what books would you recommend?

I would recomend anything by Cormac McCarthy. He wrote the book No Country For Old Men before it became a movie. His best books are Blood Meridian, All The Pretty Horses and THe Road. If you are really looking for somthing diffrent though check out anything by J.G. Ballard or Thomas Pynchon.

What kind of books are you interested in? I am reading a very fascinating book right now called "The Lost German Slave Girl" by John Bailey. It's about a German immigrant family who came to New Orleans in the mid 19th century and because they could not afford to pay for the voyage, they sold themselves into slavery for X number of years to pay off their debts. The story highlights one of these immigrants who ended up in slavery her whole life until old family friends and relatives recognize her (after finding her just by chance) and tell her she should be free. A court case to prove that she is indeed a German woman who should have been freed long ago ensues. It is quite a fascinating tale... I probably only speak for myself because I am a descendant of a German immigrant in New Orleans in the mid 1850's, so I just read it because I was eager to learn more about what my ancestors' lives may have been like both before and after their immigration to this country. But if you like history (especially more non-mainstream subjects) or law, it may also be of interest. My aunt is a lawyer, so she was interested in the book. Good luck finding some good reading material!

i don't read that much, so i couldn't be of any help.

I recommend you the Alchemist