The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant

Do NOT plan your reading time for late evening if you're even close to Chapter Forty-two. At this point in the story, friends Pia and Stefan (StinkStefan to most of his classmates) have decided to finally take action to solve the mystery of what has happened to several young girls who have simply disappeared in Bad Munstereifel. Believe me, nothing good can come of two kids sneaking out on a dark, wintry night to investigate the forces of evil behind the kidnappings!

Pia retells this story of her childhood from the perspective of an adult (whew!-she survives). In the beginning, she has been ostracized because of the freakish nature of her grandmother's recent death; her only friend is the least popular boy in school. Her home life is equally distressing; her parents quarrel constantly about whether to move to England (Pia's mother is English) to keep their children safe. Stefan has problems, too; his parents are drunks and his cousin is a town bully. The only other person who understands and cares for the two children is elderly Herr Schiller, who regularly entertains them with scary legends of their town, tales that warn them of still-lurking dangers as well as advise them how to be strong.

The events are set in a small town in Germany. Pia interjects German words, phrases and information about the local culture throughout the book. She shares many of her problems growing up in a culturally-mixed household. She can be at once incredibly perceptive about people--the old gossip Frau Kessel, for example, and at the same vulnerable and naive.

This is a great book!

Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

If you're willing to commit to 576 pages of a gripping fantasy-historical novel, then this is your book. Kay has recreated 8th-century China in an adventure set in medieval "Kitai." The story begins with a introduction to Shen Tai, who is mourning his father, General Shen Gao, by living in a remote valley between the frontier outposts of Kitai and Tagur, site of one of the general's greatest battles, where over 40,000 men lost their lives. Tai, aspiring poet and scholar, Kamlin warrior-priest and former soldier himself, has spent two years burying the dead of both sides. In honor of his efforts, the Taguran princess White Jade gives him 250 Sardian horses, known for their beauty, size, speed and incalculable value.

Tai quickly realizes that the horses are a burden as much as a gift, one that could easily cost him his life. Whoever possesses the horses has the potential power to decide a battle and ultimately the fate of an empire. Having arranged that the Tagurs will only deliver the horses to him, Tai sets out to offer the herd to the emperor in Xinan. Along the way he meets a young female Kanlin warrior, Wei Song, whom he hires for protection; the empire's greatest poet, Sima Zian; and a host of characters from the imperial court, including the beautiful and intelligent chief concubine Wen Jian, the prime minister, Wen Zhou, and the barbarian general Roshan. The story is told from several perspectives: that of Shen Tai; his sister, Li Mei, and his former lover, Spring Rain.

On the surface all affairs are conducted with a rigid regard for honor, ceremony, tradition and subtlety, enhanced by beautiful settings, costuming and poetry. However, underneath there are also acts of scheming, betrayal, violence, cruelty and the overarching ambition which drives the villains. The author, Guy Gavriel Kay, uses a mix of fantasy and history to tell his version of the An Shi rebellion that led to the downfall of the Tang Dynasty.