"The Gallery of Lost Species"

An absolutely beautiful book. It's the story of two sisters. One is totally driven by a stage mom who will do anything for her to win beauty contests. The other one, our narrator, who is sensitive, bookish, and is largely ignored by her parents. The story is about them growing up and how different they both turn out. The writing is gorgeous and the story is captivating, and painful. I haven't read a book this moving in a long time. 

"Things that Happened Before the Earthquake"

I really enjoyed this one. It's sort of a crazy, delightful ride told through the eyes of a high school girl, whose family moves to L.A. from Italy. In the opening scene, the family is on a beach naked, along with their grandma, who is also topless. They end up getting a ticket. This kind of set  the tone for this entertaining, adventurous novel. The family has decided to move here so the dad can pursue a career in filmmaking. We tag along as the young protagonist encounters the expected rites of passage including drugs, sexual adventures, identity crises, and more. It's a fun, wild ride where you have no idea where you're going, but enjoy every stop on the journey!