As for the suggestions you've already had:

I liked Water for Elephants, too. All the Sue Grafton alphabet series is good. Elizabeth Berg was mentioned. She is good. I'd recommend Pull of the Moon as a good starting place for her books. I did not like the Thirteenth Tale or The Shack.

If you like historical things, try One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus.

In non-fiction, I'd suggest the Princess Sultana trilogy by Jean Sasson. They are a biographical series about one of the minor Saudia Arabian princesses. It's a nice look at another way of life.

I just finished Drowning Ruth by Christine Schwarz on Sunday. It was pretty good. Set in the 1930's -1950's it gives a nice glimpse of the way things were for women of the day.

Jodi Picoult is always good to get you thinking about both sides of the story. Handle with Care and Nineteen minutes are both very good.

I work at a library and it seems if you are trying to get the teenagers to read, right now it's all about the vampires. The Twilight series continues to be popular. Anything by Charlaine Harris or the Vampire Diaries series are pretty hot right now.

OK, I'll shut up. As you may have noticed, I have a book addiction. :)

I just finished' Walking in circles before laying down' I forget who wrote it... name starts with an M.. not a bad story about listening to your inner voice, in this case it was dogs speaking to her.. I only picked it up because the title sounded interesting.
I have just started Stephen Kings 'Under the Dome' It's a huge book over 1000 pages! ( I LOVE a big book!) So far, it's classic King... yea!

I have that book on the stack to read...I just finished Robyn Carr's "Virgin River" series of 8 books and they are soooo good. Takes place in Northern Ca and about retired marines and their lives...couldn't put them down

He is a sweetheart, I talked to him on the phone a while back.

Y ou sound like our students!!!!

Wow, you guys are way too serious for me. And I spend about $300/month on books! But I read by author, and enjoy fiction. Nothing depressing and must have a happy ending.

Here are my favorite books of all time:

Money Burns by A.E. Maxwell. This is the book I would choose if I could pick only one fiction book. It is the middle of the (Fiddler) series, but they can all be read alone. Fiddler is my favorite contemporary character. I am totally in love!

(Historical) Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens. He is my favorite historical hero.

Heart of Fire by Linda Howard. This book is a hoot, and the heroine never wimps out. She takes no prisoners!

The Belgariad by David Eddings. This series is so much better than the Tolkein series, which I really didn't like.

Star Dance by Spider and Jeanne Robinson. Again, one of my very favorite sci-fi authors. Try his Callahan series, it is wonderful!

Some of my other fave authors:

In Death Series by J.D. Robb, and anything by the same author Nora Roberts

Elizabeth Lowell, A.E. Maxwell, Linda Howard

Anything by Linda Fairstein. Her murder mystery series are excellent and give so much history of New York.

Christine Feehan, Laurell K. Hamilton, J.R. Ward, Eileen Dreyer.

And one of the best of all time: Elsie Lee.

Gaigai, I read many books that are not serious at all, too. Linda Fairstein is good. I love that the main characters all have to stop everything to bet on Final Jeopardy. That cracks me up!

Leslie Glass's series about Detective April Woo is awesome. April's mother is the best nagging mom in print.

I will even confess to the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. You can't get less serious than Stephanie. Those books are so funny. I just love them.

Beverly Lewis, Wanda Braunstetter and Cindy Woodsmall are all fun when you are in a quick read mood. My daughter refers to them as "Amish smut books". They may not be intellectual but they are a good time.

All of the Kellermans, Johnathan, Faye and Jesse, are good. I probably prefer Faye for the insights into the Jewish religion, but they are really good mysteries.

As you can see, I read all kinds of books and have a book recommedation for nearly every genre out there. I love books!

She ponders: If a pedophile does bad things to children, does a bibliophile do bad thigs to the bible? lol just kidding.

I just finished a really really weird book: Diary by Chuck Palahniuk

I've read both of these - The Help is FANTASTIC!!!!!!! Water for Elephants was great too!

The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon - series of 7 books, you will NOT be able to put them down once you start. EXTREMELY well written, fun, you will fall in love with the main male character, sexy....really doesn't get much better in terms of pure fiction than this!!

Also,
Gone with the Wind - WONDERFUL
Jane Eyre - need I say more?
Devil in the White City by Erik Larson - non-fiction about the Chicago World's Fair and a serial killer
the Women by TC boyle - Frank Lloyd Wright and his loves
The Percy Jackson & the Olympians series ("kid" books!)
Gift from the Sea - Ann Morrow Lindbergh, non-fiction
Dragonriders of Pern series - Anne McCaffrey, science-fiction/fantasy

There are tons more, but I know that you have a lot of other suggestions - now get reading!!!