Those project books sound exciting. Ill check them out.Probably the best way to learn is to pick out an app you would like to and go make it.
Here's a good site if you want to look at .NET open source projects - https://www.codeplex.com/
Most books just have you type in commands and try to explain it. I recommend this book ( ) since It's project based. You build apps throughout the book.
here's a book with a good combination of learning to program & Game programming
and
and you can always ask questions in here.
Planning on making a checkbook type balancing app for personal use just for the experience.