A Couple of Books I would Recommend

I read young adult books as well as regular adult-type fare. A few that I have read lately that I would recommend are the following:

The Last Dragon by Silvana De Mari. This is a middle-grade/young adult book, wonderfully written. My daughter and I call it The Littlest Elf, and if you read it you may see why. The story will tug at your heartstrings in places and make you laugh in others. I checked it out of the library and read it, and then my daughter read it. When one of our cats, a little stray that we had taken in only eight months before, had to be put down becuase of heart failure, we went out and bought the book. My daughter wanted to read it again becuase for some reason it made her feel better. It's a little gem and I highly recommend it.

The Caliph's House and In Arabian Nights both by Tahir Shah. Prepare to be introduced to another culture in these sometimes funny, sometimes thought provoking, always entertaining books.

The two-book series which together are called The Orphan's Tales. The first book is called In the Night Garden. The second book is called In the Cities of Coin and Spice. They are by Catherynne M. Valente. I met the author and she is quite unique, as is her poetic style of writing. These books are a series of nested tales, much like the Arabian Nights. Read them in order - otherwise you'll be lost.

The three books by Garth Nix that I have read, Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen. The last was my favorite, but I really liked them all and they are all remarkable for the imagination with which they were created. The ending of Abhorsen is just one of my very favorites of any ending I have ever read. These are aimed at a young adult audience.