Definitely not a Holiday Inn

Your imagination will go on hyperdrive when reading Floors by Patrick Carman.  Merganzer Whippet, a billionaire with a passion for ducks, built the Whippet Hotel, unlike any other place you (or I) have ever been.  Each room is outlandish, from the Pinball Machine (watch out for the flippers) to the Cake Room (reminded me of Willy Wonka) to the Flying Farm (duck!).  But Merganzer disappeared 100 days ago, and the hotel is falling apart.  Leo, who lives at the hotel with his father (the maintenance man), has found a mysterious purple box with a message; whether he's zooming to the roof on the Double Helix or coming down in the crowded duck elevator, it's now up to Leo to save the place he calls home.  Hold onto your hat and get ready for action - this fast-paced adventure is just plain fun.  I bet there's a sequel...

Four people's lives flow together

The beginning of Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor was sort of sad, so it was hard for me to keep reading, but I'm glad I did. Elderly Aggie Duncan can't keep her tiny, run-down Sleepy Time Motel going, so she regretfully decides to put it up for sale. Within a few days, the motel has some guests: Willow (whose mom deserted her) and her dad, who wants to buy the motel; Loretta and her parents, who are trying to learn more about Loretta's birth mother; and Kirby and his mother, who are on their way to the latest reform school for Kirby when their car breaks down. As we get to know the characters, they slowly develop friendships and help each other out in ways big and small. By the end of the book, the four stories come together in a very satisfactory way - everything isn't 100% great, but that's real life and that's okay.