Quote Originally Posted by Lise
Non-fiction: I've read every book Karen Armstrong's written. She writes about the history of religions, and their interactions today. I especially enjoyed Jerusalem, One City, Three Faiths, but you can't go wrong with anything of hers.

Yes - excellent choice - i have read "a history of God", but is that really material you read on a trainer...
For balance - I like How we believe by Michael Shermer as well as Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton.

For some lighter stuff: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy;
Terry Pratchett's Discworld series - try Ment at Arms and Wyrd Sisters, as well as Good Omens he coauthored with Neil Gaiman (try reading that without falling off the trainer laughing, if you like the type of humor......

Political books on the stack: Noam Chomsky, Imperial Ambitions; Philip Roth, the plot against America.