What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

World War II ends leaving Beverly and Evie Spooner's anxiously awaiting the return of their solider. Evie's step-father, Joe, returns a year later. When Joe finds out that an old war buddy, Peter Coleridge, is trying to track him down, Joe plans a spontaneous vacation to West Palm Beach, Florida. When Peter shows up at their hotel in West Palm Beach, Joe seems very tense. Evie falls head-over-heels for the handsome and gregarious young man against Joe's wishes. Perhaps Peter isn't exactly who he seems to be. When a tragedy occurs, Evie finds herself having to make some hard decisions regarding her family and Peter.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Katsa has a grace as is evident in her eyes. Each of her eyes has a different color. Katsa has been graced with superior fighting skills and her Uncle Randa uses Kasta as his enforcer in the kindgom of Middluns (one of the seven kingdoms.) Working as King Randa's enforcer bothers Katsa to her very core, so she and her team of four friends have formed an underground network called The Council that fights for the underdog throughout the Seven Kingdoms. On a secret mission for the Council, Katsa and her team rescue an elderly Lienid who has been kidnapped and is being held prisoner in King Murgon of Sunder's dungeon. It is during this rescue, Katsa battles a graced Lienid whose skills are close to her own. This encounter spins Katsa's life in a different direction. Read Graceling to follow Katsa's amazing journey.