What are we reading?

I'm always hoping to pick something up and really have it knock my socks off.

This has occurred a handful of times in the last few years - Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot, The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy (masterful mystery layout, this guy is a genius), John Connolly's Every Dead Thing (currently my favorite author).

Mostly, though, I just end up thinking - That wasn't bad.

Wow, what a ringing endorsement.

The thing is, the one piece of advice that every published author will offer in unison is to read and read widely. Identify what you like and what you'd like to write. Identify who does it well. Who does your style resemble? Then read that person and similar authors. Read them from an author's point of view (as well as a fan and reader's) and study what makes them so good. Read in that same genre and go find the seminal works. Raymond Chandler is what stands out to me as someone I ought to have read for this reason - hard boiled, American mysteries.

Then, when you've done all that, read wider. Read horror and comedies and science fiction and literary fiction and historical fiction. Read the masters in all these categories and more. Read with an eye for what works and what doesn't. Read with an eye for what works for certain genres but not others. Be a student of the game, to use a widely used sports reference.

I ask you all, mostly so I can stop wasting time on stuff that 'isn't bad' - What have you read over the last few years that has truly stood out to you as outstanding?

Oh, and two additional things.
1) I'm trying out the amazon associates marketing program and will occasionally provide links like the below to books I may occasionally mention. They will only be items I have read and highly recommend. Please don't click them and then get upset with me.
2) Speaking of Amazon, they have now brought down the once mighty Barnes & Noble. I'm more and more curious about Kindle with each passing day, especially now that you can get a WiFi only version for $139 (I think these things were over $400 when they debuted. I'd like to hear your thoughts on e-reading, if you have any. Will the ultimate victor be Apple and the iPad?