The Godfather
by Mario Puzo
Not classic literature, but certainly classic story-telling. Plenty of intrigue and minor commentaries on loyalty, love and vengeance. Having seen The Godfather movies and watched every episode of The Sopranos, this was a very comfortable read. Briefly, it follows the Corleone family -- father Vito, and sons Santino (Sonny), Freddie and Michael, and their lives in the Mafia after World War II. Sonny and his lover Lucy (who later becomes involved with the Las Vegas doctor Jules Seagal), Freddie and his life as hotel manager in Vegas, and Michael, the least likely of successors, but the most capable as the new Don. Other characters are crooner Johnny Fontane, Sollozzo the Turk, Appollonia (Michael's first wife), and Luca Brasi (the monster who killed his own child).