Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-26475800-20181105035146/@comment-36627132-20181105121841

Here is my long list of suggested books. A few of these are well-known, but I suggested them anyway because there isn't much reference to them nowadays.

The original 1611 translation of the King James Bible - Not just for obvious reasons, but because it has an interesting history behind it, and it gives us a good glimpse of what medieval writing was like. They actually sell reprints of it.

Ramayana - The ancient Hindu epic poem. One of my favorites. It centers around Prince Rama, the seventh incarnation of Hindu god Vishnu, who has been unjustly banished to the forest. Aided by the vanaras (half-human half-monkey creatures) Rama fights Sri Lanka's demon king Ravana.

Mahabharata - Another ancient Hindu poem. This one is centered around two kingdoms at war. Vishnu's eighth incarnation Krishna plays a supporting role, and Hanuman from Ramayana makes a cameo.

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Another ancient epic poem. Includes what might be the first reference to zombies. Uruk King Gilgamesh goes on a perilous adventure to find the secret of eternal life after his friend Enkidu is killed by the gods.

Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor (not to be confused with Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor) - Possibly the world's first washed-up-on-an-island story.

Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en - One of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. The original Dragonball manga took inspiration from it. Tang Sanzang journeys from China to India to retrieve sacred Buddhist texts. On his way back he encounters many trials and enemies.

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes - Still pretty popular today. Published in the early 17th century (part one 1605, part two 1615). A nobleman named Alonso Quixano goes insane after reading too many romantic novels and decides to become a knight. Insane, he does not see the world for as it is.

The Miracle Man by Frank L. Packard - Probably only silent film buffs have heard of this one. A group of conartists which consists of a mastermind, his girlfriend, a fake cripple, and a drug pusher try to cash in on a faith healer. I have a copy of the first edition (1914).

I have a lot more suggestions, but most of them are well known so it would be kind of pointless.