Sefer HaChinuch / Book of Mitzvos, Volume 1, Mitzvos 1 - 65. 2012, ISBN 978-1-4226-1189-0.
This is a multi-volume English elucidation of a 700 year old classic of Torah scholarship. The Torah is described by the Jews as having 613 Mitzvos. A Mitzvos is an obligation or prohibition. The familiar 10 commandments are included in these Mitzvos. The author of this book is unknown, however he is thought to have been a disciple of Ramban. There are many references in the book to Rambam. Interestingly, there is not complete agreement on what are the 613 Mitzvos. This book details some of the confusion regarding this situation. Also, the way these Mitzvos are understood by the Jews can be surprising. For example, Exodus 20:13 (20:15 in King James) says "You shall not steal." This is described in this book (Mitzvah 36) as a Prohibition against Kidnaping. This book contains the Hebrew text and enhanced English translation with notes and insights. Purchased from Artscroll  3-1-2012, for $27.44.

Fallen Angels by Harold Bloom. 2007, 978-0-300-12348-7.
The concept of fallen angel as discussed in this book is different than the usual as given by the above link. Bloom here describes a theory that all humans can be viewed as fallen angels. Interesting book. Purchased September 2012 from Cameron's Books for $5.

Joseph Smith by Robert V. Remini. 2002, ISBN 0-670-03083-X.
This is a biography of Joseph Smith, jr. who was the founder of the LDS movement (Mormons.) The book is well written and I enjoyed reading it. Seems to be objective without being pro or con concerning the veracity  of Joseph Smith claims or those of his dis-tractors.
Purchased from Powells on 6-3-2012 for $7.95.

The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare. From the book The Complete Pelican Shakespeare. (1969, ISBN 0-670-77076-0.) Shakespeare is fun to read, but hard because the language is so complex. This play is about two pairs of twins that are separated when babies and grow up in different cities. Then as adults they meet but not until after a lot of confusion of idenity, etc.
This a book I purchased a long time ago at PSU bookstore for $16.95.

2012-08-17, Taming of the Shrew 
2012-09-17, Two Gentlemen of Verona

You Are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh (2009, ISBN 978-1-59030-675-8) This a book about Buddhism. Specifically it is about living in the present moment.  This is achieved through breathing meditation. "Breathing in. I know I am breathing in" and "Breathing out. I know I am breathing out." The book discusses this breathing meditation but does not contain much about the basic of buddhism. It is primarily a discussion about the benefits of living in the present.
Purchased from amazon, 9-11-2009, for $13.57.

The Book of Mormon, A Biography by Paul C. Gutjahr. 2012, ISBN 978-0-691-14480-1.
This book is about the Book of Mormon. It contains a disscussion about how the book was created and its effect on American culture, during its 180 year history. The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the LDS church. It is not regarded as sacred by any other religion.
Purchased at Powell's Books for 17.50 on 6-3-2012.

Romania, An Illustrated History by Nicolae Klepper. 2002, ISBN 978-0-7818-0935-1.
This book provides a concise history of the area now known as Romania from pre-history to just after 2000. For me the most interesting parts were the early chapters (1-7) that covered the ancient and medieval history. From the book it seems clear that Romania has had a long history of struggling with more powerful neighbors from the Greeks and Romans to the Ottomans and the Austro-Hungarians and Russians.
Purchased at Powells books, 6-3-2012, 16.95.

The Pythagorean Theorem by Alfred S. Posamentier.  2010, ISBN 978-1-61614-181-3. Subtitled: The Story of Its Power and Beauty.
The cover shows a "Pythagorean Tree" constructed from layers of Pythagorean triangles with squares on their sides. (Discussed in chapter 7.) This book is similar to the book by Eli Maor, but covers topics not discussed in that other book. Both books are worth reading.
Purchased from amazon.com, 10-5-2010, for $19.71.

