a new challenge

I note that we have 14 members (including myself). I was thinking that if everyone would recommend one book I would try to read those 13. BUT, here are the rules for the books I read.
No sci-fi, no fantasy lit, no poetry,no history books, no romance of the Gothic or Harlequin types.
I like fiction, mystery, things that make me laugh, and only once in awhile, things that make me cry.
That isn't to say that I don't occasionally read some of those categories, like orson scott card, but just don't want to be locked into reading something in a genre I don't generally enjoy.
Even if no one else wants to do this, I would still appreciate your recommends.

Have you read The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield? I am just about finished with this one. I have enjoyed it. I have 50 pages to go, but I was intrigued with the story about a story.

OK, I will order it tomorrow. Unfortuantely it is a slow time at work and I have been ordering daily from Amazon. I am reading The Naked and the Dead right now, and I just ordered about 8 new books, including 4 Anne Tyler ones.

If you haven't read them, I'll recommend Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and The Flanders Panel by Arturo Perez-Reverte. I will also back up shenoka on The Thirteenth Tale. Very good, especially for a first novel.

No History! O.K. you are missing out- ( as I was going to suggest March by Geraldine Brooks
I will suggest one of the books of short stories by Annie Proulx Why not look at Bad Dirt- Wyoming Stories I have read most of her short stories and really like her style.

An excellent contemporary debut from John Colapinto - About the Author. No, it's not an autobiography - it's a crime of stolen identity and plagerism, and is excellent. It was one of the very best books I read last year and I highly recommend it if you haven't already read it!

Thanks for the suggestions, have to wait for my next allowance to start ordering - I have already exceeded this months book and ebay allowance. Torontoc: I just finished March. I don't really think of it as history though. I was thinking more of those books that detail certain battles. I am reading The Naked and the Dead right now - I read it about 20 years ago. It really kind of stuck with me, and since I have teenage boys and we have the stupid Iraq crap going on I thought it was a good time for a re-read.
So now I have four suggestions from our group. Thanks.

A couple of books I have recommended over and over through the years:

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy - the movie was atrocious but the book is incredible

The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

These are all oldies so you may have already read them but they always come up when anyone asks me about favorites.

(I just joined your group!)

Want to try something a little different?

It's not exactly fantasy (maybe a bit surreal, though). It's fiction, a bit mysterious...a great book by a favorite author of mine...

The Land of Laughs by Jonathan Carroll.

Perhaps you, too, will get hooked on this author. I did so after reading Bones of the Moon.

(... or *anything* by Pat Conroy...since you're from the South. He's another favorite author of mine.)

Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem

Thanks everyone. I have read several Conroy and Pilcher - years ago.
I couldn't find any of these books are our tiny library, and I have to wait to place another Amazon order - overspent for this month. I do have your suggestions on my Wish list, so will try to get to at least some of them.