I love it when I finish a book and realize I have a smile of satisfaction on my face. That means not only did the story feel real, and had no stoppers such as suspension of disbelief, but that the issues or problems in the book were solved in such a way that I'm pleased for the characters. Their life or view of life has changed for the better. Those are the books I really like to recommend. Here's the most recent one I read that fits this category:

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban (Harcourt, 2007) Zoe dreams of being a great concert pianist, but then her parents buy her a "wheeze-bag organ" instead. Ms. Urban has captured the 11 year old voice so well that at times I laughed out loud. This is a great book to read for anyone who has dreams. It reminds me of this quote by Carl W. Buechner, "They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel."

To learn more about Linda Urban herself go to http://www.lindaurbanbooks.com/. She's got encouraging words for writers, too.