Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay (Dexter Series, Bk 2)

I love the show Dexter, and these books are also good for all the same reasons.
Read them. Delightful.
I appreciate 2 things Jeff Lindsay does:  1). Uses words in a way that make them rich and velvety like the best damn chocolate cake in the world.  2). Creates trains of thought that really, honestly do sound like things that non-neurotypical people think.

Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood (MaddAddam Trilogy, Bk 1)

This was not the first book by Margaret Atwood I've read. The first was actually #2 from this trilogy pulled off the shelf at random. That book was ok, but having the background and a vague idea of the styling, I liked this more, considering, than the Year of the Flood.  However, I read that book years ago, and having actually read #1, I will now go back and finish the trilogy.
I LOVE the world she has created. The names of companies are fantastic.  The thought put into who did what and why is so very believable.  It's a bit weird at first, but after some thought on the subject, this world is completely plausible. It's great.

Next - Michael Crichton

I like Michael Crichton, obviously. My only complaint about this book was the volume of characters it follows around. I listened to this on audiobook while doing lab work, and I believe that was the only reason this mattered. I can keep large cast books straight. I think it was the fact that I was only half-paying attention that caused the, "Wait, who is this dude again?"
A fun idea, but his genetic advancements were a little out of sync with all the other tech advancements.  Character design were ok.  Flow was very good.  As I have noticed with his books, incredibly satisfying at the end when all the right people get theirs.
Overall, I would say it's a good read, but not life-altering.

Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf

This book sucks. Don't read it. Pointless, vapid, meandering.... bluhh.... This is my first Virginia Woolf book. Let's just say she went WAY down on my "To Read" list after this. Boring as hell with the entirety of the subject matter being people remembering useless things about other people.
I'll repeat: Don't read this!

The Vampire Lestat - Anne Rice (Vampire Chronicles, Bk 2)

I am impressed with Rice's ability to write something that feels modern, but perfectly captures the feeling of the gothic horror era (which I think of as about 1890-1940 ish, for no reason cause I"m not a literary historian). That fine line between horror and awe. I enjoyed this book, however the pace did slow too much in a few spots, but it was completely worth it to continue.  I like her ideas, and she presents them in a well-designed manner. I am certainly going to continue onto the next book!

The Shining - Stephen King

This book is SOOOO much better than the movie.  That is my general rule, but this is, perhaps, the best example. This is the only Stephen King movie I've seen before reading the book.  The book makes so much more sense! And I absolutely agree with Stephen King that the end of the movie was stupid! Very stupid! Compared to what he wrote? Stupid. WHY would you change something to make it worse?
Remember this is one of his earlier books and written when he was on a lot of drugs. Good, not my favorite by him, but ideal as a middle-ground book for him if you'd like to test out your preference (or not) for King's work.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

A great book if you have a hard time getting through normal non-fiction/how-to manuals.  King mushes it all together, story, plot, actual writing recommendations... It's easy to get through.
However, the actual information of it is light. If you're hardcore about wanting to know the precise formula, you will be disappointed.  I, on the other hand, who learn by observing others, thought it was perfect because that's essentially what King does; runs through his own thought process in how he comes up with his ideas and brings them to life.
I plan to re-read this if I ever get a fully-fleshed out first draft of my book (or 2 or 3).