The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Robert Fitzgerald
I've always had trouble focussing on the Odyssey. I know key points, like the Cylcops and "NoMan" as well as the sirens. However, I have trouble recalling whether I just read it, or have just absorbed it from popular culture. This is the long book about homecoming, with the voyage of the victors being as challenging as the war they just fought. The translation is not too long and is fairly accessible if you can pay attention.
The version of the Iliad I listened to was different from either of the translations I have in paper. The story deals with wars. At times it goes in to details of the various leaders and their battles. Later it shifts into battles among the gods. The fate of the individual men is almost incidental to the battles between the deities, It does get slow going at times, but then key elements from legend pop out. Achilles plays a huge role here.
Casino Royale (James Bond 1) by Ian Fleming
This is the first James Bond book. There is high stakes gambling, a narrow avoidance of death and romance. The novel is fairly short. There doesn't seem to be as much action as I would expect from the movie. Bond also has his upper-crust snobbery. there are the proper cuban cigars as well as the details of the card games. He does show uncharacteristic weakness - he is ready to leave the service and mary his love interest. However, that ends up becoming a moot point. The novel is not great, but I can see why it was popular. The most intense "action" sequence is probably when he makes moves to avoid getting shot at the card table (right as he is at the point of bankrupting his opposition spy opponent.)
