The Confusion

Im almost finished with The Confusion by Neal Stephenson, and I'm already looking forward to The System of the World.
The Confusion, volume 2 in The Baroque Cycle is another masterpiece of piracy, intrigue, and adventure picking up where Quicksilver left off in telling the tales of Eliza, Countess De La Zeur and "half-cocked" Jack Shaftoe.
Eliza sets out to mastermind a massive plot involving the French Navy, the Tower of London, and a fair bit of manipulation of foreign trade, while Jack regains his memory and manages to talk his way out of slavery, creating a cabal with his fellow oarsmen- getting into a whole new adventure along the way.
Many readers seem to find Stephenson difficult to read, but I love the plot twists, the scientific discussions, and the narative dialogue- and the use of "letter-writing" to flesh out the story. Reading Stephenson's books is like reading "classical" literature, with an updated sense of humor and a modern sexual frank-ness that "fits" in the story.
If you like to read, you'll love reading these books.