The link to my list is in the first post and many of my friends have some great books in their lists as well.

And if you want to delve into different genres, I HIGHLY recommend Book Lust

Cluetrain Manifesto - Doc Searls, Chris Locke, David Weinberger

The only book that clearly (particluarly the first quarter) describes what is lacking on the Web, why it’s missing, why we should care and what we can do.

You can read the whole book online on their site (here), but I like to kick back and reread it occasionally so the book is better for me.

The Elements of Style - William Strunk Jr.

Also, you can read this online - here. Called the jouranlist’s bible, it is nice to occasionally remind myself of good grammar

Both non-fiction, but the only two I seem to be recommending lately

Great recommendations! I wish there was some kind of Netflix for books, so I wouldn’t have to decide what to read next. Usually I resort to judging books by their covers …

Oh! I’m reading Daniel Handler’s Adverbs right now (because I liked the cover *and* I’m a fan of his Lemony Snicket books). Highly recommended for his quirky writing style and his deconstruction of the dust-jacket blurb.

ML: I wish I had your list before I went to the library.

Pablo: Dune was on my original list as well. I thought there were only 6 books in the series and I made it through 5 before getting burned out on the series. I agree with you though. I think people may be turned off if they saw the movie, but the book is almost impossible to represent in movie form. P.S. - Sting sucks.

I would say for light reading, I turn to mystery. Anything by Michael is very good. I also read A million Pieces and thought it was very hard to believe. Leave it at that. Here goes:

Marlo Morgan: Mutant Message from Forever
This is a novel about enlightenment. Aboriginal twins separated by birth, search for roots that reunited them from opposite sides of the globe. Itis a very moving story in which the power of purity, acceptance, and openness transcends injustice and degradation. It contains ageless values and simple wisdom.

Sarah Gruen: Water for Elephants
The circus, the Great Depression, a complex elephant and vivid characters that spring from a time that absolutely deserves to be remembered.

Lisa See: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
This novel reveals the lives and tradition of woman born in 19th century China and what they endure. Many secrets are reveal and it certainly leaves you wondering about these traditions.

Larry Tye: Rising from the Rails
We have often seen and heard about Pullman cars and train porters. This book is the history of how all this came to be and is enlightening it its revelation of the lives of the porters and the lives of there rich passengers. A great read!

Keith Donohue: The Stolen Child
Since you, Jon, realy loved the Time Travelers Wife, this is a great book for you. It is a great work on the legend of the changeling. It takes on myth, rooting it in our time, and telling it from the alternating viewpoints of the two changelings, one who has been taken, and one who has been placed. It was inspired by a W.B. Yeats poem that tempts a child from home to the waters and the wild.

A must read. I have a hard time putting it down. I have read it about 8 times now.

The Rebel Sell : Joe Heath & Andrew Potter

This is the perfect anti-dote to the leftist analogies dished out by Naomi Klein, etc., and really puts counter-culture in perspective. Rebel Sell demolished all my ideals, but also gave me a new way to look at the issues. Also, they made more sense than their hippie counterparts.

Assassination Vacation : Sarah Vowell

I’m a bit of a history buff, but I’ll be the first to admit I know next to nothing about U.S. history if it happened before 1975. Sarah Vowell’s witty and self-effacing narrative take the reader with her as she tours America in search of president’s past and turns up more weird factoids than one can shake a Lincoln Log at. I wish she would write more books!

Chuck Klosterman – anything

Does this officially make me a hipster cliché? I’m copping out here, but Chuck Klosterman is one of those writers who not only can I not put down, but I often find myself reading aloud to anyone who will listen.

Heat : Bill Buford

I picked this up on accident, but enjoyed Buford’s yarn about becoming a chef’s apprentice. Less about the big names than the dust jacket surmises, this is really a first-person’s quest for the origin of Italian cuisine.

Heat has given me numerous anecdotes to share over a plate of pasta and a few gross ones that will make even the most strident meat eaters shudder.

The Way We Eat : Jim Mason and Peter Singer

I love this book because it looks at food consumption from a philosophical viewpoint and leaves no angle unturned in its quest for ethical purity. Rational, balanced, and entertaining, The Way We Eat challenges meat eaters and eat local organic vegan types just the same.

N0ia: I had Dan Brown on my original list as well. I’ve read three other books of his (Angels & Demons, Deception Point, and Digital Fortress) and they all seem to follow the same formula as DaVinci Code. They’re easy reads.

As for choke, I think I read it. I’ve read around four other books by Palahniuk and I’m always disappointed. While I think he writes some of the greatest descriptions of things, his stories rarely hold my attention or wrap up properly enough for me. Fight Club is the only book of his that I’ve liked from end to end.

Viv: While I’ve watched Bourdain’s TV show on cable, I never really thought of him writing books. I don’t know why. I’ll have to look them up.

Johnny: For those that don’t know the back story, The author originally claimed that A Million Little Pieces was based on his life. When it was later discovered that the work was pure fiction, a lot of Oprah’s book club biddies got their panties in a bunch. Originally, I made reference to the controversy in my recommendation, but then took it out because I don’t think it matters. I read it after the controversy and didn’t really care that it was fiction. True or not, it’s an excellent book.