If You Loved: From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

If You Loved number two is up at BUST.com, and it's one of my favorites this week.

Kirsten Miller's Kiki Strike books are like Nancy Drew meets the best of BoingBoing--full of weird stuff and girls kicking butt. Check out the post for more info, and then hop on over to Kiki Strike website for the online exclusive story, The Colombia Conspiracy. (For shame, Ananka! Barnard's library is so much better...)

The Irregulars

Photo by jez.atkinson

Some people, I've found, are almost bursting at the seams with the desire to let you get to know them better. Ask one innocent question, and within ten minutes, you'll learn that their beloved pet Chihuahua suffers from halitosis, that their grandfather once wrestled an alligator, and that they secretly dream of being a Las Vegas showgirls. As entertaining as these people may be, experience has taught me that those who say the most are those who know the least. Quiet people keep their secrets to themselves. That's what makes them interesting--and generally worth the wait.

~Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller