A deliciously bleak story written in intricate poetic prose about one man's impact on the lives of the three people who think they love him: Ryan, a college student at Northwestern who has never met his father, Jay (and is exited to redefine himself by getting involved with him), Lucy, an intensely bored high school student who falls in love with her history teacher, George, and Miles, whose life is a series of unsuccessful searches for his schizophrenic brother, Hayden. AYR is about waking up and finding out that everything you thought you knew about your future, past, and present is incorrect, as when Lucy uncovers George's deception, "...the life she had been traveling toward - imagining herself into -- the ideas and expectations... this life had been erased. Like she stopped at a rest area on the way and the attendant said, you must be mistaken... a sense of sundering. It was the feeling you got when you woke up and everyone you loved was dead." You'll crin...

I have been eyeballing this book for several years, and finally read it in one gloriously long afternoon sitting, coffee by my side. Lydia Millet combines all of my favorites: a loveable borderline autistic loner (okay, not everyone will find him loveable - as a kid he makes money protecting the bullied), absurd hilarity presiding over grief, a strong supporting cast of societal misfits, and a wicked dose of black humour, all pulled together in a tidy little knot of human decline. T is working as a real estate developer and living in Los Angeles when his mother shows up to tell him his father has disappeared, throwing a wrench into the clockwork of T's ordered yet comfortable existence. His mother's untimely arrival coincides with the beginnings of his first real love relationship, and results in a series of tragic losses (sorry, no spoilers). T takes solace in studying rare and vanishing species at the zoo, breaking in at night to privately observe the last of their kind wh...

What would you do if you knew you only had one day to live? High school senior Sam gets seven tries at the last day of her life, and slowly untangles the events leading up to her death and discovers what she'll miss the most. Ms. Oliver has a gift for writing believable teens and placing them in realistic situations. Give BIF to fans of Sara Zarr and Jay Asher's 13 Reasons Why. Grade 8+