According to my record I've read 38 books outside of school since the beginning of the school year. I'm almost certain I've forgotten at least five off the list since I always forget to add at least the title before I return the books and I have to wrack my mind for what I've missed and I always get the nagging feeling that I haven't quite got them all.

Anyway, I read quite a lot. It makes the bus ride to and from school more interesting.

So running down the list, here are the books that really stood out to me as exceptional. Remember that I have my personal tastes in literature (specifically Sci-Fi and Fantasy and whatever Anthropomorphic Fantasy I can get my hands on, just 'cuz it's awesome) but I do think that these are some pretty dang good books, just in general. Oh yeah, and also keep in mind I'm 15; these are all either from the teen or adult sections of the library.

The Fox and the Hound

Daniel P. Mannix

Pretty astounding. The way it's written just delves so deeply into the minds of the animals, and you can really see how they think and why they act. This book really shows what drives the ever loyal dog and from whence the cunning fox acquires its tricks. The ending was heart-wrenching. Oh yeah, and please, nothing like the Disney version. It's a good movie, but the book is something completely different. 'Cept the fox and the hound have the same names.

I Am the Messenger

Markus Zusak

A modern classic. Frank, informal, but still very deep and thought provoking. A novel about the most ordinary of people doing the little acts that really makes someone's life extraordinary. Wonderful ending statement that I will not ruin.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (et. al.)

Douglas Adams

Yes, I JUST read it this year. Was hooked right away. Witty, satirical, and utterly absurd. There do appear to be some deeper meanings in it if you dissect it with a chainsaw. In all seriousness there is more to it than it seems, but really, it's The Hitchhiker's Guide, don't expect too much. Oh, the "et. al." refers to the other 4 books in the trilogy. Yes, Adams has taken the liberty to redefine trilogy for us.

2001: A Space Odyssey (et. al.)

Arthur C. Clarke

Admittedly the first book, being based off the screenplay and whatnot, isn't all Clarke's own work. The rest of the books are amazingly imaginative, however. Very novel in concept and rich in philosophy. It truly shows the vastness of space and how small we really are within it.

I, Robot; Robot Visions

Isaac Asimov

I lumped these two together because they're both collections of Asimov robot stories and Visions actually contains all the ones in I, Robot anyway, so... but they're really great stories. All about the intensely logical and reasonable way in which robots behave, their wonderful nature, and how, just like any machine, they can glitch up and do need maintenance. Ideas that were completely new, pioneering all the concepts of robotics we take for granted today.

Anything Written by Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett (Duh)

No that's not the title of a book. But seriously. Your life is not complete until you've read a book by Terry Pratchett. Witty, comical, satirical, but also very poignant and deep. They make you laugh... but they also make you think.

Hanging On to Max

Margaret Bechard

Seems light and lively at first, and it is, but there's some pretty heavy stuff at the end, and the ending was really sad. Well, not the ending ending. The before-the-epilogue ending. Or was that another chapter, and not an epilogue? I forget. But it was quite moving. I admit it, I was... emotionally stirred near the end. No I wasn't crying. Shut up. There was something in my eye.

From a Changeling Star

Jeffrey A. Carver

Wow. Just, wow. Fifty years from now some kid is going to be studying this in English class as "classic literature." There's really a whole new dimension to this. It goes beyond words. Entire passages are like poetry-- nay, they ARE poetry. About not only words but word arrangement. Carver uses bolding and horizontal breaks and indentations like paint. And the story, the characters, the ideas and issues that it addresses... there is just so much to this book.

The Hungry City Chronicles

Philip Reeve

Consisting of Mortal Engines, Predator's Gold, Infernal Devices, and A Darkling Plain (which I'm trying to get my hands on). Amazing concept. The ideas Reeve uses and the way he writes the characters into the mindset of his world of Municipal Darwinism... and really, the character of Hester. I've never seen a more interesting or multi-dimensional character, like, ever. And it makes you think... what kind of future are we creating for our children?

That's pretty much it. I've excluded the fiction that I like for the sake of fiction and plot and stuff: these are the books that go deeper than that. Yes, even The Hitchhiker's Guide.

I'd also be interested to see what you all recommend. Always on the lookout for something new to sink my brain into.