From 1840 to the End of the World, and Back

I feel remiss that I haven't mentioned Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell in this blog.
Although it has been criticized as "artsy and overwritten" it is actually "intricate and moving" if I may quote myself.
I just read Mitchell's first book, Ghostwritten. It's sort of like he was stretching his fingers and playing the scales on his computer, getting ready to write his really great novel.
That's how you know it's good, too; when someone calls it, "really great".