I, Rigoberta Menchú by Rigoberta Menchú (1983) — The autobiography of the K'iche' Maya activist who won the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize. A first-person account of the civil war, the destruction of highland indigenous communities, and the survival of Maya culture. Essential reading before visiting the western highlands.
The Art of Political Murder by Francisco Goldman (2007) — A meticulous investigation into the 1998 murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi, killed two days after he published a report documenting the army's atrocities during the civil war. One of the finest pieces of narrative journalism to come out of Central America.
Guatemala: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture by Trish O'Kane — isbn: 1566562422 — A concise and readable political and cultural overview. Good background for travelers who want to understand what lies beneath the colonial architecture and volcano scenery.
The Long Night of White Chickens by Francisco Goldman (1992) — A novel set between Guatemala City and Boston that captures the texture of Guatemalan society — class, race, violence, and family — in the late 1980s. Goldman knows the country intimately and it shows.
The Blindfold's Eyes by Sister Dianna Ortiz (2002) — isbn: 1570754357 — A harrowing memoir by an American nun who was abducted and tortured in Guatemala in 1989. Difficult to read, important as a document of the era.
Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan by John Lloyd Stephens (1841) — The 19th-century account of the first modern expedition to document the Maya ruins. Stephens and illustrator Frederick Catherwood traveled to Copán, Quiriguá, and Palenque when the jungle still covered everything. Still readable and surprisingly funny.
Belize and Northern Guatemala: The Ecotraveller's Wildlife Guide by Les D. Beletsky — isbn: 0120848112 — Solid field guide to the flora and fauna of the region, useful for anyone spending time in the Petén jungle around Tikal.