I need some help with general information (mostly db related)

Question

Hi all, and thanks in advance for any replies to this post. I've been programming for about 10 years now, mostly doing side projects for whatever tickled my fancy. Just a hobby, nothing professional. Until now, I've never worked with a visual programming language. I've found C# to be a lot to my liking for my upcoming project. My first request is pretty easy. I'd like to know of a good book that would get me started on C# programming. Normally I take a new programming language and learn by example, and of course, lots of trial and error. However, since I've never done visual programming before, I thought a book to assist me might be in order. :) I really don't want any "introduction" style books because I am very familiar with the basics of programming, so I was looking for something that hopefully skips past the very basics. Secondly, this program is going to require storing lots and lots of data. That means I'll need some kind of database. And to be honest, I've gotten quite confused with all this ADO, SQL, Access, ODBE, etc. type language. I don't need any kind of client/server configuration, just a way to easily access and manipulate a large amount of data stored on the local drive. So, what is the best database "interface" (?) to use for maximum efficiency in this situation. And, if necessary, a recommended book on the subject is also a plus. :) Thanks a ton.