"If on a Winter's Night a Traveler" by Italo Calvino, a must read for everyone interested in writing.

"Fool on the Hill" by Matt Ruff. Made me laugh so hard I literally dropped from the couch. "Set this House in Order" by the same author is also worth reading. A little lighter, but nonetheless hilarious, are Martin Millar's "The Good Fairies of New York" and Bo Fowler's "Scepticism Inc."

My all time favourites are Hermann Hesse's "Glass Bead Game" and " Narcissus and Goldmund".