Walking Since Daybreak

Part history, part autobiography by Modris Eksteins (Houghton Mifflin, 2000), Won the Pearson Prize for nonfiction in Canada. Tells the story of a Latvian famiy's experiences before, during and after WWII.

Dogs of Riga

Mystery by Henning Mankell (Knopf, 2004). Swedish detective Kurt Wallander solves a mystery set in pre-1991 Soviet Latvia on the verge of renewed independence. Includes lots of local colour.

The ODESSA File.

Perhaps the most prominent mention of Latvia in modern literature is in The Odessa File, in which an old jew kills himself in 1963, setting the protagonist on a cross-contintal race to find a hidden Nazi murderer.

The 'Old Jew' was incarcerated in the Riga Ghetto, while the Nazi Murderer was the Commandant of said Ghetto. Aside from a thrilling read, its an interesting, if fleeting, insight into a darkened past for this Latvian capital city.

Berlitz Pocket Guide; RIGA.

Tiny and packed full on useful knowledge, although it's size is both its best and worst feature. It will fit in any pocket, but contains the very very bare minimum for you needs.

Lonely Planet; Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

A staple for my background reading during my travels in the Baltic region. Full of exelent info, alas in black and white. So full of stuff in fact, that you find yourself planning the next trip out to the area before you're on the first! For the amount of info in here, its amazing how compact this book is.

Soviet-Era travel literature.

This kind of stuff is hard to find, but an intreaguing look at the modern baltics through the eyes of the past.