Required reading not on the list

Sometimes you need a great book that isn't a Great Book. There are dozens of lists of the greatest books, with various criteria, but I'm not talking about those books. These are the others: books that you can go to again and again, or books that you only read once but stick with you forever; books for laughing, crying, thinking or just being amazed by; books that you think everybody, just everybody, should read. They might not be great literature, but rarely are they not well written. They have characters that come to life, settings that feel real and somehow they just move you. You know books like these. Here are some of mine.

"The Once and Future King" by T.H. White - An easy-going adaptation of the Arthur legend, it is part politics, part philosophy and all joy. Falls into the category of "some of the most important things I learned. I learned form this book" and should be required reading for anyone running for office

"Jitterbug Perfume" by Tom Robbins - Many Robbins books fit this bill, but this is the one I come back to the most. Mystical, magical and sweeping, it teases and boggles and is all Robbins. You'll never look at a beet the same way again.

"The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy - One of our greatest living authors, in my not-so-humble opinion, Conroy is a true wordsmith. I have had to re-read passages in his books because I was so taken with the turn of phrase and use of language that I wasn't actually following the plot. This one stands out for the depth of character and sheer power.

"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card - Also on my Top Five All-Time Sc-Fi List, it is science fiction that transcends the genre and is filled with politics, sociology, philosophy and tells two great stories. I learn new things from this book every time I read it.

"Lonesome Dove" by Larry McMurtry - An epic western that was also made into an excellent TV mini-series that I highly recommend. An amazing collection of characters on a grand adventure, it can be brutal at times I dare you not to be moved.

"The Stand" by Stephen King - A very difficult book to define by genre, it is parts horror, fantasy, sci-fi, adventure and thriller. Apocalyptic themes and a pile of great characters, it is no casual read. But it is entirely compelling, and whatever else might be said about King, it must be said that the man can write.

"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S Thompson - Unfortunately appropriated by the party and drug culture, it is actually a biting and insightful look at a changing America and just a great read. At times prophetic and often hysterical it is a piece of genius that has been dismissed by people who should read it and misrepresented by many who have. By no means Thompson's best, it is a microcosm of his work, a writer whose genius was often obscured by his persona.

"The Travis McGee Books" by John D. MacDonald - I didn't pick one because you can and should read all twenty-one of them. Nobody did the mystery/thriller better than MacDonald and hanging out with Travis - an honorable knight-errant with a penchant for introspection - is both refreshing and challenging. Amazing tidbits of wisdom and philosophy on anything and everything are liberally sprinkled throughout, and you get to also listen to the lessons of Meyer, my all-time favorite "sidekick". Beware, though, that these books look and feel like pulp but can surprise you with depths unexpected. Travis has a great Wikipedia entry.

"Jonathan Livingston Seagull" by Richard Bach - Fable and homily hidden in a novella, it is simple and eloquent. I first read it when very young and loved that I was his namesake. It has in recent years been sucked - tragically and undeservedly - into the morass of spiritual self-help claptrap, but while it can border on smarmy and preachy, it is a wonderful book with a lot to say. It is also quite beautiful.

I try not to explicitly elicit comments here, but I really would love to hear about some of your personal "great - not Great - books". Chime in so we all have more to read.