I’m looking for middle-grade and young adult novels, and some picture books by author/illustrators.
I’m not picky about genre—I’m mainly interested in strong plots (make me keep turning pages, please) told by voices I haven’t heard before. I want books that I can come back to over and over again. Make me think, but don’t make me struggle. Make me root for a character, even if I sometimes shout, “Don’t do it!” at them from time to time.
I love storytelling that digs under the surface, uncovering the human stories behind bigger world (or even universe) events. I love rich, moody settings. I love science. I also like religion. I like them both more when used in combination. (Philip Pullman, anyone?)