I know, I woke up this morning and thought of about eight more books/series I could have put on that list, for instance the Little House on the Prairie series. The Summer of Love by Lisa Mason.

I think the "clever buggers" thing must be a matter of taste. I mean, I love funny and clever books--the Hitchhiker's series by Douglas Adams comes to mind--but when you're reading them, there's not this self-awareness on the part of the author (or narrator) that bothers me.