I'd give Rona Jaffe's "The Best of Everything" a try. It's 5 young women in the publishing industry in the mid 1950's. It has sort of a "Mad Men" vibe due to all the drinking and illicit sex and the office setting. Great fun.

Another suggestion -- not really like the titles you mention but a very fun beach-read, page-turner: Lucifer's Hammer. It's about a comet hitting the earth. 1/4th of the book leads up to impending comet strike, 1/4th deals with the impact itself, and 1/2 deals with cleaning up the mess. Lots of fun.

i think any janet evanovich book, for example, 'to the nines', or 'ten big ones', are excellent light reading, often quite funny. they feature a somewhat hapless [or is it feckless? yes: feckless, i think] female bond enforcement agent in working class new jersey.

He's a mystery writer, but anything David Baldaucci writes is good. Page turner. Just read several Anna Quindlen books ("Rise and Shine"; "One True Thing"). If you liked 'time traveler's wife' you will probably like Quindlen. Excellent writer.

I know it's mainstream but I really loved the Ladies #1 Detective Agency. The characters and scenery are amazingly colorful and it's incredible to think a white male was so in the mind of the main character.

Thanks all!! Some great ideas here that I want explore.

Susie, I have read all the Ladies #1 Detective series :-) I was amazed at how they totally transported me to Botswana (and now I really want to visit that country and see what it's like).

How about The thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield?

Lighthearted and funny.. one of my fave books is Tortilla Flat by Steinbeck.

Anything by P.G. Wodehouse, the funniest writer I have ever read.

I recommend anything by Christopher Moore. Some of his books are pure, delicious fun -- Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story -- while some have a little bit more literary merit -- Fool, a version of Shakespeare's King Lear told from the court jester's perspective.

ANYTHING by Christopher Moore--that man is always good for a laugh. Also, I'd recommend Begin to Exit Here by John Welter as well as the reverse-fairy stories of Gregory Maguire (Wicked/Ugly Stepsister/etc.).

I love Carl Hiaasen. Try Nature Girl (free spirit decides to teach telemarketer some manners, kidnaps him to the Florida Everglades do so).

I'm with the others on Janet Evanovich and David Baldacci. The one I just finished that was fantastic was Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons. I started it with the attitude that I wouldn't like it but so far it's my favorite!

I've hear Yann Martel, the author of "Life of Pi" came out with a new novel called "Beatrice and Virgil".

Since you enjoyed The Help, you might also want to try Jewel by Bret Lott. Others that are totally unrelated but equally good include The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows; Welcome to The Great Mysterious by Lorna Landvik (the author of Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, which I must agree is a great read); and anything by Maeve Binchy (yest, very mainstream, but good nonetheless-try Tara Road). And if you hadn't already read the Alexander McCall Smith series, that would be added here as well!

I am so enjoying "An Abundance of Katherines", by John Green. It's light but deep at the same time - and yes, whole heartedly agree with the above suggestion on The Guernsey, etc... One of my favourite books. "One Day" by David Nicholl - also very good, and easy to read, without being facile. Couldn't put it down this summer.