I'm interested in what life was like for the everyday citizen as well as what culture and customs were like back then. Learning about leaders and wars and conquests is alright, but I'm more interested in the culture, worldview, advancements, and outlook on life people had.
Try searching for documentaries by Mary Beard or Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, possibly by Bettany Hughes as well although I believe she's more of a popular historian (and with a much broader coverage than just Rome); I enjoy watching her documentaries though. As for literature it's a little bit harder to just suggest stuff, spontaneously I'd point you towards the Journal of Roman Studies (that's where I'd look first if I were to study a subject like that, but it's behind a paywall), but book wise it's a little bit harder to just come up with something.