I think I am stuck in a rut.
I have specific tastes in reading and find myself mostly concentrating on mystery/suspense, horror and fantasy. I have read many classics too, which I suppose are almost in a category all by themselves, regardless of genre.
So, my question is this...I am looking to read some modern "general" books...those that do not fall into my comfort zone listed above. My dad gave me The Girl with a Pearl Earring (I think he thought it was a biography of Vermeer...) and I am going to read that, but I was wondering what else other folks might recommend for me.
a.) Please, no romances.
b.) Nothing terribly "intellectual". I want depth, but this is more of a reading for fun list.
c.) Something fairly modern...written in the past 30 or 40 years or so.
Thank you for your time and (hopefully) numerous suggestions!