In case Santa needs a little help completing your list, here are ten favorites from 2009 – hope you can add to the list.

The Almond Picker by S.A. Hornby (family saga set in Sicily)

Drood by Dan Simmons (long but worth it, especially if you are a fan of Charles Dickens)

Sweetwater by  Roxanna Robinson (good Southern mystery with a little romance)

The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones (alternative to Julia and French cooking with good storyline)

A Trace of Smoke by O.J. Bryson (tobacco industry suspense/thriller )

Mary Lincoln: Biography by Jean Baker (different perspective of a first lady)

The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson (embroidery ala tales ofArabian nights)

Geography of Bliss by Erin Weiner (happiness is not where you think it is)

The Lace Reader by Brunomia Barrry (Salem witches tear-jerker)

The Women by T.C. Boyle (more on Frank Lloyd Wright’s women – expanded Loving Frank)

Authors worth trying – just for fun:  Elinor Lipman, Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Weiner

Happy Reading!