The Master Yeshua: the Undiscovered Gospel of Joseph by Joyce Luck (historical fiction 2014)

Told from the point of view of a non-existent nephew of Yeshua, or Jesus, this book gets a lot of historical details right.  It attempts to tell the story as the Ebionites believed.  That group, among others, was declared heretical in the early church when they decided to go with Paul's version. 

While the narrative is mostly a delight, the author's voice breaks through the narrator's many times, which can be jarring.  The reader certainly gets the impression that the author is a good and sincere person, but might rather enjoy the POV of the fictional narrator uninterrupted.

Confronting the Classics by Mary Beard (nonfiction 2013)

Aside from some problematic remarks about rape, this might be the best collection of book reviews ever.  Beard's encyclopedic knowledge of the ancient world is at its best.  As I've read many of the books she critiques, it's very enjoyable.

Visions and Longings: Medieval Women Mystics edited by Monica Furlong (nonfiction 1996)

Wonderful compilation with intelligent commentary.

The Grammar of God by Aviya Kushner (nonfiction 2015)

Amazing book about a woman who grew up reading the Bible in Hebrew and discussing it with her family.  She later takes a class about the Bible in English and is struck by similarities and differences in translations.  The book is almost a memoir, almost a linguistic analysis, all super neat.

The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found by Mary Beard (nonfiction 2008)

All the gold stars.  Ms. Beard is my favorite classical historian because she's skeptical.  She's an expert on Pompeii and I think people should read this book before they go.  When she does go off on an analytical flight of fancy, she provides plenty of evidence to think about.

The Pope's Daughter by Dario Fo (historical fiction 2014)

This award-winning book by a theater guy about Lucrezia Borgia suffers from choppiness that may be a result of the translation, but it's a lot of fun.  It really tries to see the real girl behind all the crazy stories.

A New History of Early Christianity by Charles Freeman (nonfiction 2009)

Really great stuff, scholarly and accessible.  This is interesting.