A twisted tale of the nightmare neighbors who move in next door. The Railway Journey - Wolfgang Schivelbusch. The history of the introduction of railroads in the latter 1800s. Interesting tales of how new technology finds its niche. Amnesia Moon - Jonathan Lethem.
Bad dreams pervade America after a bad thing happens.
Carpenter's Gothic - William Gaddis. His short book from the eighties, all set in a an old house outside NYC, with a variety of petty schemes and elite maneuvering. The Russian Century - Brian Moynahan. The sad but true tale of a country that has experienced wars, famines, revolutions, purges, etc. The Autobiography of Joseph Stalin - Richard Lourie.