One of the many pleasures of reading is coming across great quotes. I love skillfully-crafted paragraphs, vividly-described passages, and cleverly-worded dialogue. They thrill me, truly, but I'm not good at remembering them or writing them down, which makes TTT topics like today's—Top Ten Memorable Things Book Characters Have Said—a bit difficult. So, I apologize in advance because the quotes I'm sharing today are very well-known and most of them will probably appear on other people's lists. Also, I had to Google all of them so if they're incorrect, you know who to blame! 

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

"But you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery

I've read a lot of books about World War II—a lot—and I don't remember ever hearing of the S.S. City of Benares before picking up Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood. This middle-grade verse novel tells the true story of 13-year-old Ken Sparks, who gained a coveted spot on the ocean liner, which was taking young war evacuees away from the bombing in London and delivering them to safe homes in Canada. At first, he and the other kids are having the time of their lives feasting on lobster and caviar, playing with piles of new toys, and exploring their posh floating digs. Just as they've been declared safe from the possibility of being torpedoed by the Germans, however, the City of Benares sustains a direct hit. Soon, Ken finds himself floating in the middle of the North Atlantic on a small lifeboat with 6 other boys, 5 British sailors, 32 Lascars (Asian sailors), 1 businessman, 1 priest, 1 female escort, and few supplies. As the days pass with no sign of rescue, things become increasingly desperate on Lifeboat 12. Who will live and who will die in the desperate fight for survival that ensues?

Ken's story is tense and gripping, interspersed with passages that illustrate the utter boredom of sitting in a boat waiting for rescue day after day after day. The verse format gives the tale an appealing you-are-there immediacy that makes it even more impactful. Lifeboat 12's passengers are sympathetic folks, people for whom you can't help but root. For those of us whose favorite part of a historical novel is the author's notes at the end, Lifeboat 12 has a wealth of backmatter that includes photos, an interview with Ken Sparks, and a factual recounting of the real-life event. All of these elements combine to create an exciting, compelling story that is perfect for reluctant readers as well as anyone who enjoys a gripping survival tale, especially those based on a true story.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of the Titanic series by Gordon Korman, the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis, and books by Alan Gratz) 

When Iris Buckley's beloved grandfather dies, she takes it as a sign that her life is in need of a change. She moves back to Blueberry Cove, Maine, the little town where she was raised by her grandparents after her parents' deaths when she was a child. Not only can Iris keep an eye on her widowed grandmother, but the two women are planning to turn Anne's growing online apron-making business into a brick-and-mortar success. Just as everything is really starting to come together, they make a shocking discovery—a skeleton hidden in the basement of their store. The remains are soon identified as those of a woman who disappeared during a visit to Blueberry Cove in the 1970's. 

As the police deal with the bones, Iris and Anne try to put their grisly find behind them. They don't need any more problems as they try to get their business off and running. To their dismay, another dead body turns up in the shop. This time, it's Elliott Parker, the greedy landlord with whom Anne has been fighting for years. Iris isn't about the let her grandmother get arrested for murder. With the help of her BFF and a handsome unrequited crush from high school, she vows to find the real killer. Dead bodies are piling up in tiny Blueberry Cove—will Iris' nosing around ensure hers is next?