Someone asked if I'd post the titles of the books I mentioned in class. So here you go.

Good books ("literary" fiction that's both well-plotted and intriguing):

Possession, by A.S. Byatt
Wonderboys, by Michael Chabon
Straight Man, by Richard Russo
Confederacy of Dunces, by J.K. Toole
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susannah Clarke

Bad books (popular fiction that lives down to its negative reputation):
The DaVinci Code, by Dan Brown
Shogun, by James Clavell

Please feel free to add your picks to this list.