Arthur & George by Julian Barnes

An odd story, in which the two protagonists don't actually meet until the third act! I enjoyed this despite myself - nothing happens for ages and even when it does, you just want to slap people. The story is based in fact and was (apparently) meticulously researched, which is reflected in the vivid characterisations. I think this is why I liked it so much - even when nothing is going on, there's something going on...

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami

Another book of short stories, this time all by Murakami. As you might expect from a collection of short stories, some are better than others - seeing as they're by Murakami though, they're mostly good. Some are even great. Tony Takitani, for example, is just a classic. Everything I like is there - a coherent beginning, middle and end; a twist; and a gut-punch!