I recently finished Eragon and Eldest.  (Buy 'em both, here.)

I know there are plenty of people who dislike these books.  And they make some excellent points.  But I found them very entertaining (Eldest moreso than Eragon), and am looking forward to the third.  So let's get some of the valid points out of the way:

• Paolini frequently writes in odd syntax, as if to make himself sound more intellectual.  (A common one is to put a dependent phrase before the subject, and not use contractions, as in "Why Small.to hasn't made dbsmall a celebrity, he knew not.")
• Paolini has a giant vocabulary, and delights in demonstrating the fact.
• It's derivative (of many "mentor-led quest" fantasy stories before---Star Wars and the Hobbit, included.)
• It's downright imitative (in the naming of the places)

Mmmkay, so I understand all of that, but I still think it's worth reading.
The fact is, the story's a good one.  And it wasn't (to me) predictable.  And some of the original material is very enjoyable "candy reading".

I'll also see the movies, as I think the story lends itself to film.  That, and John Malkovich and Jeremy Irons are fine actors.  I like dragons.  And while I've never heard of her, and she's a little thin and blonde to play Arya, I think, Sienna Guillory does seem to have the bone structure to play an elf.  Plus, she's not hard on  the eyes.

I headed to Wal-Mart to pick up State of Fear, that Michael Crichton novel I'd sworn not to read.  But darn it, Crichton's an enjoyable read, always.  Odd thing was, Wal-Mart didn't carry any of his books!  And there it was, The Da Vinci Code, for only $4.97.  I figure, at that point, Dan Brown is only in it to get volumes up to drive sales of the Movie.  He's not making a penny of of it.
Sure, sure, I'd sworn off Dan Brown since I read the steaming pile of verbal poop that was Digital Fortress.  It's bad.  Really bad.  But so many people seem so excited about Tha DVC, that I decided to give it a shot.

In the first 10 pages, you find a self-flagellating albino assassin killing someone at the Louvre.  In the next 10 pages, you get a dying man who, rather than leaving a straightforward message, leaves a string of clues, in the most immature, stupid form of encryption.  I mean, the book is better than DF.  But come on, Dan Brown's put unnecessary detail, irrelevant to the story, just to tittilate us.  And that, my friends, is a decent working definition of pornography.  And if I'm going to experience porn, there'd better be pictures to go with it.

In summary, read the Inheritance Trilogy.  Consider State of Fear.  And shame on those of you who've made Dan Brown wealthy.