Oh, I must read Middlesex too, it's been on my imaginary list for months.

And who the fuck is this Neil Gaiman fellow?

Neil Gaiman is a graphic and fantasy novelist; I actually came across him through his very informative and fascinating journal (which has an RSS feed you can sign up to so he turns up on your Friends list), and then I read his (non-graphic) novel American Gods, which has been one of my favourite things this year, I think.