Most of Charlie's top five books are photos and drawings, because "book" does not always imply "reading."

You Can't Win by Jack Black: "This is the autobiography of a hobo freight train-hopper and outlaw. A thrilling drama, especially when he has to reach under a sleeping man's pillow for the loot."

My Alphabet by Trevor Brown: "A book of terrible, terrible drawings. We're talking school girls hanging themselves and two-headed babies, but done up as a mock children's book."

Notes From A Defeatist by Joe Sacco: "He virtually invented a new kind of journalistic comic. This is a collection of satirical pieces, including a funny one about working in the downtown library."

Vintage Love [Due to an inability to read Japanese, Charlie does not know who wrote this book]: "Drawings of big, beautiful women going about their business, except each of them has a puny little man dangling by his face from her butt cheeks."

Fruits: "Japanese youths decked out in bizarre assemblages. Utterly hilarious."

Rich Jackson from Ace Uptown Hardware

Rich Jackson at Ace Uptown Hardware tells us about some of the new, geeky tools the savvy homeowner might want to invest in.

1) "There's a new laser level that's pretty popular. It shoots a laser light on the wall, so if you want to hang pictures you don't have to draw a line." Strait-Line, $44.99

2) "LED flashlights. It's new technology; it gives you a bright white light that lasts a lot longer than a regular flashlight." $15-30

3) "Stanley, I think, came out with a 52-in-one screwdriver. It's about $20, and for what you get that's pretty reasonable. If you bought 52 screwdrivers, it'd cost you $200."

4) "Anaconda Garden hose. The bounce-back coil hoses are very popular." $49-69

5) "Stanley also makes an instant-change utility knife. You don't need to use a screwdriver to take the thing apart, which saves time." $11.99