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DeadBase edited by Mike Dolgushkin, Stu Nixon and John Scott - Let's see, I think they're up to Edition X now. To be blunt, this book defines anal-retentive. Not only does it provide complete-as-possible documentation of every show the Grateful Dead ever performed, its cross-index tables can be used to answer such burning questions as "When was the last time the Dead played Sugar Magnolia in Pennsylvania in a show that had no Bob Dylan compositions performed?" The annual editions take it even farther, with the song timings down to the second.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman - If you think the movie was wonderful, or even if you didn't, check out the book and see what you missed. Goldman's storytellling style is a true treat in every sense of the word.
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter - Sadly, this mind-melt isn't for everyone, but if it's your cup of tea, you will drink heartily. It's a treatise on the parodoxes of self-reference. Then again, this review is false.
Thrice Upon a Time by James P. Hogan - One of my pet peeves is that often a science fiction story incorporates a piece of technology that would make its user virtually omnipotent, yet the characters do not exploit it to its full potential. This is among the rare exceptions (along with David Gerrold's The Man Who Folded Himself). In this story, we see the technology being developed and gradually understood, before finally being put to the test. Read on for more details.
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart - Fantasy Chinese style, with outrageous characters, chutzpah and mythology.
National Geographic's Atlas of North America - Admittedly, this is the continent with which I am most familiar, and other such publications may be equally striking. Much of the material is presented in the form of satellite photos, which clearly display the landforms' features. In one photo, for example, you can clearly see the straight-as-a-ruler US-Canada border, due to the differences in agricultural usage on the two sides there.
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers - This time-travel tale ties itself up as neatly as any in the genre. Even as you're admiring where it's going, you'll be amazed about how it actually gets there. A twentieth century scholar collides with a band of Egyptian mythos-based warlocks in 19th century England among other places and times.
Last Call by Tim Powers - Much as I am loath to listing two books by the same author, especially when this one has the same Boy is thrown into unfamiliar situation and is victimized by villains, Boy starts to learn about his environment and begins climb to immense power in it, Boy and a couple allies begin knocking off supernatural enemies one-by-one, Boy gets girl and his horrible disfigurements are cured plot, the telling is delicious. This one takes place in and around modern Las Vegas, complete with some very high-stakes poker.
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge - I must admit a bit of bias here, given Vinge's wonderful takeoff of a USENET with which I'm rather familiar, but it's more than that. A retelling of the classic quest-beyond-all-odds fantasy genre is masked by some detailed and intriguing alien races and a novel concept on galactic physics.
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe - A story about people who did the most incredible things ... and it's all true!