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In association with Amazon.com...required reading!

See also The Good Economist's Bookshelf

	There's no salvation for a fantasy fan who hasn't read the gospel of J.R.R. Tolkien. Although the Hobbit can stand by itself, I highly recommend its sequel, the three-book epic, The Lord of the Rings-- encompassing The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. That many (if not most) fantasy works are in some way a derivative of Tolkien is understood, but The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings is so universal that everybody from George Lucas to Led Zeppelin has appropriated it for one purpose or another. The Lord of the Rings trilogy hit the big screen in 2001! Check it all out at Lord of the Rings.net!
	The Chronicles of Narnia is another true masterpiece. Ironically, C.S. Lewis was a contemporary of J.R.R. Tolkien and although this series lacks much of the detail of Tolkien's, it still falls on my 'must read' list. This is one of the very few sets of books that should be read three times: in childhood, early adulthood, and late in life. In brief, it's about four children who travel repeatedly to a world in which they are far more than mere children and everything is far more than it seems. Narnia is populated with fascinating characters, perfectly realized in detail of world, pacing of plot and profoundly allegorical with continual threading of the timeless issues of good and evil, faith and hope.
	The Guns of Navarone will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Set in World War II, an entire navy had tried to silence the guns of Navarone and failed. Full-scale attacks had been driven back. Now they were sending in just five men, each one a specialist. Great action, incredible gambits, complex characterization, good dialogue. The book is MUCH better than the movie!!! After you read this, read its sequel Force 10 from Navarone
	I live in 1400 square feet of space, and I have no formal living room or dining room because I always believed they were wasted space. My home office is not tucked away in a back room, but rather is part of the main floor. When I discovered the The Not so Big House, I realized the author had taken my viewpoints and put them into print. This is about building houses to suit the way we really live.
	I have a reputation for being meticulously organized. I'm not a neat-freak, but I've learned not to attach emotions to junk. Don Aslett in Clutter's Last Stand can help anyone do the same.
	Reading Babies and Other Hazards of Sex years ago I laughed until I cried. It was my first exposure to humorist Dave Barry and I've since concluded this man is a god. (If you don't have children, nieces or nephews, you won't 'get it.')
	Skipping Christmas is a great idea! I loved the book! I only wish Grisham would have had the courage to keep the protagonists Christmas-free until the end. The movie Christmas with the Kranks" is based on this book, and hit the theaters in 2004.
	I would recommend anything Dave Barry writes but his Homes and Other Black Holes has to be my second favorite. (For number one, see above.) However, if you've never moved, you'll miss out on a lot of this humor...