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 Wealthy Mr. Darcy and spirited Elizabeth Bennett dislike each other at first sight, and each must contend with their pride and prejudices while Elizabeth's mother plots economically advantageous marriages for all her daughters. 

Berg, Elizabeth.  Talk Before Sleep: a novel. New York: Delta Trade Paperbacks, 1997.

Cautious, conventional Anne shares a deep bond of friendship with the outspoken and eccentric Ruth, building an honest, open relationship that evolves into something deeper when Ruth is diagnosed with cancer.

 Returning to his native country after a long absence, Bill Bryson decides to hike the Appalachian Trail; he shares with readers both his experiences – often hilarious – and the trail’s fascinating history.  Comedy is contributed by his very out-of-shape hiking partner, and their encounters along the way, both human and animal. 

 In a tale spanning twenty-five years, a doctor delivers his newborn twins during a snowstorm and, rashly deciding to protect his wife from their baby daughter’s affliction with Down Syndrome, turns her over to a nurse, who secretly raises the child.

 The autobiography of Washington Post publisher Graham, this is a story about learning by doing; about growing up in Washington, D.C, family tragedy, overcoming obstacles, and the story of a famous American newspaper which became especially significant during the years of the Nixon presidency.

 The "other" Boleyn, Mary Boleyn, becomes mistress to King Henry VIII only to be forced to step aside for her best friend, rival, and younger sister, Anne.  Based upon historical events, Gregory's novel captures the intrigue of a tumultuous time and the fascinating, and sometimes ruthless people of 16^th century England.

 Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic fifteen-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his mother.

 Fourteen years after being shot by a psychopath named Rose, former police detective Alex McKnight learns that she has been released from prison.

 An unlikely extended family is formed when a high school teacher helps a pregnant student make a home with two elderly bachelor ranchers.

 A fascinating example of popular history, this is a parallel recounting of the white city, constructed for the 1892 World’s Fair in Chicago, and the serial killer preying on young female fair goers.

 Published in 1960, this famous novel tells the story of Scout Finch, the daughter of an Alabama lawyer. Scout's narrative describes how she and her brother learn about fighting prejudice and upholding human dignity through the example of their father, who defends a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman.

 U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner, Chuck Aule, come to Shutter Island's Ashcliffe Hospital in search of an escaped mental patient, but uncover true wickedness as Ashcliffe's mysterious patient treatments propel them to the brink of insanity. 

A young Jewish woman finagles an invite to a "Gentiles-only" inn and through this humorous book, succeeds in entering the world that has tried to exclude her. 

 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, located in Gaborone, Botswana, consists of one woman, the engaging Precious Ramotswe. A cross between Kinsey Milhone and Miss Marple, this unlikely heroine specializes in missing husbands, wayward daughters, con men and imposters.

 Briony Tallis, at three stages of her life, narrates this searing account of lives ruined and, perhaps, salvaged.  Told with an exquisite detail that captures the heat of an English day, the passion of young lovers, the chaos of war and retreat, and a conscience that tries to right past wrongs, McEwan is at his best as he recreates Briony's life and her struggle to tell the truth about a childhood error that ruined many lives.  

 In an unnamed South American country, what begins as an elegant dinner party turns into a kidnapping. When the government refuses to give in to the terrorists’ demands, the hostage situation continues for a number of weeks during which a pleasant domesticity, enlivened by opera singing, begins to blur the lines between captive and captor.

 As forensic scientist Temperance Brennan examines the remains of a murder victim, she begins to suspect a link between this homicide and the murder of a teenager several years earlier.

 When transmissions from an alien society reach Earth, a Jesuit-sponsored mission is sent to make first contact. The story slowly uncovers the love, learning and ultimate misunderstandings that doom the mission. Beautifully drawn characters, a convincing journey that doesn’t rely on fantastic details, and an exploration of individuals’ relationships with God, this is science fiction with a strong moral and spiritual core.

 Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Empire Falls tells the story of a Maine mill town devastated by the loss of industry, and waiting for the town's leading citizen to create new opportunities.  Told through the eyes of several characters, the story mostly focuses on Miles Roby, a college drop-out who returned to Empire Falls to nurse his mother.  Now in his 40's, Miles manages the Empire Grill and copes with his teenaged daughter, the wife who left him for another man, an alcoholic father, and a variety of people who test his patience and resolve.

 In this follow-up to The Joy Luck Club, Tan continues to explore themes of mother-daughter relationships. Ruth is a 40-something ghostwriter caring for her difficult and demanding mother, who may have Alzheimer’s. The discovery of her mother’s diary, written in Chinese, prompts Ruth’s rediscovery of her mother, her heritage and her true family.