The Da Vinci Code
So, speaking of being behind the times, I just finished the Da Vinci Code. I had to read it before the movie came out (May 19th). As far as books go, it is not that amazingly well-written. It is well-researched, and the subject matter is very provacative, but I have definitely read better books.
This book had me going to Wikipedia often. Although the story is obviously fiction, the places and objects referenced are all real, and I found myself wanting to know more about each one. Dan Brown says he spent over a year researching the material, and that is evident in the book. He also has a nice gallery on his site of places described in the book.