Some books I've read recently:
Crime and punishment
, by F. Dostoyevsky. Somehow I had in mind that this was a good philosophical exploration of the problem of evil but a poor novel. I was wrong. As a novel it's absolutely thrilling, the characters are alive (not some cardboard representations of ideas), with magnificent descriptions of an oppressive, dark St. Petersburgh, the life of the lower classes, etc. In my translated copy I can discern the reasons why some authors (Nabokov) consider D's style to be disheveled, but for a Celine fan this should be not a concern.
Crematorio
, by R. Chirbes. This book is not translated into english (although it can be found in german apparently). I do not often mention to my non-spanish friends books in spanish, but this is a must. A portrait of a family falling apart, a spanish version of the Buddenbrooks with all the vulgarity, mendacity, and rapacity of the noveau-riche during the construction bubble (early 00s) in Valencia. If you can read in spanish buy this book.
Persuasion
, by J. Austen. I'm a thoroughly dedicated Jane Austen fan, but this is her worst book. You already know what's going to happen from page one. I read it with pleasure because I love her wit, social commentary and turns of phrase, but this is clearly inferior to Pride & Prejudice or Emma.