The weather was so perfect this week, it just begged for me to skip class, get a book and lie out in the sunshine -- which is exactly what I chose to do.

After a quick stop to the bookstore, I randomly selected a book from the new releases category, The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd, the same author who wrote the bestseller The Secret Life of Bees.

I was excited how this book would compare to its predecessor, which is known for it's coming-of-age tale.

I wasn't disappointed. The Mermaid Chair tells the story of Jessie Sullivan, a woman who's struggling with many different obstacles. These obstacles include coping with the fact that her daughter recently headed for college, her longtime marriage has become too comfortable, and she has not spoken to her estranged mother in quite some time.

When Jessie receives word that her mother was rushed to the hospital after purposely cutting off her own finger, Jessie must return to the island she once called home.

There she must face the demons of her past, including searching for the truth behind the horrific death of her father.

While there, Jessie falls in love with a monk named Brother Thomas and, after a secret affair, must choose between the intense feelings she has for Thomas and the dependable husband, Hugh, and family she's left behind.

During her stay on the island, Jessie must find a way to reconnect with her mother and figure out what's motivating her to mutilate her own body, though she suspects it to be guilt and grief over the death of her father.

Kidd writes a book full of compelling characters and intriguing plot lines.

This book is a little mysterious, a little romantic and a little coming-of-age as a woman, which makes it pretty hard to put down.

The prose is easy to read, and while it's descriptive and full of information, never once did it seem dry or too wordy.

It's the kind of book where after I finished it, I sat for a good five minutes just to think about everything that happened.

Jessie's plights seem just as real to the readers as they are to her. Her affair with Brother Thomas isn't depicted as scandalous but more of beautiful experience that allows her to continue to grow.

The Mermaid's Chair is a book about self-discovery. It's a novel for anyone who's ever come to a crossroad in his or her life and struggled to make the right decision. Kidd's story is the perfect summer read.

It's easy to get through. It is full of interesting events and leaves the reader with a sense of hope. Grade: A