My Top 5 favourite reads 2011

When USA TODAY asked me to list my top 5 favourite reads of 2011, I had a momentary panic.

I read so many great books this year, how to choose only 5?

After much teeth-gnashing, I did it.  Then again, these books were stand-outs for me so when I really put my thinking cap on, it wasn't so difficult to choose after all.

So here are my top 5:

1. How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O'Neal
(lush, evocative, made me cry & I rarely cry with books!).

2. Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (never want to put the book down, love the characters, the humor, the warmth).

3. The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs (realistic, character-driven, tugged on my heartstrings. And made me bawl.).

4. Dancing Backwards in High Heels by Christine Darcas (fascinating real-life dilemma any woman could identify with, thoroughly enjoyed it).

5. Red-Hot Renegade by Kelly Hunter (exotic locale, well-developed characters, sizzling tension).

You can see other author recommendations on the USA TODAY Happily Ever After blog.

Weekend Book Club: Dancing Backwards in High Heels

I mentioned last week how reading the first few chapters of this book made me miss the morning school bell.

Well, the pages kept turning from there.

Here are a few reviews for DANCING BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS:

'Written with panache and flair, this charming story captures that loss of identity that can come with marriage and children. Madeleine is 42 and, despite loving her family very much, she feels so isolated that she has to do something about it. That "something" turns into dance classes. The joy of music and dance transforms her, although as Madeleine discovers, the bump and grind of Latin can take you into dangerous territory …' (Australian Women's Weekly)

'Dancing Backwards in High Heels is an exploration of one woman's search for identity against the backdrop of being forty-something, a full time mother and wife, and living in a new country. It also examines the issues of family and marital relationships, and the impact of infidelity, both real and contemplated. Madeleine is a likeable first person narrator and the problems she is faced with are familiar for many women, and believable. An insightful exploration of one woman's complicated life.' (Aussiereviews.com)

From start to finish, this novel is a delight.
The characters are REAL, as are the problems they face.
Moral questions are raised and you turn the pages very quickly to discover the choices the characters make.
And the dancing is just sheer joy!

Absolutely loved it!

What are you reading this week?