Do you have an author whose books make you feel like you’re reconnecting with an old friend? I hope you do.

This is how I feel every time that I open a Catherine Ryan Hyde book. Many books are hard work to read. It takes time to get into them, to understand the plot and subplot, to connect with the characters and, perhaps, to wrestle with the character’s actions or to follow the intricacies. With Catherine Ryan Hyde, I find myself sighing with relief when I start one of her books and feeling like I’m back with my old friends.

Her books feel like long, short stories. They typically focus on one character, a chance encounter he or she has and the relationship that develops from this bond. I just finished her most recent book called Have You Seen Luis Velez? It’s the story of a bi-racial 17 year old boy in New York City who befriends a 92 year old widow. Her books are so touching, showing how ordinary people living ordinary lives can impact each other in extraordinary ways.

Here are just a few of her other gems that I’ve loved (she has over 30 books!):

Say Goodbye for Now

When I Found You

Don’t Let Me Go

Worthy

The Language of Hoofbeats

I’ve also found her on Facebook, and I love friending some of my favorite authors and seeing how they live their lives. She is open about her life, her travels and her hobbies (horses!) and she’s very interesting to follow. She is also one of the founding members of the Facebook book club group that I’ve written about before called the Readers Coffeehouse. It was started by six authors and has grown to include over 11,000 members. It’s a great place to learn about various authors, to get book giveaways, and to get book ideas from other readers.

If you haven’t yet met one of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books, I recommend that you do. You’ll quickly feel like you’re sitting down with an old friend. And you’ll be sad to part from them when you’re done.