For good fiction reading, I’d recommend anything Colleen McCullough wrote. Obviously, “The Thorn Birds” stands out, but also her historical fiction series about the end of the Roman Republic/beginning of the Roman Empire is excellent.
Also, Harold Bloom compiled an excellent anthology called “Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children of All Ages.” The title is a bit tongue in cheek, but the book’s thesis is basically that we can’t expect to become highly literate in the masters like Shakespeare, Donne, Chekhov, and Hugo, if we don’t begin on the foundations of Kipling, Carroll, Stevenson, and Andersen. It’s packed with great short stories and poems. It can be picked up and put down at will. It’s a personal favorite.
If you’re looking for a real change of pace, how about picking up a play? It’s a bit of a different reading experience, but a great way to open up to a genre of literature that doesn’t get enough exposure. Try Christopher Fry’s “The Lady’s Not for Burning.” Brilliant play if underplayed.
I’ll chime in with Stephen about Christian bookstores, and if you have any designs on preventing your head from exploding, I’d stay away from the political equivalents of smutty paperbacks.
