Re: BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS !!!
Hi Brad,
Just jumping in to endorse RichKid's suggestion that you read a fair bit from the library and on the Net before you start buying books.
I'm a major booklover, which you sound like you might be, and a newbie to the stock market, as you said you are. I've found that different people mean different things when they write "long-term", "defensive", "protect capital", "value" etc etc etc. I think you can use free resources to get a good idea of how you want to use the stock market, and while you're doing that you'll pick up on the authors who are likely to be most aligned with your needs. Then you can start buying books for re-reading and reference.
I'm sure my ideas will change as I learn more, but here's an example. I see Benjamin Graham and Louise Bedford as opposite ends of a spectrum. Graham is about owning shares in businesses; if that's your interest then daily (or even monthly) ups and down in share price are no big deal. Bedford is about trading in stocks; if that's your interest then daily (and even hourly) ups and downs in share price are your major focus.
Have fun. It's a fascinating ride.
Ghoti