"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

Bleep you, & bleep the establishment, and bleep all of you who are trying to make me part of the unestablished establishment.

Redbear recommends;

The Watch series by  Sergei Lukyanenko.  I burned through the first three books, the forth will not be released in the U.S. until late January.  It is a really enjoyable series about 'Others' (Vampires, Lycanthropes and users of magic) set mainly in Moscow in the late nines/early aughts. Recomended for those who enjoy fantasy, somewhat akin to the Harry Potter books only in that these 'Others' 'exist' beside 'regular' hummans in the 'modern' world. ('Sorry.')

For those who like the Rowling or Pulman style kids/YA/adult crossover appeal fantasy The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane, which starts with So You Want To Be A Wizard, is worth a look.  This is another story of a young person who discovers they have magical powers right around puberty.  This earth is much more akin to our world than those of Harry or Lyra so the protagonist has to deal with her magical studies on top of  her normal homework. Good geeky outsider fun, female main character is portrayed in a fairly positive light, if I recall correctly.

Speaking of books with positive role models for girls Miyazakis Manga Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind is great!  Nausicaa is a kick ass warrior princess who is also smart and compassionate.  The art is gorgeous and the story is insightful.

Happy Reading!

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

I am, with some effort, resisting the urge to answer in the third person because redbear don't like dat.

Not really my genre but if forced I can recommend L. A. Confidential by James Ellroy, A Study in Scarlet by Doyle and particularly Booked to Die and The Bookman's Wake by John Dunning.  The Dunning Books are quite good in my opinion but that is probably because Cliff Janeway, the protagonist, is a former cop turned used and rare book dealler and both novels involve book collecting. As an added bonus The Bookman's Wake takes place, in part, here in Seattle and up in the Cascades in TP land.

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu

Can anyone recommend any nonfiction that reads like fiction?

I think I am going to cry and become illiterate if I can't find a good book to read like 5 minutes ago.

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

Palimpsest - a memoir by Gore Vidal  

This memoir tells of Vidal's first 39 years.  I think Vidal is one of the sharpest wits and greatest raconteurs we still have with us, and this memoir is chock full of his insights into writing, history, acting, and politics. Vidal seems to have known everyone...the Kennedys, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Tennessee Williams, Amelia Earhart, Jack Kerouac, Eleanor Roosevelt, on and on and on.  I couldn't put it down. Intellectual gossip you can feel good about reading!

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu

"It's not so bad as long as you can keep the fear from your mind." - D. Cooper

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind killer." - P. Atreides

"Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe" - L. tzu