I had to read this book for a college class, but I can guarantee that I didn't regret it.  This book contains two letters and a selection of poems by Petrarch, one of the pioneers in the Renaissance movement.
   Although I have read the translation from Italian to English, Petrarch's writing is still very engaging and fluid, with his mentions of moments in the author's life such as his unrequited love for Laura to references to works from ancient Greece and Rome and his will to rescue such cultures.  Certainly a book that is worth reading and that will not take up much of your time, as in addition to being fluid, the writing is also a short book.