Rebecca West's "Black Lamb and Grey Falcon"

Prose is right to say that you can learn to write by reading outside of your genre.  But it would seem more strange if someone was interested in writing non-fiction and therefore refused to read novels.  Or would it?  I've heard people- a person that Margaret Laurence might call a pioneer- say that they don't read novels because they're untrue and therefore distracting from the world as it is.  Of course, a novel is a lie that tells the truth.  West's writing is lively and it's no wonder that this book got on to the list.  I approached the book with reluctance, but was won over by the dedication which said: "to my friends in Yugoslavia who are now all dead or enslaved."  I like politics too and that doesn't hurt if you're going to read such a tome.  What are you reading?