a few good authors to look for are john freeman and john hedgecoe. they both have written some good reliable manuals/guides. i'm sure i have seen some of their titles in HK.
their books are basic, but give you the fundementals. dont expect to get a book that tells you everything. borrow/buy a range of them.
most of all - get a diary/note book. keep note of what you do. then when u print/downoad the pics, check to see what happened. much easier these days with digital.
most of all - go burn some film.... ummm (gets with the times) go shoot some stuff
you can read/listen to advice till you go bananas, but you won't learn till you try it out. play with the exposure vs aperture settings. see how it effects the shot. ignore the modes below the green square, only use the modes P, Tv Av or M. then you will learn what each thing does.
gone are the days when we used to guess an exposure because the light meter was too slow (no, i don't begrudge technology - i embrace it, but i also know i don't "know" my camers like i used to, and i dont predict light like i used to as a teenage wannabe fotomaniac). these days the digital toys are so quick, so forgiving. aim - shoot - success. wow!
most of all, get outside. take some pics. use your toy till you know it
