Dirty Story by Eric Ambler: a sequel to The Light of Day (which was made into the movie Topkapi); excellent because Eric Ambler just is excellent; slightly dated and it helps to know the prior book if you’re going to be invested in the main character
Imperium by Ryszard Kapuściński: Kapuściński travels around the Soviet Union prior to and just as it breaks up, leaving no doubt to its failure as a governing state, but painting a picture of survival under extreme circumstances
The War against Cliché: Essays and Reviews 1971-2000 by Martin Amis: I like thinking about books and writing and Amis is good company for doing that; your mileage may vary
Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War by Steve Inskeep: this and Inskeep’s previous book on Andrew Jackson widely expanded my knowledge of influential individuals in their day, generally granted a paragraph or two at best in American history surveys
Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore: sequel to A Dirty Job; Moore is always entertaining and often enlightening with a style that borders on magical
