Ok usually this is a topic people say you have to decide for youself, but I need some help.

I need a good book, but is has to have some criteria.
1) It has to be something that you can read some here and some there. I'm horrible at reading books straight through for many reasons.
2) Can't be politically biast to Republicans or Democrats, different countries, pro-war/pro-peace, etc.
3) No biographies unless this one is some special.
4) It needs to be a book that you can actually read. It can't be like a book with just a list of chemistry expirements. Although those are cool books for referenceing or when your bored and nothing text "booky".

Also has anybody read The Da Vinchi Code? If you have is really a good book with intresting things in it and not just one guys opinions about Da Vinchi and his works.

As for chemistry related books, which is mostly what I read nowadays I'd suggest...

anything by Dr. Joe Schwarcz  "The fly in the ointment" "Radar, hula hoops, and playful pigs" "That's the way the cookie crumbles"(<-----I think the current featured book on this site maybe it's changed)  Those books are composed of dozens of essays (only 3-10 pages in length each) about science (mainly chemistry) in everyday life.  These books are especially neat since you can flip to anywhere in there and learn about something different.  No need to read in order from cover to cover.  If your not into just reading it straight through, I find they work great as bathroom books...I got one in each of the bathrooms in the house!

another good once I just finished reading is "The Last Sorcerers: the path from alchemy to the periodic table" by Richard Morris.  The book goes through the lives of all the scientists who contributed to the evolution of the science of chemistry.  It doesn't just say what they did or contributed, it goes into their lives with all sorts of interesting stories and anecdotes.  As it turns out those guys were quite fascinating and led some pretty querky lives. It helps if you read this book without jumping around to maintain the flow of the book.  I wasn't able to put it down once I bought it though, so it shouldnt really be too much of  a problem even if you don't like to read it in order.  

Finally, "Napoleon's Buttons" by Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson.  how 17 molecules changed history.  That's exactly what it is.  A chemical twist to all those history lessons.  For example,  Napoleon's army was ill prepared for the weather they faced in Russia.  Even moreso by the fact that their clothes were falling off! All the buttons on all the uniforms of Napoleon's army was made from tin which becomes brittle and crumbles in cold temps.  So the fact that the french army's uniforms were falling apart probably contributed to their defeat in Russia.  

As for books non related to chemistry I'd say  A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.  A bit graphic, but a real good underlying message.  

hope that was somewhat helpful to you

For me a classic will always be 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker, or 'Richard III' by Shakespeare.

Enjoy, just keep in mind with the Da Vinci Code you are reading a FICTION book.  Please don't parade around denouncing the Christian faith (like a good part of my hometown did) after reading it.
Another cool thing to check out as well is in the JCE (journal of chemical education) the Chemical Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.  They are mysteries in which Sherlock and Watson attempt to solve by the use of chemistry.  The stories are only about four pages long and take only a little while to read.  There is a break in the story before the solution is uncovered and you are asked to solve it.  A cool one I just finished was on a prison break in which the escaped used electrolysis to move iron from one bar to another on his cell window.  He had the use of an electric light (good behavior in the prison) and had lots of vinegar (fish and chips was served at the prison).  Eventually he connected the two bars in a channel he dug out of the masonry and dumped the vinegar into it, hooked up the wires from the light to the bars forming anodes and cathodes and Voila! the escape was made.  Pretty nifty stuff. Might be worth a look.

Can't access it online unless you have an account with JCE, but I went to the science library at Colgate and photocopied it.

I reccomend PIHKAL: phenethylamines I have known and loved, and its companion book TIHKAL: the continuation by Alexander Shulgin, I was disturbed from my peacefully opiated/benzo'ed state yesterday, by my parents, to find a pizza and these two books dumped by my side, just about managed to eat the pizza and keep my eyes open, tried to read some of PIHKAL, but that was too much to handle.

Today, I actually start reading them Shulgin is a genius, definately ranks up there with the likes of Albert Hoffman, and  other brilliant minds in their fields.

Jeffrey Archer - my favourite is "Kane and Abel", although his short stories are great too.

15 years ago I was a great Tom Clancy fan - I still think his books are worth reading.

No idea which books by Andrzej Stasiuk were translated to English, but if you will have a chance to read "How did I become a writer" or "Hebron walls" or "Going to Brabadag" - try. Although that's completely different literature.