 The Divine Comedy - Paradise by Dante, translated by Dorothy Sayers and Barbara Reynolds. 1962, ISBN 0140441050.
The Divine Comedy - Paradise by Dante translated by Charles Eliot Norton. 1892, PDF from books.google.com.
This is the third and final volume in Dante's poetic description of a journey through the three realms of the afterlife. In this volume Dante enters paradise, the heavens of crystalline spheres that surround the earth. There he meets various Saints who enlighten him concerning the nature of the divine and salvation. Dante's universe was the Ptolemaic system where the Earth was at the center and the Planets (wanderers, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars,  Jupiter, Saturn ) and stars occupied various crystalline spheres that rotated above the Earth.  
The Sayers translation was purchased back in the 1970's for 90 cents, probably from a book store near PSU. The Norton translation was a .mobi file (3ddcn10.mobi) a project Gutenberg book downloaded from the internet. Also, can be found at books.google.com.

How to Answer a Jehovah's Witness by Robert A. Morey. 1980, ISBN 0-87123-206-5. Purchased on 2-17-2012 for $ .01 + 3.99 s&h from Thrift Books via Amazon Marketplace.
This book purports to teach Evangelical Christians how to talk with and convert Jehovah Witnesses who might come to their house to promote their religion. The idea of the book is to prove that the Watchtower Society promotes false prophecies and that therefore their version of religion is false.
The real way to talk to them is to just not answer that door and whatever you do don't give them any money or let them in your house!

Blues People by LeRoi Jones. 1963, ISBN 0-688-18474-X.
Subtitle: The Negro experience in White America and the music that developed from it.
This book is about African-American music. How it got started with the slaves from Africa and their work songs, to Gospel, to Blues, to Ragtime, to early Jazz and to the various forms of Jazz that developed up until about 1960. (At least the edition I read stops at about 1960.) Doesn't discuss Rock or any more recent musical forms. Very interesting, written at a College level.
Purchased at Cameron's 1996 for $2.50.

The Divine Comedy - Purgatory by Dante Alighieri, tr Dorothy L. Sayers, 1955, ISBN 0140440461. The Divine Comedy - Purgatory tr Charles Eliot Norton, 1891.

The Sayers translation was an actual book. Probably purchased in 1973, for $1.05, maybe at Powells, maybe at a bookstore by PSU. This translation has a long introduction and notes after each canto. Plus there are several Appendix that discuss certain issues in more detail. In the Divine Comedy Dante mentions many people and scholars have tried since it was first made available to determine who these people where. Matilda is one such character who has be speculated about for many years. This translation is again in verse form, that tries to reproduce the Italian Terza rima.

The second translation I read was the Charles Eliot Norton. This is a file I read on my kindle (2ddcn10.mobi), which can be found at websites that have public domain texts. I think this was originally a project Gutenberg text (here.) This translation is older and in prose form. It also has notes to explain the various references.

How to Answer a Mormon by Robert A. Morey. 1983 ISBN 0-87123-260-X. Recently there has been talk in the media about Mormonism vs. Christianity. Mostly because of a republican candidate for president. So I thought it would be interesting to read a book on the subject. I have read about Mormonism before, I even tried to read the Book of Mormon (I found it too silly. Read it here.) This book however doesn't discuss Mormonism vs. Christianity. Morey's attack on Mormonism is based purely on the prophet-hood of Joseph Smith jr. and what he prophesied. Morey's idea is that all of Mormonism rests on Joseph Smith being a Prophet and if he is shown to be a false prophet then the religion is false.

The Divine Comedy: Hell by Dante Alighieri, translated by Dorothy L Sayers. 1949, ISBN 0 14 044 006 2.

The Divine Comedy: Inferno By Dante Alighieri, translated by Charles Eliot Norton. 1891.

The Sayers translation was the actual book. I purchased it probably in 1973. This is the third time I have read it. The Norton translation is an ebook (1ddcn10.mobi, it is a Gutenburg text, google it.) I don't remember where I downloaded it from, but it is in the public domain.
I read these two translations canto by canto. Sayers tried to translate into English the poetic form of the original Italian. She discusses it in the introduction. Norton is a prose translation. Both have notes to explain various references, but Sayers are much better (of these two.)

This is a story that takes place in medieval Italy. It is about a lost soul (Dante) searching for the truth. Hell is populated with many famous people, some real and some fictional. Also, there are many people that Dante knew, but who are unknown today.