Stand Off by Andrew Smith

In this sequel to Winger, we return to Pine Mountain Academy for Ryan Dean West's senior year of high school. Things got serious at the end of last year, and Ryan Dean may not have fully processed everything

But on top of his post-traumatic stress from that incident, he's got new concerns too: mainly, that since he forgot to apply for a room assignment, he's stuck in a tiny ground-floor dorm room with a claustrophobic freshman. That his roommate Sam is practically a reincarnation of Ryan Dean's own awkward former self is an irony not lost on our oh-so-much-cooler-now senior lead.

Again this time, the novel is hilarious and more than a bit sexually frustrated. Again this time, Ryan Dean is both wise before his years and an utter dolt, interchangeably. It's maybe not as strong as the first book - you'll definitely want to have read that one first - but it's a great continuation of the story and an engaging look at friendship.

And the myriad nicknames for Sam are worth the time alone!

Have a Nice Day by Julie Halpern

Fresh out of the hospital (3 weeks forced hospitalization for depression/anxiety), Anna's concerned about her reappearance at school: Will everyone look at her funny? Will they avoid her? How should she approach her absence? What will she wear? And how much homework has she missed? This kind of worry is no help to her irritable bowel syndrome and anxiety!

But Anna quickly finds that attention span in teenagers is short, and she doesn't really have anything to worry about. Plus, her newly-acquired coping skills may mean she's better-equipped to deal with common phenomena like crushes, parents, homework, and class projects.

Apparently, this is the sequel to "Get Well Soon" - that book deals with Anna's hospitalization - but I didn't know that until half-way through "Have a Nice Day." It didn't seem to matter that I hadn't read the first book; this one stood alone well without missing a beat.

Anna's a regular, likeable teen with the kind of concerns to which many will easily relate. Even if you haven't been hospitalized, most of us still worry about fitting in and sharing our personal struggles and triumphs. Anna was never an absolute nutcase - so, neither are we, right?