Waiting for the Wild Beasts to Vote by Ahmadou Kourouma (1998) — The great Ivorian novel. A savage political satire set in post-independence West Africa, told through the life of a dictator by his griot. Kourouma, who was from the Man region himself, is the towering figure of Ivorian literature and this is his masterpiece.
The Identity Card (La Carte d'identité) by Jean-Marie Adiaffi (1980) — Another major work of Ivorian fiction, exploring the absurdities of colonialism and identity through a man's quest for his identity papers. Vivid, angry, and formally inventive.
Penguin Book of Modern African Poetry edited by Gerald Moore and Ulli Beier — A solid anthology spanning the continent, useful for getting a feel for the literary landscape that produced Kourouma and Adiaffi.
West Africa (Lonely Planet or Bradt regional guide) — For practical information on the wider region; the Man section in any recent edition covers the key practicalities for the hills and the liana bridges.