I'm almost finished with The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. It's set in the 1950's and tells the story of an aging butler on a motoring trip across England. It has been a very enjoyable read so far, and I will definitely check out some of Ishiguro's other work after I'm finished with this one. Also, I've just discovered the 33 1/3 series (they are basically novels or essays either about or influenced by classic albums, each one by a different author) and I just finished the Black Sabbath's Master of Reality one, written by John Darnielle. It was a quick read and, as a fan of both John Darnielle and the Master of Reality album rather unsurprisingly, I absolutely loved it. I'm going to check out the Sigur Ros one next, probably.
You absolutely have to read Never Let Me Go, also by Ishiguro. A heart wrenching emotional story with an exquisite, but not forced, sci-fi element.
This was my first Ishiguro novel. It works so well because the sci-fi is so background you spend half the book not realizing what they are and once you do it leaves you completely on the fence morally. Plus a beautiful story of love and loss. Read this if you want a great introduction to his works.