I like reading all types of books: fiction, non fiction, mystery, romance, inspiration or true crime. In fact, my love of reading grew into a love of writing. The pros make it look so easy, but I've yet to create a work with the WOW factor. For me, these books have the WOW factor -

10. American Gods by Neil Gaiman - An extraordinarily imaginative book that explores the possibility that Gods, discarded and forgotten, live among us waiting for their return to glory. Most lament the unfairness of being cast aside by fickle mortals, reduced to working odd jobs and bickering amongst themselves.

9. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire - an unbelievable original take on the familiar story of The Wizard of Oz. We learn more about Elphaba (mistaken believed to be a witch), her struggles growing up and finding acceptance. We also learn about political unrest in the land of the OZ, the Wizard's tyranny and unjust treatment of Animals (not animals).

8. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - Told from the perspective of a teenage murder victim who isn't quite ready to let go of the life or family she left behind. Despite the unimaginable grief, each character grows and moves on with time.

7. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom - The theme is simple: we are all connected, linked by destiny and changed by our trespass. The book is fictional, but the message can be applied to our real lives. Our actions matter.

6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - During the height of the Great Depression, the American dream seemed like a distant memory. Two migrant farmers, Lennie Small and George Milton, held onto their dream of one day owning a small farm, a place where Lenny could tend to rabbits and be shielded from the scrutiny of society. This novel shows the gritty reality of life; hard work, deceit, cruelty and heartbreak.

5. The Book of Secrets by Deepak Chopra - The Secret was a huge best seller, but I was hugely disappointed. Chopra's philosophy is one of personal responsibility and empowerment, but he offers scientific reasoning for his theories. I can't tell you if it's true or not, but it was certainly more convincing than a panel of "experts" offering sound bites.

4. The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver - I was a fan after reading A Maiden's Grave, which ratcheted up the suspense when a deaf girl was taken hostage. Her bravery was even more breath taking because she couldn't hear danger coming. The Bone Collector offers another protagonist with limitations. Lincoln Rhyme is a quadriplegic, who helps local police in crime scene investigations and analysis of the evidence.

3. The Stand by Stephen King - I could write a list of only Stephen King novels with a WOW factor. Instead, I picked the best of the best. I think this may have been the first King novel I read, and I believe it's still his finest work. That's saying a lot for the prolific writer who has gone on to write The Dark Tower series, The Tommyknockers, Misery, Bag of Bones and Duma Key - all masterpieces in their own right. The Stand was something more, a battle between good and evil on global scale.

2. Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch - This book changed my perception of God as an external force. I came away from this book believing God is within each of us, waiting for the opportunity to chat.

1. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - The most romantic and heartbreaking story I've ever read. The story is told with grace and clarity, despite the complexity of criss-crossing time lines and shifting points of view.

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