As if your reading lists weren't already bloated enough, here are a few extra recommendations: 1. Books Worth Reading This is a very broad category, so I think I'll separate it into fiction and non-fiction a. Fiction For the science fiction fans among you, I strongly suggest you pick up something by Alfred Bester: either "The Demolished Man" or "The Stars My Destination" are classics. (The latter is actually an adaptation of the Count of Monte Cristo.) For those less inclined to such flights of fancy, Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" or Sherman Alexie's "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" are both good reads. b. Nonfiction Most of the nonfiction I've read recently has been affiliated in some way with courses I have been taking, and my recommendations will mostly reflect this fact. First off is Peter Hopkirk's "The Great Game", a thick book, but a surprisingly engaging one nevertheless. Hopkirk transforms a potentially dry subject (19th century political and diplomatic affairs in Central Asia) into an extremely exciting narrative. Secondly, for any World War II afficionados, Guy Sajer's "The Forgotten Soldier" is an amazing autobiography, providing insight into the horrors of war on the Eastern Front. (Along the same vein, "With the Old Breed" by Eugene Sledge is a great account of the Pacific campaign.) I'd also recommend either of David McCullough's biographies, "Truman" or the recently released "John Adams". 2. Books to Avoid I'll probably take some heat for this, but if you don't have to read Middlemarch (or anything else by George Eliot), I'd avoid it. And although I admit to reading them (and perhaps even enjoying them a little), the later books of Piers Anthony's Xanth series just aren't worth it. I doubt I need to reiterate my opinion of Danielle Steel, do I? 3. Last Book Read Exclusively for fun: Excluding the book which I am currently reading ("Pavane", a great alternate history by Keith Roberts), the last book I read just because I felt like it was Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". A fun book, although Verne was a firm believer in emphasizing the science in his science fiction, so beware of lengthy taxonomical tracts from M. Arronax (the narrator) and occasional engineering discussions with Captain Nemo. Later, Ben
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