The title pretty much says it all. They can be fiction or nonfiction, just so long as they are, in your opinion, a good read and fairly accurate.
Any time period and any place is open.
This one is supposed to be good.
I have it, but haven’t read it yet.
I liked A Painted House by John Grishom. It reminds me a lot of my grandmothers stories in the early 20th century. Its not a very complex tale, but it is quite good for him.
American Splendor is very common and quite good.
I read Flesh and Spirit for a European history class, it was very entertaining and quite readable.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0140291989/103-6773119-2845403?v=glance
For Ancient Rome I’d go with Colleen McCullough’s First Man in Rome series.
I honestly don’t know if it’s a good representation of life in Rome but considering Harry Turtledove’s reputatiation as the premier alt-history author of today, I would suggest “Household Gods”. Good read and lots of domestic issues.
I have enjoyed:
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Letter from Poitou short novel encompassing English history in the very early 1300’s.
Jack Whyte’s Camolud Chronicles Arthurian, but seemingly very realistic
Anything by Mary Renault I find to be readable, fascinating and with a very you-are-there flavor.
Avi’s Crispin: A Cross of Lead won the Newbery last year. I felt it did a great job of depicting what life was like in the Middle Ages. Crispin was poor and orphaned. I got a good idea of how wretched life was for the serfs.
“Fall on Your Knees” by Ann Marie MacDonald
I agree with Kid Charlemagne - the Masters of Rome series is great, as long as you realize that you get limited glimpses of “common man” everyday life - it is mostly focused on the upper echelon of Roman society. But there are lots of small forays into lower-class areas, too.
Like Caprese, I liked Whyte’s Camulod chronicles, but they are not as well written as the Masters of Rome series, nor even remotely anchored in historical fact.
I loved Caleb Carr’s The Alienist for its glimpse into life in 1896 Manhattan. True, it is a killer thriller, but wrapped up in a well-researched historically accurate depiction of Manhattan. Same with An Instance of the Fingerpost for 1661 Oxford.
I am also interested in finding that kind of book. It’s hard to find really good ones, though.
London and Sarum , Edward Rutherford. Covers the history of London from the time it was founded by Emperor Claudius to the 20th century. He follows several families and their descendents through about 2000 years. Each family has characteristic physical traits to help you keep track of who is whose descendant. Sarum does the same thing, starting from the Stone Age era to the present, in the Stonehenge area of England. These books aren’t literary masterpieces, but they do give a great picture of everyday life and keep your interest.
Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett. The plot is predictable and at times juvenile, but its description of castle/town life in 12th century England is worth it.
I also recommend the Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart for a look at life in Dark Ages England.
Darnit! The only reason I even opened this thread was to suggest Household Gods!
Although I have to admit that the protagonist’s whining and general cluelessness about non-modern life (especially for someone with the educational level of having graduated both college and law school) was really, really annoying. It doesn’t reach the point of ruining the book, though.
Diary of a Provincial Lady by RF Delafield.
There are many others but that’s the one that sprung to mind when I saw the thread title.
Galileo’s Daughter
I’m currently reading Daily Life in Ancient Rome by Jerome Carcopino. A bit dated, but full of interesting stuff I hadn’t known. (eg Most Romans lived in apartment buildings. Romans were so nonchalant about defecating beside each other that you could even find a three-seater in the Emperor’s palace.)
“The Girl With A Pearl Earring.” 
That, in addition to basically being an out and out bitch was a little annoying but the premise and Turtledove’s writing skill kept it entertaining throughout.
John Steinbeck stories take a real look at many aspects of life and human nature. If long novels bore you, try Mice and Men or The Pearl. He has written so much. They are all down-to-earth stories…without need for some crazy pretense. If you want to read something really interesting, read his non-fiction books which are like diaries of his adventures: (a) Travels With Charley and (b) Log from the Sea of Cortez.
Steinbeck was the anti-Hemingway who didn’t need to prove he was a man. And, his genuine nature shines through all his works.
- Jinx
For a fictional look at Rome around 70 AD, try the Falco novels by Lindsey Davis. Falco is definitely lower-class, and describes himself as an ‘informer’, really a hard-boiled detective. I’m no expert, but the details I did know seem accurate, and it just feels right.
More academically, there’s A Day in Old Athens by W. S. Davis (1914, reprinted 1960). Project Gutenberg has it.
The Land Remember by Ben Logan. Non-fiction. It’s about growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm in the apple orchard area in the southwest part of the state. Quite awesome.