My parents gave my wife Marley & Me for Christmas, given that we recently adopted a puppy. She finished it, but pretty much hated it because of the writing style. She kept reading aloud particularly hackneyed passages to me. Obviously the book is really popular so it must have some merit, but not the best for critical readers. Of other books mentioned here, she did really enjoy the Time Traveller's Wife, Life of Pi, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.
The Alexander McCall Smith books tend to be popular with the ladies, too -- I know several women who are really enthusiastic about the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series and the 2.5 Pillars of Wisdom series. And the nice thing about books that are part of a series is that if you get her one and she enjoys it, then you've got a gift to give her next year.
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