So here's one you might want to try, I just finished Second Hand Heart on my Kindle. It was written by Catherine Ryan Hyde and got my attention in the first few chapters. Check it out, it is different for sure! Let me know what you think!

One of the best books I have read in a long time is The Art of Racing in the Rain.

Kristi and Jane - I'll look those up. I grabbed eight more books today, but hopefully will have plenty of good recommendations before the next trip.

There are so many! THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTIME by Mark Haddon is amazing. If you're looking for Non-Fiction, STOLEN INNOCENCE by Elissa Wall and STIFF: THE CURIOUS LIFE OF HUMAN CADAVERS by Mary Roach are wonderful as well. STOLEN FURY is an excellent suspense novel, but the BEST book I've read in a long time is THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothsfuss. It's sequel is beyond captivating as well. They were fantastic and life interfered with my reading of them. There isn't a book/series I recommend more. That being said, I have a reading problem. Yes, I keep a spreadsheet of the books I read. It's sad.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens - it will stay with you. I can't reccomend it enough
I'd Know you anywhere by Laura Lippman - Not as good as Still Missing, but I read it while waiting for the Kindle price of Still Missing to go down. It was a good read
Atlas of Love by Laurie Frankle - Great book, another that I reccomend over and over

It you like the genre called Urban Fantasy I like the Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison

Anything at all by Gilbert Morris is an enjoyable and enlightening read. Most recently I consumed The Crossing (book one) and The Sword (book two) in his Cavaliers servies. It is civil war era romance and adventure that revolves around the lives of such historical figures as General Stonewall Jackson, and General J.E.B. Stuart to name just a few. Both books are page turners that held my interest from start to finish and left me longing for more..........

My recommendation is to go online and search for the authors and/or titles that appeal to you most and request them. That way when you have the opportunity to stop by the library, they are all waiting for you in the p/u section and you aren't limited to what is on the shelf at the moment. You get a much more tailored-to-your likes selection that way!

Dog lovers should not miss reading A Dog's Purpose, by W. Bruce Cameron. Seriously, Written from the dog's perspective, it makes all the dogs I've loved come alive again, with Purpose!

I am so excited - just made a list of all the above book recommendations. The only one I've already read was "The Art of Racing in the Rain". I do what you do, Kristi - grab books that I see as I walk around the tables at the library, and it really is hit or miss. I read a series several years ago that I really enjoyed: The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. There are currently 7 books in the series, and I just discovered that the 8th book will be published in April.

Urban Fantasy is a sub genera that focuses on the action being in mostly urban areas. It can include specified areas of fantasy (creature/mythical/elemental) and is detailed in back story and world building. It's relatively up and coming and hasn't had the publicity it deserves. If you like, check out the JUST BREATHE series (first book: INHALE, second book EXHALE, third book is in the works) by Kendall Grey. They're available for Kindle and Nook and have fabulous reviews.

Oh, did I mention the author of INHALE and EXHALE lives in the Atlanta area and donated an afternoon last year to speak with students at Dacula HS about novel writing. She even took home samples of their writings and offered detailed feedback.

I freely admit that I read for escapism--ergo, I love myteries and police/medical thrillers, especially if they educate me. Examples:

1. Tony HIllerman has a series of detective mysteries set on the Navajo reservations of New Mexico and have learned more about Navajo culture, customs and religion than I'll ever need to know. They feature two protagonists, Joe Leaphorn and JIm Chee, and though I always think series books should be read in their proper sequences, these don't really require it.

2. Plum Island by Nelson DeMille. Murder mystery revolving around a real place in Long Islands waterway where research used to be done on germ warfare.

3. I am an unabashed Stephen King freak (note to Kristi: Koontz is a poor man's King, so you got what you deserved :-) ) and have been wading my way through his magnum opus, The Dark Tower. Have just finished Wolves of the Calla and am resting before I start on Song of Susannah.

4. If you like a little humor with your fiction, try Lawrence Sanders' series of PI novels featuring Archy McNally--good mysteries and entertaining to boot.

None of this qualifies as literature, I admit, but it's what I enjoy.

If you like King, check out Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill. (I also have Horns, but I haven't read it yet).

Urban Fantasy was already explained.....The Rachel Morgan series is about Rachel, a witch, who lives with a living vampire (born a vamp and hasn't died and become a full vamp yet), and a pixie (dont call him a fairy, lol). There is also a gargoyle that keeps watch, and lots of other supernaturals living in Ohio.

There are some great suggestions here. I have certainly added some of them to my list! I also like light fiction by southern authors or that take place in the south. I love Haywood Smith and nearly died laughing at her book Ladies of the Lake. I was listening on CD in the car and had to pull over! Another I loved was Saving CeeCee Hunicutt by Beth Hoffman. It had humor and some very serious issues all together.

By the way, love your idea of sharing book ideas!

Diane Chamberlain is a wonderful Southern author. She lives in Raleigh, NC and a lot of her books are set in NC. One of my favorites from her is The Secret Lie of CeeCee Wilkes (which I saw at the Dacula Library on Monday). Before The Storm and Secrets She Left Behind are a pair. Secrets continues the story in Storm. Hmm, others.... The Midwife's Confession was pretty good. Summer's Child has a good mystery to it. The Lies We Told is good too.
Diane Chamberlain is one of my Facebook "friends" and she often asks for input there on her books, character names, fictional names of cities, just this morning she was asking for title suggestions for her new book.
Best thing about her is, she writes fast and always seems to have another book in the works, so if you like her stuff, you always have something to choose from

Check out "new and featured titles" on the library web site. Usually each books has a summary page and you can get an idea of what the book is about. Then you can reserve it. Then you can pick them up at the library when they are available.

If you enjoy "regional" non-fiction, I recommend Rick Bragg (he grew up on the Alabama-Georgia border). His works are at times poignant, and at times funny - much like life is. Having grown up in the South, I enjoy the expressions he uses that one does not hear nowadays.

I just finished David Sedaris' collection of essays, "When You Are Engulfed in Flames" and I'm still laughing.

Oh there are so many Excellent books to read but they sometimes get lost in a Sea of less than excellent (shall we say) books. So many that you wonder how a publisher ever thought they were good enough to publish. Many great ones have been mentioned already but a few others are: Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross (my all-time favorite!), Sarah's Key by Tatiana DeRosnay, The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jaimie Ford, Still Alice by Lisa Genova, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Unbroken by Lauren Hildenbrand, and Defending Jacob by William Landay. I could go on but depending on your particular taste, you'll find some gems here in this list, I can assure you! So glad you reached out to us for suggestions!

I hope I didn't miss any:
http://dacula.patch.com/announcements/dacula-patch-book-club-recommended-reading?
I'll keep updating the list as we go along. I have also created a topic page for the Dacula Patch Book Club. Just hover your mouse over the news tab at the top of the page and you should see the Dacula Patch Book Club in the pop up menu. I'll make sure all related articles end up there along with any book-related blog posts/reviews any of you may write: http://dacula.patch.com/topics/dacula-patch-book-club

Anything by Ken Follett, tho my favs were Eye of the Needle and Pillars of the Earth.

@Twyla -- I'm glad you mentioned the library! Not only does GCPL have New and Featured title lists, but there is also a reading recommendations blog and a GCPL goodreads page run by staff members who love to help people find new great reads. Find them here: http://www.gwinnettpl.org/booksandreading/index.html

John Katzenbach is my new favorite author. Two great books are What Comes Next and The Wrong Man. I am new to the book list and am very excited. Love to read.

Mary B