OT-Book recommendations

 Cutting for Stone & My Own Country by Abraham Vergese

Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof

Shanghai Girls & Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murikami 

I love Indian authors like Rohinton Mistry, Jhumpa Lahiri, Salman Rushdie etc.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. 

Anything by W Somerset Maugham

I agree with previous posters about The Help it's very good

Water for Elephants. Great book. The Help is another really good book.

The Malazan Book of the Fallen.  Book 10 came out in May so I'm rereading the others so I'll know what the hell's going on.  I'm in book 5 right now.  Anybody else read Erickson???? 

I also hate to admit but I LOVE gay romance.  I keep a couple of those going at a time.