Men's Book Club discussion

I'm stuck in a sci-fi / fantasy reading rut. Please help with book suggestions from other genres. I tend to like character based stories, but if the description starts with "a heart-wrenching tale...", I can't get it out of my hands fast enough.

Thanks in advance.

I just finished Richard Russo's Everybody's Fool. I'm a big fan of his, and would recommend any of his work.
His fictional universe is upstate New York rust-belt towns that have seen more prosperous days. Most of his characters are kind of like the place--working class and their best days are behind them. They are generally dealing with a lot of the problems of every day life, and not always in the best way. The "good guys" aren't always so good, but they have a strength that Russo admires.

Character-based military history-by-anecdote: Byron Farwell's Queen Victoria's Little Wars

Somewhat similar, but more "long form" and more politics: Peter Hopkirk's The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia

Stevenson's Kidnapped and Treasure Island are both deserving adventure classics.

If you want to see how the Other Half lives, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is exceptionally well written and quite funny.

Before you give up on fantasy/sci-fi do yourself a favour and read SHADOW OF THE BARBARIANShadow of the Barbarian: A Legend Will Rise. It is outstanding.

Thank you, Gentlemen, for the book suggestions. I'll be sure to check them out!

Eric wrote: "I'm stuck in a sci-fi / fantasy reading rut. Please help with book suggestions from other genres. I tend to like character based stories, but if the description starts with "a heart-wrenching tale...."

How about Me Cheetah by James Lever? Its really funny, very unusual in that it is narrated by a Hollywoodised chimpanzee, and there is absolutely no heart-wrenching in it at all. Its a cracking romp through 1930s> Hollywood, and... well, its just fantastic

Just thought of another author you might enjoy: Michael Chabon.
Some of his works have elements of Sci-Fi or fantasy, but I wouldn't use that label overall on any of the books I have read by him.
Some of my favorites of his:
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
The Yiddish Policemen's Union
Summerland (YA and full of fantasy)
Gentlemen of the Road

I read All Our Wrong Todays by elan mastai this year, enjoyed it.