Home and Gilead, Marilynne Robinson. Two beautiful books describing the same characters from different perspectives, both deeply thoughtful and insighgtful.

Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson. Set in the San Juan islands, sort of a mystery/love story.

A Visit from the Goon Squad, Egan (ingenuous and brilliant, and, fortunately, you don't have to care about non-classical music). Just read the chapter on the safari, and if you aren't blown away, don't read the rest of it.

American Rust, Meyer (reminds me of Russo books, but more depressed)

Cloud Atlas, Mitchell. Complex architecture of seven stories, all making a single point. Uncharacteristically, I liked the movie even better. I just finished his new one The Bone Clocks, also great.

Empire Falls, and others by Russo (love these books so much I hate when they are over)

Fateful Lighting , Guelzo (a civil war book that gives the big picture politically and economically, not so much on the battles).f

Freedom, Franzen (wow, just a really great plot with a lot of insight, also sorry when it ended). I liked The Corrections and Purity.

God of Small Things, Roy (Amazing book set in India).

Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond (like Malcolm Gladwell books, this is the sort of thing you have to tell everyone about).

One Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (the plot of King Lear set in a farm).

Hamilton, Chernow (wonderfully written book about Alexander H, what a tragic figure)

History of the World in Six Glasses, Standage (very amusing history viewed by drinks, beer, wine, rum, coffee, tea, coke).

How it all began and Consequences, Penelope Lively (gentle novels with beautiful plots and deep themes as well).

Interpreter of Maladies, Jumpa Lahiri (great stories about Bengalis living in the US, and about the immigrant experience generally, liked her other books too).

Light Between the Oceans, Stedman (just a charming book club sort of book).

We are Water, Wally Lamb. If you want a really fat book, Lamb is for you.  I liked some of hisother books as well.

Name of the Rose, Eco, and Possession, Byatt (great and clever novels, both of which discouraged me from trying to write a novel).

Old Man's War (and sequels, first scifi I have enjoyed since Ender's Game) Scalzi

On Saudi Arabia, House (Saudi Arabia, what a mess, worse than I could have imagined).

Philosophy Made Simple, Hellenga (a novel, not a philosophy book, despite title --  a wonderful whimsical story)

Prodigal Summer, Kingsolver (great blend of storyline, sociology, and easy to understand ecology)

Secret Scripture, Barry (Sebastian Barry is a friend, but this is a fascinating book set in Ireland. If you don't know Irish history, you might have to read up on it a bit, or just see the movie: The Wind that Shakes the Barley).

Song of Achilles, Miller (very clever retelling of Trojan war story)

The Big Short, Lewis (on the financial collapse, beautifully written, now I understand what a credit default swap is).

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Diaz (fascinating storyline also takes you through the horrifying world of the D.R)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Skoot (science, sociology, history, racism, medicine, all in one fascinating book. Set in Baltimore, so I especially like it.

The Imperfectionists, Rachman (interlocking stories about a newspaper in Italy)

The Power of Habit (I love all of these popular social psychology books, but this one was especially interesting).

Transatlantic, Colum McCann (liked it especially having been to Northern Ireland during some of the time periods described),

Windup Bird Chronicle, Murakami (weird and wonderful)

Marriage Plot, Eugenides (another blockbuster old fashioned novel)

Some favorite multi-volume series: The Raj Quartet (Paul Scott) - also check out the BBC mini-series, The Jewel in the Crown. Explores the issues of colonialism and race.  Also loved: A Dance to the Music of Time, 12 volumes from Anthony Powell, sort of a portrait of English society through the middle of the 20th century (mini series of this one too, but not so great).  Robertson Davies also wrote several great series - I enjoyed The Fifth Business and What's Bred in the Bone.  And finally, of course, the Karla novels of John LeCarre, starting with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and, of course, the amazing mini-series and recent movie based on those.

Room, Emma Donohue (although superficially unrelated, this is really about Plato's allegory of the cave)

Sweet Tooth, Ian McEwan (an interesting perspective on the traditional spy stories)

A Suitable Boy, Virkam Seth (over a 1,000 pages but worth it - a tale of modern India)

The History of Love, Jennifer Eagan

A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth Ozeki (fascinating picture of modern Japan, with deeper themes)

Goldfinch, Donna Tartt (main character is sometimes kind of nasty, but I couldn't put this book down).

The Big Short, Michael Lewis.  A great business book, and now I know what a credit default swap is.

Augustus, John Williams.  Clever historical novel about the emperor, I also liked Williams' other book: Stoner.

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, Siddartha Mukerjee (an insight on virtually every page).

Life after Life, Kate Atkinson. Perhaps a bit drawn out but a clever literary device and an insightful look at the WWII years.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Gabrielle Zevin, a sweet, short, heart-warming lovestory, mystery.

An Officer and a Spy, Robert Harris.  Amazing historical novel about the Dreyfus affair.  What a story! They should make it a mini-series.

Lately I have been reading a lot of 19th century fiction, especially Trollope. (English professors think he is a hack, but what do they know?). The gateway for Trollope is The Warden followed by Barchester Towers. Some people say that The Way We Live Now is his best novel, but I am saving it for a special occasion. The BBC mini-series based on it is fantastic, and there is also a BBC mini-series on the Barchester novels.

The Garden of Evening Mists, Tan Twan Eng. A beautiful and meditative book that touches on some painful events, but is ultimately about forgiveness and recovery.

The Husband's Secret, Liane Moriarty.  Great vacation reading, fast paced, enormously clever.f

I enjoyed The Art Forger by Shapiro. Although the plot gets a bit farfetched you also learn a bit about art.

Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes, i. I found this very interesting in thinking about my own recent transition of retirement.

Bend it like Beckham

Once were Warriors

Ararat

The Hours

Adaptation

Y tu mama tambien

Raise the Red Lantern

The Road Home

Talk to Her

City of God

Mystic river

Italian for beginners

Amores Peres

Whale rider

Lost in translation

21 Grams

Shower

The Station Agent

Day for Night

Mostly Martha

Spring fall winter summer, and spring again

Sideways

King of Masks

The woodsman

Victoria and Albert TV

Lagaan (if you like Ballywood)

Bride and Prejudice (also for Bollywood fans)

Brokeback Mountain

Capote

Napoleon (TV)

Middlemarch (TV)

The Best of Youth TV

Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of war (highly violent)

Separate Lies

Invictus (and Color of Money)

Newsroom (Season I)

Ender's Game

Downton Abbey (1-3)

Philomena

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

My week with Marilyn

A better life