I ragazzi di Charleston - South Of Broad, by Pat Conroy (2009, USA)

Charleston, half of XXth century; Leo is the teenage son of her school principal. His brother made suicide and he had got various troubles after that, but he's stronger than we can expect and he saves his own life and his new friends' ones: Sheba and Trevor, Starla and Niles, Ike and Betty, Molly, Fraser and Chad.. As they're adult, their friendship's still strong, but Trevor's in trouble. Various dramas are waiting for all of them, but they get through them, although not uninjured.
Conroy's clever style doesn't disappoint: he can be ironical although talking over dramatic events. Deeply introspective.

E' nata una star - Not A Star, by Nick Hornby (2006, London)

Two days told by Lynn, 49 years old, Mark's mum. One of her neighbours makes her find out her son is a porn-star. Through shock, irony, discussions to, finally, easily, a new pretty fine normality: there are miles deeper troubles than this one!
Nice.

Che fine ha fatto Mister Y - The End Of Mr. Y, by Scarlett Thomas (2006, UK)

Ariel is a MSc student writing a thesis on mind experiments and ability to travel by thought.
She accidentally bumps into an ancient book, The End Of Mr. Y, by the author she's studying, Lumas: it's one of a kind and said to be cursed... and it leads Ariel to a vitally dangerous adventure that will completely change not only her life, but even her perspective on world, on time and place link ..and perhaps the all world.
Complex character and kind of philopsophically interesting novel, mind opening.

La mano sinistra di Dio - The Left Hand Of God, by Paul Hoffman (2010, UK)

1000ish years have gone since the Redentor's been killed. The Redentors that follow him are, now, preparing the end of the world educating children to fight, terrorising and torturing them. Cale, Kleist and Henri can do to escape and they end up in Menphis, the biggest city in the area. Cale’s huge ability in fighting and killing brings them in the army and, at the end, to protect the most precious object for those people: Arbell, the most beautiful girl ever. But the final battle with the Redentors will be reach in big surprises…
Really intriguing and turn pager, although the plot is not that deep.