The following books, listed with the most recent at top, are ones that I enjoyed and that have stayed with me over time.

FICTION

Drop City by T.C. Boyle
An entertaining return to the sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll world of counter-culture idealism.

LIght by M. John Harrison
Original and brilliant. This book isn't just about aliens and alienation, it is alien.

Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link
Quirky, poignant, and stylistically innovative stories that tweak all of the normal fantasy tropes.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
A distrubing yet compelling superposition of the past and the present, the real and the surreal.

Vernon God Little by D.B.C Pierre
Brash, darkly comic, and in-your-face, this bildungsroman has a unique voice and attitude to spare.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith
A witty, colorful, and ultimately insightful journey through the complicated and sometimes treacherous landscape of postcolonial multiculturalism.

Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
Chronicles the power of comic books to bring to life our hopes and dreams.

Baltasar and Bluminda by Jose Saramago
Dense and rich, this fantasy about love and spirituality moved me to tears.

NON-FICTION

What's the Matter with Kansas? by Thomas Frank
I think I finally understand not only where the neocons are from but where they're coming from.