TURNING LIFE INTO FICTION
by Robin Hemley
Story Press
ISBN: 1884910378

Your family is insane, right? Well, instead of whining about it, use it to your advantage. Take all the annoying, freaky, bizarre, hilarious and humiliating things they do and say and turn them into brilliant stories. This book gives you some tips on how.

BIRD BY BIRD: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
by Anne Lamott
Anchor
ISBN: 0385480016

A hilarious and helpful manual that covers every step of the writing process --- from gluing yourself to the desk chair to facing the fact that getting published will probably not make you happier, richer or more attractive --- Lamott's how-to/why-to guide is The Bible for new writers.

ON WRITING: A Memoir of the Craft
by Stephen King
Pocket Books
ISBN: 0671024256

Who better to get pearls of wisdom from then one of the best-selling authors in the history of the planet. Cooler still is that you get to see where he came up with all the weird stuff he writes about.

2002 WRITER'S MARKET: 8,000 Editors Who Buy What You Write
edited by Kirsten Holm
Writers Digest Books
ISBN: 1582970440

Just because you're young doesn't mean there aren't plenty of agents and editors and publishers out there who would buy your writing if it was good enough. This book is pretty much the most comprehensive listing of the people and places you can send your work to once you think it's fit to be seen by your adoring public.

SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS: How to Edit Yourself into Print
by Renni Browne and Dave King
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062720465

I have it on good authority from several people "in the know" that this book is one of the best out there for learning how to tweak, polish and tighten your work so that it's the best it can possibly be.