A surprisingly good book; A surprisingly bad book

I just finished two books. One of the books had me excited for months and turned out to be completely mediocre. The other book I picked up assuming I would put it right down but it has surpassed my expectations to the point of enthralling me.
Let me say before I give a bad review - I own every one of David Sedaris' books and most of them are signed. I have travelled to hear him give a reading and when I read his essays I usually end up squirting milk through my nose or choking on salad (I like to eat while I read). So clearly, I was very excited to hear about his new collection, When You Are Engulfed In Flames. Others were excited, too. There are hundreds of reserves in the Suffolk County Library System alone and the book remains #1 on the New York Times hardcover nonfiction bestseller list.
A few weeks ago I found myself at Penn Station with nothing to read (scariest thing I can imagine other than the giant spiders in Harry Potter). Browsing the Penn Station book store, I picked up Sedaris' book. I was one of the hundreds waiting for a library copy and figured I might as well purchase a copy. At the last minute I changed my mind (and picked up the latest issue of New York Magazine, which had a cover story by Tom Wolfe that was absolutely fabulous). Now that I have waited my turn and read the book I am sorry to say that I am happy I didn't purchase the hardcover at full price. It's just not that funny.
As a fan, I would say that the book is worth reading. The first essay had me giggling and the last (and lengthiest) essay on his attempts to quit smoking in Tokyo were interesting in an armchair travel sort of way, but not so much in a humorous story kind of way. But Sedaris' life is interesting, nonetheless. Who else gets to live in Normandy, Paris, and NYC while travelling to countless other countries large and small.

A librarian from another library had mentioned the book Three Junes in passing. I picked it up recently and it has taken me by surprise. I feel like this book is at a level beyond everyday fiction for three reasons:
1. This is a well-built book. I don't know if I have ever said that of any other novel, but the way this book is designed adds to the story. It is in three parts: the first through the eyes of Paul, an older Scottish man who has just lost his wife and is travelling through Greece. He finds himself attracted to a young female artist and through the conversations they have you learn of his three sons.
In the second part, Paul has passed away and the story is through the eyes of his oldest son, Fenno, who has left Scotland to open a bookstore in New York City. The final part takes place on Long Island when Fenno comes across the young artist his father had met in Greece.
2. The words. Yes, all books are made of words. But which words? Some are full of cliches and overly used adverbs, other are pretentious in their vocabulary but Three Junes is neither. Her descriptions are unique and efficient enough to be noticeable but are never show-offy.
3. Characters. This book is brimming with interesting, 3-D characters who are both everyday and extraordinary.

It's no wonder Three Junes, Julia Glass' first book, won the National Book Award.