 | Mother Tongue: The English Language by Bill Bryson
Buy new: £3.68 / Used from: £3.29 Whether or not school put you off, the English Language truly is intensely interesting. If you don't agree, this great introduction should change your mind while simultaneously amusing you.
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 | The Adventure of English by Melvyn Bragg
Buy new: £3.58 / Used from: £0.33 If you enjoyed the above book, this should be next on your list to more fully explore the history of the English language. Informative and easy to read.
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 | The Stories of English by David Crystal
Buy new: £6.49 / Used from: £3.95 Similar in scope to the above book and a worthy alternative or supplementary reading depending on your level of interest.
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 | Troublesome Words by Bill Bryson
Buy new: £3.68 / Used from: £3.54 More Bryson but if you want to understand the subtleties of English and avoid making mistakes this is really worthwhile. Plus it's witty and illustrated with great examples.
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 | Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
Buy new: £73.83 / Used from: £49.50 Pricey but if you can afford it this is indubitably the best 1-2 volume dictionary out there.
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 | The RSC Shakespeare: The Complete Works by William Shakespeare
Buy new: £22.07 / Used from: £26.04 The best Complete Works of Shakespeare. All difficult words and phrases are explained on the same page; it doesn't shy away from the raciness; good introductions. Easy and delightful to read.
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 | Rediscover Grammar by David Crystal
Buy new: £11.91 / Used from: £11.00 This looks like the best of the bunch of grammar books and it is well worth honing your skills. I got all the basics off the internet but should probably invest in this myself.
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