If you’ve never read Murakami, I would like to suggest starting with either his short story collection, The Elephant Vanishes, which has my favorite short story of his, “TV People”—which was also the first one of his I read, or to read his masterpiece, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Really, though, there isn’t a bad book in the man’s catalog.

Also have also read “Kavalier and Clay”, “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, and “Mao II”. All good choices.

Your other choices also look interesting and include items I’ve been thinking about myself, particularly Murakami, Saramago and Eggers.

Sedaris is… interesting. I can see why you or someone wouldn’t be too into him. I was really caught by the first essay in Naked though, and the shine never wore off. And, yes, Amy Sedaris is funny as hell.

I’m kinda torn, myself, on House Of Leaves. Some of it is really interesting, but I really, really could have done without the wrap-around story featuring the guy who found the novel and was SOOO FREEEAKKKED OUTTTTT by it. Struck me as a little lame. (This isn’t really a spoiler, the wraparound starts on the first page, and it also talks about him being SFO.) But the actual novel is pretty dang good and interesting. It’d be a much stronger book if it weren’t for the gimmick of the wraparound.

I want to read Marky Z’s other book, but I’ve heard it’s really not that good, even for people who liked House Of Leaves a lot more than I did. Hum.

David Sedaris, I’ve never been able to get into, and sometimes it makes me feel sad that I haven’t been able to, like I’m missing something. But his style just seems to grate on me. Oh well, I love his sister, though.