I've been using slackware linux lately and have been finding it great.
It requires you to do alot of things yourself, yet it's not as intimidating as you may think it would be from what people say about it, seeing as it's considered one of the most basic linux distros. Basic as in no frills. Everythings command prompt oriented when it comes to setting up stuff.
It's hard to explain why, but I'm finding it easier to use and manage than fedora. I feel like I have more control.
You'll learn alot about linux using it, which is why i'm using it, and with some handy tutorials that can easily be found with google it isn't that bad.
If you decide to give it a shot and have trouble post a message, you just might run into a problem i've already had.
For installing and setting up slackware, follow this walkthrough. It's long, but it's very easy to follow.
Slackware walkthrough