In the Courts of the Sun - Brian D'amato

By far the best book I've read in months, D'amato creates a fantastic near-future and recreates the lost Maya civilizations. As 2012 nears, the end of the Maya calendar, a large-scale disaster strikes. The disaster, followed by the end of civilization, are both predicted in a Maya codex. Jed DeLanda, a Maya descendant and expert in the future-fortelling Game, becomes involved with a conglomeration of groups interested in stopping the end-time. In short order, DeLanda finds the rich and powerful powers-that-be have the ability to send a copy of his mind back in time, with the hope that he can find out what the final disaster is and avert it in time. While the premise of the book is fantastic, De Landa's first-person internal running commentary is hilarious and snarky and gives a realistic tone to the book. D'amato brings a world of warring clans, secret societies, warrior culture and lost civilizations to colorful and believable life. Looks long, reads fast.

Busted: Life Inside the Great Mortgage Meltdown - Edmund Andrews

New York Times financial reporter Edmund Andrews covers the sad and confusing story of an average American who was taken in by the mortgage industry and s in danger of losing his home - himself. Despite his close and continual study of the American Economy, Andrews found himself drawn into the shady world of ARM loans, flubbed financial forms and an overpriced "dream" house. Newly married with children and step-children, Andrews dreamed of providing his new family a lovely home. However, the real estate boom was at its maddest. Partnered with a wily and unscrupulous realtor, Andrews signs up for a mortgage that bore no relation to his income. Not surprisingly, rates change, his wife's employment situation changes and bills come flooding in. In a moment of frustration, Andrews confesses his sins to the Great Man himself, Allan Greenspan, during an interview. Greenspan is horrified. Apparently, he had never actually met anyone losing their house to the mortgage scandal. A realistic, clear-headed and sadly common story of how even the smartest and savviest can be taken in.

And You Shall Know us by the Trail of Our Vinyl - Roger Bennett and Josh Kun

This awesome pop culture book, in the vein of Camp Camp and Bar Mitzvah Disco, looks at the history of Jewish music preserved in vinyl. Cantors, showmen, Jewish Christmas albums, Israeli folk, Yiddish humor and language records all help tell the tale of Jewish assimilation into American culture. Fascinating commentary and hilarious cover art abound.

No Regrets: The Best, Worst and Most #$%*ing Ridiculous Tattoos Ever - Aviva Yael and P.M. Chen

I think the title pretty much says it all. Embarrassing, ghastly, tasteless and generally awful tattoos at their truly lowest. Yep, there's a guy with "loser" tattooed on his forehead, an owl with breasts, a dolphin with a bong, Michael Moore and more. WHAT WERE YOU PEOPLE THINKING? Seriously.

Live Nude Elf - Reverend Jen

Not a book for this with rigid morals or no sense of humor, Reverend Jen covers her year as a sex writer for Nerve magazine. While most of her experiments are scary/gross/dangerous they also have a tinge of quirky dorkiness that makes her lovable... in a deranged sort of way. In one experiment, Jen and friends try to become groupies:

We rushed to the foot of the stage to get a better look and were instantaneously swept up in the madness. Legions of dudes banged their heads, genuflecting with devil horns. I too raised my horns in the air until Dodge pointed out that I was actually making the "hang loose" sign.

Thunderstruck - Erik Larson

Thunderstruck, by the author of The Devil in the White City, is another action- and fact-filled non-fiction book. Weaving together the stories of Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the wireless, and the infamous murderer Dr. Crippen, Larson makes two disparate stories overlap and interweave into one. Based on solid research, Larson tells of Marconi's struggles to make the Marconi machine (wireless technology) into a viable business. Danger came from the electricity he worked with, wretched weather around the places he built his towers and threats from other inventors. His selfish and often callous nature also caused him harm. Despite all, his crowning success came with the capture of the meek and mild-mannered murderer, Dr. Crippen (a very nice man, regardless). Exciting and detailed. Be sure to skim through the footnotes, there are some extra good bits he included that could not fit into the book.

The Charlemagne Pursuit - Steve Berry

Like fanciful action/adventure/historical stories but have too much self-respect to read Dan Brown (Da Vinci Code)? Try one of Berry's fast-moving tales. The Charlemagne Pursuit has all the excitement of a Bond film with a heavy dose of Indiana Jones-style psuedo-archeaeology. Fun, silly, unbelievable and very enjoyable.