Please help - looking for a great read!

I love to read. If I could start each and every day with a hot shower, cup of coffee and then curl up on my favorite chair and read a really great book, I would be one happy lady. That, of course, is definitely not reality. I do though try to get some reading in during the day. Which is why I am now looking for your suggestions.

I have listed below some of my most favorite books I have read in the last two/three years. I have been lending some of these books out to my Mom and friends and my girlfriend Tracy recently asked how I came upon some of them. I do get a lot of great recommendations from my daughter's godmother, Chau, who is also an avid reader (I will forgive her for once recommending "A Million Little Pieces" which I did not like and turned out to be a BIG WHITE LIE)! Anyway, here of some of my favorites:

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant: This was recommended by aforementioned Chau and I just fell in love with the whole story. It is a fictional telling of the life of Dinah, daughter of Leah, from the bible. At first I didn’t know if this was something that would really interest me, but I started reading and after just one page I couldn’t put it down. It is beautifully written.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: I had read the reviews for this book and was so excited to find it in paperback while in Hong Kong four months before it was released in paperback in the US. It is the love story of Henry and Claire – the catch being that Henry has a disorder which makes him disappear and change time periods and locations randomly. The first two chapters can be a bit confusing, but give it a chance. It really is an entertaining book.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold: The story is told by Susie, a young girl who is murdered and is now looking down from heaven. Warning - the first couple chapters are not easy to read – it details her last hours with her murderer. Having said that, the rest of story unfolds and you quickly become emotionally involved with Susie and her family.

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodie Picoult: A story of two sisters and their family who find themselves in a unique situation. Oh, and don’t read the last chapter in public unless you don’t mind bawling your eyes out if from of complete strangers.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson: Bill Bryson is a travel writer with more than one book that I absolutely loved. In A Walk in the Woods, Bill decides to hike the Appalachian Trail with a friend. The book is laugh-out-loud funny and educational as well. He gives you insight into the history of the trail.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: OK, so if you haven’t heard of this book, then maybe you have been living under a rock for a few years! It is a real page turner. I can’t wait till it comes out in theaters this May!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling: I admit it - I am a sucker for anything Harry Potter. I read this book in just a few days with my nose glued to the pages. If you have read the series, then this sixth installment was just grand. J.K. Rowling keeps surprising her readers by plot twists and turns. I cannot wait until she publishes the last book, but will be extremely sad to see how it ends. Of course, then I could just read them all again!

Beach Music by Pat Conroy: OK, I haven’t really read this one in probably seven or so years, so I am a bit fuzzy on the details. I do remember though that I was really touched by the story of a widower and his daughter living in Rome and trying to pick up the pieces of their broken family.

Do you have any books that you have just fallen in love with and want to share? Please leave a comment below so I know which ones to look for the next time I visit my library.