* Lessons, by Ian McEwan -- McEwan's best book in years. There's no Atonement-style twist at the end; this novel is just the reflection of a older man on the decades of his life and how they led to him to where he ended up. Long, yes, but thought-provoking and filled with elegant prose.
* Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver -- I am not usually a Kingsolver fan; I find her too didactic, moralistic to the point of self-righteousness. But it turns out that her teacherly voice is a perfect fit for the Victorian social novel. You'll probably enjoy this more if you have a good memory for the characters and events in David Copperfield, but even if you don't, Kingsolver has managed to tamp down the homiletics here, making for what is probably her best novel to date.