The Years With Ross by James Thurber
Quite simply the best biography I've ever read (& twice now). The man (Harold Ross, founder & publisher of The New Yorker) stands before you, come to life, & his was a giant's personality.
Collected Stories of Carson McCullers
You might just fall in love with this wonderful variety of stories; my favorite is the one about the penpal.
Lonesome Traveler by Jack Kerouac
Great recollections of his travels to Mexico, New York, Europe, etc., & his other doings; "The Railroad Earth" alone is worth the price of the volume.
The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant
Let Will Durant make the most complex philosophy understandable for you & me.
The Elements of Style by Strunk & White
Not another blah book on writing; this book is a lot of fun to read.
The Religions of Man by Huston Smith
If you are like me, while reading this, you might borrow, for your own philosophy of life, some Hinduism, some Buddhism, some Taoism . . .
Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe
Some of the most memorable & concrete characters ever portrayed in "fiction," most of them from one unforgettable family.
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyador Dostoevsky
This isn't just a novel, this is an event.
Crime and Punishment by Fyador Dostoevsky
See above note on previous Dostoevsky novel
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Saving the best for last, I give you the greatest novel ever, in my opinion, the only opinion that matters on this webpage.
"Parents Who Love Reading, Kids Who Don't" by Leonhardt
