The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot; Crown Publishers

“Documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling discoveries in such areas as cancer research, in vitro fertilization, and gene mapping.”
Robin’s Note: This is a gripping bestseller for a reason: while the summary here emphasizes the scientific side of the story, the engaging part is the story of Henrietta Lacks herself.  The complications of scientific research, racial prejudice, medical ethics, and a personal relationship with the Lacks family drove Skloot to write an astounding, affecting work.

Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist, Rachel Cohn; Knopf, Distributed By Random House

“High school student Nick O’Leary, member of a rock band, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg and asks her to be his girlfriend for five minutes in order to avoid his ex-sweetheart.”
Robin’s Note: You may have heard about this title as it was made into a film, but don’t let that make you think it’s not worth picking up the book.  Written together by two great teen authors, each tackling the voice of one half of our potential romantic couple, it’s funny, sly, sexy, occasionally embarrassing, and above all one energizing trip through one night in New York City.  If you like this one, the authors teamed up again to publish Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List, which is a different sort of journey but has the same appeal.