def read_list(fn):
    """Reads a list from a file without using readline.
    Uses standard line endings ("\n") to delimit list items.
    """
    f = open(fn, "r")
    s = f.read()
    # If the last character in the file is a newline, delete it
    if s[-1] == "\n":
        s = s[:-1]
    l = s.split("\n")
    return l