Paperboy by Vince Vawter

Victor Vollmer stutters. When he takes over his friend's paper route for the summer, he has to talk to people...something that has never been easy for him.  As the summer progresses, his customers' stories become part of his own.
This is a beautifully told story. Victor is an authentic character, struggling with his stuttering(the author actually is telling his own childhood story); the other characters' stories are colorful and poignant.

Timebound (The Chronos Files, Bk. 1) by Rysa Walker

Kate is stunned when she learns her grandmother's secret. She is even more stunned when her grandmother gives her the blue medallion, and she learns that she is intricately involved in this secret...

This blend of historical fiction, romance, and science fiction grabbed me early on. The blue medallion is a portal for time travel (something I seem to like!) and Kate's story takes her between past and present as she tries to save her grandmother by unraveling a conspiracy.  Interesting twists keep it unpredictable, and the thread of romance with Trey - the boy she meets during her time travel - help ties the story together as well. 

Jump by Elisa Carbone

Part relationship, part adventure/rock climbing...this story is crafted around 2 troubled teen protagonists - PK and Critter - who run away with each other (before they even know each other!) to escape family problems that have become all-consuming.  

It is told in alternating, present-tense voices that jump from tense rock climbing experiences to angst filled teen age musings to logical coping mechanisms.

This is a fast-paced read, that carries the reader across country to the breathtaking world of rock-climbing, as PK and Critter work together to stay ahead of their pursuers.

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate

If you have trouble finishing a book, this is a good one to start your reading travel with.  Told in free verse, it is told in immediately accessible first person narrative. It reads easily and moves quickly through Kek's story.

Kek is a young Sudanese refugee whose story starts (for us) when he arrives in the U.S.  He is bewildered by our weather and the way we live, but shows amazing hope and perseverance as he learns to live in a strange world...

This is a beautifully written story sharing a memorable view of an outsider struggling to find his path.