good books

So, I was talking with my sister yesterday, and we were discussing books, and what makes a good book. For me, in order for me to consider a book good, it needs to do 1 of 2 things for me:
1. It needs to make me cry. I consider this to mean that I've connected emotionally to whatever the book is about. And, face it...every girl needs to have a good cry once in a while :o)
2. I need to have an "ah-ha moment", or a "hmm, interesting" moment. What I mean here is, if I'm reading something, and the statement or sentence or paragraph sticks out to me...causing me to reach for my pen and either underline or make some mark by it.
My most recent "good book" has been The Shack by William P. Young. There's been a bit of discussion floating around town about this book. I'll admit, there were some parts in it where I found myself questioning whether or not what I've read is something I can believe (for a lack of a better word). But, overall, I really enjoyed this book. I found myself underlining or marking something up quite a few times. And, there was one particular chapter where I just bawled.....good book :o)
Thinking back, one of the earliest books that I deemed as good books were anything by the author Lurlene McDaniel. Anytime those book orders would get passed around the classroom in elementary school, I would page through the 4 pages in search of one of her books. She would write about young kids (basically elementary/middle school/high school age) who had cancer, or some other type of disease. Call this some type of preparation that God had for me! I still think that was His way of exposing me to a small view of what a life dealing with cancer was like. As I think back right now, a little lump is forming in my throat. It's amazing how you don't think of something for quite a while, and then when it surprisingly pops in your mind again, triggered by some little thing, it stops you in your tracks a bit. Hmm...anyways...I haven't read anything by her since probably early middle school. I'm half-way tempted to pick one of her books up again just to read it from my post-cancer-experience point-of-view...just to see how it is. But, I'm a little scared that the read won't be quite as good as I'm remember them to be when I was young. Maybe I'll just leave those books for that time in my memories.
Some other books that I've read that I consider good books are My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult, and Experiencing God by Henry T. Blackaby. This one is more of a devotional/bible study book. But, when I read through it back in that time of my life, it was truly life changing!
When I read a good book, I quite often finish it quickly...cuz I'm so hooked! Needless to say, I find myself in search for my next one!