Something I just recently picked up for a short story class, but that I wasn't able to put down when I read it:
The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien. It's somewhat of a fiction book, somewhat of a memoir. Read it and you'll understand both what that means, and probably understand why all those critics were wrong about
Jarhead being too many things at once. I'd be surprised if the Jarhead novel wasn't influenced by O'Brien himself.
It's about 250 pages, but chances are you'll breeze through it, because it reads more like an intriguing conversation you have with someone than a collective narrative.
As the blurb on the back claims, it's also good pulp material for those of you who are aspiring writers.
Jam it back in, in the dark.