I vote for mandrake.
Mandrake is simple, and full-featured. It can be customized to whatever suits you.
It's free, has lots of support availible, and of course is open-source.
I use mandrake because I could set it up with easily, I could learn quickly on it, and because no one in my house other then me knows how to use it
I've been using linux for a few months now, and I still have a long way to go before I am an expert. I love a challenge, and linux gave me the one I was looking for. I'm not going to lie and say linux is easy, goodluck with it
In 2 and a half months, I have not had a problem with my linux box. I have not had to restart it, it has not froze, and I have
never had to wait on a program. That stands for something in itself.
As for books, I read the following:
"complete idiots guide to linux"
"linux for dummies"
"liunx KDE in 24 hours"
and "O'rielly - understanding the linux kernel"
These are all avalible in ebook form.