The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Slow to start, bewildering array of characters, but once it gets going it is hard to stop reading. An impressive novel, almost a literary mystery.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Classic retelling of the story of Cain and Abel. It actually retells the story twice, in two different generations, with several other subplots thrown in, so it's not a novel for those with a short attention span.

A Contract With God by Will Eisner

Picked this up after reading "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay", which was loosely inspired by the life of Will Eisner. I haven't read a comic book - sorry, "graphic novel", in over 40 years. It was surprisingly good, a collection of three stories about life in the tenements in New York. Amazing art work too.

Water Music by T. C. Boyle

Another odd, but good, novel from Boyle. Historical fiction, it tells the story of a Scottish explorer attempting to "discover" the Congo River in Africa. Of course the explorer is oblivious to the fact that the river has already been discovered by thousands of black and Muslim Africans. Just part of the irony that Boyle loves so much, and which he is so good at.

Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle

A novel from the pages of tonight's news, telling the story of an illegal alien couple juxtaposed with an affluent southern California couple. Ironic in a way that T. C. Boyle is famous for, the story is riveting and moving. An excellent read.

World's End by T. C. Boyle

An odd novel, telling parallel stories in different time periods, from the colonial America of the Patroons of New York to post World War II to recent history. The poor modern hero cannot catch a break, as history seems to repeat itself over and over. An intriguing read if you can keep all the characters and timelines straight!

East is East by T. C. Boyle

Great book! It really sucked me in with the contrasts between the characters, the irony of the situations, and the tragic-comic coloring of everything. It tells the story of a Japanese sailor who jumps ship off the shore of Georgia and meets an array of odd characters, some that help him and some that hurt him, as he struggles to make sense of America and find a place for himself. One of the people that "helps" him is an ambitious female writer at an artist colony on a secluded island off the Georgia coast. Boyle draws her with a deft touch, hilarious in places and sadly ironic in others. An excellent novel.