So a couple people i know, respected and trusted older people recommended some "light" reading:
Book of Enoch
I Maccabees (read first Maccabees)
II Maccabees (read second Maccabees)
The Book of Wisdom
Others have posted before, but it cannot be emphasized enough, these outline historical events which directly talk to events transpiring today.
If you understand history, you understand the present, and can help shape it.
It gets kind of wierd when you talk to a scholar about canon. Almost no one I've discussed these with dispute authenticity or the Holy Spirit's inspiration in their creation. Those that do I wouldn't put weight in them for other reasons (poor quality people, don't know what they're talking about).
The issue comes more that it wasn't a fit for the biblical narrative, grace or salvation, and a wierd excuse about historical authenticity. The original canon set by Jews had the same issues, but I'm less versed with how that happened.
Again, it wasn't that it was a fake or something, but confusion as to how to read it, wether literally or metaphorically.
Because of the content most wanted the latter, but couldn't find to what the metaphore could be prescribed that would be easily digestible to the common man. Other than this I was never able to get good answers.
Personnally, I'll be finishing them soon, and I'm taking them as literal and historically factual. When I'm done I'll re-visit.
It goes against grace? Please explain! Enoch right?
No, its just the message didn't directly fit into the grace narrative. I had a long discussion with a couple gentlemen years ago. The general consensus was that regardless of content it was unimportant to salvation, so it didn't matter that it wasn't canonized in todays bible. I tend to disagree personally, as history plays an important role in understanding why the present is what it is.