Book recommendations?

[kempermentor]

> Ali:
> And I would have to also recommend Kim Van Kieu 
> ... 
> since Kemper mentioned slavery, I thought of this book, which is
> ... the unofficial novel of the Vietnamese people and is about
> this woman who endures incredible hardships, much of it involving
> forced prostitution ...
> 
> Yes, I know these aren't originally English writings, but I thought
> I'd throw them out there for the interested (and besides, I think
> translators deserve some love, too).

Kemper now:
Thanks Ali!  I live in a part of town that has a high Vietnamese
population (my library has a non-translated, Vietnamese section, so I
hope there's a translation at one of the other libraries)
And translators do deserve love.  Unless they suck.

Kemper, who is also a fan of Gaiman but not so much Pratchett, yet  
lists Good Omens as must reading for a good many laughs