Try to keep your eqipment as close to what you have now as possible, you should still have the same amount of money. If you don't want to fight in the gladiatorial competition let me know before hand (e-mail or PM me). If you aren't in the games or watching in the stands you'll have to find something to do for a week, if you have trade skills and would like to gain XP and make some money you can try to get hired for that skill, but I would prefer to know what y'all want to be doing beforehand. Incedentally, if your character is "busy" with other stuff during the week, I need some people to play as gladiators

As for books I will allow the following to begin with but then we'll move on to more ad hoc:
-Core rulebooks (players handbook, DM guide and MM)
-Monster Manual 1 and 2
-The "Complete..." series (Complete Warrior, Druid, etc, etc, etc)
-Deities & Demigods
I won't force you to pick a religion, but if you want to see what's available let me know and I'll lend you my copy of Deities & Demigods. You can be agnostic if you like unless your powers are divinly imbued (druids, paladins, some races like elves etc).