The sixty-third book: #52 Vathek - William Beckford
By now a long time ago, I started this list with Arabian Nights. It was an interesting, if at times formulaic read and it's not surprising it would have inspired other authors. Vathek isn't directly trying to mimic their style (although some have tried to link it that way), but it has clearly been inspired by it. What we get are a number of stories about the titular Vathek, a caliph who abandons islam and goes on a series of adventures.
There are some interesting twists in there and it's a quick enough read with entertaining situations - something quite different from other books of the era, with a unique tone. That made it quite nice to read through, in a way that gives you an insight of what an 18th century Brit found and valued in this tale.