The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

So, I managed to get through life up until now without ever having read these books.  I had heard of them, but just never knew anything about them and had not read them.  Now I will have to read the rest of the books.  This is a cute, imaginative story staring Arthur Dent, who has just found out that his house is about to be destroyed only to find out that the earth is about to be destroyed too, and so he goes hitchhiking through the universe with his friend Ford Prefect, who is really from a planet somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse and is writing the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.  And so, in this rather bizarre and decidedly British book, we follow their trials, trevails and travels and learn the answer to the great question of life, the universe and everything.  You probably know it.  My 12 year old son knew it the moment he saw the cover of the book even though he has not yet read it.  I give this book the appropriate thumbs up.