Book check:
The teacher who couldn't read / John Corcoran - easy to read, inspiring story
Language Visible / David Sacks - history of each of the letters of the alphabet. Cool.
Musica - history of Latin music, esp. in the US. interesting.
The Subtle Knife / Philip Pullman - 2nd book in the Dark Materials trilogy. good so far.
Tropical architecture or some such - coffee table book/photo tour, historical and contemporary South East Asian houses
Mary Poppins Opens the Door / P.L. Travers - wonderfully whimsical, as always
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix / J.K. Rowling - Harry's world. 'Nuff said.