I recently read DOLL BONES, COUNTING BY 7S, FLORA AND ULYSSES, MIDWINTER BLOOD, and I'm starting ELEANOR AND PARK. I still like COUNTING BY 7S best of all the above. Beautiful writing in MIDWINTERBLOOD, but the characters were too much like archetypes for me.
I thought FLORA AND ULYSSES was funny and unique, but not layered. In fact, I never did understand what the theme was. Can anyone tell me?
I usually read two or three adult books at a time. Right now I'm reading OUR MATHEMATICAL UNIVERSE by Max Tegmark, a book by Ann Patchett, and THE SMARTEST KIDS IN THE WORLD AND HOW THEY GOT THAT WAY by Amanda Ripley comparing educational systems in the U.S. and Poland, Finland, and Korea. Sounds dull, but it isn't. If you're a teacher or interested in the Core Curriculum standards, I highly recommend this book.
THE GATES sounds like my kind of Sci Fi, Olmue. Maybe I'll get that too. (Luckily I'm an insomniac, with lots of time to read in the middle of the night.)
Rae--I just finished ALL JOY AND NO FUN. It gets better as it goes along--a very thoughtful book.