Finished the audio of the acclaimed 2010 novel ROOM by Donoghue. It's the story of a mother and son held in captivity, so that the five-year-old boy, who narrates the book, has never seen anything but the interior of the 11x11 foot room. It's a tour de force of voice, and although clearly an adult novel (short-listed for the Booker), it's a great model for any writer using a first-person child narrator. The audio uses a number of narrators, and although the child's voice is off-putting at first, it becomes absolutely haunting. I found myself hearing it as I went through the day, as if little Jack were telling me what I was seeing. One of my favorite audio books ever.
Speaking of serious novelists, I finished SLAM today, a 2007 YA novel by Nick Hornby (HIGH FIDELITY, ABOUT A BOY). I love reading children's books by accomplished novelists and this has a great narrative voice of a British 15-16 yo skateboarder who finds himself moving from childhood into an adult-sized mess way before he's ready.
Another September read wasTHE WHITE DARKNESS, the 2008 Printz winner by Geraldine McCaughrean. Not an all-time favorite but a sophisticated, stylish narrative which clearly earned the attention it received. I also recently finished up McCann's TRANSATLANTIC, a 2013 adult novel which should be in the mix for a lot of literary awards. Loved the opening section about the men who made the first transatlantic flight.
After reading the Hornby book I stumbled onto his column in The Believer Magazine, Stuff I've Been Reading. OMG, so many books, so little time. You can read his lists here:
http://www.believermag.com/contributors/?read=hornby,+nick