Erika Johansen. And for something older I also really enjoyed the first book of Lloyd Alexander's "Prydain" series and hope to get the rest of the set. The Alanna series from Tamora Pierce is engaging, too. Right now I'm reading the first two books from the "Vampire Diaries" and really liking them. I actually like them better than "Twilight" and the writing quality is surprisingly good. I enjoyed reading the responses to your thread and all the others who posted book titles. Happy reading!