Vancouver, by David Cruise and Alison Griffith, is a big (800+ pages) novel about the history of human settlement in the Vancouver area, starting from the migration from Alaska of the first people to settle the area, through the first European explorers, fur traders, Chinese and Sikh immigrants, all the way to a young girl trying to escape the Downtown Eastside in 2003.  It's a book very much in the tradition of the classic Michener epics like Centennial and Alaska.  Extensively researched and very well-written, it's a must read for anyone interested in the history of Vancouver.

Another great resource is Vancouver and its Region by Timothy Oke and Graeme Wynn of the University of British Columbia. It is not a novel but a textbook of sorts, offering information on everything: Vancouver's glacial history, the way the city's demographics have shifted over time, how neighbourhoods have been created, Vancouver's architecture, its social history, transportation choices that have helped shaped the city's identity, and all kinds of interesting tidbits. It makes for a great read for anybody who's seriously interested in getting to know Vancouver.

Guidebooks

Lonely Planet Vancouver , published 2005.

Fodor's Vancouver and British Columbia, 5th Edition , published 2006.

Frommer's Vancouver & Victoria 2006

The Rough Guide to Vancouver, 2nd ed. , published 2004 .

Ulysses Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler , published 2006.

Websites

Tourism Vancouver's official website has lots of information on a whole range of topics, but doesn't go into as much detail as the two books above. The City of Vancouver's website also provides a few  useful links to further information for visitors.

InsideVancouver.ca is the official new Vancouver tourism blog operated by Tourism Vancouver.

Join the official Vancouver community at Facebook.com/insidevancouver

Club Tread is a website with a discussion forum that is dedicated to sharing information about hiking in British Columbia and Alberta. 

Schmap.com offers a free Vancouver Guide  with maps, photos and directory information for download to your PC.

Tour by Transit - Vancouver BC provides a guide to Vancouver parks and attractions  along with lots of tips and information for getting to them via public transit.