One of my favourite books from the college days is Children of the City, by David Nasaw. Nifty read about turn-of-the-century, big-city-dwelling (think Manhattan & Chicago) youth and how they lived...play, work, et al.
Now, if there was just a use for this history degree...
Other brainy favourites of mine are The Naked Anthropologist, by Philip DeVita, and The Professor and the Madman, by Simon Winchester.
For mindless entertainment, I've enjoyed the first two installments of Dean Koontz's 'Frankenstein' series and am anxious for the third. I also enjoy most all offerings from Stephen King and Isaac Asimov (who didn't just write sci-fi, fwiw).