It is great isn't it? My husband and I make jokes about "poor impulse control" all the time. I haven't read his Baroque Cycle trilogy yet, but I did enjoy Cryptonomicon. Have you tried anything by Connie Willis? Not the same vein, but a similar quirkiness of character. I loved To Say Nothing of the Dog.

As for The Time Traveler's Wife, it's wonderful. No one that I know who's read it has had anything but praise for it. I don't know if I can think of any other book in recent memory that I can say that about. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.