Books to Read

I just finished Macroscope by Piers Anthony. Ok, to be fair, I've never liked Piers Anthony, but that was just aweful. I stuck it out to the very end but I got so disenchanted that I didn't want to pick up anything new. So I decided to read something I know is good (for the 4th time), Lord of the Rings. I'm almost done that (doesn't take long), well prepared for December's Return of the King, and now I think I'm ready to get back into some serious stuff.

The longlist for The Man Booker Prize 2003
Monica Ali __ Brick Lane
Martin Amis __ Yellow Dog
Margaret Atwood __ Oryx and Crake
Carol Birch __ Turn Again Home
Melvyn Bragg __ Crossing the Lines
J.M. Coetzee __ Elizabeth Costello
Julia Darling __ The Taxi Driver's Daughter
Gerard Donovan __ Schopenhauer's Telescope
Damon Galgut __ The Good Doctor
Barbara Gowdy __ The Romantic
Mark Haddon __ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Zoë Heller __ Notes on a Scandal
Francis King __ The Nick of Time
Shena Mackay __ Heligoland
Clare Morrall __ Astonishing Splashes Of Colour
John Murray __ Jazz etc
Julie Myerson __ Something Might Happen
Tim Parks __ Judge Savage
Caryl Phillips __ A Distant Shore
D.C.B. Pierre __ Vernon God Little
Jonathan Raban __ Waxwings
Graham Swift __ The Light of Day
Barbara Trapido __ Frankie & Stankie

I've already read the Margaret Atwood (posted at right under "books"), and I've heard some good things about some of these, so while I'm still in Canada I think I might try one or more of them. Oryx and Crake is excellent, by the way. Very dark, but also very very funny. It's nice to have the time to do this. :D

edited to add: I've also heard Al Franken's book, Lies and the Lying Liars, is very good - so that could be next...