I read Kavalier & Clay about a year ago -- very excellent.

Still meaning to read Pete McCarthy's sequel, the "Road To..." Reading "McCarthy's Bar" was a memorable experience for me, only in part because I was introduced to it during my first visit to Ireland, just over a year ago. My family and I were able to find our own "McCarthy's Bar" -- a pub identified by our last name, a considerably less common Irish name thatn McCarthy -- in Westport, Co. Mayo.

Right now, I've just begun Roddy Doyle's "Oh Play That Thing," the sequel to his excellent "A Star Named Henry." Henry has fled Ireland as a marked man thanks to his role as a gunman in the Irish fight for independence and in the subsequent Civil War. He arrives in New York and begins his adventures in America; according to the flyleaf notes (I haven't actually read this far yet), his troubles with local crimes bosses cause him to leave NY for Chicago, where he will befriend Louis Armstrong and serve as his bodyguard.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest over the holiday weekend. This book relates to two of my greatest interests -- Irishness and American roots music. I think there are a lot of Mudcatters out there with similar tastes, who should be alerted to the existence of this book.

If you haven't already read "Star Named Henry," however, I'd recommend reading both novels, in order.

Re: T.C. Boyle, another favorite of mine. His latest, entitled (I think) "The Inner Circle" (or something similar) is the story of one of Professor Kinsey's research assistants -- Kinsey the famous sex researcher, that is. I saw the new movie "Kinsey" (w/ Liam Neeson, Laura Linney) at a preview last week, and was surprised to see how closely the movie mirrored Boyle's book. If Boyle is credited at all, it's in very fine print -- no mention of his book in the film's reviews, publicity, etc.